How to Get a Contractor License in Miami-Dade County

Miami-Dade County has the most developed local contractor regulation in Florida. It runs its own licensing board, its own product approval program, and it sits in the Florida Building Code's High-Velocity Hurricane Zone. A contractor moving here from elsewhere in Florida should plan for all three.

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.

Local licensing: Chapter 10 and the CTQB

Miami-Dade County Code Chapter 10 and Florida Statutes Chapter 489 both require contractors to be licensed. The county's Department of Regulatory and Economic Resources (RER) regulates licensed contractors and enforces against unlicensed ones through the Contractor Licensing and Contractor Enforcement Section of the Board and Code Administration Division.

The Construction Trades Qualifying Board (CTQB) screens applicants for local exams, reviews license applications, and considers discipline. It meets monthly as two divisions:

Local certificate of competency: key numbers

For general, building and residential contractors, the county's license page lists:

• One to four years of proven field experience, documented with employer letters or W-2s
• An open-book exam passed at 70% or higher (journeymen need 75%, per the exam page)
• A $315 personal application, plus $315 for the business portion
• Liability and workers' compensation insurance after Board approval

Exams are offered several times a month in English or Spanish. The application deadline is about four weeks before the exam date. The county also posts a notice on contractor license category preemption, reflecting state limits on local specialty licenses.

Registering a state certified license

State certified contractors complete the county's Florida Certified Contractor License Registration and Verification so their license can be entered into the department's database for online services, permits and inspections. Required: a copy of the state license, the general liability certificate, the workers' compensation certificate or exemption (issued to the qualifier and the qualifying company), a driver's license, and the last four digits of the qualifier's Social Security number. The county notes this verification is valid only in unincorporated Miami-Dade; for work inside a municipality, check that city's building department.

High-Velocity Hurricane Zone and product approval

The Florida Building Code sets a single design wind speed for each risk category in the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone counties, Miami-Dade and Broward (Florida Building Commission fact sheet). For Miami-Dade, the Risk Category IV speed is 195 mph. The HVHZ has its own roofing chapter and test protocols.

Miami-Dade's Product Control Section issues Notices of Acceptance (NOA) for windows, doors, shutters, roofing and other envelope products. The county's product approval notices say the Ninth Edition of the Florida Building Code takes effect December 31, 2026, and that HVHZ roofing changes will affect some current NOAs, including roofing underlayments and hip and ridge shingles. Check that each product you install has a current approval for the code edition in effect.

Notice of Commencement thresholds

The county's owner and contractor guidance notes that a Notice of Commencement must be recorded for improvements over $2,500, except repair or replacement of an existing HVAC system under $7,500. See our construction lien law guide.

Business tax receipts

The Miami-Dade Tax Collector requires a county local business tax receipt for each place of business and each separate classification. Businesses located in a municipality need both a city receipt and a county receipt. Receipts run October 1 to September 30 and are filed online through BTExpress.

Major cities

Miami, Hialeah, Miami Gardens, Miami Beach, Homestead, Doral, Coral Gables and North Miami.

State license guides

Miami-Dade County FAQ

Does my county registration let me pull permits in the City of Miami? No. The county's state certified verification applies to unincorporated Miami-Dade. Check with the city's building department for its registration rules.

Do I need a Miami-Dade NOA or just a Florida product approval? Work in the HVHZ follows HVHZ requirements, and Miami-Dade issues NOAs for products used there. Confirm the approval with the building department for your jurisdiction.

What score passes the Miami-Dade local exam? 70% for contractors and 75% for journeymen, per the county.

My office is in Doral. How many business tax receipts? Two: one from the city and one from Miami-Dade County.

Next step

A Miami-Dade certificate of competency only works locally. A state certified license works in Miami-Dade and statewide, and it starts with the Business and Finance exam. Prepare with our Florida Business & Finance Exam Prep.