LicensebyState

Where a Florida residential contractor license transfers

2 documented states waive the exam for Florida residentials. 7 review by endorsement, 9 credit your hours, 18 give no credit.

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Florida residential contractor · “Certified Residential Contractor (CR)

State license plus local requirements

Verified September 17, 2026· 6 sources

Issued by Florida Construction Industry Licensing Board (Department of Business and Professional Regulation)

Florida's homes-only tier is the Certified Residential Contractor (occupation code CR), issued by the Construction Industry Licensing Board within DBPR. Section 489.105(3)(c), F.S. limits the class to construction, remodeling, repair or improvement of one-, two- or three-family residences not exceeding two habitable stories above no more than one uninhabitable story, plus accessory structures. Florida licenses the person: an individual qualifies by experience and examination, receives a certificate of competency, and then files a separate application to qualify a business organization, so a contractor moving to Florida applies in their own name first. Florida runs two tracks at every level: a certified contractor holds a department certificate of competency and may contract in any jurisdiction in the state, while a registered contractor (code RR) has satisfied a county or city competency board instead and may contract only in the jurisdictions that granted that competency. Out-of-state applicants almost always want the certified license, because it is statewide and is the only track the Board's reciprocity and endorsement applications lead to.

How local licensing works in Florida

Why this level is Hybrid. Under s. 489.105(8) and (10), F.S., DBPR both certifies contractors statewide and registers contractors who qualified through a local licensing board, and a registered contractor 'may contract only in such jurisdictions'. The board's own application list therefore carries paired occupation codes for every Division I class: CR and RR for residential, CB/RB for building, CG/RG for general. The local route exists in the larger counties, and a state certificate makes it unnecessary.

Miami-Dade County. The Construction Trades Qualifying Board licenses Building, Building Specialties, Electrical, Maintenance, Mechanical and Plumbing contractors under Chapter 10 of the county code. It reciprocates only with Broward and Palm Beach counties in specific trade categories, and requires at least 75 percent on journeyman exams and 70 percent on other reciprocal category exams. Separately, Miami-Dade offers state-certified contractors a voluntary registration that speeds up permit applications in unincorporated Miami-Dade by pre-verifying license status and insurance.

Broward County. The Building Code Division's Central Examining Boards issue county Certificates of Competency; the applications, examining board calendar and descriptions of mandatory and voluntary certifications are published in the county's contractor packet (954-765-4400 x9876).

Out-of-state applicants. No county program reviewed publishes a rule that recognizes an out-of-state contractor license. Reciprocity and endorsement are state routes on Forms CILB 32 and CILB 10, and the license they produce is valid in every Florida jurisdiction.

Exam waived

Every destination

Reciprocity 2Endorsement 7Experience credit 9No credit 18Not applicable 14
Every state's rule for a Florida license
StateMechanismNoteVerified
AlabamaNo credit2026-09-17
AlaskaNo credit2026-09-17
ArizonaEndorsement2026-09-17
ArkansasEndorsement2026-09-17
CaliforniaExperience credit2026-09-17
ColoradoNot applicableno state license at this level2026-09-17
ConnecticutNo credit2026-09-17
DelawareNo credit2026-09-17
District of ColumbiaNo credit2026-09-17
GeorgiaExperience credit2026-09-17
HawaiiExperience credit2026-09-17
IdahoNo credit2026-09-17
IllinoisNot applicableno state license at this level2026-09-17
IndianaNot applicableno state license at this level2026-09-17
IowaNo credit2026-09-17
KansasNot applicableno state license at this level2026-09-17
KentuckyNot applicableno state license at this level2026-09-17
LouisianaEndorsement2026-09-17
MaineNot applicableno state license at this level2026-09-17
MarylandExperience credit2026-09-17
MassachusettsExperience credit2026-09-17
MichiganNo credit2026-09-17
MinnesotaNo credit2026-09-17
MississippiReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-17
MissouriNot applicableno state license at this level2026-09-17
MontanaNo credit2026-09-17
NebraskaNo credit2026-09-17
NevadaExperience creditexplicit agreement2026-09-17
New HampshireNot applicableno state license at this level2026-09-17
New JerseyNo credit2026-09-17
New MexicoExperience credit2026-09-17
New YorkNot applicableno state license at this level2026-09-17
North CarolinaReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-17
North DakotaNo credit2026-09-17
OhioNot applicableno state license at this level2026-09-17
OklahomaNot applicableno state license at this level2026-09-17
OregonEndorsement2026-09-17
PennsylvaniaNo credit2026-09-17
Rhode IslandNo credit2026-09-17
South CarolinaEndorsement2026-09-17
South DakotaNot applicableno state license at this level2026-09-17
TennesseeExperience credit2026-09-17
TexasNot applicableno state license at this level2026-09-17
UtahEndorsementexplicit agreement2026-09-17
VermontNo credit2026-09-17
VirginiaExperience credit2026-09-17
WashingtonNo credit2026-09-17
West VirginiaEndorsement2026-09-17
WisconsinNo credit2026-09-17
WyomingNot applicableno state license at this level2026-09-17

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