Florida Realtor Name Change: A Referral Agent's Guide

A legal name change can create problems for a Florida license if your DBPR record, brokerage file, and referral paperwork don't match. For a Referral-Only Real Estate Agent , the update matters even when you no longer handle showings, contracts, or closings.

As of July 2026, a personal name change generally requires DBPR Form 0080-1, legal proof of the change, and a $25 fee for an updated license. The right process depends on whether you changed your personal name or your brokerage's business name.

Key Takeaways

• Use DBPR Form 0080-1 for a personal legal name change on a Florida real estate license.
• Include acceptable legal documentation and the current $25 name-change fee.
• Update your referral brokerage, payment records, business profiles, and professional memberships after DBPR updates your license.
• A company or brokerage name change follows a different process and may require a Sunbiz filing first.
• Confirm current forms, fees, mailing instructions, and license status directly with DBPR before submitting anything.

Start by identifying the name that changed

The first step in a Florida realtor name change is identifying which record needs correction. A personal legal name change is different from a brokerage name change, a trade name update, or a simple address correction.

If you changed your name after marriage, divorce, adoption, naturalization, or a court order, you need to update your individual license record. Your license number usually stays the same, but DBPR must connect the new legal name to that number.

A company name change affects a brokerage, corporation, limited liability company, or registered trade name. It doesn't replace the personal name-change process for an individual licensee.

For a business name update, review the DBPR real estate company name-change checklist. That checklist explains that the company filing must be handled before requesting the related DBPR update.

Don't use a company name-change form for your personal license. Submitting the wrong form can delay the update and create mismatched records.

How to change your personal name with DBPR

As of July 2026, the standard personal request uses DBPR Form 0080-1, Request for Address or Name Change . The form identifies your license, former name, new name, and contact information.

Follow these steps:

1. Confirm your legal name change. Make sure the new name appears on a document DBPR accepts. Common examples include a marriage license, divorce decree, court order, naturalization certificate, or other qualifying government document.

2. Complete Form 0080-1. Enter your Florida real estate license number, former legal name, new legal name, mailing address, and physical address when requested. Use the name shown on your legal proof.

3. Prepare legal documentation. DBPR instructions may require an original, certified copy, or another accepted form of the document. Don't send an informal photocopy unless current instructions allow it.

4. Include the fee. The current name-change fee with issuance of an updated license is $25. Payment instructions can change, so confirm whether DBPR currently accepts a check or money order and how it should be made payable.

5. Submit the request through the approved method. Name-change requests with legal documents are commonly mailed to the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation at:

   Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation
   1940 North Monroe Street
   Tallahassee, FL 32399-0783

6. Check the updated record. After processing, review your license information through MyFloridaLicense.com. DBPR may issue a replacement hard-copy license, and current instructions may require you to destroy the old license after receiving the new one.

Before mailing your documents, check the Florida Real Estate Commission's official page for current forms, contact details, and instructions. You can also contact DBPR's Customer Contact Center at 850-487-1395.

Processing times can vary. Avoid sending a referral under the new name until your brokerage confirms that its records match the updated DBPR information.

Keep your referral brokerage records aligned

DBPR is only one part of the update. A referral agent may have records with a brokerage, payment processor, CRM, professional association, insurance provider, and business bank. Each record should use the same legal name when the name affects licensing or compensation.

Start with your sponsoring or referral brokerage. Send the brokerage a copy of the updated license or DBPR confirmation, along with any internal name-change form it requires. Ask the brokerage to update your agent profile, referral agreements, commission records, tax information, and payment account.

Referral income can create extra confusion when a former name remains on a referral agreement. Your brokerage should confirm how to handle referrals already submitted under the old name. It should also tell you whether a new W-9 or other tax document is necessary.

A referral-only arrangement doesn't remove your licensing obligations. You still need an active license, a valid brokerage relationship, and accurate contact information before receiving a referral fee. The brokerage handles the transaction details and compensation process, but your license record must remain correct.

You can review common questions about Florida referral licenses if you're moving away from full-time sales and keeping your license for referrals. The important point is practical: changing your name with DBPR doesn't automatically change your brokerage profile.

Update the following records after DBPR completes the change:

• Your brokerage profile and referral portal
• Business email signature and phone directory
• W-9 and payment records
• Personal website and landing pages
• Professional association and MLS records, if you still maintain them
• Social media profiles used for real estate business

Use your legal name where licensing or payment rules require it. You can still use a professional brand or nickname in marketing when your brokerage and applicable rules allow it.

Avoid these common name-change mistakes

Many delays come from small inconsistencies rather than complicated licensing issues. Review every field before submitting the request.

Using a marriage certificate that doesn't match the new name can create questions if the document shows a previous name but doesn't establish the final name you entered. Provide the legal document DBPR currently accepts for your situation.

Submitting the wrong DBPR form is another common problem. Form 0080-1 is for an individual address or name change. A brokerage name, corporation, LLC, or trade name may require a different filing and sequence.

Forgetting the $25 fee can leave the request incomplete. Confirm the current amount and payment method before mailing the packet.

Updating the brokerage before DBPR can also cause a mismatch. You can notify the brokerage early, but ask whether it wants the official updated license before changing payment and referral records.

Assuming an address update changes your name creates a separate problem. Address changes and legal name changes are different requests. A name change requires legal proof and the name-change fee.

Finally, keep copies of the completed form, legal documentation, payment, and delivery confirmation. If DBPR asks for clarification, those records help you respond without reconstructing the submission.

Protect your license while working by referral

A name change doesn't change your license renewal schedule. Continue tracking your renewal deadline, post-licensing or continuing education requirements, and license status. Referral-only work can reduce your sales workload, but it doesn't pause the compliance calendar.

Your license may also appear under the old name in public searches for a period while DBPR processes the request. Check the record after submission, then ask DBPR about discrepancies that remain after a reasonable processing period.

If you're leaving a traditional sales role, confirm that your current broker has properly updated or ended your affiliation before joining a referral brokerage. Don't assume that changing brokerages and changing your legal name are part of the same application.

A Florida referral brokerage membership can provide a separate place to manage referral submissions and agent records, but the state license update still comes from DBPR. Your brokerage can't replace the state agency's name-change process.

This article provides general educational information, not legal advice. Licensing rules, forms, fees, payment methods, and document requirements can change. Verify the current requirements directly with DBPR, especially if your name change involves a court order, immigration document, business entity, or unresolved license issue.

Conclusion

A Florida realtor name change is manageable when you separate the personal license update from the brokerage and business records that follow it. Submit the correct DBPR form, provide accepted legal proof, include the current $25 fee, and verify the updated license before sending referrals under the new name.

For a Referral-Only Real Estate Agent, accurate records protect referral payments and keep the license ready for future business. Treat the DBPR update as the starting point, then bring every related account into line.