QUICK ANSWER

A Florida real estate license is worth it in 2026 if you have 9 to 18 months of financial runway, a real Florida network, and comfort with 1099 commission income under a broker. It is usually a poor move if you need income in the next few weeks, have no Florida sphere, or want a predictable salaried job. The license path is relatively cheap compared with college or trade school, but the career is a small sales business with delayed income, recurring expenses, broker supervision, and no income guarantee.

CAREER AND EXAM-PREP SCOPE

This guide was verified on June 26, 2026 against the 2025 Florida Realtors Member Profile, National Association of Realtors (NAR) 2025 Member Profile income summaries, Florida Realtors 2025 year-end market data, U.S. Census Bureau Florida QuickFacts, currently published 2025 Florida Statutes, Pearson VUE's Florida Real Estate licensing exam page, and the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) sales associate Candidate Information Booklet effective January 2025. It is career-planning and exam-prep context, not financial, tax, brokerage, employment, legal, accounting, insurance, title, or professional advice. Every income figure in this guide is a third-party benchmark (Florida Realtors, NAR, or BLS) cited for context, not a Pass Florida earnings claim or a prediction of what any individual will earn. Real results vary widely and are never guaranteed.

$48.5K
Florida Realtors median gross income in 2024
~$39.6K
After typical business expenses, before income taxes
$8.9K
Typical Florida Realtor business expenses in 2024
88%
Florida Realtors affiliated as independent contractors
Worth a serious look 9 to 18 months of runway

You can survive a slow first year without forcing every decision around cash pressure.

Worth testing part-time Existing income source

You can build referrals while keeping a paycheck and deciding whether full-time real estate fits.

Probably wait No runway or no Florida sphere

You may spend before you earn, then quit before the license has time to pay back.

Most articles answer "is a Florida real estate license worth it" with a clean yes because they are selling a course, recruiting agents, or hoping you click an affiliate link.

The honest answer is narrower. The Florida license can be a very good bet for the right person. It can also be an expensive detour for someone who needs immediate income, dislikes sales, or has no local network.

Think of the license as permission to start. Under F.S. 475.17, the sales associate path starts with eligibility, education, application, fingerprints, and the state exam. The Florida Real Estate Commission (FREC) sits inside DBPR's Division of Real Estate and governs many of the rules candidates study. Under F.S. 475.42, a sales associate cannot operate as a broker or work for someone not registered as the employer. So the license is not a solo business card. It is the beginning of supervised work under a broker.

For the process details, use the Florida real estate license guide. For the money details, use the Florida real estate license cost breakdown and the Florida real estate agent salary analysis. This page answers the bigger question: should you do it at all?

Is a Florida real estate license worth it in 2026?

Snippet answer: A Florida real estate license is worth it in 2026 for candidates who can fund the ramp, build a pipeline, and handle commission income, but it is not worth it as a fast-income solution.

Here is the clean decision:

Your situation Worth it? Why
You have 9 to 18 months of savings, local relationships, and sales comfort Usually yes You can give the business enough time to start producing
You have a full-time job and want to test referrals part-time Often yes, if your broker supports it You reduce income risk while learning the business
You have property, investor, mortgage, construction, leasing, or sales experience Often yes Prior trust and industry knowledge can shorten the ramp
You need steady income within 30 to 90 days Usually no Real estate commission often arrives months after the first work
You just moved to Florida and know almost nobody locally Usually wait or start part-time You are building a network and a career at the same time
You want a salary, benefits, and a manager assigning work Usually no Traditional residential sales is mostly self-directed commission work

The best mental model is not "Should I take this job?" It is "Should I start this small business under a broker?" That framing gives you a better answer. It forces you to budget for time, recurring costs, lead generation, broker fit, exam delays, and the months before your first closing.

CAREER DECISION | PASS FLORIDA

If the license is worth pursuing, the exam becomes the first controllable risk.

Runway, network, and market timing are hard to control. The exam is not: failing it just adds fees and weeks before you can activate and earn. Pass Florida is an educational exam-prep tool for Florida sales associate candidates: 1,002 Florida-specific practice questions, a 19-topic diagnostic, six modes, Math Coach across the 14 Florida math calculation types, Trap Library, Confidence Calibration, offline access, optional sync, lifetime updates, and one $39.99 purchase. No subscription. No copied exam questions.

