Florida runs solar as its own Division II category, with a subcontracting carve out no other specialty gets. Here are the three credentials the state issues, the four experience routes, the board fees, the insurance floor and the qualifier rule.
Florida licenses solar contracting at the state level, in its own category, with its own examination and its own scope. That matters more in Florida than almost anywhere else, because the statute hands a solar contractor a privilege no other specialty gets: the right to perform minor electrical, mechanical, plumbing and roofing work on residential solar installations without subcontracting it out. This guide covers the scope, the three credentials the state actually issues, the four experience routes, the board fees, the insurance floor and the qualifier rule, taken from the statute and rule text rather than from summaries of it.
At a glance
- It is a Division II category. Solar sits in the group defined by F.S. 489.105(3)(d) to (q), which the statute labels Division II.
- Scope covers three system types. Potable solar water heating, swimming pool solar heating and photovoltaic systems, plus the appurtenances and equipment used with them (F.S. 489.105(3)(o)).
- The subcontracting carve out. A solar contractor is not required to subcontract minor electrical, mechanical, plumbing or roofing work on residential solar energy equipment (F.S. 489.113(3)(f)).
- Insurance. A solar contractor carries $100,000 in public liability and $25,000 in property damage coverage (rule 61G4-15.003).
- Board fees. $335 for the application and examination, $135 on scheduling, $80 for each test administered, $40 after you pass (rule 61G4-12.009).
What a Florida solar contractor license covers
The Department of Business and Professional Regulation issues the license through the Construction Industry Licensing Board. The statutory definition is narrower than the word "solar" suggests and wider than most installers expect. F.S. 489.105(3)(o) defines a solar contractor as one whose services consist of the installation, alteration, repair, maintenance, relocation or replacement of solar panels for potable solar water heating systems, swimming pool solar heating systems and photovoltaic systems, together with any appurtenances, apparatus or equipment used in connection with them.
Two words in that definition carry weight. "Regardless of use" means the category does not stop at residential work. "Whether public, private, or otherwise" means a solar contractor can hold public contracts in the category without a second credential. For how the state license interacts with every other construction category, see our Florida contractor license guide.
The same paragraph contains a release valve that catches a lot of companies by surprise. A contractor already certified or registered under chapter 489 does not have to become a solar contractor, or hire one, to perform solar services that already fall inside the scope of the license it holds. An electrical contractor putting panels on a roof is not automatically practicing outside its license.
The three solar credentials Florida issues
Most published guides describe one license. The state actually maintains three distinct paths, and the cheapest one to qualify for is the one almost nobody writes about.
| Credential | What it authorizes | Where it is valid |
|---|---|---|
| Certified solar contractor | Full solar scope under F.S. 489.105(3)(o) | Anywhere in Florida |
| Registered solar contractor | The same scope, by local competency | Only the jurisdictions where local requirements are met |
| Rooftop solar heating installation | A certified specialty category, voluntary | Anywhere in Florida, narrow scope |
Certification is the statewide credential. Registration under F.S. 489.117 is a different animal: it requires no state examination, but it only authorizes work in the counties, municipalities or development districts where the registrant has satisfied local licensing requirements, and only for the type of work the registration covers. A registrant has 30 days after obtaining a local certificate of competency to report it to the board.
The third path is new. F.S. 489.113(6)(b) directed the board to establish certified specialty categories for voluntary licensure, and rooftop solar heating installation is one of the twelve named in the statute. The DBPR examination packet confirms the category is live, with a two part examination and a trade knowledge portion of 2.5 hours, shorter than the full solar trade knowledge exam. A company whose work is limited to rooftop solar heating should price both routes before defaulting to the full category.
The subcontracting carve out, and its limits
F.S. 489.113(3) sets the default rule for the whole industry: a contractor must subcontract all electrical, mechanical, plumbing, roofing, sheet metal, swimming pool and air conditioning work unless it holds a state certificate or registration in that trade. Paragraph (f) then carves solar out of it.
