Florida contractor license lookup
It issues state licenses for general contractors, electrical contractors, plumbing contractors, HVAC contractors and roofing contractors. Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) lists 113,684 active contractor licenses as of October 6, 2026.
Look up a license
Verify a contractor
For homeowners hiring in Florida.
- Open the official Florida lookup run by CILB and search the contractor by name or number.
- The official DBPR lookup searches by name, license number, city or county, and license type. source
- Confirm the record is active and the class matches the job (Certified General Contractor or Certified Building Contractor or Certified Residential Contractor or Registered General Contractor or Registered Building Contractor or Registered Residential Contractor). The board's own record governs. A license is required for jobs above Work under $2,500 total (labor, materials and all other items) of a casual, minor or inconsequential nature is exempt, unless it is part of a larger job split up to evade the law or the person advertises as a contractor. source
- Check the bond and insurance on the record against the state minimums: General liability insurance of at least $300,000 and property damage insurance of at least $50,000 for a general or building contractor, plus workers compensation. source
- Complaints against a licensed contractor or someone doing unlicensed work can be filed with DBPR online or by mail. source
Homeowner protections in Florida
- Florida Homeowners' Construction Recovery Fund pays up to $100,000 per claim for general, building or residential contractor jobs and up to $30,000 for other construction trades, for contracts signed on or after July 1, 2024. source
- A recovery fund claim must be made within 1 year after the court, arbitration or administrative action against the contractor ends. source
- Residential construction contracts must include a written notice about the Florida Homeowners' Construction Recovery Fund. source
- Recovery fund payments for one transaction are capped in total at the Division I or Division II maximum, no matter how many people claim. source
- Before the recovery fund pays, the homeowner must win a court judgment, an arbitration award, or a board restitution order against the licensed contractor, and use up any bond or insurance first. source
Get licensed
For a general contractor working in Florida.
- Apply to CILB as a Certified General Contractor or Certified Building Contractor or Certified Residential Contractor or Registered General Contractor or Registered Building Contractor or Registered Residential Contractor.
- State certification exam in three parts: Business and Finance, Contract Administration, and Project Management. source
- Experience: at least 4 years of active experience in the trade as a skilled worker or foreman, including time as a foreman; a related degree or college credit can replace part of it. source
- Carry general liability insurance of at least $300,000 and property damage insurance of at least $50,000 for a general or building contractor, plus workers compensation. source
- Pay the application and examination fee for certification (covers application processing and exam administration), nonrefundable: $335. source
- License renews every 2 years. source
Other trades
- Electrical: state license, $196 fee. Requirements
- Plumbing: state license, $335 fee. Requirements
- HVAC: state license, $335 fee. Requirements
- Roofing: state license, $335 fee. Requirements
Requirements by trade
| Exam | State certification exam in three parts: Business and Finance, Contract Administration, and Project Management. source |
|---|---|
| Experience | At least 4 years of active experience in the trade as a skilled worker or foreman, including time as a foreman; a related degree or college credit can replace part of it. source |
| Bond | Not found on an official source. On an official source. |
| Insurance | General liability insurance of at least $300,000 and property damage insurance of at least $50,000 for a general or building contractor, plus workers compensation. source |
| Renewal | License renews every 2 year. source |
| Reciprocity | Reciprocal licensing agreements with Louisiana, North Carolina and Mississippi for general, building and residential licenses; others may apply by endorsement. source |
| Fees |
|
| Exam | Open-book state certification exam covering technical knowledge (60%), general business knowledge (33%) and safety (7%). source |
|---|---|
| Experience | At least 3 years of management experience in the trade within the last 6 years, or one of the other experience paths in the law. source |
| Bond | Not found on an official source. On an official source. |
| Insurance | Liability insurance of $100,000 per person and $300,000 per occurrence, plus property damage insurance of $500,000 (or an $800,000 combined single limit policy). source |
| Renewal | License renews every two year. source |
| Reciprocity | No reciprocity agreement found; the board certifies by endorsement applicants who passed a substantially equivalent exam elsewhere. source |
| Fees |
|
| Exam | State certification exam in two parts: Business and Finance, and Trade Knowledge. source |
|---|---|
| Experience | At least 4 years of active experience in the trade as a skilled worker or foreman, including time as a foreman; a related degree or college credit can replace part of it. source |
| Bond | Not found on an official source. On an official source. |
| Insurance | General liability insurance of at least $100,000 and property damage insurance of at least $25,000 (plumbing contractor), plus workers compensation. source |
| Renewal | License renews every 2 year. source |
| Reciprocity | No reciprocal agreement listed for this trade; the board certifies by endorsement applicants who passed a substantially equivalent exam elsewhere. source |
