Florida General Contractor License Requirements (2026)
By Ilan Sender, Independent Researcher — not a lawyer, not a licensing official · Last verified 2026-06-17
I am not a lawyer and not a licensing official. Everything here is independent research traced to official sources, but rules and fees change — always verify with the official board before acting. Official board for this page: Florida DBPR — Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB). How we verify.
Yes — Florida licenses general contractors statewide. New entrants almost always pursue the Certified license (statewide, license prefix CGC). A locally Registered path still exists but is narrow and tied to a local competency card; confirm registered-path eligibility directly with the CILB.[src†] Below: every fee, exam, experience, insurance, and continuing-education requirement — each traced to the statute, Board rule, or official DBPR form it comes from.
[src] links to the official source (.gov / licensing board) each fact was verified against; [src†] marks facts corroborated by multiple non-official sources. An unverified badge marks a detail we could not confirm against an official source — confirm it with the state board before relying on it. Hover any marker for the last-verified date. See our methodology.
Registered vs. Certified: what HB 735 actually changed
Most new GCs go Certified — the registered path is narrow, not closed
Florida has two routes: Certified (statewide, license prefix CGC) and Registered (valid only in the local jurisdictions that issued competency cards). HB 735 (2021) preempted many local occupational licenses and is often misreported as “closing” the registered contractor path — but a narrow registered path remains under s. 489.117, F.S. for applicants with a qualifying local competency card.
In practice: most people entering the trade now pursue the statewide Certified exam route, which is required to work outside the issuing jurisdiction. If you hold (or recently held) a local registration, confirm your options with the CILB and your county — counties such as Broward have published transition guidance.
License tiers
| Tier | Contract limit / scope | Financial requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Certified General Contractor (CGC) The statewide route most new general contractors take. | Statewide — may work in any Florida jurisdiction[src] | FICO credit score of 660 or higher, or completion of a Board-approved 14-hour financial responsibility course (Rule 61G4-15.006, F.A.C.)[src] |
| Registered General Contractor (local) Most new general contractors choose the statewide Certified (CGC) license, which is required to work outside the issuing jurisdiction. | Limited to the local jurisdiction(s) where the contractor holds a competency card. Still available to new applicants on a narrow basis (generally requires a current local competency card, or one held during 2021–2023 where the local jurisdiction has since stopped issuing it) — confirm eligibility with the CILB (DBPR form CILB 2; s. 489.117, F.S.).[src†] | Set by the local jurisdiction that issues the competency card; confirm requirements with your city/county building department and the CILB.[src†] |
Initial requirements (Certified GC)
From official application form DBPR CILB 5-A (rev. 7/2024) — fees are consolidated in what it costs below:
Experience
4 years of experience per s. 489.111, F.S. and Rule 61G4-15.001, F.A.C. General contractor applicants need experience across 4 or more work areas, including at least 1 year on structures of 4 or more stories. One year of experience = 2,000 hours.[src]
Financial responsibility
FICO credit score ≥ 660, or a Board-approved 14-hour financial responsibility course (Rule 61G4-15.006, F.A.C.)[src]
Insurance
| Coverage | Requirement |
|---|---|
| General liability | $300,000 public liability / $50,000 property damage for general contractors (Rule 61G4-15.003, F.A.C.)[src] |
| Workers' compensation | Required — coverage or a valid exemption per s. 489.115(5)(a), F.S.[src] |
Exams
| Exam | Testing vendor | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Business & Finance | Computer-based via Pearson VUE (register through Professional Testing, Inc.)[src] | Not verified — check with the vendor/board |
| General Contractor — Contract Administration | Computer-based via Pearson VUE (register through Professional Testing, Inc.)[src] | Not verified — check with the vendor/board |
| General Contractor — Project Management General Contractor candidates take three parts — Business & Finance, Contract Administration, and Project Management. ('General Trade Knowledge' is the Division II specialty-contractor exam, not a GC exam.) Exam fees are set by Pearson VUE and not published here — confirm the current schedule when you register. | Computer-based via Pearson VUE (register through Professional Testing, Inc.)[src] | Not verified — check with the vendor/board |
Some third-party sites describe a bond alternative to the credit-score requirement. We have not verified that against the current rules, so we do not publish it — check Rule 61G4-15.005/.006, F.A.C. or ask the CILB directly.
What a Florida general contractor license costs
The fees we could verify against an official Florida source, in one place. We do not print a single “total”: exam fees are set by the testing vendor and insurance is a premium that depends on your business, so any all-in number would be a guess dressed up as a fact.
Application fees
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Application fee (May 1 of even years – Aug 31 of odd years) | $245[src] |
| Application fee (Sep 1 of odd years – Apr 30 of even years) Lower because it lands later in the biennial licensure cycle (form DBPR CILB 5-A, rev. 7/2024). | $145[src] |
Renewal
Deadline: August 31 of even-numbered years (Certified licenses)[src]
| Renewal type | Fee |
|---|---|
| Renewal — active license | $205[src] |
| Renewal — active, qualifying a business | $255[src] |
| Renewal — inactive status | $55[src] |
| Reactivation | $305[src] |
Late renewal: $230 (active) / $280 (active, qualifying a business)[src]
Fee amounts are from the DBPR Certified Contractor renewal insert (CC_Insert_Current.pdf) published by the board.
How to get your Florida general contractor license
The path in order. The specifics — amounts, exams, and deadlines — are in the sourced sections above, each traced to its official source.
- Confirm a state license applies to your project — check the requirement and dollar threshold above before you bid.
- Document the experience the Florida DBPR — Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB) requires for the classification you want.
- Show the financial capacity your license tier requires — net worth, working capital, a credit benchmark, or a surety-bond alternative, depending on the state.
- Pass the required exam(s) for your classification.