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What the current Florida data says

Snippet answer: The current Florida Realtor data shows meaningful upside, but it also shows why first-year candidates should plan conservatively.

The 2025 Florida Realtors Member Profile is the most useful current Florida-specific income source for this question. It reported these 2024 Florida member benchmarks:

Metric from the 2025 Florida Realtors Member Profile Florida result How to use it
Median gross income $48,500 Useful middle benchmark, not a first-year promise
Median business expenses $8,900 Reminder that income is not take-home pay (about $39,600 after expenses, before taxes)
Typical transaction sides 7 Shows how much production is needed to reach the middle
Typical hours per week 35 Many members work near full-time hours
Independent-contractor affiliation 88% Confirms the career is mostly not a salaried path
Real estate as primary household income 50% Half of Florida members reported real estate was primary income

The national NAR income summary adds the caution sign. NAR reported national median gross Realtor income of $58,100 in 2024, but Realtors with two years or less experience had median gross income of $8,100. That is not a Florida-only number, and it is not a prediction for you. It is a useful warning: new-agent income can be much lower than all-agent income.

The practical takeaway is simple. Do not use the all-agent median as your year-one budget. Use it as a sign of what the middle can look like after experience, relationships, and systems start to exist.

What the Florida market looks like for new agents

Snippet answer: Florida still has population and housing demand, but 2026 is not a boom-year rookie market.

Florida is still a large, growing state. U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts estimated Florida's July 1, 2025 population at 23,462,518, up 8.9% from the April 1, 2020 estimates base. That matters because population growth can support long-term housing demand.

The short-term agent reality is more mixed. Florida Realtors' 2025 year-end release reported a statewide single-family median sales price of $413,990, down 1.4% from the prior year, and a 4.6-month supply of single-family inventory at the end of 2025. Condo-townhouse inventory was higher at 8.8 months of supply. In plain English, buyers had more options than during the tightest boom years, sellers had more competition, and new agents had to work harder to explain value.

The post-2024 commission environment also changed the rookie conversation. After NAR's settlement-related practice changes, buyer representation, compensation, and written agreements became more explicit in many MLS-related workflows. New agents need to be comfortable explaining what they do, how they get paid, and why a buyer or seller should choose them. That does not make the license a bad bet. It raises the skill floor.

EXAM TIP

For the Florida sales associate exam, separate career economics from license law. The exam can test F.S. 475 definitions, broker supervision, brokerage relationships, compensation rules, and the 19-topic DBPR outline. It will not ask whether your personal network is strong enough to make the license worth it.

The license is cheap. The career ramp is the expensive part.

Snippet answer: Getting licensed can cost hundreds to low thousands, but practicing as an agent can require much more runway because living expenses and business costs arrive before reliable commissions.

The license path itself is manageable: 63-hour pre-license course, DBPR application, fingerprints, Pearson VUE exam, and broker activation. The exact budget depends on course choice, fingerprint provider, exam prep, and broker setup.

The bigger cost is the first year of actually working. A new agent may face Realtor association dues, MLS access, lockbox access, errors and omissions insurance, brokerage fees, technology, marketing, post-license education, transportation, taxes, and months of living expenses before a meaningful closing.

Use this as a planning frame:

Cost layer Planning range What it includes
License-only path Usually a few hundred dollars to low thousands Course, DBPR application, fingerprints, Pearson VUE exam, and exam prep. Confirm live state, fingerprint, course, and Pearson VUE amounts before paying
Working-agent setup Often another $1,500 to $3,500 Association, MLS, lockbox, E&O, brokerage setup, tools, and basic marketing
Living-expense runway Personal Rent, food, insurance, family costs, debt, transportation, and slow-commission months
Retake and delay risk Smaller fee, larger time cost A failed exam attempt delays broker activation and pipeline building

The phrase "real estate is low cost to enter" is true only if you mean the licensing gate. It is misleading if you mean the first year of earning a living.

The three-factor test before you pay for the course

Snippet answer: Before you enroll, test runway, Florida network, and tolerance for 1099 self-directed work.

These three factors predict the answer better than motivation alone.