| Fees |
|
| Exam | State certification exam in two parts: Business and Finance, and Trade Knowledge. source |
|---|---|
| Experience | At least 4 years of active experience in the trade as a skilled worker or foreman, including time as a foreman; a related degree or college credit can replace part of it. source |
| Bond | Not found on an official source. On an official source. |
| Insurance | General liability insurance of at least $100,000 and property damage insurance of at least $25,000 (mechanical or air conditioning contractor), plus workers compensation. source |
| Renewal | License renews every 2 year. source |
| Reciprocity | No reciprocal agreement listed for this trade; the board certifies by endorsement applicants who passed a substantially equivalent exam elsewhere. source |
| Fees |
|
| Exam | State certification exam in two parts: Business and Finance, and Trade Knowledge. source |
|---|---|
| Experience | At least 4 years of active experience in the trade as a skilled worker or foreman, including time as a foreman; a related degree or college credit can replace part of it. source |
| Bond | Not found on an official source. On an official source. |
| Insurance | General liability insurance of at least $100,000 and property damage insurance of at least $25,000 (roofing contractor), plus workers compensation. source |
| Renewal | License renews every 2 year. source |
| Reciprocity | No reciprocal agreement listed for this trade; the board certifies by endorsement applicants who passed a substantially equivalent exam elsewhere. source |
| Fees |
|
Licenses on record
113,684 active records in Construction Industry Licensing Board and Electrical Contractors' Licensing Board licensee files, as of October 6, 2026. 3,536 expire within the next year.
| Trade | Active |
|---|---|
| General contractor | 54,169 |
| Electrical | 13,034 |
| Plumbing | 8,565 |
| HVAC | 13,071 |
| Roofing | 9,809 |
| License type | Active |
|---|---|
| Certified General Contractor | 30,641 |
| Certified Building Contractor | 15,713 |
| Electrical Contractor | 11,580 |
| Certified Air Conditioning Contractor | 10,437 |
| Certified Roofing Contractor | 9,342 |
| Certified Plumbing Contractor | 8,014 |
| Certified Residential Contractor | 6,432 |
| Certified Pool/Spa Contractor | 3,968 |
| Certified Specialty Contractor | 3,375 |
| Certified Utility & Excavation Contractor | 2,458 |
| Certified Mechanical Contractor | 2,266 |
| Certified Specialty Contractor (electrical) | 1,688 |
| Registered Electrical Contractor | 1,454 |
| Certified Alarm System Contractor I | 1,361 |
| Registered Residential Contractor | 601 |
| Registered Plumbing Contractor | 551 |
| Certified Alarm System Contractor II | 513 |
| Registered Roofing Contractor | 467 |
| Registered Pool/Spa Contractor | 463 |
| Registered Building Contractor | 392 |
| Certified Solar Contractor | 391 |
| Registered General Contractor | 390 |
| Registered Air Conditioning Contractor | 296 |
| Certified Pollutant Storage Contractor | 266 |
| Registered Specialty Contractor | 207 |
| Occupation code ET (not in DBPR readme) | 102 |
| Registered Mechanical Contractor | 72 |
| Certified Sheet Metal Contractor | 63 |
| Registered Alarm System Contractor I | 63 |
| Registered Underground Utility Excavator | 59 |
| Registered Precision Tank Tester | 28 |
| Registered Alarm System Contractor II | 14 |
| Registered Sheet Metal Contractor | 10 |
| Specialty | Active |
|---|---|
| Certified Air Conditioning Contractor: Residential Air Conditioning | 6,716 |
| Certified Air Conditioning Contractor: Commercial Air Conditioning | 3,610 |
| Certified Pool/Spa Contractor: Commercial Pool/Spa Contractor | 1,413 |
| Certified Pool/Spa Contractor: Residential Pool/Spa Contractor | 1,371 |
| Certified Pool/Spa Contractor: Pool/Spa Contractor Service | 1,083 |
| Certified Specialty Contractor (electrical): Limited Energy Systems Specialty | 1,067 |
| Certified Specialty Contractor: Glass & Glazing Specialty | 680 |
| Certified Specialty Contractor: Specialty Structure | 608 |
| Certified Specialty Contractor: Irrigation Specialty Contractor | 517 |
| Registered Pool/Spa Contractor: Pool/Spa Contractor Service | 297 |
| Certified Specialty Contractor: Marine Specialty Contractor | 292 |
| Certified Specialty Contractor (electrical): Sign Specialty | 269 |
| Certified Specialty Contractor (electrical): Residential Specialty | 244 |
| Certified Specialty Contractor: Gypsum Drywall | 217 |
| Certified Specialty Contractor: Garage Door Installation Contractor | 176 |
Show all specialties
| Specialty | Active |
|---|---|
| Registered Air Conditioning Contractor: Residential Air Conditioning | 170 |
| Certified Specialty Contractor: Residential Pool/Spa Servicing Contractor | 143 |
| Registered Specialty Contractor: Structure | 119 |
| Registered Air Conditioning Contractor: Commercial Air Conditioning | 115 |
| Certified Specialty Contractor: Structural Aluminum or Screen Enclosures Contractor | 109 |
| Registered Specialty Contractor: Dry Wall Contractor | 87 |
| Registered Pool/Spa Contractor: Residential Pool/Spa Contractor | 85 |
| Certified Specialty Contractor: Window and Door Installation Contractor | 75 |
| Registered Pool/Spa Contractor: Commercial Pool/Spa Contractor | 70 |
| Certified Specialty Contractor (electrical): Utility Line Specialty | 62 |
| Certified Specialty Contractor: Gas Line Specialty | 61 |
| Certified Specialty Contractor: Tower Specialty Contractor | 60 |
| Certified Specialty Contractor: Structural Masonry Specialty Contractor | 50 |
| Occupation code ET (not in DBPR readme): class ENRG (no description published) | 50 |
| Certified Specialty Contractor: Swimming Pool Trim Specialty Contractor | 42 |
190 disciplinary actions (Florida fiscal year 2025/26, 2025-07-01 through 2026-06-30).
