How to Get a General Contractor License in Florida
Four stages: qualify, apply to the DBPR, pass three open-book exam parts, then finish licensure. Here's the whole path — with the fees, the waits, and the traps.
First, pick your license: certified beats registered
Florida issues two kinds of GC license. A Certified General Contractor (CGC) license is the statewide one — earned by passing the state exams, valid in every Florida county. A registered license rides on a local competency card and only works in the jurisdictions that issued it.
This guide covers the certified route, because it's the one worth having: one exam cycle, the whole state. The full comparison lives in our requirements checklist.
Step 1: Make sure you qualify
Before any exam, the DBPR has to agree you're eligible. The core requirements:
- Be at least 18 and of good moral character (a background check applies).
- Four years of construction experience — with college credits in a construction-related field able to substitute for part of it, and at least one year at a supervisory level. The DBPR publishes the exact acceptable education/experience combinations; verify your route against the current application instructions before you apply.
- Financial responsibility: a credit report is part of the application. If your credit score is below the DBPR's current threshold, you can typically post a licensing bond instead — check the current rules on myfloridalicense.com.
None of this needs to be finished before you start studying — but confirm your experience route early, because it's the piece you can't cram.
Step 2: Apply to the DBPR
You apply through the Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation at myfloridalicense.com. The application fee is approximately $249 — confirm the current amount on the DBPR fee schedule before you file. Expect to document your experience, submit fingerprints for the background check, and include the credit report.
The DBPR reviews the package and, once approved, authorizes you to sit the exams. Review times vary with volume and how clean your file is — incomplete experience documentation is the most common cause of delay, so over-document rather than under.
Step 3: Pass the three-part exam
The certified GC exam has three open-book parts, administered by Professional Testing, Inc. through Pearson VUE test centers. You need 70% on each part, and you keep credit for parts you pass.
| Part | Questions | Time | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contract Administration | 60 scored | 4.5 hours | $40 |
| Project Management | 60 scored | 4.5 hours | $40 |
| Business & Finance | 120 scored | 6.5 hours | $80 |
| First full attempt (+ $135 registration) | $295 |
Fail a part and you wait at least 21 days to retake it — with new fees — inside a 4-year window to finish all parts. Dig into each part before exam day: the full GC exam guide covers Contract Administration and Project Management, and the Business & Finance guide covers the universal part every certified trade takes. Then drill each one with a timed practice test — Contract Administration, Project Management, and Business & Finance — all free.
Because it's open book, the exam is a navigation race, not a memory test. That's the entire premise of our Tab & Pass method: tab the approved references, drill lookups on a stopwatch, and rehearse the real interface in the exam simulator.
Working across state lines? The NASCLA exam can replace Florida's trade parts in 18 jurisdictions — see NASCLA vs. the Florida state exam before you register.
Step 4: After you pass — finishing licensure
Passing scores don't make you a contractor by themselves. To activate the license you'll still need to:
- Show proof of insurance — general liability and workers' compensation coverage (or a valid exemption) at the levels the DBPR requires.
- Complete the financial responsibility piece — the credit report, and a bond if your score requires one.
- Qualify your business entity if you'll operate through a company, so the license is tied to the business doing the contracting.
- Keep it alive: Florida licenses renew on a two-year cycle with continuing education — check the current DBPR renewal requirements once you're licensed.
The costs beyond exam fees — books, prep, insurance — are where budgets actually blow up. See what the exam really costs before you spend anything.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to get a general contractor license in Florida?
It depends on how fast the DBPR approves your application and how quickly you pass all three exam parts. Candidates who arrive prepared and pass each part on the first attempt often finish the exam phase in a few months; every failed part adds at least a 21-day wait plus new fees. Application review times vary — treat any specific promise with suspicion and budget several months end to end.
How much does the Florida general contractor license cost?
Exam fees are $295 for a first full attempt ($135 registration + $80 Business & Finance + $40 Contract Administration + $40 Project Management). The DBPR application fee is approximately $249 (confirm the current amount on myfloridalicense.com). Books, prep, insurance, and fingerprinting are extra.
Do you need experience to get a Florida GC license?
Yes. Florida requires four years of construction experience, and college credits in a construction-related field can substitute for part of it. At least one year must be supervisory-level experience. The exact acceptable combinations are defined by the DBPR — verify your route against the current application instructions before you apply.
Is the Florida general contractor exam open book?
Yes. All three parts — Contract Administration, Project Management, and Business & Finance — are open book. You bring the approved reference list into the room, which makes fast book navigation the real skill being tested.
Start with the only free step
Before the application fee, before the books — find out where you stand with a free, timed practice test scored against the 70% line.
Start the Free Practice Test