Who licenses electricians in Florida?
Licensing is split between Tallahassee and the counties. The Electrical Contractors' Licensing Board works within the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR). It licenses and regulates electrical and alarm contractors under Chapter 489, Part II, Florida Statutes, and Rule 61G6 of the Florida Administrative Code. That is the extent of the state's role. It licenses the person who qualifies a contracting business. It does not license the electrician pulling wire.
The DBPR says plainly that it does not license or regulate journeyman licenses. If you want a journeyman card, you go to the licensing office of the county or city where you plan to work. Some areas issue journeyman certificates and some do not, and each sets its own test and experience rules. Ask that office before you take a job there.
Certified versus registered contractor
A certified electrical contractor (license prefix EC) has passed the state exam, apart from the few who came in through grandfathering or endorsement. The license is good anywhere in Florida. It covers all electrical work, every specialty category, and all alarm systems, so it is the widest license the board issues.
A registered electrical contractor (ER) started with a local certificate of competency from a county or city and registered it with the board. ER holders can contract only in the places where they hold that local license. They may not contract for alarm systems. Adding another county to a registered license costs $25. A 2023 law, HB 869, reopened grandfathering, so registered contractors can apply to convert to a statewide certified license. The board took those applications starting July 1, 2023.
What the experience requirement really means
To become certified you must meet one experience route. You can show four years as a foreman, supervisor or contractor in the trade within the last eight years. You can show three years of management experience within the last six. Or you can show six years of comprehensive training, technical education or broad experience tied to an electrical contracting business within the last 12. Electrical PEs, military electrical supervisors, and government electrical workers have their own routes, and you can combine routes to reach six years.
For the EC license, at least 40 percent of the experience you claim must be three-phase work. The board looks for one thing in particular. Experience as an in-house or facility electrician does not count as electrical contracting experience. You must have worked for an electrical contractor. You prove your years with W-2s, signed employment verification forms, and job lists showing five jobs for each year you claim.
Exam, insurance and renewal
The state exam has two parts, Technical and Safety, and Business. Pearson VUE delivers it on computer. Once you pass the first part, you have three years to pass the second and apply for your license. Your application then goes before the board at a regular meeting. The board can turn you down even after you pass the exam, usually over weak experience records or poor personal credit.
Before the license is issued, the business needs liability and property damage insurance as required by s. 489.115(5)(a), Florida Statutes, plus workers' compensation coverage under Chapter 440. Both certified and registered licenses renew on August 31 of every even-numbered year. Electrical contractors need 14 hours of continuing education each renewal cycle, including 7 technical hours, and you cannot renew until those hours are done.
Pay
USD a year, before tax. These figures are modeled from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data for May 2025, moved to 2026 with a wage index. State figures are estimates, not official rates. Contractor-owners' income depends on the business and is not reflected here. Union scale, region and specialty all move the number. Refer to the Electricians salary guide for figures from live adverts.
What you need
- Age and characterApplicants for certification must be at least 18 years old and of good moral character.
- Qualifying experienceFour years as foreman, supervisor or contractor in the last eight, three years of management in the last six, or six years of broad electrical contracting experience in the last 12. Other routes exist for PEs, military and government workers.
- Three-phase workFor the EC license, at least 40 percent of the experience you claim must be three-phase services.
- Two-part examPass Technical and Safety plus Business. Both must be passed, and licensure applied for, within three years of passing the first part.
- Financial responsibilityThe board reviews your credit report. Delinquent or collection accounts can lead to denial.
- InsuranceLiability and property damage insurance as required by s. 489.115(5)(a), Florida Statutes, plus workers' compensation coverage under Chapter 440.
- Fees$263.25 to apply for the exam, $123.75 to the test vendor, and $296 for an initial active certified license. An initial active registered license is $151.
State by state
| Statewide (certified EC) | You get this by passing the state exam. You can contract anywhere in Florida, including alarm work. |
|---|---|
| County or city (registered ER) | This starts as a local certificate of competency and is then registered with the state. You can contract only in the jurisdictions where you hold the local license. |
| Journeyman cards | Counties and cities issue these. The state DBPR does not license or regulate journeymen, so the local licensing office sets the requirements. |
How to get there
- Year 0Start in the tradeGet hired by a licensed electrical contractor or join an apprenticeship. Experience with a contractor is what the board counts toward certification.
- Year 3-4Get a local journeyman card if your area requires oneAsk the county or city licensing office where you work. The state does not issue journeyman licenses.
- Year 4-6Build qualifying experienceLog three-phase jobs, keep W-2s, and work toward foreman or supervisor roles. You will need five jobs per year on your job lists.
- Year 6+Pass the state examApply to the board, then book the Technical/Safety and Business exams through Pearson VUE.
- Within 3 years of examApply for the certified licenseSubmit form ECLB 1 with proof of experience, a credit report, and details of the business you will qualify. The board approves it at a meeting.
- OngoingInsure and renewCarry the required liability and workers' comp coverage. Renew every even-numbered year by August 31, with 14 hours of continuing education, including 7 technical hours.
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Questions people ask
Does Florida have a state journeyman electrician license?
No. The DBPR says it does not license or regulate journeyman licenses. Any journeyman card comes from the county or city where you work.
Can I transfer my out-of-state journeyman license to Florida?
The state has nothing to transfer it to, because it issues no journeyman license. Contact the local licensing office where you plan to work and ask what it accepts.
Does Florida have reciprocity for electrical contractors?
Florida licenses out-of-state contractors by endorsement: either 10 years of licensure in another state with a similar scope (form ECLB 14), or a license earned through an exam the board considers substantially similar. Exam-based endorsement applicants must still pass the Florida Business exam.
Does facility maintenance experience count toward the contractor license?
Usually not. The board does not treat work as an electrician for a facility as electrical contracting experience. You need to have worked for an electrical contractor.
Can a Florida electrical contractor install solar PV?
Yes. Photovoltaic work falls within the scope of both certified and registered electrical contractor licenses. Solar water heating systems need a license from the Construction Industry Licensing Board.
How often do Florida electrical contractor licenses renew?
Every two years, on August 31 of even-numbered years. Certified and registered electrical contractors each need 14 hours of continuing education per cycle, including 7 technical hours.
Sources
- Florida DBPR: Electrical Contractors' Licensing Board FAQs
- Florida DBPR: Electrical Contractors license types and applications
- Florida DBPR: Electrical Contractors hot topics
- Florida DBPR: Form ECLB 1, initial certification by examination
- Florida DBPR: Electrical examinations
- Florida DBPR: Exam endorsement and reciprocity list
- Florida DBPR: Electrical Contractors' Licensing Board fact sheet on insurance requirements
- North Carolina State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors: Florida reciprocity
