Florida Contractor License: Requirements, Cost and Exams

License classes

Certified versus registered

Florida runs two tracks. Certified is a state license that lets a contractor work anywhere in Florida after passing the state exam. Registered is a local license, tied to the county or city where it was earned, and does not carry statewide (Florida DBPR). Most contractors who want to bid and pull permits statewide choose Certified, since that is the credential that carries beyond one county or city.

Classifications and monetary tiers

The main mandatory categories are General, Building, and Residential Contractor, plus specialty lines such as Roofing, Air Conditioning, Plumbing, Sheet Metal, Pool and Spa, Underground Utility, Solar, and Pollutant Storage (Florida DBPR). Florida licenses by category and scope of work rather than a stated dollar ceiling per license. A Certified General Contractor can build anything of any size. Florida Statute 489.105 defines a Building Contractor's scope as commercial buildings and single or multiple dwelling residential buildings that do not exceed three stories in height, plus nonstructural remodeling, and defines a Residential Contractor's scope as one, two, or three family residences not exceeding two habitable stories above no more than one uninhabitable story (Florida Senate 2026 Florida Statutes). There is no dollar figure anywhere in that statutory definition; the split is entirely about story height, unit count, and structural versus nonstructural scope.

The qualifier rule

Qualifying the company, and how many companies one agent can qualify

Florida licenses the company through a qualifying individual, and that person's name and license sit on the state record for the business. There is no hard numeric cap in the FAQ language on how many companies one certified individual can qualify, but qualifying more than one carries real friction: a mandatory board appearance is triggered if the applicant owns less than 20 percent of the additional business, or if approving the application would put that person on three or more businesses at once. A W2 employee relationship with the new business can waive the board appearance requirement for owning less than 20 percent, but it does not waive it once a third company is in play (Florida DBPR). In practice, this means a first and second company tend to move faster, while a third company or beyond should be planned for a board meeting rather than a routine desk approval.

Financially responsible officer

If the qualifying agent does not personally meet the financial requirement, the company can instead put forward a separate Financially Responsible Officer, who files an individual application and posts a 100000 dollar bond or irrevocable letter of credit specific to that company. One person can serve as the Financially Responsible Officer for more than one company, but needs a separate bond for each one (Florida DBPR). This is a useful option for anyone whose credit will not clear the 660 FICO bar on their own name.

Replacement rules and deadlines when a qualifier leaves

If a qualifying agent resigns or is terminated, the company has 60 days from the termination of that affiliation to employ another qualifying agent. This 60 day figure is written directly into Florida Statute 489.119 (Florida Senate, 2026 Florida Statutes). The statute states that the business "may not engage in contracting" once the 60 days run out with no replacement in place, and it states the 60 day window without describing any extension mechanism, so treat it as a hard deadline in practice. Within that window, the executive director or board chair can issue a temporary, nonrenewable certificate to a company officer or partner, but that certificate only covers finishing out contracts already awarded or already bid before the qualifier's departure, not new work. If a qualifying agent dies, the company must notify the board within 30 days and can request a temporary license to complete work already under contract, provided someone can show personal knowledge of the projects (Florida DBPR, written request goes to the Executive Director of CILB in Tallahassee). Any company whose qualifier has just left should treat the 60 day window as time critical.

Exams

Exam requirements and current vendor

Certified General, Building, and Residential applicants must pass three parts: Business and Finance, Contract Administration, and Project Management. Trade Knowledge is a separate exam that belongs to the specialty trade track, not the Certified General, Building, or Residential exam (Florida DBPR, DBPR Construction Licensure Examinations Candidate Information Booklet). Professional Testing Incorporated handles registration, application review, and scoring (Professional Testing Florida exams), and candidates then schedule the computer based portions through Pearson VUE (Pearson VUE Florida construction exams, checked 2026-09-23). A candidate has four years from passing all required parts to actually apply for the license, or the scores expire and every part has to be retaken (Florida DBPR). Testing vendors can change over time, so this pairing is worth confirming periodically with the board.

