Florida Contractor License Verification
Instantly verify contractor licenses through the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) — including Certified and Registered license status, expiration dates, and trade classifications. No manual lookups. No tab-switching.
Live
Florida DBPR data
<10s
Avg verification time
11
States searched simultaneously
2
License types — Certified & Registered
What the Florida DBPR and CILB regulate
The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR), through the Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB), licenses and regulates contractors across the state. Florida operates a dual licensing system — contractors may hold either a Certified license (valid statewide) or a Registered license (valid only within a specific local jurisdiction).
Florida law requires a valid contractor license for most construction work. Given Florida's active construction market — driven by growth, storm recovery, and renovation — contractor credential fraud is a documented problem. Verifying license status before engagement is both a legal protection and a business necessity.
CredentialClear retrieves live data from the DBPR database, surfaces Google Reviews, and cross-references results against public enforcement and violation records — all in a single search.
Certified vs. Registered — it matters for your project.
Florida's dual license system creates risk when hiring across jurisdictions. A contractor with a Registered license in Miami-Dade cannot legally perform work in Broward County under that license.
Certified License
- Issued by the state of Florida
- Valid for work anywhere in Florida
- Requires passing state examination
- Highest level of credential verification
Registered License
- Issued by a local county or municipality
- Valid only within that jurisdiction
- Cannot be used for out-of-jurisdiction work
- Verify jurisdiction coverage for your project location
Florida unlicensed activity — automatically checked.
The Florida DBPR maintains a public Unlicensed Activity database — a record of complaints filed against contractors who performed work without a valid license. These records are public but buried in a separate portal most people never check.
Every CredentialClear search in Florida automatically queries the DBPR Unlicensed Activity portal for the contractor name. Matches are returned alongside the license search results and flagged immediately — before you make a hiring decision.
What gets cross-referenced
DBPR Unlicensed Activity Complaints
Public complaints against contractors who performed construction work in Florida without a valid license at the time of the complaint
DBPR License Status
Revoked, suspended, null and void, and delinquent license records returned as part of the live DBPR license search
More than the DBPR search portal gives you.
The Florida DBPR confirms whether a license exists. CredentialClear tells you everything you need to verify a contractor's credentials before you hire.
Live DBPR Data
Results pulled directly from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation — not a stale directory.
Unlicensed Cross-Reference
Every search automatically queries the DBPR Unlicensed Activity portal — complaints against unlicensed contractors are flagged inline.
Google Reviews
See ratings and review counts alongside license status — evaluate reputation and compliance without leaving the platform.
License Monitoring
Flag Florida contractors for ongoing tracking. Get notified if their DBPR license status changes or expires.
Florida contractor license verification — answered.
How do I verify a contractor license in Florida?
Florida contractor licenses are issued by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) and managed through the Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB). You can search by name, license number, or business name. CredentialClear searches the Florida DBPR database alongside 7 other state registries in a single query — no tab-switching required.
What is the difference between a Certified and Registered contractor in Florida?
Florida issues two types of contractor licenses. A Certified license is issued by the state and is valid statewide. A Registered license is issued locally by a county or municipality and is only valid in that jurisdiction. When verifying a Florida contractor, it's important to confirm which type of license they hold and whether it covers the location of your project.
What trades require a license in Florida?
Florida requires licensing for general contractors, building contractors, residential contractors, roofing contractors, sheet metal contractors, HVAC contractors, plumbing contractors, electrical contractors, and numerous specialty trades. Work performed without a required license is subject to fines, stop-work orders, and legal liability for the hiring party.
What happens if I hire an unlicensed contractor in Florida?
Hiring an unlicensed contractor in Florida can void your homeowner's insurance coverage, result in failed inspections, create liability for injuries on the job site, and leave you without recourse if work is defective. Florida law makes it a criminal offense to perform contracting work without a valid license — but that doesn't protect you from the consequences of hiring one.
How does CredentialClear verify Florida contractor licenses?
CredentialClear pulls data directly from the Florida DBPR licensing database in real time. Results include license type (Certified or Registered), license status, expiration date, and trade classification. Google Reviews are surfaced alongside the license result so you can evaluate reputation and compliance in one place.
Does Florida publish a list of unlicensed contractors?
Yes. The Florida DBPR maintains a public Unlicensed Activity portal that records complaints filed against contractors who performed work without a valid license at the time of the complaint. CredentialClear automatically searches this database as part of every Florida contractor search — unlicensed complaint records are flagged inline with your results.