A working walkthrough of the CGC path in Florida: experience, exams, credit, insurance, and the business steps most people underestimate.
Updated on: 2026-08-20
Here is the mistake I see most often. Someone has spent four or five years framing houses, running remodels, doing solid residential work, and they assume that time counts toward a Certified General Contractor license in Florida. Then they read the actual experience requirement and realize the state wants specific structural work on tall buildings, not just years on a jobsite. That gap sends more applications back than almost anything else.
If you want the short version: to become a Florida Certified General Contractor (CGC) in 2026, you must be at least 18, show good moral character, meet the experience or education requirements, prove the CGC-specific structural experience, pass three state exams, submit fingerprints and financial documentation, carry the required insurance, and apply through the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR). A certified license lets you contract anywhere in Florida, subject to local permits and business-tax rules.
Everything below unpacks that in the order it actually happens.
Certified or registered: which one do you want?
Florida gives you two ways to hold a contractor license, and they are not the same thing.
| License type | How you prove competency | Where you can work |
|---|---|---|
| Certified | Pass the Florida state contractor exam and meet state requirements | Anywhere in Florida |
| Registered | Get local competency approval, then register it with the state | The issuing county or city, plus jurisdictions that accept it |
For a general contractor, the certified route is the one worth targeting. It gives you statewide authority instead of tying you to one county. A registered license is a local alternative, not a smaller version of the same statewide credential. If your plan is to grow, take jobs across regions, or qualify a business that operates in multiple markets, certification is the path.
What a general contractor can (and can't) do
Florida law defines a general contractor as one whose work is unlimited as to type, under Chapter 489. That sounds like you can do anything. You can't.
A CGC still has to subcontract electrical, plumbing, roofing, HVAC, mechanical, sheet metal, and pool work unless you also hold the license for that specialty. The statute on contracting scope is clear that specialty trades stay with specialty licenses. Your job as the GC is to contract for the project, coordinate the trades, and take responsibility for the whole thing. Presenting a CGC as a license to self-perform every trade is one of the fastest ways to get into trouble.
The experience requirement is stricter than "four years"
This is where I want you to slow down.
The baseline is four years of active experience, including at least one year as a foreman. Some of that can be substituted. A four-year construction-related degree plus one year of experience works. Military service or accredited college credit can cover up to three years of the field requirement, per the DBPR construction FAQs.
The part people miss sits on top of that. For the general-contractor classification specifically, you have to show experience in four of six structural categories:
- Foundations or slabs over 20,000 square feet
- Masonry walls
- Steel erection
- Elevated slabs
- Column erection
- Formwork for structural reinforced concrete
And at least one year of that experience has to involve new construction of structures at least four stories high.
Read that again. Four years of residential remodeling, no matter how good, does not check these boxes. I've watched capable people with a decade of finish work discover they qualify for a building or residential license but not a CGC, because they never worked on a four-story new build or the structural categories the state wants.
Take two applicants:
- Maria has four years of experience, one as a foreman, work in masonry walls, steel erection, elevated slabs, and structural formwork, and a year on a new five-story building. She fits.
- David has four years of carpentry and residential remodels, no work in four of the six categories, no four-story new construction. Four years in the industry, and he still doesn't meet the CGC-specific rule.
The lesson: document your experience against these exact categories before you apply. Get verification forms signed by the licensed contractors who supervised you. Keep dates, duties, project types, and evidence of the four-story new-construction work. Don't rely on a résumé, and don't assume a self-written statement will pass. Follow the current DBPR application packet.
The three exams you have to pass
Division I applicants (general, building, residential) sit for three separate exams, detailed in the candidate information booklet:
| Exam | Scored questions | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Business and Finance | 120 | 6.5 hours |
| Contract Administration | 60 | 4.5 hours |
| Project Management | 60 | 4.5 hours |
All multiple choice, four options each, with math on every part. You need 70% on each part to pass, and scores are not rounded up. A 69.4% is a fail.
Here is what surprises first-timers: these are open-book exams. You can bring only the approved references, and the marking rules are strict. Permanent tabs limited to chapter or page headings are fine. Removable tabs, Post-it notes, pull-off labels, and unauthorized photocopies are not. Pen and highlighter marks in the book are allowed.
That changes what "studying" means. The exam is really a timed test of how fast you can find the right answer in a stack of approved books. If you don't know the table of contents and index of each reference cold, the clock beats you.
The sequence matters too:
- Apply for exam approval through Professional Testing.
- Once approved, schedule with Pearson VUE.
- Bring your ID and authorization to the appointment.
- Pass all three parts.
- Complete the licensing application and remaining requirements.
Pearson VUE suggests booking at least five business days out because seats fill, and cancellations usually need two days' notice to avoid losing fees.
This is the stage where a prep provider earns its money. 1 Exam Prep builds its Florida general-contractor materials around exactly this problem: pre-tabbed and highlighted books that comply with the marking rules, updated practice questions, self-paced online courses, virtual classes, and one-on-one tutoring. Their self-paced Contract Administration and Project Management course comes with a year of access, with an instructor-led option if you want live instruction. Their 3-point learning system pairs expert tabbing with test-taking strategy and current question banks, which is the right shape for an open-book, time-pressured exam.
One caveat I'd give anyone: prep is prep. It does not replace DBPR approval, your documented experience, fingerprints, financial paperwork, insurance, or the exam itself. Treat any pass-rate marketing as a claim, not a guarantee, and do the state's process on its own terms.
