Florida licensing paths often combine a trade exam with Business & Finance requirements. Use our Florida practice exam flow to rehearse timing, reference-book navigation, and the code-heavy decision points you’ll see on test day. Exact modules and formats vary by classification—always confirm the current bulletin before scheduling.
Last verified: June 2026 via Florida DBPR Construction Industry Licensing Board. Official source: Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation (construction licensing).
The Florida Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB) under DBPR issues Certified (statewide) and Registered (county) licenses. Professional Testing Inc. administers the exams via Pearson VUE test centers across Florida.
Florida exams bake in hurricane uplift, Miami-Dade corrosion, Everglades groundwater, and sinkhole-bearing karst. You’ll analyze ASCE 7 wind pressures, TAS 201 impact glazing, floodplain dry-floodproofing, and mold remediation sequences for 95°F job sites.
Official source: Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation (construction licensing)
Scope: Unlimited structural work statewide
Testing: Two-day exam: Business & Finance (6.5 hrs) plus Contract Administration and Project Management (4.5 hrs each) referencing the Florida Building Code and AIA contracts
Scope: One- and two-family dwellings up to two stories
Testing: Same Business & Finance module plus tailored trade portions focusing on residential detailing
Scope: Roofing systems statewide, including HVHZ assemblies
Testing: Business & Finance plus 6-hour trade module covering TAS 106 uplift tests, waterproofing, and estimating
Applicants must document four years of experience (with at least one year supervisory), submit credit reports, fingerprint records, and a $300,000/$600,000 financial responsibility bond unless they qualify for the low-income waiver.
Professional Testing schedules exams at Pearson VUE sites statewide plus limited remote-proctored slots for the Business & Finance module.
| Licensing authority | Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB), under the Department of Business & Professional Regulation (DBPR) |
|---|---|
| Governing law | Florida Statutes Chapter 489; passing score set by Florida Administrative Code 61G4-16.001 |
| Certified vs Registered | Certified (state exam) works in all 67 counties; Registered relies on a local competency exam and is valid only in the issuing jurisdiction |
| Exam (Certified GC) | Three open-book parts — Business & Finance, Contract Administration, Project Management — roughly 240 questions total |
| Exam vendor / passing | Pearson VUE · 70% on each part; parts can be taken separately and failed parts retaken individually |
| Experience | 4 years of experience (at least 1 year as a foreman), or a 4-year construction/engineering degree plus 1 year |
| Money | ~$249 DBPR application · ~$135 Professional Testing registration · ~$80 per Pearson VUE exam part |
| Financial responsibility | Credit report required; a FICO under 660 triggers a surety bond (up to $20,000); general liability insurance and workers' comp required |
Florida's biggest fork is Certified vs Registered. A Certified General Contractor license (state Pearson VUE exam) works statewide; a Registered license only covers the county that issued a local competency card — most people actually want Certified. Your personal credit also gates licensure: a FICO below 660 forces a surety bond before the license issues.
Verified sources: Florida Statute 489.111 (licensure by examination) · DBPR — Construction Industry Licensing.
Florida certified licenses are statewide DBPR credentials. Local competency cards and handyman exemptions are different products—confirm which path your bid requires.
| Certified General / Building / Residential | Covers: Statewide certified contractor work under Chapter 489 Authority: DBPR — trade exam or NASCLA + Business & Finance + experience/financials |
|---|---|
| Certified specialty (e.g., roofing) | Covers: Specialty certified classifications such as roofing Authority: DBPR specialty exams and qualifying-agent rules |
| Local / registered-only assumptions | Covers: Assuming a county card replaces a certified license statewide Authority: Often false outside limited scenarios—verify DBPR vs local competency rules |
HVHZ wind/flood calculations and Chapter 489 business rules separate Florida exams from generic national prep.
If you're licensing in a single trade rather than the Florida general contractor classification, the dedicated trade hub will get you to the right code book and exam structure faster.
Always confirm the exact editions and tab rules in your candidate bulletin before exam day. Editions can change between license cycles.
Check DBPR’s Construction Industry Licensing Board fee schedule before you mail paperwork; use the All States hub for interstate comparisons.
The mandatory Business & Finance exam hits Florida lien law, workers' compensation, payroll taxes, and project management. It’s open book but time-compressed, so tabbing is essential.
Practice with our Florida Business & Finance simulator and the national Business & Law exam hub for cross-state baseline rules.
Florida accepts NASCLA transcripts for Certified General, Building, and Residential contractor applicants. You still must pass the Florida Business & Finance exam and meet DBPR experience and financial requirements before the certified license issues. Confirm the current board bulletin before you schedule, then drill timed practice so Business & Law and remaining state filing steps do not surprise you after a NASCLA pass.
If you carry a Florida license and want to work in another NASCLA-accepting jurisdiction, the following state boards will credit your NASCLA Accredited Examination score (you still file a state-specific application and Business & Law module):
More: National NASCLA exam guide and our in-depth NASCLA Accredited Exam study walkthrough.
Because Florida exams bake in hurricane uplift, Miami-Dade corrosion, Everglades groundwater, and sinkhole-bearing karst, this four-week outline targets what Florida field inspectors and your licensing board exam items actually test—not generic national prep.
The Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB) within DBPR issues Certified and Registered licenses statewide.
You must pass the Business & Finance exam plus the applicable trade modules (Contract Administration and Project Management for CGC/CRC, roofing or specialty trade exams for others).
Yes. Florida accepts NASCLA for Certified General, Building, and Residential trade exams, but you still have to pass Business & Finance.
Florida Building Code volumes, AIA contracts, OSHA 1926, Builder’s Guide to Accounting, and Walker’s Estimator are allowed once they’re tabbed and highlighted per the bulletin.
Trade exam scores remain valid for four years. Business & Finance never expires once passed.
Certified contractors must maintain general liability (typically $300,000/$500,000) and workers' compensation and may need a financial responsibility bond.
Every two years with 14 hours of CE, including 1 hour of Workplace Safety, 1 hour Workers— Comp, and 1 hour Advanced FBC.
Use a realistic, Florida-focused simulator to build timing, confidence, and repeatable passing habits.