North Carolina to Florida: general contractor license reciprocity
Florida has a reciprocity agreement with North Carolina: a North Carolina general contractor can get a Florida license without retaking the trade exam.
Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.
Reciprocal agreement with North Carolina (Building Contractor's license)
A signed state-to-state agreement. The trade exam is waived; you apply, prove your history, and pay the fee.
Florida's reciprocal agreement with North Carolina covers General, Building and Residential licenses. A holder of a North Carolina Building Contractor's license applies on Form DBPR CILB 32 for the Florida Certified General Contractor license, or for the Certified Building Contractor license, and does not sit the Florida trade examinations. Every North Carolina applicant must complete the experience sections of the application for the license type sought: a qualification method under s. 489.111(2) plus an employment and project history covering four or more of the listed experience areas, and for the General class at least one year on the new construction of structures four stories or higher. The applicant also passes the Florida Business and Finance exam, affirms having passed an examination covering the Florida Building Code, and submits verification of licensure confirming the license was obtained by examination, has no revocation, suspension or probation for violations of the law in the past 5 years, and faces no pending disciplinary action.
The Board publishes no effective date for the North Carolina agreement. Its FAQ states that applications by reciprocity have been accepted since June 1, 2021.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Waived
- Law / code exam
- Required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
- Agreement
- Active
What you must already have
- Your North Carolina license must be active and in good standing.
- Your North Carolina license must have been obtained by examination, not by reciprocity or grandfathering.
- You must have no disciplinary action or unresolved complaints on your record.
- North Carolina applicants must complete Section IV of the application: a qualification method under s. 489.111(2) and an employment and project history covering four or more experience areas (foundations and slabs greater than 20,000 square feet, column erection, masonry walls, formwork for structural reinforced concrete, steel erection, elevated slabs), with at least one year on structures four stories or higher for the General class
What you'll do to get licensed in Florida
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($350). Form DBPR CILB 32 certification by reciprocity application fee.
- 2Law / code exam. Pass a law, rules, or code exam. Florida Business and Finance examination through Pearson VUE.
- 3Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($135). Professional Testing, Inc. registration fee, charged each time a registration is made for any exam part.
- 4Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($80). Pearson VUE administration fee for the Business and Finance computer-based test.
- 5Other. Affirmation of having passed an examination covering the Florida Building Code, taken through an approved continuing education provider or in connection with another license issued by the department.
- 6License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($200). Initial certification fee under Rule 61G4-12.009, reduced to $100 in the second year of the biennium; biennial renewal is also $200.
- 7Background check. Complete a background check. Electronic fingerprints for the criminal history check required by s. 489.115, F.S..
- 8Financial responsibility. Show financial responsibility. Credit report with a FICO-derived score and a public records statement, showing no unsatisfied judgments or liens; below 660 requires a Board-approved 14-hour financial responsibility course. The Board sets no dollar net worth minimum for this class..
- 9Insurance. Carry the required insurance. Public liability insurance of $300,000 and property damage insurance of $50,000, plus workers' compensation coverage or a filed exemption.
Published fees on this path total $765, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.
What you'll need to buy or arrange
Exam preparation
Most boards contract PSI, Prov, or ICC for exams. Check which code edition the exam is written to before buying a prep course.
- Law / code exam
- Exam fee · $135
- Exam fee · $80
Continuing education
Renewals usually need approved CE hours, often on the latest NEC. Reciprocal licensees are rarely exempt.
- Other
Liability insurance
Some states require proof of general liability or workers' compensation coverage at licensing time.