Credit and financial responsibility
Florida checks your finances. The current CILB 5-A application requires a credit report with a FICO-derived score. If your score is below 660, you have to complete a CILB-approved 14-hour financial responsibility course before proceeding.
A lower score doesn't kill your application. It adds a step. You'll also need to document liens, judgments, and any bankruptcy discharge if those apply. And if you're qualifying a business, expect the review to include a credit report for the company, not just you personally.
Keep this separate in your head from insurance. Financial responsibility is about your credit and financial history. Insurance is a different requirement entirely.
Fingerprints and background review
You submit electronic fingerprints through a Livescan provider, which sends your prints into the state and federal background-check process so results reach DBPR. Use a current DBPR-authorized provider and follow the timing in the application. The "good moral character" standard isn't an automatic bar on any past issue. The board can only deny on that basis when the issue substantially connects to a contractor's duties and the finding meets a clear-and-convincing evidence standard.
Insurance you must carry
Active general and building contractors have to maintain minimum coverage at all times:
| Coverage | Minimum |
|---|---|
| Public liability | $300,000 |
| Property damage | $50,000 |
Workers' compensation is separate. You either carry it or hold a valid exemption, and whether an exemption is available depends on your business structure, ownership, employee count, and the work. An exemption is not a blanket substitute for coverage.
Builder's risk, commercial auto, and professional liability may be smart to carry, but they are not the DBPR minimums. Don't confuse "good business practice" with "required to get licensed."
Fees and timing in 2026
The current CILB 5-A application sets the initial certification fee by filing period:
| Filing period | Initial fee |
|---|---|
| May 1 (even year) through Aug 31 (following odd year) | $245 |
| Sep 1 (odd year) through Apr 30 (following even year) | $145 |
As of August 20, 2026, an initial application falls in the $245 window. Renewal runs $205 plus $50 per qualified business, and certified licenses expire August 31 of even-numbered years.
Fees change through legislation and rule updates. Verify the current number on the DBPR form before you pay. I've seen people quote a fee from a three-year-old blog and budget wrong.
Qualifying your business
Your personal certificate and a business license are not the same document.
If you operate through an LLC, corporation, or partnership, you generally have to qualify that entity with DBPR using CILB 6-A. The qualifier is the licensed person responsible for supervising the company's construction work. If your business loses its only qualifying agent and you don't designate another in time, continuing to operate becomes a violation under Florida law.
A workable startup order:
- Decide: operate as an individual or through an entity.
- Form the entity through Florida's Division of Corporations when it makes sense.
- Get your individual CGC certification.
- File the business-qualification application.
- Buy insurance in the correct name.
- Handle local business-tax requirements.
- Pull building permits before any work starts.
Permits and local rules don't disappear
Statewide certification means you skip local competency exams. It does not exempt you from local permitting, inspections, permit fees, occupational or business-tax obligations, zoning, building codes, or floodplain and wind-mitigation rules. DBPR says this plainly: statewide authority does not erase permitting fees or local business-tax duties. Every project still needs its permits.
Renewal and continuing education
Licenses renew every two years, and you owe at least 14 classroom hours per biennium. For general contractors, DBPR breaks part of that into required subjects: one hour each of advanced instruction, workplace safety, business practices, workers' compensation, laws and rules, wind mitigation, and cementitious cladding/stucco methods, with the rest board-approved construction hours.
Note the timing on the cladding hour: enforcement for certified contractors begins with licenses expiring August 31, 2028. If your license was issued less than 12 months before a renewal date, you may not owe the full CE load for that first cycle. 1 Exam Prep runs online, self-paced CE courses, including county-specific options for places like Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach, which is useful when you're trying to renew without stopping work.
FAQ
Can I get a Florida general contractor license with only residential experience?
Probably not for the CGC classification. The general-contractor license requires experience in four of six structural categories plus a year of new construction at least four stories high. Residential-only experience often qualifies you for a building or residential contractor license instead. Match your real experience to the specific categories before deciding which license to pursue.
How hard are the three exams really?
The difficulty isn't the construction knowledge. It's finding the right answer fast in approved reference books while the clock runs, and hitting 70% on each of three parts with no rounding. People who treat it like a memorization test tend to run out of time. People who drill their references and practice timed searches do better.
Does passing the exams mean I'm licensed?
No. Passing is one requirement. You still complete the DBPR application, experience verification, financial-responsibility review, fingerprinting, insurance documentation, and, if you use a company, business qualification. The license isn't active until all of that clears.
Is my out-of-state contractor license good in Florida?
Not automatically. Florida has endorsement and reciprocity paths, but eligibility depends on your existing license, its equivalency, your history, and current board rules. Use the current DBPR endorsement or reciprocity application rather than assuming a transfer.
What happens if I contract without a license?
Florida treats acting as, or advertising as, an unlicensed contractor as at least a first-degree misdemeanor, with felony exposure for repeat violations or work during a declared emergency. On top of that, an unlicensed contractor generally can't enforce the contract in court. It's not worth the risk.
What I'd do first
Before anything else, map your actual experience against the six structural categories and the four-story requirement. That single check tells you whether the CGC path is realistic now or whether you need to log specific work first. Then pull your credit so you know if the 14-hour financial course is in your future. Only after those two answers would I start on exam prep and the application packet. Get those in the wrong order and you'll spend money studying for a license you can't yet qualify for.
Because forms, fees, and rules change, confirm every number and requirement against the current DBPR application before you file. This guide reflects the process as of 2026.