Contractor License Lookup

How to check a contractor's license in Florida

Florida construction contractors are licensed by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) through the Construction Industry Licensing Board. Anyone can look a license up for free. This page explains the steps and what the result means. It is written by an independent site, not by DBPR, and links to the state source for each point.

Steps

  1. Ask the contractor for the license number. Florida construction license numbers start with letters, for example CGC, CBC, CCC or RR.
  2. Search the number or the name here, or go straight to the official DBPR license search.
  3. Check that the name on the license matches the person or business you are dealing with.
  4. Check the license type. A roofing license covers roofing; it is not a general contractor license.
  5. Check the status and the expiration date. Look for Current, Active.
  6. Confirm on the state search before you sign or pay. DBPR says its download files are refreshed weekly and points to its license search or its Customer Contact Center at 850.487.1395 for up-to-the-minute verification (DBPR public records disclaimer).

What each status means

DBPR records two status codes on every license: a primary status (Current, Probation or Suspended) and a secondary status (Active or Inactive). Its own search prints them together, for example "Current, Active".

Current
Primary status code C in DBPR's code tables. It is the normal primary status. The other two primary codes are Probation and Suspended.
Active
Secondary status code A. Under section 489.116, Florida Statutes, a contractor may not engage in contracting without an active status certificate or registration. "Current, Active" is the status to look for before you hire.
Inactive
Secondary status code I. The same statute lets a contractor choose active or inactive status at renewal. An inactive license is still on file, and the holder can return to active status by meeting the requirements, but the holder may not contract while inactive.
Probation
Primary status code P in DBPR's code tables. The code tables do not explain the terms of a probation. Look the license up on the state search, or call DBPR, before relying on it.
Suspended
Primary status code S in DBPR's code tables. Check the state search for the current record and any discipline before dealing with a suspended license.
Delinquent, null and void
Under section 489.116, a license that is not renewed before it expires becomes delinquent. DBPR's public licensee file leaves out null and void, delinquent and involuntarily inactive records, so those licenses do not appear on this site. If a contractor gives you a license number that is not here, look it up on the state search.

Certified and registered contractors

Florida law defines two kinds of contractor license (section 489.105, Florida Statutes). A certified contractor holds a certificate of competency issued by the department and may contract in any jurisdiction in the state. A registered contractor has registered with the department after meeting the competency requirements of a local jurisdiction and may contract only in that jurisdiction. Certified license numbers start with C (CGC, CBC, CRC, CCC and so on), plus SCC and PCC. Registered license numbers start with R (RG, RB, RR, RC and so on).

Browse every license type with counts.

What this site does not show

Complaints, discipline, insurance and bond information are not in the public licensee file, so they are not here. DBPR publishes contractor discipline reports by fiscal year on its construction public records page. Electrical and alarm contractors are licensed by a different DBPR board and are not in this dataset. Many trades are also licensed by counties and cities, and those local licenses are not state records.

Sources