Certified vs Registered Contractor in Florida: Which Do You Need?

In Florida, a certified contractor holds a certificate of competency issued by the state and may contract in any jurisdiction without re-qualifying locally; a registered contractor met one local jurisdiction’s competency requirements and may contract only there. The choice comes down to geography: certification means statewide work, registration means a single local market. Both are defined in Fla. Stat. 489.105(8) and (10).

The two definitions, verbatim

Path	Verbatim statutory definition (Fla. Stat. 489.105)
Certified	“any contractor who possesses a certificate of competency issued by the department and who shall be allowed to contract in any jurisdiction in the state without being required to fulfill the competency requirements of that jurisdiction.” (489.105(8))
Registered	“any contractor who has registered with the department pursuant to fulfilling the competency requirements in the jurisdiction for which the registration is issued. Registered contractors may contract only in such jurisdictions.” (489.105(10))

A registered license is never statewide. If you want to work across Florida, you need certification.

Scope is a separate question

Certified vs registered is the geography axis. The scope axis — General, Building, or Residential — is independent. Under Division I (Fla. Stat. 489.105(3)), General means unlimited scope, Building is limited to buildings not exceeding three stories, and Residential is limited to one-, two-, or three-family residences not exceeding two habitable stories above no more than one uninhabitable story. Division II covers the specialty trades. The selector above asks both questions separately so the result combines them correctly.

What changed in 2025 — and what didn’t

A 2025 law (HB 735 / HB 1383 / SB 1142, amending Fla. Stat. 489.117) narrowed what local governments can license: around July 1, 2025, a city or county could no longer require its own license for a job scope that already matches a state contractor category — they can still license scopes outside those categories. The same law created a one-time, no-exam transitional registration for people who held a qualifying local license during 2021–2023 only; it is not open to new applicants. None of this changes the state certified-vs-registered distinction — both tiers remain in Fla. Stat. 489.105(8) and (10).

Which should you choose?

• Choose certified if you want to bid work anywhere in Florida or grow beyond one county.
• Choose registered only if a single local jurisdiction offers the registration and you intend to work solely there. Confirm the jurisdiction actually offers it before you rely on this path.

Already dealing with a specific license number and want to know which path it reflects? Verify a contractor’s certified or registered status in the DBPR database before you rely on it.

Common questions

Is a certified contractor the same as a general contractor?

No — they answer different questions. “Certified” vs “registered” is about where you can work (statewide vs one jurisdiction). “General,” “Building,” and “Residential” describe what you can build. You can be a certified general contractor, a certified building contractor, a registered residential contractor, and so on — the two axes combine.

What is the difference between a certified building contractor and a general contractor in Florida?

Both can be certified (statewide). The difference is scope. Under Fla. Stat. 489.105(3), a general contractor’s scope is unlimited, while a building contractor is limited to commercial and residential buildings not exceeding three stories — plus remodeling or repair of any size building where the work does not affect the structural members. If your work involves taller new structures, you need the general classification. For how the three scope classes compare, see the Florida contractor license types guide.

Does a registered license work statewide?

No. A registered contractor may contract only in the jurisdiction whose competency requirements they met. Only a certified license (a state certificate of competency) allows work anywhere in Florida.

Related pages

Once you know your path, review the Florida GC license requirements for that route, and if you already hold an out-of-state license, check Florida contractor license reciprocity. When you are ready, follow the step-by-step path to a Florida GC license. For the overview, see the Florida general contractor license guide.

This page summarizes Florida law and is general information, not legal advice. Verify scope and jurisdiction rules with the Florida DBPR and your local building department before acting.

Last verified: 2026-07-11