Quick facts: Florida requirements
- Licensing board
- Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB), part of DBPR
- Two license types
- Certified (statewide) or Registered (local jurisdiction only)
Fees, bond amounts, and rules change. Verify every item with the responsible agency before you rely on it.
Florida's biggest early decision is not what most people expect: it is whether to get certified or registered, and the two are not interchangeable tiers of the same thing - they determine where in Florida you are actually allowed to work.
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What starting a Florida contracting business actually involves
Certification means a state exam and statewide reach. A certified contractor passes a state examination and can then work anywhere in Florida, within the specific type of work their certificate covers. This is the path for anyone planning to work across multiple counties or take jobs wherever they come from.
Registration means no state exam, but you are boxed into specific jurisdictions. A registered contractor takes no state exam at all - instead they file evidence of having already passed the local exam and licensing requirements for the county, municipality, or development district they want to work in. That registration only covers those specific jurisdictions and only the type of work it covers. Want to work in a different county later? You need to separately meet that county's local requirements too.
Both paths require the same insurance. Certified and registered contractors alike must submit affidavits confirming workers' compensation insurance under chapter 440, public liability insurance, and property damage insurance. The board sets the specific coverage amounts by rule rather than a single statewide number, so confirm the current minimum for your classification.
New applicants face real financial scrutiny. Initial certification requires a credit report from a nationally recognized agency and evidence of financial responsibility and business reputation. The board's net-worth and bonding guidelines cap at $20,000 for Division I contractors and $10,000 for Division II. If your credit or financials fall short, up to half of that requirement can be satisfied instead through a board-approved 14-hour financial responsibility course - a real alternative path, not a formality. Renewal is lighter: only the insurance affidavit is required, not fresh financial documentation.
Where people get stuck
The mistake is picking registration because it skips the state exam, without realizing it also permanently limits where the license is valid. A registered contractor who lands a job two counties over from where they are registered cannot simply do the work - that county's own local licensing requirements have to be met first, from scratch. Certification costs more up front in exam prep, but it is the only path that does not box you into a fixed geography.
Not sure whether registration or certification fits your growth plans? Contractor Lane walks through the tradeoff before you file.
Where Contractor Lane comes in
Contractor Lane helps you weigh certification against registration against your actual plans - one county forever, or room to grow - before you commit to a path that is expensive to reverse.
Build your free roadmap to get the sequence mapped to your specific trade and territory.
General educational information for people starting a business in Florida. Requirements and fees change. Contractor Lane is not a law firm or tax advisor.
Common questions
What is the difference between a certified and registered Florida contractor?
A certified contractor passes a state exam and can work anywhere in Florida within their licensed classification. A registered contractor takes no state exam - instead they file evidence of passing the LOCAL exam and licensing requirements for a specific county, municipality, or development district, and can only work in the jurisdictions where they have done that. Both require the same insurance affidavits. Source: Florida Statutes 489.115 and 489.117.
What financial requirements does Florida set for a new contractor license?
A credit report from a nationally recognized agency and evidence of financial responsibility and business reputation. The board sets net-worth/bonding guidelines by division - no more than $20,000 for Division I contractors, no more than $10,000 for Division II. Up to half of the financial requirement can be satisfied instead through a board-approved 14-hour financial responsibility course. Renewal only requires the insurance affidavit, not the full financial documentation again.