Factor Green light Yellow light Red light
Runway 9 to 18 months of savings or household support 4 to 8 months, or part-time plan 0 to 3 months and no backup income
Florida network 150+ local relationships, with some buyer/seller life stages Smaller sphere but growing locally New to Florida with no local trust base
Work style Comfortable with sales, prospecting, rejection, and variable income Needs structure but can build routines Needs salary, manager, benefits, and assigned work

If all three are green, the license deserves a serious look. If one is yellow, build a safer plan. If one is red, slow down. The license will still be there when the missing factor changes.

Factor 1: runway

Snippet answer: Runway is the first filter because Florida real estate income usually arrives after the work, not during the work.

New agents often underestimate the lag. You can study for weeks, apply through DBPR, wait for authorization, pass the exam, interview brokers, activate, build a pipeline, write offers, survive inspection and financing, then wait for closing. That is a long gap between effort and income.

If you are switching full-time, 9 to 18 months of living-expense runway is the cleaner planning range. It gives you time to choose a broker well, build a calendar, learn forms, hold open houses, follow up, and wait for the first closings without panic.

If you do not have that runway, part-time can be smarter. The part-time Florida real estate agent guide covers the tradeoffs. Part-time does not remove the work. It reduces the household risk.

Factor 2: Florida network

Snippet answer: Your first-year outcome depends heavily on whether people in Florida already know, trust, and remember you.

Most new agents do not start with a giant ad budget or a perfect lead source. They start with a sphere of influence: family, friends, neighbors, former coworkers, school parents, church contacts, investor contacts, vendor relationships, and past clients from another business.

A warm network gives you a first conversation. A cold start forces you to buy attention, earn trust from scratch, or borrow structure from a team. Cold starts can work, but they usually need more time and money.

Use this quick map:

Florida sphere First-year reality
Fewer than 50 local relationships Treat this as a cold start
50 to 150 local relationships Possible, but you need a daily contact plan
150 to 300 local relationships Better odds if you follow up consistently
300+ local relationships or related-industry contacts Stronger first-year launch profile

This is why a mid-career insurance agent, lender, contractor, teacher, property manager, or local business owner may have a better launch than a person with more free time but no trust base.

Factor 3: tolerance for 1099 work

Snippet answer: Florida residential sales usually fits people who can work without a fixed paycheck, fixed schedule, or manager-created task list.

Florida law recognizes that broker and sales associate relationships can include independent contractor relationships. The 2025 Florida Realtors Member Profile reported 88% of Florida members were independent contractors at their firms.

That is not just a tax detail. It changes the day.

You decide who to call. You decide whether to follow up. You decide how to spend Tuesday morning. You decide whether to learn contracts before a client asks. The broker supervises licensed activity, but most brokerages do not create your full workday for you.

If you need external structure, you may still succeed. Look for a team, mentor-heavy brokerage, builder sales path, showing-assistant role, leasing role, or operations position before jumping into a traditional solo commission model.

Profiles where the license is worth it

Snippet answer: The Florida license is most likely to pay back when the candidate brings savings, trust, sales comfort, or a lower-risk part-time plan.

Candidate profile Why the license can make sense First move
Career changer with savings and a local network Runway and trust reduce the two biggest early risks Interview brokers before course completion
Part-time referral builder Keeps a paycheck while testing whether real estate fits Confirm broker expectations for part-time agents
Related-industry professional Existing clients and knowledge can shorten the trust curve Build a compliant referral and contact plan
Second-career candidate with low debt and patience Can learn slowly without panic income pressure Read the Florida second-career guide
Investor or property owner with Florida relationships License can support broader real estate work if used lawfully Compare license benefits with broker supervision limits

If you fit one of these profiles, the next decision is execution. Start with the license process guide, the broker interview guide, and the new-agent first-year plan.

Profiles where the license is probably not worth it yet

Snippet answer: The license is usually a bad first move when it is being used to solve an immediate income problem.

Candidate profile Why it is risky Better next step
Needs income within weeks Commission timing rarely matches immediate cash needs Keep or find stable income first
No Florida network You are building trust and learning the job at the same time Build local relationships before quitting work
High-salary employee expecting a quick raise Year-one income may be lower after costs and taxes Model year 1, year 2, and year 3 before resigning
Low tolerance for ambiguity The work can feel unstructured and emotionally uneven Consider operations, property management, lending, title, or salaried team roles
Wants to practice independently right away A sales associate works under broker direction and cannot operate as a broker Study broker vs sales associate first

If this table feels uncomfortably familiar, do not read it as failure. Read it as useful timing information. The license may become worth it later after your runway, network, or work-style fit improves.

