diff --git a/.changelog/32278.txt b/.changelog/32278.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..7ebd393ad8a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changelog/32278.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+```release-note:enhancement
+resource/aws_emrserverless_application: Do not recreate the resource if `release_label` changes
+```
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/internal/service/emrserverless/application.go b/internal/service/emrserverless/application.go
index eb44a2e3f75..2c0931abbef 100644
--- a/internal/service/emrserverless/application.go
+++ b/internal/service/emrserverless/application.go
@@ -201,7 +201,6 @@ func ResourceApplication() *schema.Resource {
 			"release_label": {
 				Type:     schema.TypeString,
 				Required: true,
-				ForceNew: true,
 			},
 			names.AttrTags:    tftags.TagsSchema(),
 			names.AttrTagsAll: tftags.TagsSchemaComputed(),
@@ -334,6 +333,10 @@ func resourceApplicationUpdate(ctx context.Context, d *schema.ResourceData, meta
 			ClientToken:   aws.String(id.UniqueId()),
 		}
 
+		if v, ok := d.GetOk("release_label"); ok {
+			input.ReleaseLabel = aws.String(v.(string))
+		}
+
 		if v, ok := d.GetOk("architecture"); ok {
 			input.Architecture = aws.String(v.(string))
 		}
diff --git a/internal/service/emrserverless/application_test.go b/internal/service/emrserverless/application_test.go
index 5b483dc6604..07f39f3ff5c 100644
--- a/internal/service/emrserverless/application_test.go
+++ b/internal/service/emrserverless/application_test.go
@@ -91,6 +91,41 @@ func TestAccEMRServerlessApplication_arch(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 }
 
+func TestAccEMRServerlessApplication_releaseLabel(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := acctest.Context(t)
+	var application emrserverless.Application
+	resourceName := "aws_emrserverless_application.test"
+	rName := sdkacctest.RandomWithPrefix(acctest.ResourcePrefix)
+
+	resource.ParallelTest(t, resource.TestCase{
+		PreCheck:                 func() { acctest.PreCheck(ctx, t) },
+		ErrorCheck:               acctest.ErrorCheck(t, emrserverless.EndpointsID),
+		ProtoV5ProviderFactories: acctest.ProtoV5ProviderFactories,
+		CheckDestroy:             testAccCheckApplicationDestroy(ctx),
+		Steps: []resource.TestStep{
+			{
+				Config: testAccApplicationConfig_releaseLabel(rName, "emr-6.10.0"),
+				Check: resource.ComposeTestCheckFunc(
+					testAccCheckApplicationExists(ctx, resourceName, &application),
+					resource.TestCheckResourceAttr(resourceName, "release_label", "emr-6.10.0"),
+				),
+			},
+			{
+				ResourceName:      resourceName,
+				ImportState:       true,
+				ImportStateVerify: true,
+			},
+			{
+				Config: testAccApplicationConfig_releaseLabel(rName, "emr-6.11.0"),
+				Check: resource.ComposeTestCheckFunc(
+					testAccCheckApplicationExists(ctx, resourceName, &application),
+					resource.TestCheckResourceAttr(resourceName, "release_label", "emr-6.11.0"),
+				),
+			},
+		},
+	})
+}
+
 func TestAccEMRServerlessApplication_initialCapacity(t *testing.T) {
 	ctx := acctest.Context(t)
 	var application emrserverless.Application
@@ -388,6 +423,16 @@ resource "aws_emrserverless_application" "test" {
 `, rName)
 }
 
+func testAccApplicationConfig_releaseLabel(rName string, rl string) string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf(`
+resource "aws_emrserverless_application" "test" {
+  name          = %[1]q
+  release_label = %[2]q
+  type          = "spark"
+}
+`, rName, rl)
+}
+
 func testAccApplicationConfig_initialCapacity(rName, cpu string) string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf(`
 resource "aws_emrserverless_application" "test" {