- Arrange any insurance and bonding your classification requires.
- Submit your application to the board with the required fee and supporting documents.
- Keep the license current — track your renewal deadline and any continuing-education hours your classification owes.
Continuing education: 14 hours every two years
14 hours per biennial renewal cycle, from Board-approved providers[src] The cycle: Biennial — Certified licenses renew by August 31 of even-numbered years[src]
Mandatory topics (1 hour each)
- 1 hour — advanced building code
- 1 hour — workplace safety
- 1 hour — business practices
- 1 hour — workers' compensation
- 1 hour — laws and rules
- 1 hour — wind mitigation methodologies (General, Building, Residential, Roofing and related categories)
Topic list per Rule 61G4-18.001, F.A.C. (rule text), last verified 2026-06-17.
First renewal: licensees who were licensed more than 12 months before the cycle end owe 7 hours instead of 14 (Rule 61G4-18.001, F.A.C.).
Several Florida counties layer local CE/contractor rules on top of state requirements (e.g. Miami-Dade and Broward) — check your county building department as well.
Only Board-approved courses count — search the official list at the DBPR approved-course search.
Disclosure: some links to course providers on this page may become affiliate links — if you purchase through them, we may earn a commission. This never influences our comparisons: providers with no affiliate program are listed on equal footing, and every price shows its source. How we stay neutral.
Need the hours? Compare the Florida CE providers we track: AYPO (At Your Pace Online), 360training, RocketCert, Gold Coast Schools.
CE and exam-prep providers compared
No Florida SERP result compares course vendors on price and coverage — exam-prep schools won't compare themselves, and insurance-monetized directories don't care. Here is the neutral version, including vendors we have no relationship with:
| Provider | What they sell | Verified pricing | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
AYPO (At Your Pace Online) Online CE focused; carries the Florida contractor 14-hour CE package. | Continuing education |
| Visit site |
360training Large multi-state online CE catalog for the trades. | Continuing education |
| Visit site |
RocketCert GC exam prep across FL/GA/NC plus NC CE; sells book bundles for open-book exams. | Exam prep + Continuing education | Visit site | |
Gold Coast Schools Long-established Florida school; strong in-person presence for FL contractor exam prep. | Exam prep + Continuing education | Not yet price-verified — see site | Visit site |
1Exam Prep Contractor exam prep specialist (courses, tabs, and book rentals). No affiliate relationship with this site. | Exam prep | Not yet price-verified — see site | Visit site No affiliate program — listed for completeness |
Contractor Training Center Exam prep and licensing-application services. No affiliate relationship with this site. | Exam prep | Not yet price-verified — see site | Visit site No affiliate program — listed for completeness |
Prices were verified on provider sites on the date shown (hover a price's source marker) and can change — confirm on the provider's checkout page. Inclusion is not an endorsement.
Statutes and rules cited
- Chapter 489, Part I, Florida Statutes (Contracting)
- Rule 61G4-15.001, F.A.C. (experience requirements)
- Rule 61G4-15.006, F.A.C. (financial responsibility)
- Rule 61G4-15.003, F.A.C. (public liability insurance amounts)
- Rule 61G4-18.001, F.A.C. (continuing education)
- HB 735 (2021) — local occupational licensing preemption
What changed recently (2026)
- Local licensing preemption — registered vs. certified. Florida's HB 735 (2021) preempted many local occupational licenses and is often misreported as 'closing' the registered general-contractor path. In practice the statewide Certified (CGC) license is the route for working across jurisdictions, while a narrow Registered path remains under s. 489.117, F.S. for applicants with a qualifying local competency card. Confirm current options with the CILB. Source
- County guidance on the HB 735 transition. Counties such as Broward have published transition guidance for contractors who previously held local registrations. Source
Primary sources
Beyond the statutes and rules cited above, each fact links to the official form, board page, or filing it was verified against:
Compare across states
Other state guides
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need a state license to work as a general contractor in Florida?
- Yes. Florida licenses general contractors statewide through the DBPR Construction Industry Licensing Board. New applicants pursue the Certified General Contractor (CGC) license, which is valid in every Florida jurisdiction.
- Can I still get a registered (local) contractor license in Florida?
- The registered (local) path still exists, but it is narrow: it generally requires a current local competency card — or one held during 2021–2023 where the local jurisdiction has since stopped issuing it. Most new general contractors instead pursue the statewide Certified (CGC) license, which is valid in every jurisdiction. Confirm registered-path eligibility directly with the CILB. (HB 735 (2021) preempted many local occupational licenses and is often misreported as closing the registered path entirely.)
- How many continuing education hours does a Florida certified general contractor need?
- 14 hours per biennial renewal cycle from Board-approved providers, including six mandatory 1-hour topics: advanced building code, workplace safety, business practices, workers' compensation, laws and rules, and wind mitigation. Licensees in their first renewal cycle who were licensed more than 12 months before the cycle end owe 7 hours.
- When does a Florida certified general contractor license renew, and what does it cost?
- Certified licenses renew by August 31 of even-numbered years. Renewal is $205 for an active license ($255 if qualifying a business); late renewal rises to $230/$280. Inactive status is $55 and reactivation is $305, per the DBPR renewal fee insert.
- What exams does Florida require for a certified GC license?
- Three computer-based parts delivered via Pearson VUE (register through Professional Testing, Inc.): Business & Finance, Contract Administration, and Project Management. ('General Trade Knowledge' is the Division II specialty-contractor exam, not a GC exam.) Exam fees are set by Pearson VUE — confirm the current schedule when you register.
- How much experience do I need for a Florida general contractor license?
- Four years per s. 489.111, F.S. and Rule 61G4-15.001, F.A.C., spanning at least four work areas and including at least one year on structures of four or more stories. One year of experience equals 2,000 hours.