- Insurance
How Florida licenses general contractors
Florida general contractor · “Certified General Contractor (CG)”
State license plus local requirements
Issued by Florida Construction Industry Licensing Board (Department of Business and Professional Regulation)
Florida's unlimited tier is the Certified General Contractor (occupation code CG), issued by the Construction Industry Licensing Board within DBPR. Section 489.105(3)(a), F.S. describes it as a contractor 'whose services are unlimited as to the type of work which he or she may do', subject only to the trade-license carve-outs in s. 489.113. Between residential and general sits the Certified Building Contractor (CB), limited to commercial buildings and residential buildings of not more than three stories, plus remodeling of any size building where the work does not affect structural members; General, Building and Residential together make up the Board's Division I. As at every level, a certified contractor holds a department certificate of competency good in any Florida jurisdiction, while a registered contractor (RG) has satisfied a county or city competency board and may contract only in those jurisdictions. The license is held by the individual who qualifies on experience and examination; qualifying a business organization is a separate application, so a contractor moving to Florida is licensed personally first. The practical difference between the General and Building classes for an arriving applicant is the four-story rule: a Certified General Contractor must document at least one year of experience on the construction of structures at least four stories in height.
How local licensing works in Florida
Why this level is Hybrid. Sections 489.105(8) and (10), F.S. create two tracks that both run through DBPR: state certification, valid statewide, and state registration of contractors who met a local jurisdiction's competency requirements, valid only in those jurisdictions. That is why the Board's application list pairs CG with RG, CB with RB and CR with RR. An arriving contractor who obtains the certified license never needs a local competency card, though local building departments still issue permits and may require registration of the state license.
Miami-Dade County. The Construction Trades Qualifying Board licenses Building and Building Specialties contractors, among other trades, under Chapter 10 of the county code. It reciprocates only with Broward and Palm Beach counties in specific trade categories (75 percent on journeyman exams, 70 percent on other reciprocal category exams) and offers state-certified contractors a voluntary registration that speeds permitting in unincorporated Miami-Dade by pre-verifying license status and insurance.
Broward County. The Building Code Division's Central Examining Boards issue Certificates of Competency; the applications, the examining board calendar and the list of mandatory and voluntary certifications are published in the county's contractor packet (954-765-4400 x9876).
Out-of-state applicants. The county programs reviewed publish no rule recognizing an out-of-state contractor license. The state routes, Form CILB 32 for reciprocity and Form CILB 10 for endorsement, are the ones that produce a statewide license.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Florida general contractor exam if I'm licensed in North Carolina?
- The trade exam is waived, but Florida requires a law or code exam.
- What does it cost to get a Florida general contractor license from North Carolina?
- Published fees on this path total $765, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my North Carolina work hours count in Florida?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Florida's eligibility requirements.
Sources
- Broward County Building Code Division - Get a License (Central Examining Boards) · Broward County Building Code Division · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
- DBPR Construction Industry - Frequently Asked Questions · Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation · Faq · verified September 17, 2026
- DBPR - Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB) home page · Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
- CILB Reciprocity list (states with reciprocal licensing agreements) · Fla. Stat. § 489.115(3)(c) · Florida Construction Industry Licensing Board · Agreement Document · verified September 17, 2026
- Form DBPR CILB 10 - Application for Certification by Endorsement (Eff. June 2024) · Fla. Stat. § 489.115(3); Rule 61-35.010, F.A.C. · Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation · Form · verified September 17, 2026
- Form DBPR CILB 32 - Application for Certification by Reciprocity (Eff. July 2024) · Fla. Stat. § 489.115(3)(c); Rule 61-35.010, F.A.C. · Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation · Form · verified September 17, 2026
- Miami-Dade County - Contractors & Building Trades (Construction Trades Qualifying Board) · Miami-Dade County Department of Regulatory and Economic Resources · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
- Rule 61G4-12.009, F.A.C. - Fees · Rule 61G4-12.009, F.A.C. · Florida Construction Industry Licensing Board · Admin Rule · verified September 17, 2026
- Florida Statutes s. 489.105 - Definitions (Part I, Construction Contracting) · Fla. Stat. § 489.105(3)(a)-(c), (8), (10) · Florida Legislature · Statute · verified September 17, 2026
- Florida Statutes s. 489.111 - Licensure by examination · Fla. Stat. § 489.111(2) · Florida Legislature · Statute · verified September 17, 2026
- Florida Statutes s. 489.115 - Certification and registration; endorsement; reciprocity · Fla. Stat. § 489.115(3), (5) · Florida Legislature · Statute · verified September 17, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.