How to Obtain an Auction License in Florida: Exam, Fee, and Prints

To get an auction license in Florida, you must be at least 18, complete either an 80-hour course at a Board-approved auction school or a one-year apprenticeship under a licensed auctioneer, pass a 50-question state exam with a score of 75 or higher, and submit Form DBPR AU-4153 with a total fee of $438.50 and electronic fingerprints for a background check.¹ The license is issued by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) through its Board of Auctioneers.

Choose Your Qualifying Path

Florida gives you two ways to meet the education requirement before sitting for the exam.² The one you pick will shape your timeline more than anything else in the process.

Auction School

The faster route is an 80-hour course at a school recognized by the Board of Auctioneers. The Board maintains a list of approved programs, and it includes schools both inside and outside Florida, such as the Florida Auctioneer Academy, Missouri Auction School, and Texas Auction Academy.³ When you finish, the school sends verification of completion directly to DBPR.

Apprenticeship

If you’d rather learn on the job, you can get an apprentice license and work under a licensed auctioneer for at least one year. You apply as an apprentice using Form DBPR AU-4151.⁴ During the year, you must actively participate in at least 80 hours of auction sales and take part in every phase of an auction at least five times.⁵ Every auction you count toward that participation must be documented on a form supplied by the Department and filed with your later application for an auctioneer license.

Pass the State Exam

Whichever path you take, you have to pass a written exam before your auctioneer license is issued.² The exam consists of 50 equally weighted questions covering Florida auction law, the Uniform Commercial Code, the law of agency, and practical topics such as advertising, financial aspects, appraisal, merchandising, soliciting, and conducting the sale.⁶

You get one hour, and you need a score of 75 or higher to pass.⁷ The test is computer-based and administered through Pearson VUE at testing sites available daily, so once you’re approved to sit, scheduling is flexible.⁸ If you fail, you only need to retake the portion you didn’t pass, provided you do it within a reasonable time.

Submit Your Application, Fee, and Fingerprints

Once your education is complete, you assemble your application on Form DBPR AU-4153, “Application for Initial Licensure as Auctioneer.”⁴ The form asks for personal information, business details, and an affirmation that you’ve met all prerequisites.

The total fee for initial licensure by examination is $438.50. That single amount covers the application, the exam, the license itself, and a surcharge into the Auctioneer Recovery Fund, which pays restitution to consumers harmed by licensees.¹

You also need electronic fingerprints for a criminal background check. Fingerprints must be taken through a Livescan provider approved by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and you’ll need DBPR’s ORI number when you visit the provider.⁹ Fingerprinting is billed separately by the provider and typically costs $50 to $80.

If you went the school route, the school submits proof of completion straight to DBPR. If you apprenticed, include your documented log of activities with the application.

The fastest way to file is through DBPR’s online portal at myfloridalicense.com, where you can upload documents and pay electronically. You can also mail a completed application with a check payable to the Department of Business and Professional Regulation to:

Department of Business and Professional Regulation
2601 Blair Stone Road
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0783¹

Expect at least a few weeks for processing while DBPR verifies your education or apprenticeship records and clears your background check. Incomplete files are the most common cause of delay, so confirm before you submit that your fingerprints have been sent, your school (if applicable) has forwarded verification, and your fee is enclosed.

If You’re Already Licensed in Another State

Florida offers a reciprocity route the Board calls “endorsement.” It applies when your existing out-of-state license is considered substantially equivalent to Florida’s requirements and the issuing state is one Florida has approved.¹⁰ You use the same Form AU-4153, but you apply under the endorsement category. You still pay the required fee and complete the background check. Military veterans, their spouses, and Florida National Guard members may qualify for a fee waiver or discount.

If You’re Starting an Auction Company

An individual auctioneer license doesn’t cover a business entity. If you plan to operate an auction company rather than only work as an auctioneer, the company needs its own auction business license, filed on Form DBPR AU-4155.⁴ The business license runs on the same biennial cycle as the individual license and renews for $155, expiring on November 30 of every odd-numbered year.⁸

What Happens After You’re Licensed

All auctioneer licenses expire on November 30 of every odd-numbered year, regardless of when you were first licensed. Renewal is $155, and Florida requires no continuing education, so as long as you pay on time, renewal is straightforward.⁸ Miss the deadline and your license goes delinquent, adding a delinquency fee on top of the regular renewal.¹¹ Let an entire additional cycle pass and the license goes null, with no reinstatement — you’d have to apply again from scratch.

Two operational obligations start the day your license is active. First, you must keep a record book of every sale for at least two years, showing a description of the property, names and addresses of seller and buyer, the sale price, the date proceeds were delivered to the owner, and the date and location of the sale. The Board and Department can inspect at any time.¹² Second, you must hold client money in a separate trust or escrow account at an insured Florida bank or savings institution. Commingling client funds with your own is a prohibited act.¹³

Penalties for Operating Without a License

Auctioning professionally in Florida without an active license is a third-degree felony, punishable by a fine of up to $5,000 and up to five years in prison.¹⁴¹⁵ Several other violations carry the same felony classification, including using fake bidders and commingling client funds.¹³ For licensees, the Board can also impose administrative fines of up to $1,000 per offense on a first violation, with suspension or revocation for repeat conduct.¹⁶

1
Department of Business and Professional Regulation. DBPR AU 4153 – Application for Initial Licensure as Auctioneer
2
Official Internet Site of the Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 468.385 – Licenses Required; Qualifications; Examination
3
Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Auction Schools Recognized by the Florida Board of Auctioneers
4
Legal Information Institute. Florida Admin Code 61-35.005 – Board of Auctioneers Departmental Forms
5
Legal Information Institute. Florida Admin Code 61G2-4.001 – Apprenticeship Training
6
Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Candidate Information Booklet – Auctioneers Licensure Examination
7
Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Printable Auctioneer Lawbook – Chapter 468, Part VI, Florida Statutes
8
Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Auctioneers
9
Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Electronic Fingerprinting FAQ
10
Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Auctioneer Initial License for Out-of-State Applicants (Reciprocity/Endorsement)
11
Florida Senate. Florida Statutes 456.036 – General Licensing Provisions
12
Legal Information Institute. Florida Admin Code 61G2-5.002 – Required Record Keeping
13
Florida Senate. Florida Statutes 468.389 – Prohibited Acts; Penalties
14
Official Internet Site of the Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 468.391 – Penalty
15
Official Internet Site of the Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 775.083 – Fines
16
Legal Information Institute. Florida Admin Code 61G2-7.030 – Disciplinary Guidelines