THE EXAM IS THE FIRST REAL COST

The license only pays off if you pass the exam.

Retakes cost money and weeks before you ever earn a commission. Pass Florida is built to clear the exam the first time: 1,002 Florida-specific questions, a 19-topic diagnostic, Math Coach, and a Trap Library, for one $39.99 purchase. No subscription. No copied exam questions.

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First-year return on investment scenarios

Snippet answer: The license can pay back after a few closings, but many first-year candidates spend months before they see positive cash flow.

The cleanest way to decide is to model three cases. Do not model only the dream case.

First-year scenario Closings Gross commission before split, taxes, and expenses What it means
Slow start 0 to 1 $0 to $12,000 Common enough that your budget should survive it
Network start 2 to 4 $15,000 to $45,000 Possible when warm referrals turn into closings
Strong start 5 to 8 $45,000 to $100,000+ Usually needs a strong sphere, team, lead source, or prior sales skill

These are planning ranges, not official forecasts. They depend on price point, commission, split, team fees, referral fees, taxes, business expenses, broker fees, deal timing, and local market conditions.

The most useful question is not "Can agents make six figures?" Some can. The useful question is "Can I survive the downside case long enough to reach the middle case?"

Florida real estate license vs Realtor membership

Snippet answer: A Florida real estate license is issued by DBPR, while Realtor is a membership status through the National Association of REALTORS and a local association.

This distinction matters for search intent and for your budget.

Term What it means Who controls it
Florida sales associate license State license that lets you perform licensed real estate activity under a broker DBPR and FREC
Broker activation Your license status is changed so you can work under a registered broker DBPR and your broker
Realtor Membership term for a real estate professional who belongs to the National Association of REALTORS through an association NAR, state association, and local board
MLS access Market data and listing platform access, often tied to association and broker membership Local or regional MLS

You can pass the state exam and still not be ready to work if your license is inactive, your broker has not activated you, or your local business tools are not set up. The passed-exam next-steps guide covers that handoff.

The exam risk most candidates underprice

Snippet answer: Passing the Florida sales associate exam faster does not guarantee income, but failing delays the date when you can activate and start your first pipeline.

DBPR's current sales associate Candidate Information Booklet says the exam is closed book, has 100 multiple-choice questions, gives candidates three and a half hours, and covers 19 content areas. License Law and Qualifications for Licensure is 6% of the exam, Brokerage Activities and Procedures is 12%, Contracts is 12%, Residential Mortgages is 9%, and Real Estate Related Computations and Closing of Transactions is 6%.

That matters because "worth it" depends partly on time. A candidate who passes the course final, DBPR application, fingerprints, and Pearson VUE exam cleanly can move to broker activation sooner. A candidate who fails, waits for another seat, studies again, and pays again loses momentum.

Pass Florida exists for that specific bottleneck. It does not sell the 63-hour pre-license course. It helps candidates check whether their exam prep is Florida-specific enough before the state exam.

EXAM TIP

For licensing questions, remember the sequence: qualify, complete the 63-hour course unless exempt, apply through DBPR, submit fingerprints, pass the Pearson VUE sales associate exam, then activate under a broker before practicing.

A 10-minute worth-it scorecard

Snippet answer: Score yourself before spending money. A license is a better bet when your score is high before the course starts.

Give yourself one point for each true statement:

  1. I can cover at least 9 months of living expenses without real estate income.
  2. I know at least 150 people in Florida who would remember me if real estate came up.
  3. I can tolerate commission income, rejection, and follow-up without a manager pushing me.
  4. I have a broker or team type in mind and understand the split, fees, training, and lead expectations I need.
  5. I understand that Realtor, sales associate, broker associate, broker, and MLS access are not the same thing.
  6. I can budget for first-year business costs, not only the course and application.
  7. I am willing to practice exam questions until I can apply Florida rules, not just recognize terms.
  8. I have a 90-day pipeline plan for after activation.
Score Interpretation
7 to 8 Strong candidate. The license is worth serious consideration.
5 to 6 Possible candidate. Fix the weak spots before quitting a job.
3 to 4 High-risk candidate. Start part-time or delay.
0 to 2 Probably wait. The license is unlikely to solve the problem you need solved.

