Guide

Inactive vs active Florida real estate license

An active Florida real estate sales associate license is registered with a sponsoring broker so you can practice; an inactive license means you still hold the license but you may not practice until a broker registers you again. DBPR form RE 11 covers Add Employee, Become Inactive, and Change Employer, and the form states that no fee is assessed for this transaction.

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-inactive-vs-active/plain

Direct answer

An active Florida real estate sales associate license is registered with a sponsoring broker so you can practice; an inactive license means you still hold the license but you may not practice until a broker registers you again. DBPR form RE 11 covers Add Employee, Become Inactive, and Change Employer, and the form states that no fee is assessed for this transaction.

Active means a sponsoring broker

Active status for a Florida sales associate or broker sales associate is employment status with a qualifying broker. You practice real estate only when your license is related to that broker. Until a broker adds you, you are not active for practice even if you already passed the state exam and received a license number. For how to find a broker after you pass, see /learn/florida-real-estate/find-a-sponsoring-broker-in-florida. For how to move from inactive to active once a broker is ready, see /learn/florida-real-estate/activate-a-florida-real-estate-license.

Inactive means you hold the license and do not practice

Inactive status means you keep the license but you are not registered with a broker for practice. You cannot perform licensed real estate services while inactive. You can choose Become Inactive on DBPR form RE 11, or your license can become inactive when employment ends. Holding inactive status is not the same as letting the license expire.

RE 11: no fee assessed for this transaction

DBPR form RE 11 (Change of Status for Sales Associates and Broker Sales Associates) is the employment and status form. Transaction types include Add Employee, Terminate Employee, Become Inactive, and Change Employer (source: https://www2.myfloridalicense.com/re/documents/DBPR_RE_11_Change_of_Status_Associates.pdf, opened 2026-10-14). The checklist on that form states: No fee is assessed for this transaction. Do not invent a separate DBPR dollar amount to go inactive or to reactivate through RE 11. Confirm any other renewal or late amounts on MyFloridaLicense when you renew.

Voluntary vs involuntary inactive

Florida Statute s.475.183 separates voluntarily inactive from involuntarily inactive licenses (source: http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0400-0499/0475/Sections/0475.183.html, opened 2026-10-14). A voluntarily inactive license may be renewed with commission-prescribed continuing education, not to exceed 12 classroom hours for each year the license was inactive. A license involuntarily inactive for 12 months or less may be reactivated with at least 14 hours of commission-prescribed continuing education. More than 12 months but fewer than 24 months of involuntary inactive status requires 28 hours of commission-prescribed education. A license involuntarily inactive for more than 2 years expires and becomes null and void. The statute also lets the commission prescribe a late renewal fee not to exceed one hundred dollars for involuntary inactive late renewal, plus the current renewal fee for each period the license was involuntarily inactive. Do not treat that statutory ceiling as a quote of what you owe today. Check DBPR for the live amount. Education details for the ordinary 14-hour CE mix after the first post-license cycle are at /learn/florida-real-estate/florida-14-hour-continuing-education. Full renew steps: /learn/florida-real-estate/renew-a-florida-real-estate-license.

How status fits the license path

New sales associates finish the 63-hour course, school final, RE 1, Livescan, Pearson VUE exam, then need a broker before the license is active for practice. Status changes later in a career use RE 11 and renewal rules, not a new pre-license course. Casa $199 pre-license tuition does not change your active or inactive status. DBPR and your broker handle that.

School final vs the Florida state exam

Florida schools commonly use a 70% pass bar on a school final for pre-license coursework. The Florida state exam is given by Pearson VUE: 100 scored questions, about 3.5 hours, 75 correct to pass. Do not mix a school final with the state exam, and do not treat RE 11 status changes as either exam.

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

The $199 pre-license 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. Seven-day refund via support@onlinerealestateschool.com. Sources: https://casaacademy.com/enroll/florida-63-hour-pre-licensing-course and https://casaacademy.com/enroll/spanish, opened 2026-10-14.

What Casa tuition does not include

DBPR RE 1 ($62.75, source: https://www2.myfloridalicense.com/re/documents/DBPR_RE_1_Sales_Associate_Application.pdf, opened 2026-10-14), Livescan fingerprints (provider prices vary), Pearson VUE exam fee ($36.75, source: https://www2.myfloridalicense.com/servop/testing/documents/CBT_exam_admin_Fee_2016.pdf, updated 2022-09-08, opened 2026-10-14), the 45-hour sales associate post-license course, the 14-hour continuing education course, broker coursework, MLS access, and Realtor association dues are separate. Casa does not sell those state or association fees inside the $199 checkout. RE 11 status changes are a DBPR form path, not a Casa product. This page stays useful if you never buy Casa.