A solar contractor is not required to subcontract minor electrical, mechanical, plumbing or roofing work, so long as three conditions hold at once. The work must be within the scope of the solar license. The work must pertain exclusively to the installation of residential solar energy equipment. And "minor" is defined by board rule, adopted in conjunction with the Electrical Contracting Licensing Board, not by the installer's own judgment.
That last condition is where companies get into trouble. The carve out is not a general electrical privilege and it does not reach commercial installations. A solar company that regularly performs service changes, panel upgrades or new circuits beyond the equipment connection is doing electrical contracting, and should look at the Florida electrician license ladder rather than stretching the exemption.
The four experience routes
F.S. 489.111(2) sets eligibility for licensure by examination. An applicant must be 18, be of good moral character, and meet one of four criteria. Page one results almost always print the four year route alone, which quietly disqualifies readers who already have a shorter path.
| Route | Experience | Education |
|---|---|---|
| Degree | 1 year in the category | Baccalaureate in engineering, architecture or building construction |
| Trade | 4 years, at least 1 as a foreman | None |
| Mixed A | 1 year as a foreman | 3 years of accredited college credits |
| Mixed B | 1 year skilled plus 1 year foreman | 2 years of accredited college credits |
A third mixed combination exists: two years as a skilled worker, one year as a foreman and one year of accredited college credits. The statute also settles a question that costs applicants years of waiting. All junior college and community college level courses count as accredited college level courses. A working installer with an associate degree and a single year as a foreman may already be eligible.
For full time equivalency, the statute sets a minimum of 2,000 person hours per year.
The examination
Solar is a Division II category, so the examination has two parts: Business and Finance, and Trade Knowledge. Both are computer based and scheduled with the testing vendor, and both are open book with multiple choice questions.
| Part | Format | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Business and Finance | Computer based | 6.5 hours |
| Trade Knowledge, Solar | Computer based | 5 hours |
| Trade Knowledge, Rooftop Solar Heating | Computer based | 2.5 hours |
Business and Finance and all Trade Knowledge examinations except plumbing are scheduled at Pearson VUE testing centers at statewide locations. One waiver is worth knowing about: since July 1, 2020, a candidate holding a baccalaureate degree in building construction from an accredited four year college with a grade point average of 3.0 or higher is exempt from the trade knowledge portion and takes only Business and Finance.
This guide covers how the examination is structured, not how to study for it.
Board fees
Rule 61G4-12.009 prescribes the fees, and it does not set one number. The $335 application and examination fee is nonrefundable and is collected in pieces at different moments.
| Fee | Amount | When |
|---|---|---|
| Application and examination | $335 total, nonrefundable | Across the steps below |
| Paid on scheduling | $135 | When you schedule the tests |
| Examination administration | $80 | For each test administered |
| Processing after passing | $40 | After you pass |
A missed or failed test is not free. For an unsuccessful examinee, or an approved applicant who failed to appear, the next test costs $135 on scheduling plus $80 for administration of each test, all nonrefundable. Other fees in the same rule include $200 for biennial renewal, $100 for registration application, $50 to qualify a business organization and $50 to transfer a license between business entities.
Fees are set by the board or testing vendor and can change. Verify the current amount with the provider before you pay.
Insurance and financial responsibility
Rule 61G4-15.003 requires a signed affidavit attesting that the applicant has obtained and will maintain public liability and property damage insurance for the life of an active license. A solar contractor carries $100,000 in public liability and $25,000 in property damage, the same floor the rule sets for roofing, mechanical, plumbing, pool and sheet metal.
The affidavit is not a one time filing. The board conducts random sample audits by zip code area, and a selected licensee has 30 days from the mailing of a certified mail request to produce proof of coverage. The certificate of insurance must name the exact business organization qualified by the applicant, list the board as certificate holder, and carry a 30 day cancellation notice provision. Failing to maintain the coverage is itself a violation of the rule.
Applicants must also demonstrate financial responsibility, which the board evaluates under F.S. 489.115. That review looks at credit history and past business conduct, so it is worth addressing before filing rather than after a denial.
The qualifier rule, and why it decides who can bid
The license is earned by a person and used by a company. Under F.S. 489.119, a business organization may operate in a category of contracting only if its qualifying agent is certified or registered in that category. A solar company with no solar qualifier is not a solar company in the eyes of the board.
