Pasco Sheriff Reports Nine Arrests in Unlicensed Contractor Operation. What Florida Law Says

On October 30, 2026, the Pasco Sheriff's Office in Florida announced that its Economic Crimes Unit "conducted an unlicensed contractor operation this week, resulting in 9 arrests of individuals performing work without the necessary licenses." Florida's Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) assisted.

This article covers what the Sheriff's Office said and what Florida law says about unlicensed contracting, read from the statutes themselves. It also covers what the news means for licensed contractors and for companies that want to work in Florida. For the full picture of how the state licenses contractors, start with the Florida contractor license page.

At a glance

• Who: the Pasco Sheriff's Office Economic Crimes Unit, with help from DBPR.
• When: announced October 30, 2026, for an operation that took place that week.
• Result: 9 arrests of individuals the Sheriff's Office says were performing work without the necessary licenses.
• The work offered: electrical work, plumbing, water heater installation and air conditioning installation.
• What the release does not say: the charges, the days or the location. Anyone arrested is accused, not convicted.
• The law: Florida Statutes 489.127, and 489.531 for electrical, bar acting as a contractor, or advertising as available to, without being certified or registered.

What the Sheriff's Office said

The Sheriff's Office said the people arrested "offered to provide contracting services, including electrical work, plumbing, water heater installation, and air conditioning installation." It also said: "During the investigation, it was determined that these individuals did not have the proper licensing to perform any of the jobs they quoted during this operation." And: "Contractor fraud renders victims liable for damages and reduces resources in the event of a breach."

The Sheriff's Office thanked DBPR for assisting with the operation.

This article names no one and describes no charge, because the release states none. The release does not give the days of the operation or where in Pasco County it took place, and it does not quote the Sheriff. The Sheriff's Office has posted alerts like this before. Earlier alerts reported nine arrests from an operation in September 2025, 17 from one in December 2025 and 14 from one in April 2026. Each was a separate operation.

What Florida law says about unlicensed contracting

Section 489.127(1)(f) of the Florida Statutes says no person shall "engage in the business or act in the capacity of a contractor or advertise himself or herself or a business organization as available to engage in the business or act in the capacity of a contractor without being duly registered or certified." Both parts count: doing the work, and advertising that you are available to do it.

The same subsection says a person operating on an inactive or suspended certificate or registration is considered unlicensed. It also says a business tax receipt "is not a license for purposes of this part."

Electrical and alarm system contracting sits in a different part of Chapter 489. Section 489.531 is its prohibition, and it uses the same three penalty levels. Our Florida contractor license page explains that electrical contractors are licensed by the Electrical Contractors' Licensing Board. Plumbing and air conditioning contractors are licensed by the Construction Industry Licensing Board.

The penalties in the statute

Section 489.127(2) sets three levels for an unlicensed person who violates subsection (1):

• No previous finding of guilt and no emergency: a misdemeanor of the first degree. Under sections 775.082 and 775.083, that carries up to 1 year and a fine of up to $1,000.
• After a previous finding of guilt: a felony of the third degree. It carries up to 5 years and a fine of up to $5,000.
• During a state of emergency declared by executive order of the Governor: a felony of the third degree, even on a first offense.

Section 775.083 allows a higher fine in some cases. These are the statute's levels, not a description of the nine arrests, because the release states no charge. How any one case is charged is up to prosecutors.

The penalties do not stop at the criminal level. Under section 489.13, DBPR may impose an administrative fine of up to $10,000 on an unlicensed person guilty of unlicensed contracting. These remedies are in addition to the criminal ones. Under section 489.127(3), DBPR may issue a stop-work order for unlicensed work when it finds probable cause. Section 489.13 also says a local building department "shall not issue a building permit to any contractor" who does not hold a valid active certificate or registration in the appropriate category.

Section 489.128 matters for the people who hire an unlicensed contractor, too. It says a contract entered into by an unlicensed contractor is "unenforceable in law or in equity by the unlicensed contractor." It also says no lien or bond claim exists in the contractor's favor. The section does not take away the rights of the other parties to the contract.

