PermitDueHow to Get a Contractor License in Florida
March 23, 2026 · Daniel Amar·Last updated: March 23, 2026
Florida does not mess around with contractor licensing
A first offense for unlicensed contracting in Florida is a first-degree misdemeanor. Up to 12 months in jail and a $1,000 fine. Do it again and it jumps to a third-degree felony: up to 5 years in prison and $5,000. If you do unlicensed work during a declared state of emergency (which happens often in Florida, thanks to hurricane season), it is an automatic felony on the first offense.
The state runs sting operations to catch unlicensed contractors. Pinellas County is especially aggressive about it. They post fake job listings, wait for bids, and arrest anyone who shows up without a license. It is not theoretical enforcement.
All of this to say: if you are doing construction work in Florida, get the license. Here is how.
Certified vs. registered: the two license tracks
Florida has two types of contractor licenses, and the distinction matters:
Certified license: Issued by the state through the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR). Valid statewide. You can work in any Florida county without additional local licensing. License codes start with "C".
Registered license: You register with the DBPR after meeting your local county's competency requirements. Only valid in the county that issued it. If you want to work in a different county, you need to register there too. License codes start with "R".
Important change: As of July 1, 2025, HB 735 eliminated local contractor licensing for many trade categories. This means the certified (statewide) license is becoming the primary path for most contractors. If you were relying on a local Certificate of Competency for trades affected by HB 735, that is no longer valid. Check with the DBPR to see if your trade category is affected.
License categories
The Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB) oversees these categories:
| Category | What It Covers | License Fee |
|---|---|---|
| General Contractor | Any structure, any scope. The broadest license. | $145-$245 |
| Building Contractor | Commercial buildings up to 3 stories, residential unlimited | $145-$245 |
| Residential Contractor | Single-family, duplexes, townhomes up to 4 stories | $145-$245 |
| Roofing Contractor | All roofing work | $145-$245 |
| Air Conditioning (HVAC) | HVAC installation, repair, maintenance | $145-$245 |
| Plumbing Contractor | Plumbing installation and repair | $145-$245 |
| Pool/Spa Contractor | Pool and spa construction and servicing | $145-$245 |
| Solar Contractor | Solar panel installation | $145-$245 |
| Underground Utility | Underground utility installation | $145-$245 |
Electrical contractors are handled separately by the Electrical Contractors' Licensing Board (ECLB), not the CILB. Same DBPR portal, different board.
What you need to apply
The application is online at myfloridalicense.com. Here is what you need to have ready:
- Experience documentation: Most categories require 4 years of experience in the trade. You will need to document this with employer letters, project lists, or affidavits.
- Financial responsibility: You need a credit report and a financial statement. The CILB uses this to evaluate whether you can manage the financial side of a contracting business. Poor credit can delay or deny your application.
- Background check: Fingerprints submitted through an approved vendor. Any felony conviction is reviewed by the board. Not an automatic denial, but expect questions.
- Insurance: General liability insurance is required. Workers' compensation is required if you have employees (you can file a workers' comp exemption if you are a sole owner with no employees, but you still need general liability).
- Exam registration: You register for the exam through Prometric or PSI, depending on the category. The PTI registration fee is $135 and the DBPR exam administration fee is $80.
The exam: 55% pass rate
The Florida contractor exam is one of the harder licensing exams in the country. The pass rate hovers around 55%, which means almost half the people who take it fail on the first attempt.
The exam has two parts:
Business and finance exam: Covers contract law, lien law, workers' compensation, insurance requirements, building codes, and business management. This is the part that trips up experienced tradespeople who know the work but have not studied the legal and financial side.
Trade knowledge exam: Covers the technical requirements specific to your license category. Blueprint reading, code compliance, safety standards, material specifications.
Both parts are open-book, but that does not make them easy. You need to know exactly which books to bring and where to find information fast. Most successful candidates spend 2 to 4 months preparing and invest $300 to $1,500 in exam prep courses.
If you fail, you can retake the exam. There is a waiting period (typically 30 days between attempts for the same part) and you pay the exam fee again each time.
Total cost breakdown
| Item | Cost | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| DBPR application / license fee | $145-$305 | Initial |
| PTI registration fee | $135 | Initial |
| Exam administration fee | $80 | Per attempt |
| Exam prep course | $300-$1,500 | One-time |
| Fingerprint / background check | $50-$80 | Initial |
| General liability insurance | $500-$3,000/year | Annual |
| Workers' comp (if employees) | Varies by payroll | Annual |
| License renewal | $267 | Every 2 years |
| Late renewal (within 30 days) | $267 + $100 | Per occurrence |
| Late renewal (after 30 days) | $267 + $500 + suspension | Per occurrence |
Total first-year cost (with exam prep): roughly $1,210 to $5,300. The range is wide because insurance costs vary dramatically based on your trade, your revenue, and your claims history. A roofing contractor pays far more for liability insurance than a solar installer.
Renewal and continuing education
Florida contractor licenses renew every 2 years. The renewal fee is $267. If you miss the deadline by less than 30 days, it is an extra $100. After 30 days, it is $500 plus your license gets suspended until you renew.
You also need 14 hours of continuing education per renewal cycle. At least 1 hour must cover workers' compensation, 1 hour on workplace safety, 1 hour on business practices, and 1 hour on Florida building code updates. The remaining 10 hours can be any approved course. CE courses run $50 to $200 for the full 14 hours online.
The consequences of skipping all this
Beyond the criminal penalties (jail time, felony record), unlicensed contractors in Florida face practical consequences that hit just as hard:
- No lien rights: Under Florida statute 489.128, contracts entered into by an unlicensed contractor are unenforceable. If a homeowner does not pay you, you cannot file a mechanic's lien. You have no legal recourse.
- No permit pulling: You cannot pull building permits without a license. Homeowners who hire unlicensed contractors face their own fines when the work is discovered during inspections or property sales.
- Insurance void: Your general liability insurance is invalidated if you are performing work outside your licensing scope or without a license entirely.
- Sting operations: Florida law enforcement actively runs sting operations targeting unlicensed contractors, especially after hurricanes when demand spikes and scammers flood the market.
Get your full permit list
The contractor license is the big one, but it is not the only permit you need. A contracting business in Florida also requires a county or city business tax receipt, a sales tax permit from the Department of Revenue if you sell materials, and potentially specialty registrations depending on your trade.
Use the free permit checker to see every permit your Florida contracting business needs. Select your city and "Contractor" to get the full list. Our state-by-state contractor license guide covers the requirements in all 50 states if you work across state lines.
Already licensed? The tracking dashboard sends reminders before your renewal deadline so you never eat that $500 late fee.