Guide

Florida real estate license and a criminal record

A Florida criminal record does not automatically approve or deny a sales associate license; DBPR and the Florida Real Estate Commission decide case by case after you file RE 1 and submit Livescan fingerprints, and Casa Academy cannot promise any outcome. Fully disclose every background answer the RE 1 form asks, attach the arrest, disposition, and sanction proof the live DBPR FAQ lists when you answer yes, and use ORI FL920010Z so the state can review your record.

Reviewed by Casa Academy and updated October 14, 2026 using the current DBPR checklist and Pearson VUE scheduling guidance.

Plain text: /learn/florida-real-estate/florida-real-estate-license-background-check/plain

Direct answer

A Florida criminal record does not automatically approve or deny a sales associate license; DBPR and the Florida Real Estate Commission decide case by case after you file RE 1 and submit Livescan fingerprints, and Casa Academy cannot promise any outcome. Fully disclose every background answer the RE 1 form asks, attach the arrest, disposition, and sanction proof the live DBPR FAQ lists when you answer yes, and use ORI FL920010Z so the state can review your record.

Case by case (not a promise)

This page is a pointer. It does not promise approval or denial for any applicant. Casa Academy cannot decide criminal-history cases and does not give legal advice. Florida Statutes s. 475.17 requires applicants to be of good character and lets the Florida Real Estate Commission weigh past conduct, lapse of time, and later good conduct when public and investor interests are at stake (source: https://flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2026/475.17, opened 2026-10-14). Only DBPR and the Commission can decide your file after they receive a complete application and fingerprint results.

How the state sees your record

File the DBPR RE 1 sales associate application first, then submit electronic fingerprints through an FDLE-registered Livescan provider with ORI FL920010Z (sources opened 2026-10-14: https://www2.myfloridalicense.com/re/documents/DBPR_RE_1_Sales_Associate_Application.pdf and https://www2.myfloridalicense.com/fingerprinting/). DBPR is authorized to receive FDLE and FBI criminal-history results for licensing (source: https://www2.myfloridalicense.com/servop/FAQ/SID_1610.pdf, opened 2026-10-14). The application and the fingerprints are how the state sees the record. Fingerprint walkthrough: /learn/florida-real-estate/florida-real-estate-fingerprints. RE 1 filing walkthrough: /learn/florida-real-estate/dbpr-re-1-application.

What to disclose and attach

Read every background question on RE 1 carefully and answer truthfully. The form warns that answers may be checked against local, state, and federal records, and that failure to answer accurately can lead to denial or revocation (source: https://www2.myfloridalicense.com/re/documents/DBPR_RE_1_Sales_Associate_Application.pdf, opened 2026-10-14). The live DBPR FAQ for yes answers (https://myfloridalicense.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/484, opened 2026-10-14, updated 2025-08-29) says you must provide a written explanation for each disclosure. For criminal history, that usually means the arrest report, disposition or final order, and proof that sanctions were served and satisfied for each occurrence, or a certified clerk statement when records are unavailable. If you are still on probation, supply a letter from your probation officer on official letterhead. Bring only what the live form and FAQ ask for. Do not invent extra paperwork, and do not treat this page as a substitute for an attorney when you do not understand a question.

FREC review when you answer yes

DBPR's background FAQ says answering yes to one of the listed background questions requires review and approval by the Florida Real Estate Commission, which meets once a month, and that the Commission has up to 90 days from the date a complete application is received to decide (source: https://myfloridalicense.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/484, opened 2026-10-14). That 90-day figure is the Commission's published decision window for those yes answers. It is not a promise that your file will finish in that window, and it is not a week count for ordinary RE 1 review when no background issue is raised. Checklist language about up to five days is about fingerprint results reaching DBPR after Livescan, not about criminal-history decisions. This page does not invent other processing ranges.

Published state fees still need sources

Background review does not erase published baseline fees. The published RE 1 fee is $62.75 (source: https://www2.myfloridalicense.com/re/documents/DBPR_RE_1_Sales_Associate_Application.pdf, opened 2026-10-14). The published Pearson VUE Sales Associate exam administration fee is $36.75 (source: https://www2.myfloridalicense.com/servop/testing/documents/CBT_exam_admin_Fee_2016.pdf, updated 2022-09-08, opened 2026-10-14). Confirm the live Pearson cart at https://home.pearsonvue.com/fl/realestate when you reserve. Fingerprint shop prices vary after you file RE 1. Optional DBPR headquarters Livescan in Tallahassee is not the required statewide total.