NASCLA acceptance, and exactly what it replaces

Florida accepts the NASCLA Accredited Examination for Commercial General Building Contractors, effective since March 2019, but it does not fully substitute for the Florida process. A NASCLA pass replaces the Contract Administration and Project Management portions of the Florida exam. The applicant still must separately pass the Florida Business and Finance exam through Pearson VUE, and must also attest to having passed an exam covering the Florida Building Code, which is offered through approved continuing education providers rather than through Pearson VUE (Florida DBPR CILB form 10; NASCLA; FloridaContractor.com). This route is only open for Certified General, Certified Building, and Certified Residential license types. A common misunderstanding is treating NASCLA as a full Florida shortcut: it clears two of the three Florida exam parts, and the Business and Finance exam plus the Building Code attestation remain separate steps with a separate testing path each.

Testing and exams (from the candidate bulletins)

The Certified General Contractor exam has three parts: Business and Finance, Contract Administration, and Project Management, and a candidate must pass all three (a candidate who already holds another Florida contractor license may be exempt from retaking Business and Finance). Trade Knowledge is a separate exam that pairs with Business and Finance for the Division II specialty trade categories such as roofing, pool and spa, and similar; it is not part of the Certified General, Building, or Residential exam. Professional Testing Incorporated handles registration and application review at Professional Testing Florida exams or by phone at 407.264.0562. Once Professional Testing approves the application, the candidate books the actual sitting with Pearson VUE, online at Pearson VUE Florida construction exams or by phone at 1.888.204.6230. The registration packet revised May 12, 2026 states Business and Finance runs 6.5 hours, and Contract Administration and Project Management each run 4.5 hours. The Bureau's own candidate booklet, effective July 2024, instead lists 50 scored questions and 5 hours for Contract Administration, 80 scored questions and 4.5 hours for Project Management, and 50 scored questions and 4.5 hours for Business and Finance (a separate Business and Finance Service Pool version runs 6.5 hours). These two official documents do not agree with each other on Contract Administration's and Business and Finance's hours, and the standalone January 2020 content outline documents describe both Contract Administration and Project Management as 60 equally weighted questions each, a third figure that also does not match the 2024 chart. Confirm the current question count and hours directly with Professional Testing before relying on a specific number. The passing score is 70 percent on each part, not rounded. All three parts are open book, and only material on the current dated reference list may be brought in, one copy of each title.

The Contract Administration content outline, dated January 2020, splits into four areas: Preconstruction Activities at 27 percent of the exam (cost estimating, bid evaluation, subcontractor agreements, contract amendments, payments and draws, and contract closeout), Project Contracts at 40 percent (contract types, general and supplemental conditions, lien law, Chapter 558), Obtaining Licenses Permits and Approvals at 20 percent (Chapter 489, Rule 61G4, permitting, inspections), and Construction Procedures and Operations at 13 percent (scheduling, subcontractor coordination, safety meetings). The Project Management outline, also January 2020, splits into Construction Methods Materials Tools and Equipment at 63 percent (site layout, soils, earthwork, concrete, masonry, wood and metal framing, energy efficiency, heavy equipment), Safety at 20 percent (OSHA compliance and other safety standards), and Reading Plans and Specifications at 17 percent. The Business and Finance outline on file is older still, revised October 2009, and splits into Establishing the Contracting Business at 11 percent, Managing Administrative Duties at 26 percent, Managing Trade Operations at 10 percent, Conducting Accounting Functions at 32 percent, Managing Human Resources at 6 percent, and Complying with Government Regulations at 15 percent. Given its age, treat the 2009 topic list as directional only.

The current reference list for General, Building, and Residential Contract Administration and Project Management, valid January 2026 through December 2026 and posted at Florida DBPR under Examination Information, Construction Examinations Reference Lists, names AIA A201 (2017 edition), A401 (2017 edition), and A701 (2018 edition), the OSHA Code of Federal Regulations 29 Part 1926 dated July 1, 2025, the Contractors Manual 2021 edition (the 2025 edition becomes mandatory July 1, 2026), Principles and Practices of Commercial Construction 11th edition 2024, Energy Efficient Building Construction in Florida 2024, the Truss Plate Institute's BCSI ED2 D guide dated 2020, and the 2023 Florida Building Code volumes for Building, Accessibility, Residential, Existing Building, and Energy Conservation. A separate suggested study list not permitted in the exam room adds Builder's Guide to Accounting (2001), Building Estimator's Reference Book 32nd edition (2024), Design and Control of Concrete Mixtures 17th edition (2021), Placing Reinforcing Bars 10th edition (2019), and Application and Finishing of Gypsum Panel Products GA 216 (2018 edition). The Business and Finance reference list, also valid January 2026 through December 2026 and posted at the same page, names Florida Statutes Chapter 455 (2025 edition, a bound PDF copy is allowed), the same Contractors Manual (moving to its 2025 edition on February 1, 2026), and the same three AIA documents. Reference books must stay bound in their original edition, underlining in pen or highlighter is allowed, handwritten or typed notes are not allowed and any that already exist must be blacked out, and only permanent tabs carrying normal chapter or page labels are permitted. Post it notes, pull off labels, or any tab that could come off without damaging the page are not allowed and get stripped at the door.

