Florida Real Estate Exam News: September 2026
Published
September closed the renewal cycle and pushed mortgage rates past 7 percent for the first time this year. FREC held a routine meeting, the rental fraud law took effect on October 1, and the Legislature set its calendar for a 2027 session where the bill to abolish FREC could come back.
September 23: FREC regular meeting
A single-day hybrid meeting in Orlando and on Teams. The agenda carried the August minutes, the Division, Financial, Legal and Rules reports, the escrow disbursement order, recovery fund claim and legal appearance dockets, and the applicant and consent agendas. No rule development or education items were on it. Minutes for this meeting and for August 25-26 were not posted at the time of writing.
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September 30: The renewal deadline passes
Licenses in the cycle that expired September 30, 2026 now renew with a $25 late fee. A first-time renewer who did not finish the 45-hour post-license course (60 hours for brokers) by the deadline does not get a late window: the license is null and void, and getting back into the business means passing the exam again. Later renewals that miss the 14 hours of continuing education become involuntarily inactive instead.
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October 1: HB 1293 takes effect
The law signed in June (see the June issue) is now in force. Taking possession of a residential dwelling by making a materially false written statement about identity on a rental application, presenting forged or counterfeit documents to the landlord, or impersonating the applicant is a third-degree felony. The same conduct is a lease violation that cannot be cured, so the landlord can serve a seven-day notice to vacate and use the existing eviction procedure. It was the only property-related law in the October 1 group.
September 3-24: Mortgage rates cross 7 percent
Freddie Mac's Primary Mortgage Market Survey put the 30-year fixed at 6.71 percent on September 3, 6.76 percent on September 10, 6.95 percent on September 17 and 7.03 percent on September 24, the first reading above 7 percent in this series. The 15-year fixed reached 6.42 percent. Freddie Mac tied the climb to sticky inflation, bond market worries and Federal Reserve rate hikes.
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September 9: Florida Realtors launches its Amendment 3 campaign
Florida Realtors opened a "Vote Yes on 3" campaign for the property tax amendment. The numbers are unchanged from the June issue: the non-school homestead exemption rises to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028, then adjusts for inflation, and the assessment cap on non-homestead property drops from 10 percent to 5 percent. The vote is November 3, 2026, and needs 60 percent.
What's next in the Legislature: the bill to abolish FREC
The Legislature has set its calendar. The Organization Session is November 17; interim committee weeks run November 30 to December 3, January 4-7 and 11-14, and February 1-4, 8-11 and 15-18; the 2027 Regular Session convenes March 2, 2027.
The bill to watch is the successor to CS/HB 607 (2026), "Industries and Professional Activities." As filed, it would have abolished the Florida Real Estate Commission and moved its powers to DBPR, repealed post-license education and the 14 hours of continuing education (replacing CE with a DBPR email summarizing the year's law changes), and weakened Florida's mutual recognition program. It died in the House Commerce Committee on March 13, 2026, the second year in a row Florida Realtors stopped it. Florida Realtors' July final report does not say whether it will return, and no 2027 version has been filed yet. Bills for the 2027 session typically appear once the interim committee weeks begin in December.
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Coming up
- October 21, November 18, December 16, 2026: FREC general meetings.
- November 3, 2026: Amendment 3 vote.
- November 17, 2026: Organization Session; interim committee weeks begin November 30.
- January 1, 2027: Amendment 3 takes effect if approved.
- February 1, 2027: new 689.261 property tax disclosure rules for listings.
- March 2, 2027: 2027 Regular Session convenes.
Unchanged this month
Exam format (100 questions, 3.5 hours, 75 to pass), Pearson VUE fee ($36.75), in-person testing, candidate information booklet.
Study what the exam tests today
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Start the free test →Exam-preparation material, not legal advice. Laws and rules change; verify current text at the Florida Legislature, DBPR and FREC before relying on any of this professionally.