Under a proposed statute, Florida’s legislature would increase criminal penalties for unlicensed contracting and make the penalty dependent on the size of the contract.
Enhanced Penalties for Unlicensed Contracting - SB 332
Unlicensed contracting in Florida already carries criminal penalties, but under this proposed revision, the penalties would be enhanced based on the value of the contract. For contract under $1,000.00, unlicensed contracting would be a 1st degree misdemeanor. For contracts $1,000.00 to $20,000.00, unlicensed contracting would be a 3rd degree felony. For contracts $20,000 to $200,000, unlicensed contracting would be a 2nd degree felony. And for contracts over $200,000.00, unlicensed contracting would be a 1st degree felony. Under the current version, a first offense of unlicensed contracting is a misdemeanor regardless of contract price.
We’ll keep you posted with updates on whether this statute passes.