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Nevada to Florida: residential contractor license reciprocity

Endorsement· Board reviewVerified September 17, 2026· 14 sources

Florida has no reciprocity agreement with Nevada. A Nevada residential contractor applies by endorsement.

Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.

Certification by endorsement (states without a reciprocal agreement)

The board reviews your out-of-state credentials case by case. Some exam is usually still required, often only a law or code exam.

Florida accepts the NASCLA Accredited Examination for the Certified Residential class as well as for the two commercial classes: Form DBPR CILB 10 marks the NASCLA option 'applicable only for the General, Building, and Residential license', and the Board's reciprocity notice treats the NASCLA exam from 2009 forward as substantially similar to all Florida Division 1 trade knowledge exams, naming the RC class among them. A residential contractor licensed anywhere other than Louisiana, Mississippi or North Carolina applies on that $350 form under one of three options. Option A covers the NASCLA credential, and also any other national, regional, state or territorial examination the Board finds substantially equivalent, which needs an official score report and an Examination Evaluation Questionnaire from the origin exam provider; the Board's own form warns that a comparison of a state-specific test is 'very stringent and rarely approved'. Option B is for a license whose issuance criteria were substantially equivalent, proved with the license and the origin statutes and rules. Option C is for an applicant who has held the same or a similar contracting license for at least 10 years before applying, active now or within the last 2 years, and it adds a board-approved 2-hour Florida Building Code course covering wind mitigation. Everyone must still meet the experience standard of s. 489.111(2) and pass the Florida Business and Finance examination, and applicants who do not qualify for a waiver register with Professional Testing ($135) and sit the three-part Division 1 examination through Pearson VUE.

The Contract Administration and Project Management parts are waived on the NASCLA route, on an accepted equivalence under Option A or B, and under the 10-year provision in Option C; applicants outside those routes sit both parts. The Business and Finance exam and the Florida Building Code attestation are not waived on any option. The Board does not publish a processing time for endorsement applications; the Customer Contact Center is 850-487-1395.

At a glance

Trade exam
Waived
Law / code exam
Required
Out-of-state hours
Count toward eligibility

What you must already have

  • Your Nevada license must be active and in good standing.
  • You must have passed a licensing exam in Nevada that the destination considers comparable.The NASCLA Accredited Examination for Commercial General Building Contractors (NASCLA General Contractors Exam, 2009 forward) is accepted for the Certified Residential class: Form DBPR CILB 10 marks the option 'applicable only for the General, Building, and Residential license', and the Board's reciprocity notice treats the exam as substantially similar to all Florida Division 1 trade knowledge exams, listing RC among them. NASCLA applicants select Option A, skip the score report and Examination Evaluation Questionnaire, have the NASCLA transcript released to the Board, and still complete the experience section. The same option is open to any other national, regional, state or territorial licensing examination the Board finds substantially equivalent, evidenced by an official score report and an Examination Evaluation Questionnaire completed by the origin exam provider.
  • You must have held your Nevada license for at least 10 years.Option C only: the same or a similar contracting license held for at least 10 years before the date of application, currently active or active within the last 2 years
  • Experience under s. 489.111(2): four years as a worker or foreman with at least one year as a foreman, or a four-year construction-related degree plus one year, or the published college-credit combinations. Residential applicants must show experience in three of the five experience areas listed in the application under Rule 61G4-15.001(3). Experience earned in another state counts and is documented with a full employment and project history.