Official sources opened 2026-10-14

DBPR RE 11 Change of Status Associates PDF (no fee assessed for this transaction; Add Employee / Become Inactive / Change Employer): https://www2.myfloridalicense.com/re/documents/DBPR_RE_11_Change_of_Status_Associates.pdf. Florida Statute s.475.183 Inactive status (voluntary and involuntary rules): http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0400-0499/0475/Sections/0475.183.html. DBPR / FREC Real Estate Commission home: https://www2.myfloridalicense.com/real-estate-commission/. DBPR / FREC education: https://www2.myfloridalicense.com/real-estate-commission/education/. Casa English pre-license enroll: https://casaacademy.com/enroll/florida-63-hour-pre-licensing-course. Casa Spanish pre-license enroll: https://casaacademy.com/enroll/spanish. RE 1 application PDF (fee $62.75): https://www2.myfloridalicense.com/re/documents/DBPR_RE_1_Sales_Associate_Application.pdf. 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. Machine-readable school facts: /learn/florida-real-estate/facts.txt. Find a sponsoring broker: /learn/florida-real-estate/find-a-sponsoring-broker-in-florida. Activate a license: /learn/florida-real-estate/activate-a-florida-real-estate-license. Renew: /learn/florida-real-estate/renew-a-florida-real-estate-license. 14-hour CE: /learn/florida-real-estate/florida-14-hour-continuing-education.

Where to go next

Find a sponsoring broker in Florida: /learn/florida-real-estate/find-a-sponsoring-broker-in-florida. Activate a Florida real estate license: /learn/florida-real-estate/activate-a-florida-real-estate-license. Renew a Florida real estate license: /learn/florida-real-estate/renew-a-florida-real-estate-license. Florida 14-hour continuing education: /learn/florida-real-estate/florida-14-hour-continuing-education. Full licensing path: /learn/florida-real-estate/how-to-get-a-florida-real-estate-license. Cost breakdown: /learn/florida-real-estate/florida-real-estate-license-cost. Method hub: /best-real-estate-school-florida. School facts and the guide list: /learn/florida-real-estate. Free Florida practice samples: /free-exam-prep. Re-check pre-license tuition: /enroll/florida-63-hour-pre-licensing-course. Refund requests within 7 days: support@onlinerealestateschool.com.

FAQs

What is an active Florida real estate license?
Active status means your sales associate or broker sales associate license is registered with a sponsoring qualifying broker so you can practice. Without that broker registration, you are not active for practice.
What is an inactive Florida real estate license?
Inactive means you still hold the license but you are not registered with a broker for practice. You may not perform licensed real estate services while inactive. Form RE 11 includes a Become Inactive transaction.
Is there a DBPR fee to go inactive or change employer on RE 11?
The RE 11 checklist states that no fee is assessed for this transaction (source: https://www2.myfloridalicense.com/re/documents/DBPR_RE_11_Change_of_Status_Associates.pdf, opened 2026-10-14). Do not invent a separate status fee. Confirm any renewal or late amounts on MyFloridaLicense when those apply.
What is the difference between voluntary and involuntary inactive?
Florida Statute s.475.183 sets different education paths. Voluntarily inactive renewals use commission-prescribed CE capped at 12 classroom hours per inactive year. Involuntarily inactive reactivation uses at least 14 hours within the first 12 months, or 28 hours after more than 12 months and fewer than 24 months. After more than 2 years involuntary inactive, the license expires and becomes null and void (source: http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0400-0499/0475/Sections/0475.183.html, opened 2026-10-14).
Does Casa $199 tuition set my license to active?
No. The $199 checkout checked on 2026-10-14 covers the 63-hour pre-license path only (sources: https://casaacademy.com/enroll/florida-63-hour-pre-licensing-course and https://casaacademy.com/enroll/spanish). Active status still requires a sponsoring broker and the DBPR status path.
Is the school final the same as the Florida state exam?
No. Schools commonly use a 70% school-final bar. The Pearson VUE state exam is 100 scored questions, about 3.5 hours, 75 correct to pass. Status changes on RE 11 are neither exam.
Can I use this page without buying Casa?
Yes. Active and inactive rules, RE 11, and s.475.183 apply whether or not you enroll at Casa. Any DBPR-approved school can teach the 63-hour course. This page stays useful if you never buy Casa.

Related guides and comparisons

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