The DBPR (Department of Business & Professional Regulation) takes approximately 3 to 4 weeks to complete the initial review process. The CILB (Construction Industry Licensing Board) will issue your license or request additional information. We have the winning formula to get you approved on the 1st review.

The CILB (Construction Industry Licensing Board) only gives you 2 chances to correct your application. We can get you approved on the 1st try. If an applicant receives a 3rd deficiency notice, they'll be asked to appear before the board at the next meeting, only approximately 33% of the of board reviews are approved. Don't go at it alone, let the professionals help. We have a winning formula for fast tracked approval and no RFIs.

Endorsement Applications (ten year out of state contractor) are the most commonly rejected applications. We know what works and what doesn't. You're in good hands with Applicaiton Specialist.

The DBPR requires a Personal and Business credit reports before you can qualify a construction company. It has to come from a state approved vendor. The DBPR would like to see at least a 660 FICO credit score in the Personal credit report. We can handle the credit reports for you or provide you with a list of approved vendors in your area.

If you don't have the FICO 660 credit score, you'll have to take a 14-hour Financial Responsibility course from a DBPR approved provider. We can recommend a few good options for you.

This will not be a reason for denial.

Payment History 35%, number of missed payments over the last 7 years. Revolving Utilization 30%, current balance compared to total credit line. Length of Credit 15%, the longer your credit history, the better. Total Accounts 10%, credit mix of installment loans & revolving credit. Inquires 10%, in general you don't want too many credit seeking activities in a short period of time.

Yes, the DBPR requires a credit report on the Business to be Qualified. It's fine if the report is empty & the company is brand new, as long as it's clean. The DBPR is looking for any negative responses related to your business, bankruptcies, outstanding liens, ect.. If you do have any issues with a negative report we can discuss your options.

Applicants are required to have four years of work experience or a combination of any college or military and jobsite experience. A minimum of 1 year of Foreman experience is typically required in most situations. Different work experience requirements for the different license categories. This is where most "deficiencies" occur, the DBPR is very specific about what type of work experience is acceptable. We specialize in this area.

The fingerprints are one of the 1st things to get completed. The DBPR requires the "livescan" fingerprints from a state approved vendor. We'll assist you through this process and provide you with a list of approved live scan vendors in your area. The Construction Industry uses a specific ORI # database.

Time: It may take up to five days for your fingerprint results to be received by the Department after they are submitted to the Florida Department of Law enforcement (FDLE). The Livescan Provider will send your scanned fingerprint images to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) using the ORI number you provide to the Provider. The FDLE/FBI will process the fingerprints and provide the results to the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, usually within three to five business days from the scan date. You do not have to do anything with your fingerprint results unless the department contacts you for additional information. You will not receive the results of the livescan FBI criminal background check. We can assist you with getting a second report for your records if needed.

DBPR will retain results of the prints for 12 months from the date your digital fingerprints were electronically received by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

Cost: The total fee charged by each 3rd party Provider varies typically between $75-$95. The cost is excluded from your scope of services.

Applicant Moral Character - Criminal History

Florida Statutes 455.213, provides a process under which the CILB must review an applicant’s criminal record. A conviction, or any other adjudication, for a crime more than five years old may not be grounds for denial. The Board can consider an applicant’s criminal history, without regard to the date of commission, for crimes listed under section 775.21(4)(a) (the Florida Sexual Predators Act), or 776.08 forcible felony. The Board may consider all of an applicant’s criminal history if it relates to the applicant’s good moral character.

