What is the difference between Certified and Registered in Florida?

A Certified license is valid in every Florida jurisdiction. A Registered license is valid only in the specific city or county that issued it, and you would need a separate registration to work elsewhere in the state.

Does Florida require a contractor bond?

Not a fixed bond amount. Florida instead requires financial responsibility through a personal credit score of 660 or higher within the last 12 months, or completion of a CILB-approved 14-hour financial responsibility course if your score is lower.

Florida contractor license requirements

Florida regulates contracting through a state-level general contractor license. This page lays out exactly what Florida requires: the licensing agency, who must be licensed, experience, exams, fees, the financial responsibility mechanism, and reciprocity, every figure sourced and dated below.

Who must be licensed in Florida

Florida Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB), Department of Business and Professional Regulation is the licensing authority. A Certified license is valid statewide; a Registered license is valid only in the local jurisdiction that issued it.

Experience and qualification

48 months (4 years) under a licensed contractor, including at least 12 months as a foreman in new vertical construction for Certified General Contractor.

License classes

Certified (Certified contractor (statewide)): General, Building, or Residential classifications, valid anywhere in Florida.
Registered (Registered contractor (local)): Valid only in the issuing county or municipality.

Exam

State exam fees run $236. Financial responsibility is satisfied with a personal credit score of 660 or higher (dated within 12 months); below 660 requires a CILB-approved 14-hour financial responsibility course.

Fees

State exam fees: $236
DBPR application fee: $149 to $305 (dropping toward $205 after August 31, 2026)

Financial responsibility

Florida uses net worth / financial statement (FICO 660+ or a financial responsibility course) as its financial-responsibility mechanism. Florida uses a credit-based financial responsibility test rather than a fixed bond: a personal credit score of 660 or higher within 12 months of application, or completion of a CILB-approved course if below that score.

Reciprocity and the NASCLA exam

Florida accepts the NASCLA Accredited Examination for the commercial building classification, confirmed against NASCLA’s own participating-agencies list. If you already hold a NASCLA credential from another participating state, it can satisfy Florida’s trade exam requirement (any state-specific business and law exam is still required). See the NASCLA exam explained and contractor license reciprocity for the full picture, and the 50-state comparison for which other states accept it.

Official source

Verify everything at the source: Florida Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB), Department of Business and Professional Regulation, www.myfloridalicense.com. The NASCLA participating-agencies determination above is drawn from NASCLA’s own list, nascla.org, confirmed 2026-07-24.

Sources: Florida Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB), Department of Business and Professional Regulation (www.myfloridalicense.com, reviewed 2026-07-28); NASCLA participating state agencies list (nascla.org, confirmed 2026-07-24). Fee, bond, and experience figures are compiled from the agency's published requirements and current industry compliance guides as of 2026-07-28; treat any figure not independently reconfirmed against a fetched primary-source page as reported pending the next freshness review, per this site's standard practice.