Florida licenses contractors through the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR). Construction trades fall under the Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB); electrical and alarm contractors fall under the Electrical Contractors' Licensing Board (ECLB). Both use the qualifying-agent model from Chapter 489, Florida Statutes.
Step 1: Confirm the license fits the work
The company can only do the work its qualifier's license allows. A Certified General Contractor (CGC) can qualify a company for unlimited general construction; a Certified Building Contractor (CBC) is limited to buildings of three stories or less, and so on through the Division II and specialty categories. An Electrical Contractor (EC) qualifies a company for electrical work statewide. Our directory filters by category.
Step 2: Decide the relationship
The qualifier must have final authority over field operations and financial matters for the category. In practice that means a real role in the company: officer, member, manager or supervising employee, with access to bank accounts, contracts and job sites. The compensation can be a fee, a salary, equity or a combination.
Step 3: Sign a qualifying agent agreement
Before any filing, both parties should sign an agreement that documents the qualifier's authority, the compensation, insurance and indemnity, the term and the exit. Our lawyers prepare this as part of the Qualifying Agreement Package.
Step 4: Assemble the application
The DBPR application to qualify a business typically needs:
- The application form for the board, signed by the qualifier and an officer of the business.
- Proof of the business entity: Sunbiz registration, officer list, and if the qualifier is not an owner, documentation of the employment or officer relationship.
- Financial responsibility: a FICO-derived credit report from an approved bureau dated within the required window, and a financial-responsibility bond if the score is below the threshold.
- Insurance: general liability and property damage at the required limits, and workers' compensation coverage or exemption.
- Fingerprints through an approved Livescan vendor for the qualifier and, in some cases, the officers.
- The fee.
Step 5: File and monitor
Applications are filed through the DBPR's online portal. Incomplete applications draw a deficiency letter and sit until it is answered. A complete application usually moves in four to eight weeks. We prepare and file the packet and answer deficiencies within two business days.
Qualifying an additional business
A qualifier who already qualifies one company must apply to the board for approval to qualify an additional business, and the board considers whether the qualifier can genuinely supervise both. The application is more detailed and often benefits from attorney involvement.
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