How do I move my professional license to Florida?

The Department of Health's boards license nurses and other health care workers, the Department of Education certifies teachers, and the Department of Business and Professional Regulation licenses contractors, real estate agents, cosmetologists and many other trades.

Nurses. Florida has been in the Nurse Licensure Compact since January 19, 2018, so a nurse with a valid multistate license from another compact state may work here, and a nurse who moves here with one must apply for a Florida multistate license within 60 days. A nurse from outside the compact applies by endorsement: an active, unencumbered license from another state, a passed national licensure exam, two years of active practice in the last four, electronic fingerprints, and a $110 application and licensing fee to the Board of Nursing.

Teachers. A teacher with a valid standard certificate from another state, or with National Board certification, applies for a Florida Professional Certificate in the same subjects.

Real estate. Florida has mutual recognition agreements with a short list of states, which the Florida Real Estate Commission names on its site; an applicant licensed in one of them, who must not be a Florida resident when applying, takes only a 40-question Florida real estate law exam and passes with 30. Everyone else takes the state's prelicensing course, up to 63 classroom hours for a sales associate and 72 for a broker, unless they hold a four-year degree in real estate; a broker also needs 24 months as an active sales associate in the last five years.

Contractors. A certified contractor may work anywhere in the state and needs the state exam and four years of field experience; a registered contractor may work only in the county or city that licenses them. Contractors licensed in a state with a reciprocity agreement apply by endorsement, which the licensing board calls very stringent. The board asks for a credit score of 660 or higher, and general and building contractors must carry $300,000 of liability insurance and $50,000 of property damage insurance.

Cosmetologists. A cosmetologist licensed in another state may apply by endorsement, with a 4-hour HIV/AIDS course and a $95 fee.

Where to go from here.