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Apply to DBPR, then submit fingerprints. Complete the approved 63-hour Course 1 and earn your school certificate. Once DBPR approves your application, pass the Pearson exam and activate your license with a broker.
Your state application and your school course can move forward at the same time. You can apply before completing Course 1, then use the time while DBPR reviews your application to study and work through FastPass. DBPR instructs applicants to submit fingerprints after applying.
First, know which credential you’re seeking
A Florida sales associate license is the state credential. It lets you practice when your license is activated under a broker. REALTOR® refers to a licensed professional who also joins the National Association of REALTORS® through an association. Membership is a separate decision; it is not part of the state exam. See the full explanation.
DBPR’s standard requirements include being at least 18, holding a high school diploma or equivalent, and having a U.S. Social Security number. Check the current DBPR sales associate checklist for the full application requirements.
The sales associate path
- 1Apply to DBPR.Submit the sales associate application. Course 1 may be in progress when you apply.
- 2Submit fingerprints.Use an FDLE-registered Livescan provider immediately after your application.
- 3Earn your Course 1 certificate.The approved 63-hour course is self-paced. With Sales FastPass, you can begin the certification exams when you’re ready and use Course 1 to prepare or review as needed.
- 4Receive state exam approval.Watch for your authorization notice and candidate identification number after DBPR approves your application.
- 5Schedule and take the Pearson exam.Select the Sales Associate exam. Bring your printed school certificate and required identification to the testing center.
- 6Activate and prepare for your first renewal.After you pass and receive the license, have a broker activate it. Your first renewal generally requires 45-hour sales Post-Licensing.
Steps 1–2 and 3 can overlap. You need both DBPR exam eligibility and a valid school completion certificate when you arrive for the exam.
Course 1, certification, and FastPass
Florida’s standard education path is an approved 63-hour prelicense Course 1. Daniel Larson Training offers it as a self-paced online course with its own student portal sign-in, separate from this website.
With the FastPass package, you can start with three exam-style FastPass exams, use Course 1, the 500+ Q&A, ebook, audio and video as your study toolbox, and complete your approved course-certification path. That work also prepares you for the separate Florida state licensing exam. The school issues your course completion certificate; DBPR decides application eligibility; Pearson administers the state exam. Compare Course 1 and FastPass options.
Your Exam Prep Only options focus on practice for the state exam. They are for students who have already completed the required prelicense course.
Approval, authorization, and scheduling
Once DBPR approves your application, your status becomes exam eligible. DBPR says candidates can generally schedule within 72 hours after approval. Its candidate booklet refers to an authorization notice with a candidate identification number; it does not promise a universal “Pearson code” in an email. Use the details in your actual notice and choose the Sales Associate exam through Pearson’s official Florida Real Estate program.
Keep studying while DBPR reviews your application. A school certificate does not itself approve your state application, and approval does not replace your school certificate. See the approval and certificate checklist.
At the testing center: bring paper proof
Before you leave home
- Print your school’s prelicensing completion certificate. Bring it on every exam attempt; an eligible candidate without it is refused admission.
- Bring two valid forms of signature identification, including one government-issued ID. Match your registration to your legal name.
Pearson requires a physical testing center for this Florida exam. Schedule the Sales Associate exam with Pearson.
Course access and licensing deadlines
| Item | When its clock starts | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Your course access | Enrollment | Daniel Larson Training bundles include one year of online access. This is the school’s access term. |
| School course completion | Date you complete Course 1 | Under Florida Statutes §475.181(2), completion counts for licensing for two years. |
| State application | Date DBPR receives it | Under the same Florida statute, it expires after two years if you have not passed the exam. |
| Exam authorization | Date DBPR approves the application | DBPR says authorization lasts two years; check the date on your notice. |
Your course-access window, certificate, application, and authorization have different starting dates. Check your own documents before choosing an exam date.
Once you pass
DBPR issues the sales associate license, which needs an employing broker to activate it before you practice under that broker. Then plan for 45-hour sales Post-Licensing before the first renewal. The 14-hour continuing education requirement generally applies to later renewals. See the renewal guide.
Check the official instructions
- DBPR sales associate application checklist
- DBPR sales associate candidate booklet (PDF)
- Florida Statutes §475.181
- Pearson Florida Real Estate scheduling
Daniel Larson Training · Instructor: Daniel Larson (#ZH1003217) · Official sources checked September 24, 2026
Where do I start?
FastPass streamlines the path through your DBPR application, fingerprints, Course 1 certification, and state-exam preparation. Inside each licensing course bundle, you’ll find links to the DBPR application and fingerprinting, with guidance for both.