| City | Active |
|---|---|
| Miami | 7,487 |
| Tampa | 3,176 |
| Jacksonville | 3,089 |
| Naples | 2,897 |
| Orlando | 2,731 |
| Cape Coral | 2,004 |
| Fort Myers | 1,974 |
| Sarasota | 1,870 |
| West Palm Beach | 1,351 |
| Boca Raton | 1,289 |
| Fort Lauderdale | 1,262 |
| Bradenton | 1,111 |
| Hialeah | 1,084 |
| Tallahassee | 972 |
| Pensacola | 927 |
| Ocala | 907 |
| St. Petersburg | 905 |
| Lakeland | 884 |
| Clearwater | 864 |
| Port St Lucie | 841 |
Show more cities
| City | Active |
|---|---|
| Pompano Beach | 772 |
| Lake Worth | 749 |
| Jupiter | 744 |
| Hollywood | 719 |
| Vero Beach | 712 |
| Coral Springs | 662 |
| Davie | 656 |
| Port Charlotte | 649 |
| Melbourne | 642 |
| Boynton Beach | 626 |
| Pembroke Pines | 600 |
| Lehigh Acres | 576 |
| Homestead | 567 |
| Saint Augustine | 556 |
| Plantation | 552 |
| Stuart | 551 |
| Kissimmee | 541 |
| Punta Gorda | 534 |
| Panama City | 523 |
| Gainesville | 515 |
| New Port Richey | 515 |
| North Port | 495 |
| Deerfield Beach | 488 |
| Winter Park | 469 |
| Largo | 467 |
| Clermont | 461 |
| Delray Beach | 461 |
| Doral | 454 |
| Palm Coast | 438 |
| Fort Pierce | 423 |
- A snapshot of the Construction Industry Licensing Board and Electrical Contractors' Licensing Board licensee files as of October 6, 2026. The board's live lookup may differ.
- Counts are Florida DBPR contractor license records from the Construction Industry Licensing Board and the Electrical Contractors' Licensing Board files. Business qualification, financial officer and course records in the same files are not counted.
- DBPR's files leave out null and void, delinquent and involuntarily inactive licenses, so no count of expired or lapsed licenses can be given.
- Both certified and registered contractor licenses are counted; DBPR lists them as separate license types.
- Cities come from the address on file, not where the contractor works. 12,172 active licenses with an address outside Florida or with no state on file are left out of the city table.
- Most active licenses in these files share one renewal expiration date, so the count expiring within a year of the snapshot is small and will jump as that date nears.
- Alarm system and electrical specialty licenses are not counted as electrical, and pool, solar, utility and specialty contractors are not mapped to any of the five trades.
- Discipline: 190 distinct complaint cases appear in the Construction Industry Licensing Board licensed-contractor discipline report for the latest complete fiscal year (period in definitions); a case is counted whatever its disposition. The Electrical Contractors' Licensing Board public records page lists no discipline file, so electrical discipline is not included.
- DBPR refreshes these files weekly; the counts are a snapshot as of October 6, 2026.
How these counts are defined
- Disciplinary actions
- Distinct complaint cases in the Construction Industry Licensing Board discipline report for licensed contractors, whatever the outcome. Electrical contractor discipline is not included.
- Rows Total
- Every row in the two license files plus every row in the discipline report. The license files already leave out void, delinquent and involuntarily inactive licenses.
