How to Get a Contractor License in Martin County

Martin County, home to Stuart, Jupiter Island and Hobe Sound, has an active local licensing system run by the Licensing Division of the county Building Department and the Martin County Construction Industry Licensing Board. All state licensed contractors must register with the Building Department.

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.

Licensing in Martin County

The Licensing Division enforces contractor compliance under state statutes and county rules. All contractors working in Martin County must be licensed and insured, and only homeowners and licensed contractors may pull permits. The county reminds owners that an occupational license is not a contractor license.

The county's fire permit FAQ states two rules that apply to every trade:

1. A Martin County business license is required for all contractors doing business in the county (excluding the City of Stuart and Sewall's Point).
2. All state licensed contractors must register with the Martin County Building Department.

Local certificates of competency

The application for a certificate of competency goes to the Martin County Construction Industry Licensing Board. It refers applicants to HB 735 and HB 1383 for licensing changes, and requires:

Complete applications are presented at a Board meeting. The county also takes applications for journeyman electrician and plumber licenses.

Business tax receipts

A business tax receipt is required for any business located in unincorporated Martin County, after zoning approval from the Growth Management Department. Businesses in the City of Stuart, Town of Sewall's Point, Town of Ocean Breeze or Village of Indiantown get zoning approval from that municipality first. According to the Tax Collector, a business inside a city needs both a municipal license and a county receipt, and the city license must come first.

Communities

Stuart (county seat), Indiantown, Jupiter Island, Ocean Breeze, Sewall's Point, plus unincorporated Palm City, Jensen Beach and Hobe Sound.

State license guides

Martin County FAQ

I am state certified. Must I register with Martin County? Yes. The county says all state licensed contractors must register with the Building Department.

My shop is in Stuart. Which business tax receipts do I need? A City of Stuart license first, then a Martin County receipt from the Tax Collector.

What score does Martin County accept for reciprocity? At least 75% on a standardized exam, documented with a letter of reciprocity.

Next step

Martin County's local board asks for credit references and experience affidavits, the same themes behind the state B&F exam's financial and business content. A state certified license is valid here and statewide; prepare for its Business and Finance exam with our Florida Business & Finance Exam Prep.