How to Get a Contractor License in Florida

A certified contractor has passed the state examination and may work anywhere in Florida. Under s. 489.113(4), a certificateholder who wants to work in a new area only has to show the local building official or tax collector a current certificate and pay the local occupational license and permit fees that everyone else pays.

A registered contractor is different. Section 489.117 says registration lets a contractor work only in the counties, municipalities or development districts where the contractor has met local licensing requirements, and only for the type of work covered. The state does not give an exam for registration; the applicant instead files evidence of the local examination and licensing requirements, if any, for the area. Most people who want to bid across county lines aim for certification.

Section 489.105 splits contractors into two divisions. Division I holds the three building categories. A general contractor's services are unlimited as to the type of work. A building contractor is limited to commercial buildings and residential buildings of no more than three stories, plus remodeling of any size building when the work does not affect structural members. A residential contractor is limited to one-, two- and three-family residences of no more than two habitable stories above no more than one uninhabitable story.

Division II covers the specialty trades, including sheet metal, roofing, Class A, B and C air conditioning, mechanical, swimming pool and underground utility work. The Class B air-conditioning license, for example, is limited to 25 tons of cooling and 500,000 Btu of heating in any one system. Electrical contractors are licensed by a separate body, the Electrical Contractors' Licensing Board.

Scope matters on the job, too. Section 489.113(3) requires a contractor to subcontract electrical, mechanical, plumbing, roofing, sheet metal, swimming pool and air-conditioning work unless the contractor holds a state certificate or registration in that trade, with a few listed exceptions such as shingle roofing on a new building of the contractor's own construction.

To sit for a certification exam you must be 18, be of good moral character and meet one of the experience routes in s. 489.111(2)(c). For this part of the law, a minimum of 2,000 person-hours counts as one full-time year.

The DBPR candidate information booklet says Division I candidates must pass three examinations: Business and Finance, Contract Administration and Project Management. Division II candidates pass two: Business and Finance and a general trade knowledge exam. Every exam is multiple choice with four answer options, and the passing score is 70 percent. The companion exam guide on this site walks through question counts, time limits and the reference lists.

Two shortcuts are written into the law and the booklet. Section 489.113(1) says an applicant with a bachelor's degree in building construction, or a related degree approved by board rule, and a GPA of 3.0 or higher only has to pass the business and finance portion. The booklet adds that a candidate who has already passed and is applying for an additional category may be exempt from retaking Business and Financial Management.

Passing the exams does not produce a license by itself. Section 489.115(5) requires an affidavit that the applicant has workers' compensation coverage as required by Chapter 440, plus public liability and property damage insurance in amounts set by board rule. Before a first certificate is issued, the applicant must also furnish a credit report from a nationally recognized credit agency and evidence of financial responsibility, credit and business reputation for the applicant or the business being qualified.

An applicant notified that he or she has qualified has 60 days to supply that evidence or must ask for an extension for just cause. First-time applicants also go through a statewide criminal history check with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. The statute lets the board weigh the severity of a felony, its relation to contracting and the time since the offense, and says the board may not deny a license based solely on a felony conviction.

Florida limits what cities and counties can demand. Under s. 489.117(4), a local government may not require a license for job scopes that do not substantially match a state category. The statute lists painting, flooring, cabinetry, interior remodeling that involves no licensed task, driveway or tennis court installation, handyman services, decorative stone and tile work, plastering, pressure washing, stuccoing, caulking, and canvas awning and ornamental iron installation. A local building department can still enforce permits and codes, so call the permit office before bidding.

Certificates and registrations renew every 2 years. Section 489.115(4) requires at least 14 classroom hours of continuing education each biennium, each hour at least 50 minutes long. Board rule assigns part of those hours to workers' compensation, business practices, workplace safety and, for applicable categories, wind mitigation, and 1 hour must cover laws and rules. Someone licensed for less than a full biennium is not held to the full 14 hours.

Contractors licensed in another state may qualify by endorsement if their exam or license criteria are substantially equivalent, and the statute adds a route for someone who has held a license elsewhere for at least 10 years. The same subsection requires Division I and roofing contractors in the endorsement process to complete a 2-hour Florida Building Code course that includes wind mitigation techniques.

ContractorPrepHQ can help once you are cleared to test: it offers original practice questions written from the DBPR content outlines and reference lists, a diagnostic, topic drills with explanations and timed practice exams with a readiness score. Business and Finance prep costs $99, and each Florida trade prep costs $149 with the Business and Finance prep bundled in, for a one-time price with lifetime access and a 30-day money-back guarantee. It is exam practice only and plays no part in the board's education or renewal rules.