Highlands County, in Florida's Heartland around Sebring, Avon Park and Lake Placid, runs contractor licensing through its Building Division. Two things set it apart: the county repealed its own business tax in 2006, and the county has posted a notice about the 2025 change in state law that limits which specialty licenses a county may issue.
Certified or registered: the state side
Florida has two kinds of construction license. A certified contractor (license number starting with "C") passed the state exam and may contract anywhere in Florida. A registered contractor (number starting with "R") holds a local certificate of competency and may contract only in the jurisdictions where that local license is held (F.S. 489.105, F.S. 489.117). Every Division I and Division II certified license issued by the Construction Industry Licensing Board requires passing the state Business and Finance exam. Electrical and alarm licenses come from a separate board and use their own exam.
Highlands County Building Division
The Building Division is part of Development Services at 501 S. Commerce Ave. in Sebring. It handles permits, codes, inspections and contractor licensing. Zoning questions (setbacks, allowed uses) go to the county's Planning and Zoning staff instead.
The 2025 specialty license notice
The Building Division posts this notice for contractors: as of July 1, 2025, changes to section 489.117, F.S. affect how local governments issue specialty contractor licenses. Local governments may now license only specialty contractor types that substantially match categories recognized by the Florida Construction Industry Licensing Board. If you hold an older local specialty license, ask the Building Division how it is treated now.
Contractor accounts in eTRAKiT
Licensed contractors must create a contractor account in the county's eTRAKiT portal. The county's rules:
| Situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| Already licensed with the county and email on file | Do not create a new account. Search for your company's HC number, use it as your username, and reset your password |
| More than one license type | One account per license type (for example, one for a Class B license and one for plumbing) |
| Employees and superintendents | Create a public user account, not a contractor account |
The division's online forms include a Certified Application Package for state certified contractors and an Applicant Registration Package.
Business tax receipt
According to the Highlands County Tax Collector, the Board of County Commissioners repealed the county occupational license (business tax) ordinance on July 24, 2006. There is no county business tax receipt. The cities can still issue their own: if your business is in the City of Sebring, City of Avon Park or Town of Lake Placid, check that municipality's requirements.
State license guides
| License | Guide |
|---|---|
| General, building, residential (Division I) | General contractor license |
| Roofing | Roofing license |
| Air conditioning A and B | HVAC license |
| Plumbing | Plumbing license |
| Electrical (separate board) | Electrical license |
Highlands County FAQ
Do I need a Highlands County business tax receipt? No county receipt is required since the 2006 repeal. A city receipt may apply if you are located in Sebring, Avon Park or Lake Placid.
Can the county still issue me a local specialty license? Only for specialty types that substantially match a CILB category, per the county's notice on the July 1, 2025 change to F.S. 489.117.
I hold two license types. Do I need two eTRAKiT accounts? Yes. The county asks for one contractor account per license type.
Next step
A state certified license avoids county-by-county licensing and is valid in Highlands and every other county. Every CILB certified license requires the Business and Finance exam; our Florida Business & Finance Exam Prep covers it in full.