- Active
- Contractor licenses that are current or on probation and marked active. Suspended and inactive licenses are left out, as are business qualification, financial officer and course records.
- Active by license type
- Active licenses by license type as the state describes it. Each license has one type. Types with fewer than 10 licenses are not shown.
- Active by specialty
- Active licenses by the specialty class recorded on the license, where there is one. Shows the largest 30 with at least 10 licenses.
- Active by trade
- Active licenses whose type belongs to each trade. Each type maps to at most one trade, so trades do not overlap.
- Cities
- Active licenses by the city on file, Florida addresses only. Shows the largest 50 cities with at least 10 licenses.
- Active Out Of State
- Active licenses with an address outside Florida or with no state on file. They are left out of the city table.
- Expiring within the next year
- Active licenses whose expiration date falls after October 6, 2026 and on or before October 6, 2027.
- Discipline
- Distinct complaint cases in the construction board discipline report for Florida fiscal year 2025/26, July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026.
- As Of
- The date the state last updated its license files.
Counts only, no personal data. Small groups are left out. Rows marked business, individual or mixed count different holders and are never added together.
- Source: Construction Industry Licensing Board and Electrical Contractors' Licensing Board licensee files, as of October 6, 2026. Data license: no reuse terms stated; DBPR provides the files as public records under Chapter 119, Florida Statutes, through free download. Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR).
- Source: Construction Industry Licensing Board contractor discipline report, fiscal year 2025-26, as of July 27, 2026. Data license: no reuse terms stated; DBPR provides the files as public records under Chapter 119, Florida Statutes, through free download. Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR).
Questions
- Does Florida require a contractor license?
- Yes, in most cases Florida requires a state license for general contractors. Work under $2,500 total (labor, materials and all other items) of a casual, minor or inconsequential nature is exempt, unless it is part of a larger job split up to evade the law or the person advertises as a contractor. The Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB), Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation issues it as one of several credentials, such as Certified General Contractor, Certified Building Contractor or Certified Residential Contractor.
- How do I look up a contractor license in Florida?
- The Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB), Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation keeps the record for general contractors in Florida. Use the official lookup linked in the Look up a license table, and treat the board's own record as final.
- How do I look up an electrician license in Florida?
- The Electrical Contractors' Licensing Board (ECLB), Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation keeps the record for electrical contractors in Florida.
- How do I look up a plumbing license in Florida?
- The Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB), Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation keeps the record for plumbing contractors in Florida.
- Does Florida have an HVAC license?
- The Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB), Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation keeps the record for HVAC contractors in Florida.
- Do roofers need a license in Florida?
- The Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB), Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation keeps the record for roofing contractors in Florida.
- How many contractors are registered or licensed in Florida?
- The Construction Industry Licensing Board and Electrical Contractors' Licensing Board licensee files lists 113,684 active records as of October 6, 2026.
Sources
- https://www2.myfloridalicense.com/construction-industry/
- https://www.myfloridalicense.com/wl11.asp
- https://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0400-0499/0489/Sections/0489.115.html
- https://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0400-0499/0489/Sections/0489.103.html
- https://www2.myfloridalicense.com/electrical-contractors/
- https://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0400-0499/0489/Sections/0489.511.html
- https://www2.myfloridalicense.com/servop/testing/documents/exam_applic_pack.pdf
- https://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0400-0499/0489/Sections/0489.111.html
- https://www.flrules.org/gateway/readFile.asp?sid=0&tid=4819074&type=1&file=61G4-15.003.doc
- https://www2.myfloridalicense.com/pro/cilb/documents/Reciprocity-06.pdf
- https://www.flrules.org/gateway/readFile.asp?sid=0&tid=19533392&type=1&file=61G4-12.009.doc
- https://www.flrules.org/gateway/ruleNo.asp?id=61G6-6.001
- https://www.flrules.org/gateway/readFile.asp?sid=0&tid=27695360&type=1&file=61G6-5.008.doc
- https://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0400-0499/0489/Sections/0489.517.html
- https://www.flrules.org/gateway/ruleNo.asp?id=61G6-8.001
- https://www2.myfloridalicense.com/pro/elboard/documents/ECLB8_Exam.pdf
- https://www2.myfloridalicense.com/file-a-complaint/
- https://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0400-0499/0489/Sections/0489.143.html
- https://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0400-0499/0489/Sections/0489.141.html
- https://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0400-0499/0489/Sections/0489.1425.html
- https://www2.myfloridalicense.com/construction-industry/public-records/
- https://www2.myfloridalicense.com/public-records-read-medisclaimer/
- https://www2.myfloridalicense.com/pro/cilb/reports/contractor_disc_lic_2526.csv
This is not a government site. The licensing board's own record governs; always confirm on the official lookup. Information as of October 6, 2026.