Florida electrical license requirements and insurance

Who it applies to

1Who needs an electrical license in Florida? What is this?

Certified Electrical Contractor: anyone who wants to run an electrical business anywhere in Florida

License	Who needs it	What it covers
Certified Electrical Contractor	Anyone who wants to run an electrical business anywhere in Florida	Statewide. Wiring, fixtures, appliances, apparatus, raceways and conduit that generate, carry, change or use electricity
Registered Electrical Contractor	Someone who wants to work in one county or city only, instead of holding a state certificate	Only the area and the type of work your local license covers. Add another local license and you can register for that area too
Certified Alarm System Contractor I	A business installing or servicing alarm systems, fire alarms included	All types of alarm system, for all purposes. Low-voltage work such as data cabling and cameras is capped at 98 volts
Certified Alarm System Contractor II	A business doing burglar, camera and access alarms but not fire alarms	All types of alarm system except fire, for all purposes. The same 98 volt cap on the low-voltage side
Journeyman electrician	The electrician doing the work, rather than the business holding the license	Set by the county or city that issued it. Once you hold one, every other county and city in Florida must recognize you as a journeyman

License

Who needs it

What it covers

Anyone who wants to run an electrical business anywhere in Florida

Statewide. Wiring, fixtures, appliances, apparatus, raceways and conduit that generate, carry, change or use electricity

Registered Electrical Contractor

Someone who wants to work in one county or city only, instead of holding a state certificate

Only the area and the type of work your local license covers. Add another local license and you can register for that area too

Certified Alarm System Contractor I

A business installing or servicing alarm systems, fire alarms included

All types of alarm system, for all purposes. Low-voltage work such as data cabling and cameras is capped at 98 volts

Certified Alarm System Contractor II

A business doing burglar, camera and access alarms but not fire alarms

All types of alarm system except fire, for all purposes. The same 98 volt cap on the low-voltage side

Journeyman electrician

The electrician doing the work, rather than the business holding the license

Set by the county or city that issued it. Once you hold one, every other county and city in Florida must recognize you as a journeyman

Who runs it

2Who issues electrician licenses in Florida? What is this?

Florida DBPR, Electrical Contractors' Licensing Board (ECLB) issues electrical licenses in Florida.

See how this compares in every state: How to check a contractor's license, state by state

Name	Florida DBPR, Electrical Contractors' Licensing Board (ECLB)
Website	myfloridalicense.com
Look up a license	myfloridalicense.com
The law	Florida Statutes chapter 489 part II
The rulebook	Florida Administrative Code chapter 61G6

Checked by a person against the official page

Getting licensed

3How to become an electrician in Florida What is this?

Florida has 5 licenses that matter to an electrician: Certified Electrical Contractor, Registered Electrical Contractor, Certified Alarm System Contractor I, Certified Alarm System Contractor II, Journeyman electrician. Each is below, with what you need before you apply.

License	Experience required	Exam
Certified Electrical Contractor	One of five routes. Three years running work in the trade, with no more than half of that met by education. Four years as a supervisor or contractor. Six years of training, technical education or supervisory work. Three years as a licensed electrical engineer. Or six years mixing the first three routes	Yes, a board examination
Registered Electrical Contractor	Set by your county or city, not by the state. You must be at least 18	—
Certified Alarm System Contractor I	The same five routes as the electrical certificate, with one extra rule. At least 40 percent of your work experience must be on the kind of fire alarm system used in commercial buildings	Yes, a board examination
Certified Alarm System Contractor II	The same five routes as the electrical certificate. The commercial fire alarm rule does not apply, because you are not doing fire work	Yes, a board examination
Journeyman electrician	A state-registered apprenticeship, or at least 12,000 hours of on-the-job training in your trade	—

License

Experience required

Exam

Certified Electrical Contractor

One of five routes. Three years running work in the trade, with no more than half of that met by education. Four years as a supervisor or contractor. Six years of training, technical education or supervisory work. Three years as a licensed electrical engineer. Or six years mixing the first three routes

Yes, a board examination

Registered Electrical Contractor

Set by your county or city, not by the state. You must be at least 18

—

Certified Alarm System Contractor I

The same five routes as the electrical certificate, with one extra rule. At least 40 percent of your work experience must be on the kind of fire alarm system used in commercial buildings

Yes, a board examination

Certified Alarm System Contractor II

The same five routes as the electrical certificate. The commercial fire alarm rule does not apply, because you are not doing fire work

Yes, a board examination

Journeyman electrician

A state-registered apprenticeship, or at least 12,000 hours of on-the-job training in your trade

—

What it costs

4How much does an electrical license cost in Florida? What is this?

