How to Get an Electrician License in Florida: Certified Contractors, Registered Contractors and Local Journeymen

Who licenses electricians in Florida?

Two layers. The state's Electrical Contractors' Licensing Board (ECLB), part of the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR), licenses the businesses and their qualifying contractors. Individual journeymen are a local matter. The ECLB FAQ is direct about it: DBPR "does not license or regulate journeymen," and anyone seeking a journeyman license should contact the county licensing office where they plan to work (ECLB FAQ).

What's the difference between a certified and a registered electrical contractor?

Where you can work. A certified contractor passes the state exam and "can work anywhere within the State of Florida." A registered contractor holds a local county or municipal certificate of competency and can work only in the jurisdictions where that local license applies (ECLB FAQ). If you plan to grow past one county, certification is the license to aim for.

What are the Florida electrical license types?

How do you become a certified electrical contractor in Florida?

1. 1

   Get your local journeyman card first (usually)

   Most electricians work under a journeyman card from their county while they build experience. It's not a state requirement for certification, but it's how most people document hands-on years. Ask your county licensing office for its rules.

2. 2

   Build qualifying experience

   The ECLB accepts several options, including three years of management experience in the trade within the last six years, or a qualifying combination totaling six years. For the EC category, at least 40% of the experience must be 3-phase service work (ECLB FAQ). Back it up with W-2s, signed employment verifications or job lists showing five jobs per year claimed.

3. 3

   Apply to the ECLB and pay $263.25

   Application fees are non-refundable. Once DBPR approves you, pay the $123.75 computer-based exam fee to the vendor (ECLB FAQ).

4. 4

   Pass both exam sections at Pearson VUE

   The Business section has 50 scored questions in 2½ hours and the Technical/Safety section 100 questions in 5 hours, both open book. You need 75% on each (DBPR CIB). Passing scores stay valid for three years.

5. 5

   Show insurance and workers' comp

   ECLB requires $300,000 per occurrence and $500,000 property damage, plus $100,000 per person or an $800,000 combined single limit, including products and completed operations. The certificate must list workers' comp coverage and a real policy number; binders aren't accepted (ECLB FAQ).

6. 6

   Get licensed and track your renewal cycle

   Pay the $296 initial active license fee. Renew by August 31 of each even year with 11 hours of CE, 6 of them technical (ECLB FAQ). You can't renew without the CE.

What's on the Florida electrical contractor exam?

Two computer-based, open-book parts given by Pearson VUE: Business (50 scored questions, 2½ hours) and Technical/Safety (100 scored questions, 5 hours). The minimum passing score for each is 75%, and the booklet effective February 2026 references the 2023 edition of NFPA 70, the National Electrical Code (DBPR CIB). Fail the Technical/Safety part, or fail Business three times, and you file a $67.25 retake application (ECLB FAQ).

How do Florida journeyman electrician cards work?

Each county or city writes its own rules, so there's no single answer. As one example, Palm Beach County's journeyman application (form revised 2019) accepts a 4-year registered apprenticeship, 2 apprenticeship years plus 3 years of practical experience, or 6 years of full-time work under a certified electrical contractor. It requires 75% on the trade exam and charges a $100 application fee (Palm Beach County). Your county may differ, and older forms may be out of date, so confirm with the local board.

Can you use an out-of-state electrical license in Florida?

Florida offers licensure by endorsement, not automatic reciprocity. You must show the required experience plus either ten years of licensure in another state (active within the last two years) or a license earned by passing an exam substantially similar to Florida's for that category. DBPR keeps an endorsement list of qualifying exams, and reviews can take several months (ECLB FAQ). Out-of-state journeymen go to the county instead.

Starting your own electrical contracting business in Florida

Certification is the license; the business still needs its own setup. Plan for these before your first invoice.

• Workers' comp: up to three officers can be exempt, but qualifiers and non-officer employees must be covered (ECLB FAQ).
• Insurance: keep the ECLB liability limits above in force and on file (ECLB FAQ).
• Taxes: sales and use tax on materials and how your entity files are covered in Florida contractor taxes and licensing.
• Business setup: entity, pricing and your first customers are covered in how to start an electrical business.