Keeping your contractor’s license up to date is critical for Florida contractors. Your contractor’s license makes it legal for you to work in your trade and establishes you as a reliable and trustworthy professional. Many employers look up license numbers through the Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation (DBPR) website. If your license is out of date, employers will find out sooner or later, and will steer clear of anyone with an expired license. Thankfully, renewing your contractor’s license is a breeze with the right information. Just follow a few simple steps, and you’ll be ready to get back to work in no time.
Your license must be renewed every two years. The date differs depending on whether you are a certified contractor who can work statewide or a registered contractor who only works in the local area in which you are registered. If you are a certified contractor, you must renew your license by August 31 of every even-numbered year. If you are a registered contractor, you have until August 31 of every odd-numbered year to renew.
When you have completed your continuing education hours and are ready to renew your Florida contractor’s license, simply visit the DBPR’s website to get started. If it’s your first time on the site, you’ll need to create an account first. If you’ve been here before, simply log in with your password and email. The DBPR has conveniently put together a simple step-by-step guide to walk you through the renewal process.
Make sure you have your wallet and credit card handy for fees. You’re required to pay a fee of $209 to renew your license, as well as an additional $50 fee per qualified business. But before you can even think about paying these fees, though, you need to make sure you’ve met the state’s requirements for continuing education.
The DBPR requires all general contractors, plumbing contractors, building contractors, and mechanical contractors to take 14 hours of continuing education per renewal period. These hours must be completed before you are allowed to renew your license.
Your continuing education must contain at least one hour of learning on each of these topics:
● Workplace safety
● Workers’ compensation
● Laws and rules
● Business practices
● Specialized or advanced module
The DBPR also requires building and general contractors to take one hour of instruction about wind mitigation.
The remaining 8 hours of education can be on topics of your choosing, but make sure that you take these hours from continuing education providers that are approved by the DBPR.
While you can mix and match providers to fulfill your education requirement, you can save precious time and energy by completing all 14 continuing education hours at once with an all-in-one class from 1st Choice. As the first choice for tradespeople across the country for continuing education, we offer complete 14-hour classes for plumbing contractors and construction contractors in Florida. Our classes are offered entirely online and can be completed on any device at your own pace, making them the best option for those looking to renew their licenses quickly and easily. Contact us to learn more and enroll today!