How to Renew Your Contractor License in Florida

Although the deadline is a few months away, we wanted to put the bug in your ear about renewing your contractor’s license. Florida state law requires contractors to complete 14 hours of approved continuing education (CEU) every two years prior to the renewal deadline (8/31) of every even numbered year for certified contractors. This means, you have until 8/31/2020 to get this done and pay the renewal fee. 

However, if you have been licensed less than one year at the time of renewal, you will not need any CEUs. If you have been licensed more than one year but less than two at the time of renewal, only seven hours need to be completed. If you happen to have more than one certificate or registration issued by the board, you only are required to complete the CEU requirements once during each two-year renewal period for both certificates but some of the hours will work toward both licenses (such as the general requirements). 

CEU is important. The courses keep you in the know on the latest information in the industry while allowing you to stay competitive in the field, which can only help your career and/or business.  

When it comes to continuing education, there is really no one “best” option – it really depends on your personal preferences on how and where you want to/can do it.  

Some people prefer to take classes intermittently, in their own homes or offices, while others prefer to take classes over a weekend or week in a classroom 

. Here are some online options that offer courses in continuing education for Florida contractors:
• Gold Coast School: http://goldcoastschools.com/programs-licenses/construction/
• CEI: https://www.ceihome.com/landing-pages/education/continuing-education/ 

 If you’d like to attend an in-person course, here is a link to all of the CEU providers and their course information:
http://www.myfloridalicense.com/dbpr/servop/testing/documents/cilb_ce_prov.pdf
Our team at Licenses, Etc. Recommends creating an account with the state (myfloridalicense.com) so that you will be able to:
• See the class hours you still need and/or have already taken
• Pay renewal fees
• Even update basic information 

If you need instruction on how to create an account an access information, visit our older renew your contractor license blog post. 
Florida’s Department of Business & Professional Regulation (DBPR) says that Florida contactors CEU must fall under specific topics. A contractor must complete at least one hour about workplace safety, one hour on worker’s compensation, one hour on business practices, one hour on Florida laws and rules, two hours of false alarm prevention (for alarm contractors and electrical contractors who perform alarm work), and one hour on Florida Building Code advanced modules. The other seven course hours will come from the specific type of technical contracting work you do (electrical, construction, home inspector, mold). Any of your remaining hours are considered general credit. Thesecourses will help you be well rounded, have better job performance, and increase the quality of your work. 

If you stay educated, you will be able to stay current and learn how to follow the most recent laws/regulations and work with the best technology. Don’t let your competition get ahead of you. With the proper education under your belt, you can build a better career.   

If you need helping applying for a Florida contractor license or need help with renewing you license, Licenses Etc. can help you with that process.  

We are experts in the licenses application process and our expertise has allowed for 95 percent of our applications to be accepted by the State with no problem. If you have any questions about getting your contractor license or CEU for a license renewal, call us at 239-777-1028 or clickour Florida contractor license  page to learn more.