How to check a Florida contractor's license
Look up the contractor's license number or name on the DBPR license search, then match the name, license type and status to your quote. A certified license is a state license; a registered one is local. This guide gives the steps, what the result does not tell you, and the red flags.
As of October 19, 2026
Last reviewed October 18, 2026 against the cited sources. A guide, not legal, tax or engineering advice.
Updated . Sources
Check a license, step by step
- Get the license number from the quote, contract or ad. Florida law says a contractor's certification or registration number must appear in each offer of services, bid, contract or advertisement 1.
- Open the DBPR license search. DBPR's verification page offers searches by name, license number, city or county, and license type 2.
- Type the license number. If you have no number, search the business name, then ask the business to confirm which result is theirs.
- Read the result. The name should match your quote, and the license type should fit the job 3.
- Look at the status and the expiry date on the result.
- Ask the business to confirm in writing that the license covers your job. Then look again on the day you sign, because a status can change after any file date.
Certified or registered: what the words mean
A certified contractor has a certificate of competency from the state (section 489.105(8)) 4.A registered contractor has registered with the state after meeting competency requirements (section 489.105(10)) 4.
DBPR says a certified license lets you work throughout the state. A registered license starts with a county or city license, and the contractor can practice only there and in nearby places that accept the registration 5.
FL Pro List lists certified licenses only. The state file does not say where a registered license applies.
What the letters in a license number mean
DBPR's code list gives the letters. CFC is a Certified Plumbing Contractor, CPC a Certified Pool/Spa Contractor, CAC a Certified Air Conditioning Contractor and CMC a Certified Mechanical Contractor. CGC, CBC and CRC are Certified General, Building and Residential Contractors 3.
For pool and spa licenses, Class A is commercial and Class B is residential 3.
Plumbing has its own license. A plumbing contractor is one whose services are unlimited in the plumbing trade (section 489.105(3)(m)) 4.A contractor without that license must subcontract plumbing work (section 489.113(3)) 6.
Why every card here shows a number
Miami-Dade County Code section 10-4.1 treats a published listing of a contractor as an advertisement 7.It must show the certification number the State or County issued to that contractor 7.
So each card on this site prints the state certification number as DBPR lists it, next to the date of the DBPR file. The number comes from the same DBPR row as the business name.
What a license check does not tell you
It does not tell you about insurance, past work, price or whether the business is the one you spoke to. Ask for those separately.
The public file also leaves out some records, such as null and void, delinquent and involuntarily inactive ones 8.A license missing from the file is not proof that none ever existed, so use the search and ask the business.
Red flags
- The quote, contract or ad has no license number.
- The number is not found, or the name on the result is not the business that quoted you.
- The license type does not fit the job. A general license alone does not cover plumbing 6.
- The business will not confirm in writing that its license covers your job.
An unlicensed contractor's contract is generally unenforceable by that contractor, who also loses lien and bond claims for the work (section 489.128) 9.That is a risk to you as well as to them, so settle the license question before work starts.
Permits are a separate question
A license says who may do the work. A permit says the work was approved. HB 803, in effect since July 1, 2026, lets some single-family work valued under $7,500 10 skip a building permit by written request. It does not cover electrical, plumbing, mechanical, gas or structural work, or property in a flood hazard area 10.
So plumbing work is outside that exemption. Ask your city or county permit office what your job needs. The county guides below name local offices where we have read their pages.
Where FL Pro List fits
As of October 19, 2026
FL Pro List lists businesses whose certified license is active in the DBPR file dated October 19, 20268: 2,466 listings8 across 70 pages8. A listing is not a recommendation. See how we list pros and the Pro check page for what is and is not checked.