The government fees on this page add up to about $400 in Florida. Add insurance, tools, and a vehicle to get the real number.

License	Application (legal maximum)	Application with exam (legal maximum)	Renewal (legal maximum)
Certified Electrical Contractor	—	$400	$400
Registered Electrical Contractor	$150	—	$200
Certified Alarm System Contractor I	—	$400	$450
Certified Alarm System Contractor II	—	$400	$450

Added up

Government fees, added up	$400

The most the law lets the state charge to apply and sit the exam for a certified electrical contractor. The registered route is capped at $150. Does not include the credit report, insurance premiums, tools, a vehicle, or local business tax receipts

Our estimate

Insurance

5How much electrical contractor insurance do you need in Florida? What is this?

The least liability insurance Florida lets an electrician work with is $100,000 for injury and $500,000 for property damage. Most customers ask for more. Workers' comp is required as soon as you have one employee (the rule for construction trades).

Minimum liability insurance (injury)	$100,000
Per claim	$300,000
Minimum liability insurance (property damage)	$500,000
Or one combined limit of	$800,000
Type of policy	Public liability and property damage, including products and completed operations
Who this applies to	Certified and registered electrical contractors, as a condition of a license being issued in the first place or of an active license changing status. The rule covers electrical contractors. Alarm system contractors have their own license, so ask the board which amounts apply to one
Why other websites say a different number	Several websites quote $100,000 and $25,000 for a Florida contractor. That is the other board's rule, for the trades under part I, such as plumbing and air conditioning. Electrical sits under its own board
How you prove it	You sign an affidavit at application. The board picks at least 10 percent of license holders at random and writes to them. You then have 30 days to send an original certificate of insurance
Workers' comp required?	Yes, as soon as you have one employee (the rule for construction trades)
Who can opt out	Certain company officers and LLC members can choose to opt out. In a construction business they have to meet the ownership test as well, which means holding at least 10 percent of the company
Workers' comp: what to know	The board will not issue or renew your license until you show workers' compensation cover or an exemption certificate

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·5 official pages

Money checks

6Does Florida check your credit for an electrician license? What is this?

Florida does not check your credit for this license.

Credit score you need	None. The board's rule for electrical contractors sets no score to hit
Other requirements	You send a credit report from a recognized credit bureau, dated within 12 months of the day you file. It has to cover liens, judgments, lawsuits and bankruptcies from county, state and federal records. A report built only from what you or your employers say does not count
If your score is lower	None is offered. The law also asks the board to look at your financial responsibility, credit and business reputation before it issues the certificate

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·2 official pages

Bonds

7Does an electrician need a bond in Florida? What is this?

Florida does not require a state bond for this license. Some cities ask for one before they issue permits.

Does the state require a bond?	No

The state does not ask an electrical contractor for a bond. It uses the credit report and the insurance rule instead. Your city or county may still want its own bond before it gives you permits, so ask the local building department what it charges

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·2 official pages

Federal rules

8Federal rules that also apply What is this?

Rules from the US government that apply to an electrician in Florida on top of the state's own.

Federal license	None. No federal license covers electrical contracting. Your state certificate or registration is the one you need
Lead-safe certification	If you disturb painted surfaces in a home, child care center or preschool built before 1978, your business must be EPA lead-safe certified. The work must be led by a certified renovator. Cutting into old walls to run cable can bring you under this rule
Who runs it	The EPA runs the renovation program in Florida. Florida is not on the EPA's list of states authorized to run their own

Federal workplace safety rules also apply to your crew

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·2 official pages

Showing your number

9Where must a Florida electrician show the license number? What is this?

In Florida: your certification or registration number must appear in every offer of services, business proposal and advertisement, whatever the medium.