Pearson VUE runs all three parts daily at its Test Centers statewide in Florida, and a candidate finds and books a seat through Pearson VUE Florida construction exams. Because Pearson VUE operates a national network, a candidate testing from out of state can generally sit at any Pearson VUE center elsewhere that offers the Florida DBPR construction program, though the booklet does not publish a center count or a named list of neighboring states, so check the vendor's own locator rather than assuming a location. The candidate booklet describes only in person testing at Pearson VUE Test Centers and does not mention or offer remote online proctoring for these exams, so treat remote testing as not available unless Pearson VUE states otherwise at booking. A candidate who fails a part reapplies directly with Professional Testing at Professional Testing Florida exams or by phone, and can request to review the questions missed within 21 days of the exam, with written challenges accepted only during that scheduled review. Every registration carries a 135 dollar registration fee to Professional Testing no matter how many parts are being registered at once, plus a separate administration fee per part paid to Pearson VUE: 80 dollars for Business and Finance, 40 dollars for Contract Administration, and 40 dollars for Project Management, for 295 dollars total to sit all three parts on one registration (per the packet revised May 12, 2026). A returned check or a declined card adds a 25 dollar fee, and all examination fees are stated as non refundable and non transferable. According to Florida DBPR CILB form 5-A and its retained examination fee schedule, the application fee schedule is as follows: Certified contractor initial certification 245 dollars for filings May 1, 2026 through August 31, 2027, with later filers using the fee printed on the current CILB 5-A or 6-A form; exam registration 135 dollars to Professional Testing plus Pearson VUE fees of 80, 40, and 40 dollars, 295 dollars total for three parts; NASCLA application 65 dollars.

The Certified Building Contractor and Certified Residential Contractor exams sit on the same Division One structure and share the identical Business and Finance exam described above, the identical reference list, the identical tabbing rules, and the identical Pearson VUE scheduling path. Their Contract Administration and Project Management parts are scored separately from the General exam. Per the July 2024 candidate booklet's own chart, Building Contract Administration lists 130 scored questions over 5 hours and Building Project Management lists 80 scored questions over 4.5 hours, while Residential Contract Administration lists 80 scored questions over 5 hours and Residential Project Management lists 60 scored questions over 4.5 hours, and the same hours conflict noted above for the General exam applies here too. The specific topic weighting for Building or Residential Contract Administration and Project Management should be confirmed directly with the board; these exams cover the same kind of preconstruction, contracting, licensing, and field topics as the General exam, scaled to Building or Residential scope of work.

Florida also accepts the NASCLA Accredited Examination for Commercial General Building Contractors as a substitute for the Contract Administration and Project Management parts only, as covered above. NASCLA contracts the exam itself to PSI Services LLC. A candidate first applies and is approved through NASCLA's own National Examination Database at NASCLA exam application portal, and only after that approval does the candidate schedule and pay for the sitting with PSI, online at PSI Exams or by phone. Phone numbers for PSI scheduling appear differently across bulletin versions: an older bulletin lists 800.733.9267 and the current PSI test taker portal lists 855.746.8177, so use the online scheduler if a phone call does not connect. The exam itself has 115 scored questions, a minimum passing score of 81 correct (about 70 percent), and up to 10 additional unscored experimental questions that count against the clock but not against the score. Time allowed is 330 minutes, not the older 300 minute figure sometimes quoted. The exam is open book. Its content outline lists Site Construction at 25 items, Concrete at 15, Masonry at 6, Metals at 4, Wood at 6, Thermal and Moisture Protection at 5, Doors Windows and Glazing at 5, Finishes at 4, Mechanical and Plumbing Systems at 5, Electrical Systems at 6, and Procurement and Contracting Requirements at 31, alongside a named General Requirements area that the bulletin does not give a listed item count for.

