Two Ways to Use Your North Carolina Contractor's License to Obtain a Florida Contractor's License

There are two different ways you can use an existing North Carolina contractor’s license to obtain a license in Florida, depending on the type of license and how long you have been licensed.

Option 1 - Florida’s New 10 Year Rule (No Exam Required)

Thanks to a new statute passed in July 2020, North Carolina contractors with a residential, building, general, HVAC, electrical, plumbing, gas, or other specialty license can become licensed in Florida without having to take the exam! You can view our original write up on the July 2020 statute by clicking here. The new “10 year rule” applies to nearly every type of contractor license in Florida, including Residential, Builder, General, HVAC, Plumbing, Pool, Electrical, and Specialty contractors. North Carolina license holders must meet the following requirements to obtain a Florida license of the same type:

  1. Have been licensed in Georgia 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 obtain a contractor’s bond in the amount of $10,000-$20,000 depending on license type. This can be cut in half by taking 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.

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 business as and ensure that you understand and use Florida’s construction lien laws and contractor licensing laws to your benefit. Many times we can do this for a flat fee. To learn more, please contact me at jason.lambert@dinsmore.com or (813) 543-9823.

Option 2 - Licensing Reciprocity

Recently, Florida and North Carolina entered into a formal reciprocity agreement, that allows contractors licensed in North Carolina for less than 10 years and easier path to licensure in Florida. Formal reciprocity only exists for North Carolina Building and Residential contractors who meet the following qualifications:

  1. Have taken and passed Florida’s Contractor Business and Finance Exam

  2. Have obtained their North Carolina license by taking an examination

  3. Do not have any pending disciplinary matters in North Carolina, and no revocations, suspensions, or probations within the five previous years

  4. Pay the required filing fee.

  5. Provide fingerprints

  6. Provide current personal and business credit reports

  7. Demonstrate sufficient experience or a sufficient combination of college-level coursework and experience.

We can also assist you with an application using formal reciprocity once you have passed Florida’s Business and Finance Exam. To learn more, please contact me at jason.lambert@hwhlaw.com or (813) 227-8495.