How to Check a Florida Contractor's License (in 2 Minutes)

• Ask the contractor for their license number. A legitimate contractor will give it without hesitation — it's usually on their truck, card and estimate.
• Go to the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) site, myfloridalicense.com, and choose "Verify a License."
• Search by license number (most reliable) or by name.
• Confirm the status says "Current, Active," the name matches the person or company you're dealing with, and the license type matches the job.
• Check the complaint and discipline information shown on the record.

Every listing on Trade Post Local that shows a "Florida licensed contractor" badge displays the license number from DBPR's public records, so you can look it up yourself.

The letters at the start of a Florida license number tell you what the contractor is licensed to do:

• CGC — Certified General Contractor
• CBC — Certified Building Contractor
• CRC — Certified Residential Contractor
• CCC — Certified Roofing Contractor
• CAC — Certified Air Conditioning Contractor
• CMC — Certified Mechanical Contractor
• CFC — Certified Plumbing Contractor
• CPC — Certified Pool/Spa Contractor
• EC — Certified Electrical Contractor

"Certified" contractors (license starts with C, or EC for electrical) can work anywhere in Florida. "Registered" contractors (license starts with R, or ER for electrical) passed a local exam and can only work in the specific counties or cities where they're registered. Both are legitimate — just make sure a registered contractor is registered where your home is.

Unlicensed contracting is a crime in Florida. A first offense is a first-degree misdemeanor; a repeat offense — or any offense committed during a state of emergency declared by the Governor — is a third-degree felony. That emergency rule exists because unlicensed crews flood into Florida after hurricanes.

If you hire an unlicensed contractor, you may have little recourse if the work is bad, permits may not be pulled, and your homeowner's insurance may not cover resulting damage or injuries on your property.

• Won't give a license number, or the number belongs to a different name.
• Asks you to pull the permit yourself as an "owner-builder."
• Demands a large cash deposit or full payment up front.
• Knocks on your door after a storm with a "today only" price.
• The license type doesn't match the work — for example, a general contractor license number on a roofing job.

• Proof of general liability insurance and workers' compensation (or a valid exemption).
• A written contract with scope, price, payment schedule and start/finish dates.
• Confirmation of who pulls the permit — it should be the contractor.
• Two or three recent local references.