Registered Vs. Certified Contractor in Florida 

In Florida, there is a difference between a registered contractor and a certified contractor.  

 According to the Florida DBPR (Department of Business & Professional Regulation, a certified contractor is someone who passed the state licensing examination to become licensed (except in cases of Grandfathering and Endorsement). Certified licensees can work anywhere within the State of Florida.  

A registered contractor is someone who registered a local county or municipal certificate of competency. Registered licensees can only work in the counties or municipalities where they hold a local license. They cannot work anywhere else in the state. They have not completed a state exam. If they want to work in a new city or county, they are required to get registered in it. However, they have to “register” with the state and get insurance, fingerprinting, and meet financial stability requirements like a certified contractor. 

If you’re looking to work in many areas of Florida, you will need a certified contractor’s license.  With a registered contractor license, your license resides in the county. If you let your county license expire, your license overall is considered expired. You need both the county and state registration up to date. 

The main difference between a registered and certified contractor license is the registered contractor didn’t take or complete the state exam. In terms of quality, registered contractors are as good as certified contractors. 

You can tell if a contractor is registered or certified by looking them up in Florida’s contractor license search. 

 Looking to get your contractor’s license? Registered? Certified? We can steer you in the right direction. As a Florida contractor licensing company, our team at Licenses, Etc. will work with you to get your contractor license application approved by the Board. We have helped thousands of contractors in Florida and in other states get their contractor license. 

We will complete and file all necessary paperwork. To get your contractor license, click Florida contractor’s license page to learn more or call 239-777-1028.