If your answer is yes, what should you do next?

Snippet answer: If the license looks worth it, protect your downside by confirming the budget, choosing a broker lane, and proving exam readiness before you pay for more setup costs.

Use this order:

  1. Read the Florida real estate license cost breakdown and price the whole first year, not only the course.
  2. Compare broker models with the find a sponsoring broker guide before you pick a school or team.
  3. Use the free timed practice exam or readiness calculator before scheduling Pearson VUE.
  4. If the exam is the next bottleneck, download Pass Florida and drill the 19 DBPR content areas before broker activation becomes urgent.

Five exam-style questions tied to the career decision

These are original practice questions. They are not copied exam questions. Use them to separate real career planning from Florida license rules.

Question 1

A Florida sales associate passes the state exam but has not activated the license under a broker. Which statement is safest?

  • A. The sales associate may practice independently until a broker is found
  • B. The sales associate may collect commission directly from a buyer
  • C. The sales associate still needs broker activation before practicing
  • D. The sales associate becomes a broker associate automatically

Answer: C. Passing the exam is not the same as operating under an active broker relationship.

Question 2

Which source best supports the 63-hour sales associate pre-license education requirement?

  • A. A brokerage recruiting page
  • B. F.S. 475.17 and DBPR education materials
  • C. A national real estate salary article
  • D. A local MLS membership form

Answer: B. Use Florida statute and DBPR materials for Florida licensing requirements.

Question 3

Which statement best separates a Florida real estate license from Realtor membership?

  • A. Realtor membership is the state license
  • B. A Florida sales associate license is issued through DBPR, while Realtor is a membership term
  • C. Realtor membership replaces broker activation
  • D. A licensee becomes a Realtor automatically after passing Pearson VUE

Answer: B. The license and the membership are separate.

Question 4

Which candidate has the strongest worth-it profile?

  • A. Needs income in 30 days and has no local network
  • B. Has 12 months of runway, 250 local contacts, and sales experience
  • C. Wants a fixed salary with benefits and no prospecting
  • D. Just moved to Florida and plans to quit work immediately

Answer: B. Runway, network, and sales comfort make the license more likely to pay back.

Question 5

The 2025 Florida Realtors profile reports $48,500 median gross income and $8,900 typical business expenses. Which number is safer for household planning?

  • A. Gross income, because expenses do not matter until tax time
  • B. Take-home after business expenses and taxes
  • C. Highest producer income
  • D. Statewide sale price

Answer: B. Income after expenses and taxes is closer to household planning than gross commission income.

Resource Use it when
Florida real estate agent salary You want the income, expense, split, and first-year math
Florida real estate license cost You need the licensing and working-agent budget
How to get a Florida real estate license You are ready for the step-by-step DBPR path
New Florida real estate agent first year You want the first 12 months after activation
Part-time real estate agent in Florida You need a lower-risk ramp
Find a sponsoring broker in Florida You are comparing broker support, split, fees, and lead expectations
First Florida real estate sale You want to understand how first closings happen
Florida broker vs sales associate You need the legal role difference before choosing a path
How to pass the Florida real estate exam You are ready to reduce the exam-delay risk

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a Florida real estate license worth it in 2026?

Yes for candidates with 9 to 18 months of runway, a real Florida network, and comfort with 1099 commission work. No for candidates who need immediate income, have no local trust base, or want a predictable salaried job. The answer depends more on your starting position than on motivational income claims.

Is it worth becoming a real estate agent in Florida?

It can be worth becoming a real estate agent in Florida if you treat it as a small sales business under broker supervision. The state has population growth and real transaction volume, but new agents still face commission delay, expenses, competition, insurance and affordability pressure, and a higher skill floor after the 2024 commission changes.

How much money do Florida real estate agents make?

The 2025 Florida Realtors Member Profile reported $48,500 median gross income and $8,900 typical business expenses for Florida Realtors in 2024, which leaves about $39,600 before income and self-employment taxes. New agents should plan lower at first because NAR's national data shows Realtors with two years or less experience had much lower median gross income than all Realtors.

