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Local Contractor Licensing Preemption​​ - HB 735

​​​​​​​Broward County requires contractors in certain construction trades to have a "Certificate of Competency" which is a construction trade license.  Depending upon the trade, the Certificate of Competency license allows the holder to perform contract work and obtain permits to perform contract work within all of the cities, towns, and municipalities within Broward County.  Contracting without a proper qualified person holding a Certificate of Competency is a violation of Broward County Code of Ordinances​.  Fines can and will be imposed on contractors operating without a Certificate of Competency. For more information about Contracting within Broward County, please visit our Contractors​ page. ​


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New Changes with Florida Senate Bill 1142

The Florida Senate has passed and the Florida State Governor signed Senate Bill 1142 which will extend the preemption deadline within House Bill 735 to July 1, 2025.  House Bill 735 states that specific  "Certificate of Competency" licenses issued by local jurisdictions, including those related to construction occupations, will be prohibited after July 1, 2023.  House Bill 1383 had extended the expiration date to July 1, 2024 and Senate Bill 1142 will now extend it one more year to July 1, 2025. 
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NOTE:  You will need to renew your expiring Certificate of Competency affected by Senate Bill 1142 before June 30, 2024.  This includes all contractor Certificate of Competency licenses scheduled to be preempted in House Bill 1383 including Tree Trimmers.  Certificate of Competency licenses not affected by House Bill 735 continue to be on the normal two year renewal schedule.  To verify if your license is up for renewal, please reach out to 954-765-4400 x9876 or email bcsdcl@broward.org​.​​​​​​



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Florida House Bill 735 on the Certificate of Competency

The Florida Legislature approved House Bill 735, which preempts local occupational licenses to the State of Florida, effective July 1, 2021. House Bill 735 states that occupational licenses issued by local jurisdictions, including those related to construction occupations, will be prohibited after July 1, 2025.  Please see the new extension and changes in Senate Bill 1142.

"A jurisdiction having construction-related licensing requirements before January 1, 2021, can continue to license construction-related occupations until July 1, 2023; however, such licensing requirements cannot be modified, and no additional requirements can be added.

Therefore, between now and June 30, 2023, applicants seeking a new license or renewal for those construction-related specialty licenses will be issued a license or have their prior license renewed with an expiration date of June 30, 2023.  Accordingly, the license fee will be prorated to cover only the licensure period between the date of issuance or renewal and the statutory June 30, 2023, end  date."​



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Liquid Petroleum Gas - Class "CLPG", "CLPP", "CLPS", "CLPSI"

Broward County will no longer offer the Liquid Petroleum Gas Certificate of Competency to contractors with the State of Florida changes in House Bill 735.  All cities and municipalities in Broward County will no longer require contractors to carry or show proof of the Broward County Certificate of Competency as of July 1, 2023.  LPG Contractors will be required to carry and show the State of Florida Liquid Petroleum Gas Certificate of Competency (license) only.  






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Status of Broward County Certificates of Competency

Contractor License's preempted by Florida House Bill 735 , extended by House Bill 1383 and updated with Senate Bill 1142. 

Permitting Questions due to HB735 or HB1383

​For permitting questions and licensing requirements, please use the corresponding links below:
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Frequently Asked Questions due to HB735

Frequently asked questions and answers in response to the changed being made with House Bill HB735. If your question is not answered here, please submit it to BCSDCL@broward.org. 

​Q​uestion: If my license categ​ory is being eliminated on July 1, 2023, am I required to obtain another license to perform the same scope of work?
​Answer: You will only need to obtain another license if the scope of work requires a building permit. 


​Question: Are there any other options for licensing and where can I find information?
​Answer: Yes. Broward County and the State of Florida will continue to require and issue contractor licenses for specific scopes of service.  More information can be found on the State of Florida's, Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) website and Broward County's, Building Code, Contractor Licensing website.

​Question: Will license renewals be prorated and how?
​Answer: Yes. Renewal fees in 2022 will be prorated for the nine months the license will be in effect.

​Question: After July 1, 2023, will you need a contractor’s license to obtain a permit?
​Answer: Yes. You will need to have a license issued by Broward County or the State of Florida specific to the category for which a permit is required.

​Question: Does this change mean that all specialty licenses will no longer exist after July 2023? If so, will all specialty contractors go out of business?
​Answer: No. There will still be a limited number of specialty licenses issued by Broward County and the State of Florida. View the list of remaining specialty licenses on our webpage. 

​Question: Will permits be needed for work in these categories after July 2023?
​Answer: Yes, if the scope of work requires a building permit. House Bill HB735 does not affect building permit requirements. Check with your local municipality where the permit is to be obtained for more information.

​Question: What does it mean to be licensed with the State of Florida?
​Answer: License by the state means the state approved and issued that license. 
 
​Question: What does it mean to be registered with the State of Florida?
​Answer: Registered means you have a county-issued license that is substantially equal to the scope of work of a license issued by the state, therefore you must register this license with the state as defined in 489.105(3)(a) - (o) and (q) or authorized in s. 489.1455(1).

​Question: Who should I contact to register my license with the State of Florida?
​Answer: You should contact the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) online at myfloridalicense.com or call 850-487-1395.

​​Question: What happens if my permit does not obtain a final inspection approval and expires after July 1, 2023?
​Answer: The permit must be reissued and can only be reissued to licensed contractors. Check with the municipality where the permit was obtained for specific requirements.

​Question: How will I know which municipality requires permits for projects using affected specialty licenses and which does not?
​Answer: You must contact the municipality’s / building department where the work is being performed for their permit requirements.​