The responsibility that comes with the role is specific. The qualifying agent files an affidavit attesting that it holds final approval authority for all construction work performed by the business organization, and final approval authority on all business matters including contracts, specifications, checks, drafts and payments, unless a financially responsible officer has been approved separately.
The replacement window is the part that ends seasons. If the qualifying agent is the only certified or registered contractor affiliated with the business, the company must notify the department and has 60 days to employ another qualifying agent. The company may not engage in contracting until it does, except under a temporary nonrenewable credential granted to a financially responsible officer, president, partner or general partner, and even then only to finish incomplete contracts.
This is why a growing solar company treats its qualifier as infrastructure. Our explainer on what a qualifying agent is covers the role in detail, and we place qualifiers as full time W-2 employees of the company that needs one, never on any other arrangement. If your company needs a solar qualifier in Florida, start at hire a qualifying agent.
Step by step
- Confirm the category. Decide between the full solar contractor license, the rooftop solar heating installation specialty and registration under F.S. 489.117.
- Pick your eligibility route from the four in F.S. 489.111(2)(c) and gather documentation, counting 2,000 person hours as one year.
- Prepare the financial responsibility material, including the credit review the board conducts under F.S. 489.115.
- File the application with the $335 application and examination fee.
- Schedule Business and Finance and the solar Trade Knowledge test with the vendor, paying $135 on scheduling and $80 for each test administered.
- Pass both parts, then pay the $40 processing fee.
- Bind the $100,000 public liability and $25,000 property damage coverage a solar contractor must carry, and sign the affidavit.
- Qualify the business organization under F.S. 489.119 and file the qualifying agent affidavit.
Renewal and continuing education
Certificates and registrations renew every two years. Each licensee must show at least 14 classroom hours of continuing education per biennium, in sessions of at least 50 minutes, with board specified portions covering workers compensation, business practices and workplace safety, and one hour on laws and rules. The biennial renewal fee is $200, or $50 on inactive status.
Fees are set by the board or testing vendor and can change. Verify the current amount with the provider before you pay.
Questions solar contractors ask
How much does it cost to get licensed in Florida? The board side is knowable: $335 for the application and examination, $135 on scheduling, $80 per test, $40 after passing, then $200 at each biennial renewal. What varies is everything around it, including insurance premiums priced to your revenue and loss history, the cost of correcting a credit file before the financial responsibility review, and whether your company needs a qualifier at all. For help scoping your own situation, see consultation packages.
Do I need an electrical contractor license too? Not for the minor electrical work that falls inside F.S. 489.113(3)(f) and pertains exclusively to residential solar energy equipment. Beyond that, yes. The exemption is bounded by board rule and by the word "residential".
Can I work statewide with a registration? No. A registration authorizes contracting only where the registrant has met local licensing requirements, and only for the type of work the registration covers.
What happens if our qualifier leaves? The company notifies the department and has 60 days to employ another qualifying agent, and may not contract in the meantime except under a temporary credential limited to incomplete contracts.
Is solar in Division I or Division II? Division II. F.S. 489.105(3) divides contractors into Division I, consisting of paragraphs (a) through (c), and Division II, consisting of paragraphs (d) through (q). Solar is paragraph (o).
Related reading
Florida runs several Division II categories on the same statutory frame, and companies often hold more than one. See the Florida roofing contractor license guide and the Florida pool contractor license guide for two categories that share the solar fee schedule and insurance floor. For solar qualifier questions beyond Florida, see our solar contractor qualifying agent guide and the state by state index.
Marshall Schofield and Jeremiah Jaskulski founded The Licensing Company to solve the problem this article ends on: a company with the work, the crews and the capital, and no licensed individual able to qualify it. Every qualifier we place is a full time W-2 employee of the company that needs one.
Disclaimer: This article is provided for educational and informational purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice, licensing guidance, or an offer of services. Licensing requirements vary by jurisdiction. For specific compliance questions, contact The Licensing Company for a confidential consultation.