Crimes that do not relate to the practice of contracting include the following:

• Animal Control Issues (or charges related to animals)

• Assault (Simple)

• Battery (Simple)

• Boat Registration Issues

• Burglary (Single occurrence)

• Careless Driving

• Carrying Weapon Openly

• Cultivation of Marijuana

• Damage to Property

• Disorderly Conduct

• Distributing Alcohol or Cigarettes to a Minor

• Driving with Suspended/Revoked/Cancelled/Delinquent License

• DUI/DWI

• Minor Car Accidents

• Narcotic Equipment Possession

• Open Container/ Public Intoxication

• Petit Theft/ Shoplifting

• Possession of Fake Identification

• Possession of Marijuana/Drugs/Paraphernalia

• Prostitution

• Reckless Driving

• Resisting an Officer Without Violence

• Traffic Offenses

• Trespassing

• Underage Drinking

Crimes that were used by the Department as a basis for denial of licensure to practice contracting between October 2017 and October 2019, include the following:

• Lewd/lascivious act against a child

• Possession of dangerous drugs

• Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon

If you have a criminal history, your application will be reviewed by the department to ensure that your criminal history will not statutorily disqualify you from becoming licensed in that particular profession. Depending on the type of criminal offense(s), your application might require board review. The term “conviction” means a determination of guilt that is the result of a plea or trial, regardless of whether adjudication is withheld.

If you do not have final approval authority on all business matters for the business organization, it may be in your best interest to appoint a Financially Responsible Officer. The appointment of a Financially Responsible Officer relieves the primary qualifying agent from financial responsibility, but the primary qualifying agent is still responsible for all construction-related matters.

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Definition: "Financially responsible officer means a person other than the primary qualifying agent who with the approval of the Board assumes personal responsibility for all financial aspects of the business organization."

See much more information under the License Types: FRO

The fee varies from approximately $145 to $245 depending on the renewal cycle. The application fee is excluded from your services. Once you're satisfied with the application, you'll sign and make a check payable to the DBPR for the application fee and submit the final package.

All CILB license holders must complete 14-hours of Continuing Education by the expiration date of August 31st of even numbered years.

MILITARY VETERANS: Experience gained in the military may be used toward the requirements for licensure. Please complete the Veteran Fee Waiver and Military Service Verification Form and submit it along with your application for licensure. Military veterans, their spouses and Florida National Guard members may be eligible for a fee waiver, fee reimbursement, and/or fee discount. Please visit our DBPR Military Services page for more information.

We can take care of you application. If you have a 3.0 GPA of better you can skip the Trade Knowledge exams, you'll still have to pass the Business and Finance exams. In the case of applicants for certification under the baccalaureate degrees in building construction, architecture, or engineering which are considered to be appropriate to the particular classification for which certification is sought shall be as follows:

• General, Building, and Residential Classifications: Civil Engineering; Building Construction; or Architecture.

• Sheet Metal; Class A and B Air Conditioning; Residential Solar Water Heating; Mechanical Classifications: Mechanical Engineering.

• Plumbing Classification: Mechanical Engineering or Sanitary Engineering.

• Commercial, Residential, and Servicing Pool Classifications: Building Construction or Civil Engineering.

• Underground Utility Classification: Building Construction; Civil or Mechanical Engineering.

Yes, Grandfathering is open currently. The local license category has to be the same as the state category. For instance, a local "registered" Broward county Cabinetry license will not be grandfathered into a state "certified" Residential Contractors license because the categories are not the same.

61G4-15.030 Certification of Registered Contractors.

(1) Any registered contractor who wishes to become a certified contractor in the appropriate category pursuant to the “grandfathering” provisions of section 489.118, F.S., shall submit a completed Application for Certification of Registered Contractors, as referenced in rule 61G4-12.006, F.A.C. For the purposes of this section the following terms are defined as follows:

(a) A valid registered license is one in which the registered contractor’s certificate of competency is registered with the Board and a State Registration Number is issued.

(b) A substantially similar examination is one which is written and proctored and which covers content and reference materials appropriate for the licensure category for which it is administered. The determination of appropriate content will be made by comparing the content outline and reference list for the examination to that used for the current state certification examination for the same license category. For Division I categories, the examination must include, at a minimum, a two hour business and financial management section and a six hour trade knowledge section. For Division II categories, the examination must include, at a minimum, a two hour business and financial management section and a three hour trade knowledge section.

(c) Experience – Five years licensed and state registered; the experience need not be consecutive.

