Once your post-license requirement is behind you, Florida real estate education settles into a rhythm that lasts the rest of your career: 14 hours of continuing education every two years. It applies to sales associates and brokers alike, and unlike post-licensing it is forgiving of a mistake — but only if you catch it in time.
How the 14 hours break down
The hours are not interchangeable. FREC specifies the composition:
- 3 hours of Core Law. Updates to Chapter 475, Florida Statutes, and Rule 61J2, plus recent FREC decisions and regulatory changes.
- 3 hours of Ethics and Business Practices. Professional conduct, advertising rules, agency duties, and fair housing obligations.
- 8 hours of specialty education. Elective credit in approved real estate subjects of your choosing.
Loading up on 14 hours of specialty credit does not satisfy the requirement. The six mandatory hours have to be exactly what they say they are, so check the course designation before you enroll rather than after.
When it is due
Florida licenses renew every two years, expiring on March 31 or September 30. Which date applies to you depends on when your license was originally issued, and your own DBPR record is the authority — not a friend’s deadline, not an office rumor.
Everything has to be complete before midnight Eastern on your expiration date: the 14 hours reported by your education provider and the renewal fee paid to DBPR. Renewing after the deadline generally means a late fee, and fee waivers are not available.
Choosing your 8 specialty hours
The elective hours are the part most licensees treat as a box to check, which is a small waste. You are required to sit through them anyway, so pick subjects that actually move your business forward. Common options include:
- Property management and landlord-tenant law
- Investment analysis and 1031 exchanges
- Commercial real estate fundamentals
- Working with international and foreign national buyers
- Contract writing and risk reduction
- Financing, credit, and mortgage products
- Technology, marketing, and lead generation
- Title, closing, and escrow procedures
Two things licensees commonly get wrong
Inactive does not mean exempt. A voluntarily inactive license still carries a continuing education obligation if you intend to renew it and return to active status later. Letting the education lapse because you are not currently selling creates a problem you will have to untangle later.
CE does not cover your first renewal. If you are a newly licensed sales associate or a newly licensed broker, 14 hours of CE does nothing for you. Your first renewal requires the 45-hour or 60-hour post-license course instead. Taking CE by mistake in that first cycle is a costly error, and it is more common than you would expect.
Keep your own records
Approved providers report completions to DBPR electronically, but reporting can lag and records occasionally go astray. Keep your certificates. If a question arises at renewal, a saved certificate resolves in minutes what an unverifiable claim can drag out for weeks.
Get the cycle done early
Florida allows continuing education to be completed by distance education, and 14 hours is a manageable weekend if you stop putting it off. The cheapest version of this requirement is always the one finished months before the deadline.
Our Florida continuing education courses are available in English, Spanish, and Portuguese, covering core law, ethics, and a range of specialty subjects.
Complete your 14-hour Florida continuing education and renew without the last-minute scramble.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Requirements, fees, and deadlines are set by FREC and DBPR and can change. Always confirm your own expiration date and education record at MyFloridaLicense.com.