Auctioneer License Requirements in Florida
State license required. Florida requires a state license for both auctioneers and auction businesses through the Board of Auctioneers at the DBPR.
What Online Auctioneers Need to Know
There is no online exemption: the exemption list in section 468.383 contains no internet carve-out, so an online-only auction operation should expect to need the license.
The Rules in Florida
Florida licenses auctioneers and auction businesses under chapter 468, part VI of the Florida Statutes, administered by the Board of Auctioneers within the Department of Business and Professional Regulation. The exemptions are enumerated in the statute and none of them covers selling online, so the licensing question does not turn on your sales channel.
Section 468.388 does double duty: it requires a written agreement with the consignor before the auction, and it requires proceeds to go into a Florida escrow account within two working days unless the consignor is paid immediately. Escrow accounts get monthly reconciliation and a ledger kept for two years. Instead of a bond, Florida runs a Recovery Fund under section 468.392 that licensees pay into.
Requirements at a Glance
- State license for auctioneers and auction businesses (Fla. Stat. § 468.385, via DBPR)
- Written agreement with the consignor before the auction (Fla. Stat. § 468.388)
- Proceeds into an in-state escrow account within 2 working days if not settled immediately
- Monthly escrow reconciliation; ledger kept 2 years
- Recovery Fund contribution instead of a surety bond (Fla. Stat. § 468.392)
Authority: Florida Board of Auctioneers (DBPR). Statute: Fla. Stat. ch. 468, pt. VI.
Not legal advice. Auction law changes — several states have amended their online-auction rules since 2019. Verify current requirements with the licensing authority above (or your city/county clerk) before your first sale, and have a local attorney review your consignment contract.
Licensed (or Exempt)? Here's the Rest of the Path
The license is usually the easy part. The business itself — platform affiliation, sourcing consignments, cataloging, settlement — is laid out in how to start an online auction business, and the earning math is in how much auctioneers make.