Florida Enters into Contractor License Reciprocity Agreement with North Carolina

The new reciprocity agreement with North Carolina makes it easier for Florida contractors to become licensed in North Carolina and for North Carolina contractors to become licensed in Florida. The agreement applies to General, Building, and Residential contractor licenses only.

In July 2020, Florida’s Construction Industry Licensing Board was charged with exploring and entering into licensing reciprocity agreements with other states. North Carolina is the second state with which Florida has entered into a reciprocity agreement for licensing. Under Florida law, a contractor from North Carolina can seek the same type of license in Florida, if the contractor

[h]olds a valid, current license to practice contracting issued by another state or territory of the United States, if the state or territory has entered into a reciprocal agreement with the board for the recognition of contractor licenses issued in that state, based on criteria for the issuance of such licenses that are substantially equivalent to the criteria for certification in this state.

Based on the new reciprocity agreement, many contractors will meet this standard.

North Carolina contractors who want a Florida license must also meet the following criteria:

  1. Pass the Florida Business and Finance Exam
  2. Hold a North Carolina Contractor’s license for at least 5 years.
  3. Submit a license verification form that indicates that the license has not been revoked, suspended, or placed on probation during the past 5 years; that the license has no pending disciplinary actions against it; and that the license was obtained by examination
  4. Pay the application fee
  5. Submit electronic fingerprints
  6. Submit a personal credit report and pass a financial background check
  7. Submit a business credit report if planning to business under the business’ name in Florida
  8. Demonstrate sufficient experience or a sufficient combination of college-level coursework and experience

North Carolina contractors should note that nothing in this rule prevents a North Carolina contractor who has been licensed for more than 10 years from seeking a Florida license without taking any exam under Florida’s 10 year rule.

We can assist you with the entire application process to make sure that it goes smoothly and to answer any questions you may have. As part of that we can help setup a Florida corporation or LLC for you to business as and ensure that you understand and use Florida’s construction lien laws and contractor licensing laws to your benefit. Many times we can do this for a flat fee. To learn more, please contact me at jason.lambert@hwhlaw.com or (813) 227-8495.