The rule	Your certification or registration number must appear in every offer of services, business proposal and advertisement, whatever the medium
What it does not cover	Business stationery and giveaways such as balloons, pencils and clothing. Alarm work advertised in a newspaper, magazine, flyer, billboard, phone book, broadcast or online is also exempt, as long as your website shows the number and the ad points people there
If you forget	A fine of at least $100, or a citation. Saying you are certified when you are not is a second-degree misdemeanor

Checked by a person against the official page·leg.state.fl.us

Tax

10Does an electrician charge sales tax on labor in Florida? What is this?

In Florida, you pay sales tax when you buy the materials and charge the customer no tax at all, on labor or materials. This applies when you quote one price, cost plus, a fixed fee, or time and materials. The rest of the rules are below.

See how this compares in every state: Can you charge sales tax on labor? The rule in 25 states

Work that becomes part of the building	You pay sales tax when you buy the materials and charge the customer no tax at all, on labor or materials. This applies when you quote one price, cost plus, a fixed fee, or time and materials
Counted as part of the building	Kitchen and bathroom sinks, furnaces, central air conditioning units, built-in cabinets, wired lighting
Repairs to things that are not part of the building	Charge tax on the whole bill if you used any parts; a labor-only repair has no tax, but keep a record showing no parts were used
When you sell the parts and install them as two prices	Buy the materials tax-free with a resale certificate and charge the customer tax on the materials only
Do you register to collect tax?	Usually no, unless you also sell parts or equipment to customers without installing them
Tax rate	6 percent state plus county discretionary surtax

Checked by a person against the official page·floridarevenue.com

Getting paid

11Getting paid: lien and notice deadlines for a Florida electrician What is this?

If you are not paid in Florida, a lien on the property is your backstop, but only if your notice goes out on time: before you start, or within 45 days of your first day on the job.

The order things have to happen in, counted in days

Day 0
Your first day on the job
The clock starts here.
Day 45
Send your notice
Before you start, or within 45 days of your first day on the job
Day 90
File your lien
Within 90 days of your last day on the job

Each day count is counted from the day the rule beside it names, which is not always the same day. Read the sentence under each one.

Do you have to send a notice?	Yes, if you were hired by the contractor rather than the property owner (workers paid by the hour are exempt)
Send your notice by	Before you start, or within 45 days of your first day on the job
File your lien by	Within 90 days of your last day on the job

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·2 official pages

Keeping it

12How do you renew an electrical license in Florida? What is this?

The Certified Electrical Contractor renews every 2 years. You need 11 hours of training each renewal.

License	Renewal	Training hours each renewal
Certified Electrical Contractor	Every 2 years	—
Registered Electrical Contractor	Every 2 years	—
Certified Alarm System Contractor I	Every 2 years	—
Certified Alarm System Contractor II	Every 2 years	—

License

Renewal

Training hours each renewal

Certified Electrical Contractor

Every 2 years

—

Registered Electrical Contractor

Every 2 years

—

Certified Alarm System Contractor I

Every 2 years

—

Certified Alarm System Contractor II

Every 2 years

—

Renewal fees are in what the license costs. The official page for each license is linked under how you get it.

Watch out

13What catches people out in Florida What is this?

The things people get wrong or do not expect about Florida, in a few sentences.

Electricians answer to a different board from plumbers and air conditioning contractors. The Electrical Contractors' Licensing Board runs it, under part II of chapter 489 rather than part I.
The insurance rule is much bigger than the one for the other trades. You attest to $100,000 per person and $300,000 per claim for injury, plus $500,000 property damage, or one combined limit of $800,000.
There is no credit score to hit. Instead you send a credit report from a recognized credit bureau, dated within the last 12 months, showing liens, judgments, lawsuits and bankruptcies.
The state board does not issue journeyman electrician licenses. Counties and cities do, and once one of them has issued you a journeyman license, every other county and city in Florida must recognize you as a journeyman.
The board picks at least 10 percent of license holders at random each year and asks them to prove their insurance within 30 days.
Your number has to be in every offer of services, business proposal, and advertisement, whatever the medium. Leave it out of an advert and the board fines you at least $100. Alarm advertising is the one exception, and only if your website carries the number and the advert points people there.

Checked by a person against the official page

·5 official pages

14Where these numbers come from

The labels under each table are explained on how to read a page.