License Requirements
Please note that the Florida Business and Finance exam as well as the General Contractor exam is required to be passed to obtain your contractor’s license.
Minimum amounts required for General Liability insurance for General, Residential, and Building contractors are $300,000 for bodily injury and $50,000 for property damage. All contractors are required to carry Worker’s Compensation Insurance...OR...Exemption Certificate.
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All contractors must be at least 18 years of age and be of good moral character.
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All contractor applicants for initial licensure or changed of status must have a criminal background check performed by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and FBI.
YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ENSURING THAT YOUR FINGERPRINTS HAVE BEEN SCANNED BY THE DEPARTMENT’S VENDOR, PROMISSOR/PEARSON VUE, PRIOR TO SUBMITTING YOUR APPLICATION.
If an applicant has a FICO credit score lower than 660, he/she will be requested to provide a licensing bond or letter of credit to obtain licensure. Please review the Department’s Financial Responsibility and Stability website for additional information on the Board’s requirements. The amount of the licensing bond or letter of credit is based on the type of license requested:
$20,000 for Division I contractors and $10,000 for Division II contractors
Experience Required:
4-years of experience in the trade with at least 1-year having been a foreman or supervisor work (some experience can be offset with construction-related college courses) OR
A 4-year college degree from an accredited college and 1-year proven experience applicable to the category for which you are applying OR
1-year as a foreman and not less than 3-years of credits from any accredited college level courses OR
1-year as a workman, 1-year proven experience as a foreman, and 2-years of credits from any accredited college level courses OR
2-years of experience as a workman, 1-year of experience as a foreman, and 1-year of credits from any accredited college level courses OR
Have an active Certified Florida contractor’s license (This option only applies to Certified Building, Residential, Air Conditioning, and Swimming Pool contractors as provided in Section 489.111 (2)(c)4-6, Florida Statutes).
Building officials are no longer allowed to vouch for Florida Contractors’ experience. Only Florida State Certified Contractor, U.S. License Architects and U.S. Licensed Engineers
*You can substitute up to 3 years of college credit for experience
Reciprocity
Reciprocity exists for:
Louisiana - General, Building, and Residential licenses.
North Carolina - General, Building, and Residential licenses.
Mississippi - General, Building, and Residential licenses.
* As of 3/1/2019. The NASCLA General Contractors Exam (2009 forward) is accepted by many states and is substantially similar to all Florida Division 1 license trade knowledge exams (GC, BC, RC and related specialties). Applicants can apply for Reciprocity if the current credential was granted by taking the NASCLA exam, but the transcript must be released to CILB.
Continuing Education
As of this time Florida requires 14 hours of board approved continuing education each biennium prior to the renewal period for both certified and registered contractors.
At least 1 hour must deal with workplace safety, 1 hour must be on the subject of worker’s compensation, 1 hour must cover the subject of business practices, 1hour must cover the subjects of laws and rules, 1 hour must cover wind mitigation methodologies, and 1 hour must cover the Florida Building Code advanced modules.