What you'll do to get licensed in Florida

  1. 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($350). Form DBPR CILB 10 certification by endorsement application fee.
  2. 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam (if applicable). Florida Division 1 Contract Administration and Project Management examinations through Pearson VUE, required only for applicants who do not qualify through the NASCLA examination, an accepted equivalence or the 10-year provision.
  3. 3Law / code exam. Pass a law, rules, or code exam. Florida Business and Finance examination through Pearson VUE; it is not waived on any endorsement option, including the NASCLA route.
  4. 4Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($135). Professional Testing, Inc. registration fee, charged each time a registration is made for any exam part.
  5. 5Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($80). Pearson VUE administration fee for the Business and Finance computer-based test (Contract Administration and Project Management are $40 each).
  6. 6License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($200). Initial certification fee under Rule 61G4-12.009, reduced to $100 if the application is submitted in the second year of the biennium; biennial renewal is also $200.
  7. 7Business license. Obtain a business license ($50) (if applicable). Application or renewal fee for each business organization the certificate holder qualifies, filed on Form CILB 6-C.
  8. 8Background check. Complete a background check. Electronic fingerprints for the criminal history check required by s. 489.115, F.S..
  9. 9Financial responsibility. Show financial responsibility. A credit report from a nationally recognized agency showing a FICO-derived score and a public records statement checked at local, state and federal levels, with no unsatisfied judgments or liens; a score below 660 must be offset with a Board-approved 14-hour financial responsibility course. A business credit report is required as well when qualifying a business. The Board publishes no minimum net worth or working capital figure for this class: Rule 61G4-15.006 sets none, and s. 489.115(5)(b) only caps what the Board could require. Ask the Customer Contact Center at 850-487-1395 before assuming a dollar threshold applies..
  10. 10Insurance. Carry the required insurance. Public liability insurance of $100,000 and property damage insurance of $25,000 (the 'all other categories' figures on the Board's applications), plus workers' compensation coverage or a filed exemption.
  11. 11Other. Examination covering the Florida Building Code: NASCLA applicants attest on the application to having passed one, and applicants using the 10-year endorsement option provide proof of a board-approved 2-hour Florida Building Code course including wind mitigation techniques.
  12. 12Continuing education. Complete continuing education (if applicable). 14 hours of continuing education each renewal cycle, with mandatory hours in workplace safety, workers' compensation, business practices, building code and laws and rules. Certified licenses expire August 31 of every even-numbered year..

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.

  • Trade exam · if applicable
  • Law / code exam
  • Exam fee · $135
  • Exam fee · $80

Business registration

If you plan to contract in your own name, budget for a business license or entity registration on top of the trade license.

  • Business license · $50 · if applicable

Liability insurance

Some states require proof of general liability or workers' compensation coverage at licensing time.

  • Insurance

Continuing education

Renewals usually need approved CE hours, often on the latest NEC. Reciprocal licensees are rarely exempt.

  • Other
  • Continuing education · if applicable

How Florida licenses residential contractors

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.

Moving to FloridaLeaving Florida

Common questions

Do I have to take the Florida residential contractor exam if I'm licensed in Nevada?
The trade exam is waived, but Florida requires a law or code exam.
How long do I need to have held my Nevada license?
At least 10 years before applying.
What does it cost to get a Florida residential contractor license from Nevada?
Published fees on this path total $765, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
Do my Nevada work hours count in Florida?
Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Florida's eligibility requirements.
Does it work the other way, from Florida to Nevada?
Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Florida to Nevada, the mechanism is experience credit.

Sources

  1. Broward County Building Code Division - Get a License (Central Examining Boards) · Broward County Building Code Division · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
  2. DBPR Construction Industry - Frequently Asked Questions · Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation · Faq · verified September 17, 2026
  3. DBPR - Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB) home page · Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
  4. 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
  5. 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
  6. 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
  7. DBPR Bureau of Education & Testing - Florida State Construction Examination Registration Instructions and Application 2026 (Professional Testing, Inc.) · Rule 61G4-16, F.A.C. · Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation / Professional Testing, Inc. · Form · verified September 17, 2026
  8. 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
  9. 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
  10. Rule 61G4-15.006, F.A.C. - Financial Responsibility and Financial Stability, Grounds for Denial · Rule 61G4-15.006, F.A.C. · Florida Construction Industry Licensing Board · Admin Rule · verified September 17, 2026
  11. 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
  12. Florida Statutes s. 489.111 - Licensure by examination · Fla. Stat. § 489.111(2) · Florida Legislature · Statute · verified September 17, 2026
  13. Florida Statutes s. 489.115 - Certification and registration; endorsement; reciprocity · Fla. Stat. § 489.115(3), (5) · Florida Legislature · Statute · verified September 17, 2026
  14. NASCLA Accredited Examination for Commercial General Building Contractors · National Association of State Contractors Licensing Agencies · Other · verified September 17, 2026

Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.

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