How to Get a Contractor License in Alachua County

Alachua County does not issue its own contractor competency exams for the main construction trades you will see on this site. If you want to pull permits here, the practical path is a Florida state license from the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR), followed by registration with the county Building Division. This page covers the local steps, as published on official Alachua County sites.

Certified vs. registered in Alachua County

A state certified contractor (license number starting with "C") passed the state exams and can contract anywhere in Florida without meeting local competency rules (F.S. 489.105). A state registered contractor (license number starting with "R") holds a local competency license and can contract only where that local license is recognized (F.S. 489.117).

For a new contractor in Alachua County, certification is the route that makes sense. Since 2021, Florida has preempted occupational licensing to the state (F.S. 163.211), and local licenses that existed before 2021 expired on July 1, 2025 unless general law authorizes them. A state certificate also travels with you if you work in Marion, Columbia or any other county.

Register with the Alachua County Building Division

The Alachua County Building Division, part of the Department of Growth Management, reviews plans and inspects permitted work in unincorporated Alachua County and, per the county, "several municipalities." Its office is in the County Annex Building, 10 SW 2nd Avenue, Gainesville.

The county's e-permitting form states that to sign up for e-permitting "you must be a State licensed contractor who is currently registered with the Alachua County Building Department and has an Alachua County Certification number." Two practical points follow:

• Register first, permit second. Your state license number alone does not open the county e-permit system. You need the county certification number that comes with registration.
• Authorized signers. Only signers you have already registered with the department can act for you. The same form is used to add or revoke them when staff change.

Business tax: repealed at the county level

Alachua County is unusual. The Alachua County Tax Collector states that the Board of County Commissioners "passed an ordinance to repeal the Alachua County Local Business Tax," so a county Local Business Tax Receipt "is no longer required." The county permitting page adds that businesses located inside the city limits of Alachua, Archer, Gainesville, Hawthorne, High Springs, LaCrosse, Micanopy, Newberry or Waldo should contact that city about its own local business tax.

So a contractor based in Gainesville may still owe a city receipt even though there is no county one.

Cities in Alachua County

The county seat is Gainesville. Other municipalities named by the county are Alachua, Archer, Hawthorne, High Springs, LaCrosse, Micanopy, Newberry and Waldo. If your job is inside a city that runs its own building department, confirm that city's contractor registration rules before applying.

State license guides

The county steps above come after the state license. For the state side, start with the Florida licensing hub and the trade guides: general contractor, roofing, HVAC, plumbing and electrical. Every CILB construction license, Division I or II, requires the Business and Finance exam: 120 questions, 6.5 hours, 70% to pass. Pearson VUE exam performance reports show a 56% first-time pass rate statewide for that exam in 2025.

Alachua County FAQ

Do I need an Alachua County business tax receipt? No county receipt is required since the county repealed its local business tax. Check with your city if your business is located inside city limits.

Can I file permits online with just my state license? No. The county e-permitting form requires that you be registered with the Building Department and hold an Alachua County certification number.

Does Alachua County give a local contractor exam? We did not find a current county competency exam on official Alachua County pages. Plan on the state exams administered through Pearson VUE.

Who can sign permit applications for my company? Only authorized signers you have registered with the Building Division under your license.

Next step

Whatever trade you hold, a CILB certificate starts with passing Business and Finance. Our Florida Business and Finance Exam Prep covers the full exam outline with timed practice, so you can get the state license before you register in Alachua County.