How much does it cost to get started in Florida real estate?

The license-only path usually runs from a few hundred dollars to the low thousands when you include the 63-hour course, DBPR application, fingerprints, Pearson VUE exam, and exam prep. The working-agent setup can add another $1,500 to $3,500 for association, MLS, lockbox, E&O, brokerage setup, tools, and marketing.

Is Florida real estate a good career long term?

It can be a good long-term career for people who survive the first 1 to 2 years, build repeat and referral business, control expenses, and keep improving their skills. It is usually a poor fit for people who need predictable income, dislike sales conversations, or want a manager to assign work.

Should I become a Realtor or just get licensed?

Get licensed first. In Florida, the sales associate license comes through DBPR and must be activated under a broker before you practice. Realtor is a membership status through the National Association of REALTORS and a local association. Many working agents join because of MLS, forms, and market access, but it is not the same as the license.

Can I get a Florida real estate license part-time?

Yes. Florida does not require full-time hours to hold a sales associate license. Part-time can be the safer path if you need income stability, but you still need broker support, schedule discipline, client responsiveness, and a realistic expectation that the ramp will be slower.

Is a Florida real estate license worth it if I am out of state?

It can be worth it for out-of-state candidates with Florida clients, investors, second-home connections, relocation networks, or a plan to move. It is less attractive for a cold out-of-state start with no Florida relationships because the network problem becomes harder.

How long before a Florida real estate license pays for itself?

For some candidates, the first few closings can repay the licensing and setup costs. For others, payback does not happen before they quit. A safer planning assumption is that full-time candidates may need year 2 or year 3 to judge the decision fairly, especially if year 1 is spent building trust and systems.

What is the biggest mistake candidates make before getting licensed?

The biggest mistake is treating the license like a job offer. The Florida license gives you permission to start supervised real estate work. It does not provide income, leads, benefits, structure, clients, or a broker plan by itself.

Ready to make the license worth the effort?

If your scorecard says the license is worth pursuing, the next job is to pass the Florida sales associate exam and get to broker activation without losing months. Weak exam prep is one of the few risks you can reduce before you spend money on MLS, association dues, marketing, and broker setup.

Pass Florida is an educational exam-prep tool for Florida sales associate candidates: 1,002 Florida-specific practice questions, a 19-topic diagnostic mapped to the DBPR outline, six modes, Math Coach across the 14 Florida math calculation types, Trap Library, Confidence Calibration, offline access, optional sync, lifetime updates, and one $39.99 purchase. No subscription. No copied exam questions.

Download Pass Florida | See the one-time purchase | Run the readiness calculator

This post is educational career-planning and exam-prep content for Florida real estate sales associate candidates. It is not legal, tax, financial, employment, brokerage, insurance, title, closing, lending, appraisal, accounting, or professional advice. Income, market conditions, licensing costs, broker fees, commission practices, and personal outcomes vary by individual and change over time. Studying with Pass Florida or any other exam-prep tool does not guarantee passage of the state exam or any career outcome.

Sources & Methodology

This guide was reviewed on June 26, 2026. It uses current public sources for hard facts and separates those facts from Pass Florida career-planning scenarios.

Primary sources reviewed:

Methodology. Official data points are limited to what the sources support: Florida Realtor income, net income, business expenses, transaction count, hours, contractor affiliation, population estimates, market inventory and price context, NAR settlement-practice context, DBPR exam structure, and Florida license definitions. The worth-it scorecard, first-year return scenarios, candidate profiles, and planning bands are Pass Florida editorial frameworks for decision-making. They are not official forecasts from DBPR, FREC, Pearson VUE, Florida Realtors, NAR, BLS, Census, any MLS, any brokerage, or any course provider.

Product note. Pass Florida is our Florida-specific exam prep app, so product references on this page are direct and disclosed. We do not provide the 63-hour pre-license course, post-license credit, continuing education credit, broker-license credit, legal advice, brokerage services, or financial planning. We do not use copied exam questions or claim to guarantee passage.

Source note. The Florida Senate pages linked above are the currently published 2025 Florida Statutes pages available during this June 26, 2026 review. Recheck DBPR, FREC, Pearson VUE, Florida Realtors, NAR, Census, and Florida Statutes before using this page for a future-year decision.