(d) Discipline, for purposes of section 489.118(4), F.S., is defined as action taken by any local enforcement body and action taken by the Board against the licensee.

(2) Building code administrators and inspectors who hold a registered construction license or licenses may also apply for certification under the “grandfathering” provisions of section 489.118, F.S. In order to be eligible such inspector or administrator must have five years experience as an inspector in the category sought, or, if an administrator, must have five years experience with oversight in the category sought, at the time of application. The five years of experience may be a combination of experience under the registered construction license and experience under the inspector or administrator license.

Qualification of a business organization is only effective as to that business organization; subsidiaries or parents of qualified business organizations must be separately qualified. A joint venture must be qualified as a separate and distinct business entity.

61G4-15.0022 Qualification of Joint Ventures.

(1) These rules do not prohibit a properly qualified business organization from participating in a joint venture with business organizations which are not qualified; however, only a properly qualified business organization may engage in contracting as defined in sections 489.105(3) and (6), F.S. A joint venture, including a joint venture composed of qualified business organizations, is itself a separate and distinct business organization which must be qualified as provided herein.

(2) A joint venture, one or more of whose participants are not licensed contractors under chapter 489, part I, F.S., may submit a bid on a construction project under the following circumstances:

(a) There must be a written joint venture agreement.

(b) One of the joint venturers must be a business entity properly qualified by a licensed contractor.

(c) Each participant must sign a statement of authority (as set out in rule 61G4-15.002, F.A.C.) giving the licensed contractor full authority to conduct the contracting business of the participant.

(d) Copies of the joint venture agreement and statements of authority must be received and approved by the Board Office prior to the time of the bid.

(e) If the joint venture is awarded the contract, the licensed contractor must qualify the joint venture within ninty (90) days.

(3) If the joint venture is a limited partnership, the qualifying business organization or individual must be a general partner of the joint venture.

FAC 61G4-15.0021 Business Organizations.

(1) For purposes of this rule practice as an individual is considered practice as a business organization. After the licensee qualifies one business organization, any request to qualify another business organization is subject to approval by the Board.

(3)(a) The applicant seeking to qualify an additional business organization must appear before the Board unless the applicant otherwise qualifies for approval, and:

1. The applicant owns 20% or greater of the proposed business organization; or

2. The applicant demonstrates unequivocally that the applicant has been hired as a W-2 employee of the proposed business where the business is currently qualified or was previously qualified within 90 days of submitting the application.

(b) Any applicant applying to qualify an additional business organization that will result in the applicant qualifying three or more business organizations must appear before the Board.

(4) Qualification of a business organization is only effective as to that business organization; subsidiaries or parents of qualified business organizations must be separately qualified.

FAC 61G4-15.0024 Supervision of Business Entities.

Documentation of one or more of the following factors in an application to qualify a business entity will demonstrate to the Board, absent evidence to the contrary, that an applicant possesses the ability to properly supervise the proposed additional business entity for purposes of the application:

(1) The applicant to qualify an additional business owns 20% or more of the business to be qualified;

(2) The applicant to qualify an additional business is a W2 employee of the business to be qualified; or

(3) Other evidence of the means and methods utilized by the applicant to ensure control over the construction work of the proposed additional entity.

FAC 61G4-15.009 Replacement of Qualifying Persons.

(1) A business organization which loses its qualifying person shall have sixty (60) days from the date the qualifier terminated his affiliation within which to obtain another qualifying person.

(2)(a) A business organization which has lost its only qualifying contractor may not engage in contracting until a new qualifier is approved, unless such business organization has obtained a temporary certificate or registration from the executive director or chair of the board.

(b) Where a business organization has qualifying contractors in more than one category, each category shall be considered separately for purposes of paragraph (a), and shall require a qualifying contractor for each category of work performed.

(c) The temporary certificate or registration allows the business organization to proceed on incomplete contracts during the 60 day period; it may not enter into any new contracts until a new qualifying contractor is approved by the board.