Real Estate License from Florida to Kentucky: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Kentucky accept a Florida real estate license?
Yes — Kentucky has a reciprocity arrangement covering Florida license holders. Apply to the Kentucky Real Estate Commission (KREC) under its reciprocity/endorsement track; it typically waives the national exam portion and complete Kentucky's remaining requirements.
Verify this exact pair in the checker
Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Reciprocity agreement
Florida is on Kentucky's recognition list, which puts this move on the streamlined track: your education and national exam are credited, and the requirements below are what Kentucky still insists on — typically its own law exam and a background check. One caution: agreements are directional and revocable. This page's verification date tells you when we last confirmed Florida on the list; the commission link is the live truth.
What's different between Florida and Kentucky
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Kentucky. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Florida to Kentucky (this page): Reciprocity agreement.
Kentucky to Florida (the reverse move): Reciprocity agreement.
The route is the same in both directions.
- Does coming from Florida matter?
Coming from Florida matters here: only 5 of 50 origins (the other 49 states and DC) get this result for a move into Kentucky.
The others get: licensure by endorsement (45).
- Reciprocity agreements
Kentucky's reciprocity agreement list names 5 states (Florida, Illinois, Mississippi, Ohio, and Tennessee), including Florida.
Florida's reciprocity agreement list names 10 states (Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Mississippi, Nebraska, Rhode Island, and West Virginia), including Kentucky.
- Application fee
Kentucky lists $130 for an out-of-state applicant and Florida lists $62.75 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Pre-license education
Kentucky's first-time-applicant standard is 96 hours of pre-license education; Florida's is 63.
Kentucky's is 33 education hours higher than Florida's.
- Exam rules on record
Kentucky and Florida carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Kentucky (this move): Reciprocal applicants take ONLY the Kentucky law portion of the licensing exam (the PSI 'reciprocity sales associate exam'); the national portion and the full 96-hour pre-license course are waived. Instead they complete a 40-hour reciprocal license law course through a KREC-approved provider.
- Florida (the reverse move): Mutual-recognition applicants skip the national exam and the 63-hour pre-license course; a 40-question Florida real estate law exam (30 of 40 correct to pass) is required
What changes, Florida → Kentucky
| Florida (current) | Kentucky (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-license education | 63 | 96 |
| Application fee | $62.75 (DBPR RE-1 state application fee; the PSI/testing-vendor exam fee and the electronic fingerprint fee are paid separately) | $130 ($130 fee for an active license ($120 if issued inactive). Separate costs: national criminal-history fingerprint check, the PSI reciprocity sales associate exam fee, and 40-hour reciprocal law course tuition.) |
| Processing time | No board-stated timeframe; the license is issued after DBPR reviews the application and the applicant passes the 40-question Florida law exam | KREC does not publish a stated processing time; the application must be filed within 60 days of passing the exam |
| Licensing authority | Florida Real Estate Commission (FREC) / DBPR | Kentucky Real Estate Commission (KREC) |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Kentucky sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Kentucky's current requirements on the Kentucky Real Estate Commission (KREC) website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the reciprocity application to the Kentucky Real Estate Commission (KREC) (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Meet the partner-state experience threshold — at least one (1) year actively licensed as a sales associate (Tennessee: as an associate broker) in the reciprocal state immediately preceding application.
- Complete the 40-hour reciprocal license law course through a KREC-approved education provider.
- Submit fingerprints for a national criminal history check (valid 90 days; you must pass the exam and apply before it expires).
- Pass the Kentucky law portion via the PSI reciprocity sales associate exam, then file the application within 60 days of passing.
- Provide a license history certification / letter of good standing from every state where you are licensed and proof of errors and omissions insurance.
- Pay the fees listed above, and allow for the processing time shown there.
Official links
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Can I keep selling in Florida after I'm licensed in Kentucky?
Yes — real estate licenses stack. Keep the Florida license active (renewals and CE continue separately) and you hold both; many border-market agents do exactly this.
Sources
Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-07-21.
- Kentucky Real Estate Commission — Reciprocal Licensing (agreements with Florida, Mississippi, Tennessee; MOUs with Illinois and Ohio; 40-hour reciprocal license law course; national criminal check; $130 active / $120 inactive license fee; 60-day filing window) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- 201 KAR 11:210 — Licensing, education, and testing requirements (reciprocal applicants: 6 academic credit hours or equivalent, pass Kentucky law portion, certification of licensure within 90 days, national criminal history check) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Kentucky Real Estate Commission — Education (Sales Associate new-applicant pre-license: 96 hours or 6 academic credit hours) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Florida FREC — Mutual Recognition States (10-state list; 40-question law exam) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Florida DBPR — RE-1 Sales Associate Application (application fee $62.75; mutual recognition section) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
How we verify · All sources · Corrections log · spot an error? hello@licensereciprocity.com