North Carolina to Florida: residential contractor license reciprocity
Florida has a reciprocity agreement with North Carolina: a North Carolina residential 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 (Residential Contractor)
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 North Carolina Residential Contractor applies on Form DBPR CILB 32 for the Florida Certified Residential Contractor license and is not required to sit the Florida trade examinations. Unlike Louisiana and Mississippi applicants, every North Carolina applicant must complete the experience sections of the application for the license type sought, showing a qualification method under s. 489.111(2) and project experience in three of the five residential experience areas. 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, carries no revocation, suspension or probation for violations of the law in the past 5 years, and has 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 showing experience in three of the five residential experience areas (foundations, slabs and structural formwork; column erection; masonry walls; structural wood framing; structural demolition)
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 $100,000 and property damage insurance of $25,000, 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 residential contractors
Florida residential contractor · “Certified Residential Contractor (CR)”
State license plus local requirements
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.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Florida residential 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 residential 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 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.