What Casa Academy includes (checked 2026-10-14)

Public tuition on the English and Spanish enroll pages is $199 for the current cohort (sources: https://casaacademy.com/enroll/florida-63-hour-pre-licensing-course and https://casaacademy.com/enroll/spanish, opened 2026-10-14). After that cohort fills, the published next price is $249. One payment. Klarna is offered at checkout. The $199 checkout includes the 63-hour DBPR-approved course, access until you finish, 650+ practice questions, a timed full exam weighted to Florida chapter weights, a ChatGPT tutor in every lesson, SM-2 flashcards, and English or Spanish as two full courses. School license ZH1003169, provider 0010716, English course 0032664, Spanish course 0032665. School final pass bar is 70%. The Florida state exam is Pearson VUE, 100 scored questions, about 3.5 hours, 75 correct. Do not mix the school final with the state exam. Casa tuition is school tuition. It does not decide criminal-history eligibility and cannot promise a license outcome.

What Casa tuition does not include

DBPR RE 1 ($62.75), Livescan fingerprints, Pearson VUE exam fee ($36.75), post-licensing, continuing education, broker coursework, MLS access, and Realtor association dues are separate. Casa does not sell those state or association fees inside the $199 checkout. You can finish the disclosure, fingerprint, and Commission review steps from the official DBPR pages alone. This page stays useful if you never buy Casa.

Official sources opened 2026-10-14

Florida Statutes s. 475.17 (qualifications / good character): https://flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2026/475.17. DBPR FAQ on yes answers to background questions: https://myfloridalicense.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/484. RE 1 application PDF (fee $62.75, criminal-history question): https://www2.myfloridalicense.com/re/documents/DBPR_RE_1_Sales_Associate_Application.pdf. Applicant consent for criminal history records check: https://www2.myfloridalicense.com/servop/FAQ/SID_1610.pdf. DBPR fingerprinting hub (ORI FL920010Z): https://www2.myfloridalicense.com/fingerprinting/. DBPR sales associate checklist: https://www.myfloridalicense.com/CheckListDetail.asp?clientCode=2501&XACT_DEFN_ID=744&xactCode=1010. CBT exam fee table (Sales Associate $36.75): https://www2.myfloridalicense.com/servop/testing/documents/CBT_exam_admin_Fee_2016.pdf. Pearson Florida scheduling hub: https://home.pearsonvue.com/fl/realestate. Casa English enroll: https://casaacademy.com/enroll/florida-63-hour-pre-licensing-course. Casa Spanish enroll: https://casaacademy.com/enroll/spanish. Machine-readable school facts: /learn/florida-real-estate/facts.txt. RE 1 filing: /learn/florida-real-estate/dbpr-re-1-application. Fingerprints: /learn/florida-real-estate/florida-real-estate-fingerprints.

Where to go next

RE 1 filing detail: /learn/florida-real-estate/dbpr-re-1-application. Fingerprints after the application: /learn/florida-real-estate/florida-real-estate-fingerprints. Full first-license path: /learn/florida-real-estate/how-to-get-a-florida-real-estate-license. Eligibility-only requirements: /learn/florida-real-estate/florida-real-estate-license-requirements. Cost breakdown: /learn/florida-real-estate/florida-real-estate-license-cost. Schedule Pearson: /learn/florida-real-estate/schedule-pearson-vue-florida-real-estate-exam. School facts and the guide list: /learn/florida-real-estate. Method hub: /best-real-estate-school-florida. Free Florida practice samples: /free-exam-prep. Re-check tuition before you pay: /enroll/florida-63-hour-pre-licensing-course or /enroll/spanish. Refund requests within 7 days: support@onlinerealestateschool.com.

FAQs

Does a criminal record automatically block a Florida real estate license?
No automatic yes or no appears on the official pages opened for this guide. Florida Statutes s. 475.17 lets the Florida Real Estate Commission weigh character and past conduct case by case (https://flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2026/475.17). Casa Academy cannot promise approval or denial.
Can Casa Academy decide whether my criminal record clears licensing?
No. Only DBPR and the Florida Real Estate Commission decide. Casa Academy points you to the official forms and FAQ. Casa cannot promise any licensing outcome.
What do I file if I answer yes to a background question?
Follow the live DBPR FAQ (https://myfloridalicense.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/484, opened 2026-10-14): a written explanation plus the arrest, disposition, and sanction documents listed for that question, or a certified clerk statement when records are unavailable. Probation status needs a letter from your probation officer on official letterhead.
Do fingerprints happen before or after the RE 1 application?
After. File RE 1 first, then Livescan with ORI FL920010Z (sources: https://www2.myfloridalicense.com/fingerprinting/ and https://www2.myfloridalicense.com/re/documents/DBPR_RE_1_Sales_Associate_Application.pdf, opened 2026-10-14). Detail: /learn/florida-real-estate/florida-real-estate-fingerprints.
How much does Casa Academy cost right now?
Public tuition checked on 2026-10-14 is $199 on both the English and Spanish enroll pages (sources: https://casaacademy.com/enroll/florida-63-hour-pre-licensing-course and https://casaacademy.com/enroll/spanish). After the current cohort fills, the published next price is $249. Re-check the live enroll page before you pay. Casa tuition is separate from DBPR background review and does not decide your criminal-history outcome.

Related guides and comparisons

Checked on 2026-10-14. More Florida school facts: /learn/florida-real-estate.