How To Use Your California B-General License to Obtain a Florida General Contractor’s License Without Taking an Exam

California’s B-General License and Florida’s Certified General Contractor’s license are very similar in terms of the scope of work each can perform. If you have a B-General Contractor’s License in California, and meet the following requirements, you can likely obtain a Florida General Contractor’s license without having to take the Florida contractor’s exam:

1. Have been licensed in California for 10 consecutive years in the same category that you will be applying for in Florida.

2. The existing license must be active or have been active within the last 2 years.

3. For Certified General, Building, Residential, and Roofing contractors, take a 2-hour DBPR-approved course on the Florida Building Code, including information on wind mitigation techniques.

4. Pay a filing fee to the Florida Division of Business and Professional Regulation

5. Obtain electronic fingerprints from an Florida Department of Law Enforcement-approved vendor

6. Submit a personal credit report (NOTE, if your credit score is below 660, you will need to take a 14-hour financial responsibility course)

7. If you plan to operate in Florida through a business entity, you must also submit a credit report for your business

8. Pass a background check.

9. Have commercial general liability insurance with limits ranging from $100,000 to $300,000, depending on license type.

10. Obtain workers’ compensation insurance or be exempt.

Results

We can assist you with the entire application process to make sure that it goes smoothly and to answer any questions you may have. As part of that we can help setup a Florida corporation or LLC for you to do business as. Interested in learning more? Fill out the form below to get our free guide on getting a contractor’s license in Florida, or contact Jason Lambert at 727-743-1037 or jason.lambert@hwhlaw.com.