In Florida, the license for registered contractors should be renewed by 31st August of every odd-numbered year, and for certified contractors, the license renewal is to be done by 31st August of even-numbered years.
There are two types of licenses that a contractor can have:
- Certified licenses
The holder of a certified license can work at any location in Florida as the license is valid throughout the state.
- Registered licenses
A registered license is restricted within some local jurisdictions only. The holder of such a license can work only in those cities or counties of Florida from where he is issued a certificate of competency.
Every two years and before the renewal of their license, all contractors have to complete a 14-hour DBPR continuing education (CE) course. This is a state requirement for maintaining their licenses.
For holders of certificate of competencies specifically from Miami-Dade County, there are 16-hour package courses provided by education providers.
About the CE courses
Check for the Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation (DBPR) provider ID while choosing an education provider or institute so that you can be assured that DBPR has approved their courses.
Depending on the type of contracting work that you are pursuing, you can choose from the different courses related to electrical services, plumbing, masonry, pool or spa constructions, etc.
Mandatory topics under the CE courses
- One-hour lessons on the below topics:
- Safety at the workplace
- Worker’s compensation
- Business practice
- Advance building code
- Rules and laws
- Wind mitigation
- A balance of eight-hour general course on any of the above topics and which would be an elaboration of the topic.
In case of a license holder having a license, which is more than one year but less than two years old, he has to put in 7 credit hours of the general course study. But this has to be done before the 31st of August of the renewal year.
If the license is less than one year old, then no CE course is required.
For any certificate of competency holder from Miami Dade county, the CE course of 16 hours should compulsorily include:
- 1-hour course on Chapter 10 consisting of Miami Dade County code
- 1-hour course on Construction Lien Law
- Balance 14 hours study of any Board-approved course
16 hours package course
As designed by the education providers, the 16-hour package CE course for contractors from Miami Dade consist of:
- One-hour courses on
- Laws and rules related to Miami Dade Ordinance in chapter 10
- Advanced Building code of Florida, updated in 2020
- Worker’s compensation
- S. 713 Construction Lien Law related to Business Practices
- 5 hours courses on
- Regulations for contractors
- Regulations on wind mitigation
- 2 hours courses on
- Photovoltaic systems
- Rainwater harvesting
- Construction of exterior shell
- 3 hours course on Construction safety
Post completion of the course, the provider would issue a certificate. The provider would share the certificate with the state government from their end, and you should also save an online copy or take printouts for your records.