The statute also lists exemptions, in sections 489.103 and 489.503, for example for an employee acting within the scope of a licensee's license and for an owner working on their own property under set conditions. Each has conditions, so whether one applies depends on the facts. The state or a Florida construction attorney can answer that for a specific job.

Pasco County is inside Florida's Hurricane Isaias emergency

Pasco County is one of the counties under the Governor's state of emergency for Hurricane Isaias. That matters because of the emergency level in the statute. Executive Order 26-202, signed October 6, 2026, expires 60 days from that date, which is December 5, unless it is extended. Executive Order 26-212, signed October 10, amended it to list 30 counties, Pasco among them.

The Sheriff's Office release does not mention the emergency, and it does not say what any of the nine people was charged with. So this article does not connect the two. For the emergency rule on its own, see our article on unlicensed contracting during a state of emergency in Florida.

What homeowners are being told

The Sheriff's Office asks residents to verify a contractor's license at MyFloridaLicense.com. If you believe you may be the victim of an unlicensed contractor, the release gives the Sheriff's Non-Emergency Line, option 7. The number is in the release linked below.

The release asks residents to review the Sheriff's Office tips posted with it:

• Be aware of door to door salespeople claiming to be contractors.
• Never sign a contract with any blanks, or sign a completion certificate until the work is complete.
• Be cautious of vehicles lacking advertising and employees without uniforms.
• Don't pay with cash or gift cards, because they are untraceable forms of payment.

That advice favors licensed contractors. A license that checks out on MyFloridaLicense.com is what homeowners are being told to look for, along with never signing a contract that has blanks.

For companies that want to work in Florida

Florida licenses construction contractors at the state level under Chapter 489 through the Construction Industry Licensing Board at DBPR. Contracting businesses are licensed through a qualifying agent with final approval authority over construction work, or a financially responsible officer for payment authority, under section 489.119. A certified license is issued directly by the state and lets the holder contract anywhere in Florida. A registered license is tied to a specific local jurisdiction and only authorizes work there. The Florida contractor license page covers the classes, exams, experience, financial requirements and the rules for replacing a qualifier.

A company that does not yet have a qualifier with the experience and the exams can be qualified by a licensed qualifying agent who is a real employee of the company. Contractor qualifier services explains how The Licensing Company helps with that. Not a promise, the board decides.

Frequently asked questions

Is it illegal to work as a contractor in Florida without a license? Section 489.127(1)(f) says no person shall engage in the business or act in the capacity of a contractor without being duly registered or certified. The statute lists exemptions, so the answer for a specific job depends on the facts.

Does a local business tax receipt count as a license? No. Section 489.127(1) says a business tax receipt issued under chapter 205 is not a license for purposes of that part.

Can an unlicensed contractor enforce a contract in Florida? Under section 489.128, a contract entered into by an unlicensed contractor is unenforceable by the unlicensed contractor, and no lien or bond claim exists in the contractor's favor.

Is electrical work licensed separately in Florida? Yes. Electrical and alarm system contractors are licensed by the Electrical Contractors' Licensing Board under Part II of Chapter 489, which has its own prohibition in section 489.531.

Were the people arrested found guilty? The release reports 9 arrests. It does not report charges or outcomes. Anyone arrested is accused, not convicted.

How do I check a Florida contractor's license? The Sheriff's Office points to MyFloridaLicense.com.

This article is general education, not legal advice. DBPR or a Florida construction attorney can confirm how the law applies to a specific job.

Marshall Schofield, one of the nation's leading contractor exam prep instructors, has helped thousands upon thousands of contractors get licensed. Jeremiah Jaskulski is a licensed contractor who has lived the licensing process across multiple states. Together they founded The Licensing Company, and they help contractors get licensed the right way in Florida and nationwide. Sources: Pasco Sheriff's Office, "Community Alert: Unlicensed Contractor Operation," October 30, 2026, Florida Statutes sections 489.127, 489.128, 489.13, 489.531, 775.082 and 775.083, and the Governor's Executive Order 26-202 and Executive Order 26-212.