Facts used in this guide
As of October 18, 2026
| Fact | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| DBPR's license verification page offers four ways to search: by name, by license number, by city or county, and by license type. | four search types | [2] undated (retrieved October 19, 2026)As of October 19, 2026 |
| DBPR's construction FAQ says users can verify licenses by name or license number on the DBPR records search. | verify by name or license number | [5] undated (retrieved October 19, 2026)As of October 19, 2026 |
| DBPR's construction FAQ says a certified license allows you to work throughout the state, and that certification requires passing the Florida contractor's examination. | certified: statewide | [5] undated (retrieved October 19, 2026)As of October 19, 2026 |
| DBPR's construction FAQ says registration begins with a local county or city license, and that a registered contractor can only practice in that county or city, plus any adjoining places that accept the registration. | registered: local | [5] undated (retrieved October 19, 2026)As of October 19, 2026 |
| Florida s. 489.105(8) defines a certified contractor as a contractor who possesses a certificate of competency issued by the department. | s. 489.105(8) | [4] 2026 (2026 Florida Statutes online edition)As of October 19, 2026 |
| Florida s. 489.105(10) defines a registered contractor as a contractor who has registered with the department after fulfilling the competency requirements. | s. 489.105(10) | [4] 2026 (2026 Florida Statutes online edition)As of October 19, 2026 |
| Florida s. 489.105(3)(m) defines a plumbing contractor as a contractor whose services are unlimited in the plumbing trade. | s. 489.105(3)(m) | [4] 2026 (2026 Florida Statutes online edition)As of October 19, 2026 |
| Florida s. 489.113(3) says a contractor must subcontract electrical, mechanical, plumbing and similar work unless the contractor holds a state certificate or registration in that trade category. | s. 489.113(3) | [6] 2026 (2026 Florida Statutes online edition)As of October 19, 2026 |
| Florida s. 489.119(5)(b) says a contractor's registration or certification number must appear in each offer of services, business proposal, bid, contract or advertisement, regardless of medium. | s. 489.119(5)(b) | [1] 2026 (2026 Florida Statutes online edition)As of October 19, 2026 |
| Florida s. 489.128(1) makes a contract entered into on or after October 1, 1990 by an unlicensed contractor unenforceable by that contractor, and s. 489.128(2) also removes the unlicensed contractor's lien and bond claims for the work. | s. 489.128 | [9] 2026 (2026 Florida Statutes online edition)As of October 19, 2026 |
| DBPR's code list gives these construction license codes: CFC Certified Plumbing Contractor, CPC Certified Pool/Spa Contractor, CAC Certified Air Conditioning Contractor, CMC Certified Mechanical Contractor, CGC Certified General Contractor, CBC Certified Building Contractor and CRC Certified Residential Contractor. For pool/spa, Class A is commercial and Class B is residential. | license codes and pool classes | [3] undated (retrieved October 19, 2026)As of October 19, 2026 |
| DBPR's public records page says its construction licensee file covers active, inactive and voluntarily inactive licensees, and does not include null and void, delinquent or involuntarily inactive records. | file leaves out some records | [8] 2026As of October 19, 2026 |
| Miami-Dade County Code s. 10-4.1 makes it a misdemeanor, for each advertisement, to knowingly publish an ad circulated in the county that names a contractor offering chapter 489 or chapter 10 services without the certification number the State or County issued to that contractor. The ordinance counts a listing or entry as an advertisement. | s. 10-4.1 | [7] 2026-09-23 (Municode version date)As of October 19, 2026 |
| HB 803 (2026), effective 2026-07-01: single-family work valued under $7,500 can be exempt from a building permit with a written exemption approval; excludes electrical, plumbing, mechanical, gas and structural work and excludes Special Flood Hazard Areas. | < $7,500 USD | [10] July 1, 2026 |
Questions people ask
What if I cannot find the license?
Check the spelling and try the license number instead of the name. If it still does not show, ask the business for the number in writing, and do not sign until you can match it 5.
Is a registered license the same as a certified one?
No. A registered license is local to the places where it was registered, and a certified license is a state license 5.
Guides by county
Counties with listing pages
Services
How this directory works
Sources
- Florida Statutes, section 489.119 (business organizations; qualifying agents), October 19, 2026
- License verification (Florida DBPR), October 19, 2026
- Understanding DBPR Codes (Florida DBPR), October 19, 2026
- Florida Statutes, section 489.105 (definitions), October 19, 2026
- Construction Industry FAQs (Florida DBPR), October 19, 2026
- Florida Statutes, section 489.113 (qualifications for practice; restrictions), October 19, 2026
- Miami-Dade County Code of Ordinances, chapter 10 (Municode), September 23, 2026
- DBPR construction industry public records (licensee file), October 19, 2026
- Florida Statutes, section 489.128 (contracts voidable), October 19, 2026
- Building Permit Exemption Approval Process for Residential Properties (City of Miami), October 18, 2026