The reference list printed inside the bulletin last revised June 30, 2025 is long and specific: NASCLA's own Contractors Guide to Business, Law and Project Management, Basic 14th edition, Mechanical and Electrical Systems for Construction Managers 4th edition (2024), ICC A117.1 (the 2009 or 2017 edition through October 1, 2025, 2017 only after), the International Building Code (2018 or 2021 through August 6, 2025, then 2021 or 2024, with 2018 retired November 1, 2025), ACI 318 (2014 or 2019 on the same retirement schedule as the Building Code, 2014 retired November 1, 2025), Modern Masonry 9th edition (2020), Placing Reinforcing Bars 10th edition, the SDI Manual of Construction with Steel Deck (2016 edition required after November 1, 2025), and The Contractor's Guide to Quality Concrete Construction (2018, 4th edition required after November 1, 2025), plus Construction Jobsite Management 4th edition (2017), Construction Project Management 4th edition (2014), BCSI wood truss bracing guidance, Steel Joist Institute Technical Digest No. 9, Post Tensioning Institute Level 1 field fundamentals, the Gypsum Construction Handbook 7th edition, and a free EPA stormwater pollution prevention guide. This full list lives inside the bulletin itself rather than on a separate reference page. References may be highlighted, underlined, or indexed, must otherwise stay unmarked with no loose or attached extra papers, and may only carry permanent tabs; temporary tabs such as Post it notes must come off before the exam starts.

PSI runs its own nationwide network of centers rather than a Florida specific list, and a candidate picks a center through PSI Exams when scheduling. Neither PSI bulletin reviewed for this page mentions a remote or online proctoring option, so treat this exam as center only administration unless PSI states otherwise at booking. NASCLA approval is valid for one year from the approval date, and an eligible candidate can sit up to three times inside that year before having to reapply as a re applicant and restart the clock, and cannot be re approved until the prior one year eligibility window has expired. NASCLA's own application fee is reported at 65 dollars on NASCLA, and the PSI examination fee is set at scheduling rather than printed as a flat number in either bulletin, so confirm the current amount when booking.

Experience

Experience requirements

Four years of documented construction experience is the baseline for a Certified General Contractor, and at least one of those years must be supervisory, regardless of which substitution path is used. The DBPR's own FAQ states: "You can also substitute up to three years of military service or up to three years of college credit hours in place of the required field experience" (Florida DBPR construction industry FAQ, checked 2026-09-23). The FAQ's use of "or" rather than "and" indicates military service and college credit are alternative routes to one shared three year ceiling, not two stackable three year allowances worth six years combined. This reading rests on the FAQ's wording rather than on statute text, so confirm this point with the board before relying on it for a specific applicant. For the General category specifically, DBPR also requires experience in at least four of six listed categories, such as foundations over 20,000 square feet, structural steel erection, and elevated slabs, plus at least one year on new construction of a structure four stories or taller (Florida DBPR).

Bond and insurance

Financial requirements

Applicants need a FICO credit score of 660 or better, or they can complete a 14 hour financial responsibility course if their score is lower. Active licensees in the General and Building categories must carry at least 300000 dollars in public liability coverage and 50000 dollars in property damage coverage, named to the board as certificate holder. All other license categories, meaning the specialty lines outside General and Building, carry a lower minimum of 100000 dollars in public liability and 25000 dollars in property damage (Florida DBPR). Workers compensation coverage is required unless an officer exemption is filed within 30 days of licensure (Florida DBPR).

Fees and timeline

Application and processing timelines

The DBPR's own language says most additional business applications and many initial or change of status applications go in front of the board, and licenses are typically issued within about two weeks after the board meeting that approves them (Florida DBPR). Florida's replacement deadline for a departed qualifying agent is a separate, faster 60 day figure and should not be confused with routine new issuance speed; 4 to 8 weeks is a safer window to expect for a new application, and current board meeting dates should be confirmed before committing to a hard date.

Renewal cycle

Certified licenses renew by August 31 of even numbered years. Registered licenses renew by August 31 of odd numbered years. Inactive licenses renew every two years regardless of type (Florida DBPR).

Reciprocity

Reciprocity and out of state endorsement

Florida's Construction Industry Licensing Board has formal reciprocity agreements with three states for General, Building, and Residential licenses: Louisiana, Mississippi, and North Carolina. A license holder from one of those three states files CILB form 32 with a certification of good standing from their home state, which waives Florida's trade knowledge exam; the applicant still has to separately pass Florida's Business and Finance exam and complete the Florida Building Code course, the same two remaining steps NASCLA candidates face. Louisiana and Mississippi applicants specifically still need to document at least one year of experience on new construction of a structure four stories or taller in their application. This list comes from the CILB's own reciprocity materials; confirm the current reciprocity list directly with the board before relying on it for a specific applicant.

