Real Estate License from Minnesota to Florida: Does It Transfer? (2026)
Does Florida accept a Minnesota real estate license?
A real estate license transfers from Minnesota to Florida by endorsement — there is no automatic reciprocity, but you do not start over. Apply to the Florida Real Estate Commission (FREC) / DBPR, verify your Minnesota license, and meet Florida's endorsement requirements. 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.
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Same data, interactive — with share link and board links.
Verdict
Licensure by endorsement
Florida publishes no agreement covering Minnesota, but it does evaluate out-of-state licensees individually — so this move runs on Florida's endorsement judgment rather than a guarantee. The requirements below are what the Florida Real Estate Commission (FREC) / DBPR commits to in writing; for anything discretionary (exam waivers, education credit), get the commission's answer in writing before you rely on it.
What's different between Minnesota and Florida
Computed from both states' verified data rows, in both directions, and from the route every other origin gets into Florida. Exam notes are our summary of each board's published rules, with sources below.
- Route, each way
Minnesota to Florida (this page): Licensure by endorsement.
Florida to Minnesota (the reverse move): Full re-application.
The two directions differ: Minnesota and Florida do not give each other's licensees the same route.
- Does coming from Minnesota matter?
Minnesota gets Florida's most common result: 40 of 50 origins (the other 49 states and DC) get the same one, so for most movers the origin does not change the answer.
The others get: reciprocity agreement (10).
- Reciprocity agreements
Florida's reciprocity agreement list names 10 states (Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Mississippi, Nebraska, Rhode Island, and West Virginia), not including Minnesota.
Minnesota's row names no reciprocity agreement states.
- Application fee
Florida lists $62.75 for an out-of-state applicant and Minnesota lists $70 for the reverse move; neither may be the full cost.
- Pre-license education
Florida's first-time-applicant standard is 63 hours of pre-license education; Minnesota's is 90.
Florida's is 27 education hours lower than Minnesota's.
- Exam rules on record
Florida and Minnesota carry different exam notes (our summaries, below); any state law or jurisprudence exam is listed with each state's requirements.
- Florida (this 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
- Minnesota (the reverse move): No portion is waived in practice. Every applicant must pass both the uniform (national) and state portions of the Minnesota salesperson examination, each with a score of at least 75 percent (Minn. Stat. 82.59). Minnesota's reciprocity statute (82.64) could waive the education requirement for a licensee of another jurisdiction, but ONLY where a written reciprocal agreement is in effect - and the examination is never among the items 82.64 waives.
What changes, Minnesota → Florida
| Minnesota (current) | Florida (destination) | |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-license education | 90 | 63 |
| Application fee | $70 (Initial salesperson license fee is $70 (Minn. Stat. 82.57, subd. 1(b)); renewal is $40. In addition each initial license carries a technology surcharge of up to $40 (Minn. Stat. 45.24) plus a payment to the real estate education, research and recovery fund (Minn. Stat. 82.86). The Pearson VUE exam fee is paid separately.) | $62.75 (DBPR RE-1 state application fee; the PSI/testing-vendor exam fee and the electronic fingerprint fee are paid separately) |
| Processing time | The Department of Commerce does not publish a fixed processing time for salesperson licensure | No board-stated timeframe; the license is issued after DBPR reviews the application and the applicant passes the 40-question Florida law exam |
| Licensing authority | Minnesota Department of Commerce | Florida Real Estate Commission (FREC) / DBPR |
The destination column is what you must satisfy — Florida sets the rules for this move.
Step by step
- Confirm Florida's current requirements on the Florida Real Estate Commission (FREC) / DBPR website (linked below) — rules change.
- Submit the endorsement application to the Florida Real Estate Commission (FREC) / DBPR (application linked below).
- Arrange license verification from your current state.
- Be at least 18 and hold a high school diploma or its equivalent.
- Not be a Florida resident at the time of application.
- Have obtained the out-of-state license by meeting that state's own education and examination requirements (not by reciprocity).
- Hold a valid, current, active license in good standing in the mutual-recognition state.
- Submit a certification of license history and complete an electronic fingerprint background check.
- 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 Minnesota after I'm licensed in Florida?
Yes — real estate licenses stack. Keep the Minnesota 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.
- 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)
- Minn. Stat. 82.64 RECIPROCITY (education and 82.61 requirements 'may be waived' only where a written reciprocal agreement is in effect, the individual is in good standing, and requirements are substantially similar) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Minn. Stat. 82.63, subd. 11 Nonresidents ('A nonresident of Minnesota may be licensed as a real estate broker, real estate salesperson... upon compliance with all provisions of this chapter.') ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Minn. Stat. 82.59 LICENSING; EXAMINATIONS AND INSTRUCTION (all applicants pass an exam; 75% uniform and state; salesperson 30-hour Course I before exam + 60 additional hours) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
- Minn. Stat. 82.57 LICENSE FEES ($70 initial salesperson license, $40 renewal; technology surcharge up to $40; recovery fund fee) ↗ (accessed 2026-07-21)
Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-07-21
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