Separately, Florida has a straight endorsement route for someone who has held an active out of state contractor license at the same level for 10 years or more, effective July 2020, without requiring the NASCLA exam, though Division I and Roofing applicants on this path must complete a 2 hour Florida Building Code course covering wind mitigation. Neither the three state reciprocity route nor the 10 year endorsement route is automatic. Both go through the CILB, both carry a nonrefundable fee if denied, and comparison based endorsement outside these named routes is described by the DBPR itself as rarely approved (Florida DBPR CILB form 10). Approval by endorsement or reciprocity is a board decision in every case, not a guarantee.

Trades

Trades overlay

Electrical contracting runs through its own board, the Electrical Contractors Licensing Board, also under the DBPR, with its own certified versus registered structure that mirrors the general contracting system (Florida DBPR). Plumbing and Air Conditioning or HVAC are both licensed directly by the Construction Industry Licensing Board itself, alongside general contracting, not by a separate agency. Anyone who only wants a plumbing or HVAC license goes through the same CILB structure as a general contractor, not a different state agency. Plumbing trade knowledge exams are administered as paper and pencil through Professional Testing rather than computer based through Pearson VUE, an exception worth knowing for anyone asking about test format for that trade.

What changed

What changed since the last check on 2026-08-04

The core licensing structure did not change, but four questions about this page got clearer answers. First, on experience substitution: the DBPR's own FAQ uses "or" between the military service and college credit substitution paths, not "and," which supports reading both paths as leading to one shared three year ceiling rather than stacking to six years combined (Florida DBPR construction industry FAQ, quoted below). Second, on the statutory dollar ceiling question, the answer is that none exists: Florida Statute 489.105 draws the Building versus Residential line purely on story height, unit count, and structural versus nonstructural scope, never a dollar figure (Florida Senate 2026 Florida Statutes). Third, the reciprocity state list is confirmed by name: Louisiana, Mississippi, and North Carolina, per Florida DBPR's own reciprocity list and FAQ page. Fourth, the 25 dollar returned check and chargeback fee is confirmed against the official DBPR exam application package. Two regulatory items that were pending are now live and enforceable: Senate Bill 290's 45 day subcontractor payment rule and House Bill 803's small residential permit exemption both took effect July 1, 2026; see the regulatory section below for enforcement and scope detail on each.

Recent regulatory changes (these do not change who needs a license)

These changes do not change who gets licensed or how, but they are worth knowing about. Senate Bill 290 is now in effect: signed March 23, 2026, effective July 1, 2026, it requires licensed contractors to pay subcontractors and suppliers within 45 days of receiving payment absent a legitimate dispute, and a contractor who knowingly or willfully violates it is subject to discipline under Florida Statute 489.129, with fines running as high as 10000 dollars per violation up to license revocation. It is described as the first Florida statute to attach licensing consequences to late payment on private construction projects. A new continuing education requirement folds one hour on cementitious cladding, stucco, and plastering into the existing 14 hour CE requirement, with enforcement beginning August 31, 2027 for Registered contractors and August 31, 2028 for Certified contractors. House Bill 715, effective May 19, 2025, expanded the definition of roofing contractor to include roof to wall connection evaluation on wood deck roofs and added homeowner cancellation right disclosures to roofing contracts. Effective July 1, 2025, counties and municipalities were largely preempted from licensing specialty contractor categories beyond what the state CILB already licenses, with narrow carve outs for plumbing, HVAC, and electrical or alarm journeyman licenses; this matters for anyone in a city that used to run its own specialty licensing program.

The board

Who licenses general contractors

The Department of Business and Professional Regulation, through the Construction Industry Licensing Board, licenses general, building, and residential contractors statewide (Florida DBPR). Electrical and alarm system contractors sit under a separate board, the Electrical Contractors Licensing Board (Florida DBPR). Plumbing and air conditioning or HVAC contractors are licensed by the Construction Industry Licensing Board itself, alongside general, building, residential, roofing, sheet metal, pool and spa, underground utility, solar, and pollutant storage (Florida DBPR).