Florida electrical contractor license: what your EC or ER license lets you do, and your first 30 days

Published November 8, 2026 · Law checked November 8, 2026

• Free to read. The 30-day checklist is also a free printable (Google Docs, Word or PDF). The files come by email.
• Deepsel is our product: free estimate, invoice and scheduling software for contractors (scheduling, quotes, invoicing, card payments). The section before the FAQ says where it fits and where it doesn't.
• Not legal advice. Every rule here links to the statute, rule or official page it comes from. Ask the ECLB, your building department or a Florida attorney before you bet a job on my reading.

A certified Florida electrical contractor license (EC) lets your business contract for any electrical work anywhere in the state, every alarm system and every electrical specialty included, with no dollar limit per job. A registered license (ER) covers the same electrical work, but only in the counties and cities where you hold a local certificate of competency, and it leaves out alarm systems.^1,6,10 Either way the license is issued in the qualifier's name with your business printed on it, and the Electrical Contractors' Licensing Board (ECLB) expects $300,000 per occurrence of liability cover, workers' comp or an exemption, and your license number on every quote and ad before the first job.^3,7

Four things catch new Florida shops. Your license number has to be on "each offer of services, business proposal, or advertisement," and the board fines at least $100 when it's missing.³ FPL books disconnect and reconnect appointments one to two weeks out and won't reconnect until the building department sends it a passed inspection.¹⁹ The Florida Building Code is scheduled to move to its 9th edition, built on the 2023 National Electrical Code, on December 31, 2026.¹⁶ And low-voltage and data wiring needs a license in Florida too: your EC or ER covers it, but an ER can't take alarm work.¹¹

About 100 new Florida electrical businesses a month land on this page: roughly 101 new EC licenses, 16 ER, 11 specialty (ES) and about 20 alarm (EF and EG) in the 30 days to November 8, 2026, plus businesses newly qualified by someone who has held a license for years. Below: what each license lets you take, how the ECLB ties the license to your business, the specialty, low-voltage and alarm rules, where your license stops, permits, the utilities, a "can I take this job?" table, a 30-day checklist and what crossing the line costs. What your residential contracts must say, and how much deposit you can take, is in Florida construction contract requirements. The construction board side (CILB licenses, qualifying a business, the $2,500 handyman line) is in Florida general contractor license, and getting paid when a customer won't is in Florida mechanics lien.

The 30-day checklist is also a printable: make your own copy in Google Docs (lands in your Drive), download the Word version (.docx), or download the PDF. Pick a format, enter your email and I'll send the links. It's the same list as on this page, with tick boxes and blanks for your license number, portal logins, policy numbers and renewal dates.

Florida electrical license basics: certified (EC) or registered (ER)

The ECLB, part of the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR), licenses electrical and alarm contractors under chapter 489, Part II of the Florida Statutes and rule division 61G6.^1,11 The first letter on your license number tells you what you hold:

Sources for the table: license types and scope,^1,6,8,10 renewal dates and fees.^10,11

DBPR's own short version: "Certified licensees can work anywhere within the State of Florida," while registered licensees "can only work in the counties or municipalities where they hold a local license."¹¹ To work in another county on an ER, you meet that county's requirements first and then ask DBPR to add it to your registration ($25).^2,11 The construction board (CILB) runs the same certified and registered split for general, HVAC, plumbing and roofing contractors under Part I of chapter 489 (see Florida general contractor license).

There are no dollar limits. Florida has no class A, B or C for electrical contractors, and an EC's scope applies to houses, commercial buildings and public property alike, including "any excavation, paving, and other related work incidental thereto."⁶ The only residential-only license is the Residential Electrical specialty, covered below.

The license is in the qualifier's name, with your business on it

Florida doesn't give your company its own electrical license. A licensed person qualifies it. "The name of the approved business entity will appear on the contractor's individual license," DBPR says, and a contractor working without a business name gets the word "INDIVIDUAL" instead.¹² What that means for you:

• Who can qualify. At least one officer or supervising employee must be licensed in the category of work the business does.³ DBPR puts it plainly: "Primary qualifying agents must be an officer or a supervising employee of the business."¹¹
• What the qualifier answers for. A primary qualifying agent is responsible "for supervision of all operations of the business organization; for all field work at all sites; and for financial matters, both for the organization in general and for each specific job," and has approval authority over the company's checks, payments and contracts.^3,7 A second licensee can join as a secondary qualifying agent, who answers only for the jobs pulled on his or her license.³
• Changes. Report changes to the officers or other information on the application within 45 days, and a change of name or address within 30.^3,7
• If the qualifier leaves. The qualifier tells the board within 30 days. If that person was the only qualifier, the business has 60 days to qualify someone else, and operating past day 60 without one is a misdemeanor. The departing qualifier has 60 days to transfer the license to another business, qualify as an individual, or put it on inactive status.^3,5

Florida's qualifier rules differ from the 11 states in our electrical qualifier guide in two ways. Florida lets one person qualify more than one business, but only with board approval after showing "both the capacity and intent to adequately supervise each business organization," and DBPR puts the applicant in front of the board to make that case.^3,11 And the board treats a paper-only qualifier as evasion: when a certificateholder lets companies use the certificate "without having any active participation in the operations or management of said companies, such act constitutes prima facie evidence of an intent to evade."⁵ The going rate one Florida electrician quoted in 2025 was "40K/YR plus profit share, (for jist providing the QP)." The reply: "That is laughable compared to the liability."³⁰

If you just qualified a new business with a license you already hold

Some readers have held their license for years and just put a new company on it. If you still qualify your first company, the new one is an "Additional Business Qualification": DBPR charges $542, the application has to be complete 30 days before a board meeting, you appear before the board, and you get a separate document with its own number to pull permits for that business. Your first license has to stay active, or the additional qualification stops being valid. Moving your license from one business to another is a transfer instead ($146 certified, $46 registered).¹¹ A new company you qualify goes through the business checks: a credit report, and a financial statement showing at least $10,000 of net worth for an electrical or alarm contractor ($5,000 for a specialty). A transfer to a business that is already qualified skips them.^7,13 The company's insurance certificate has to name it exactly (see the checklist below).

What your Florida electrical contractor license covers

The statute calls an EC an "unlimited electrical contractor": wiring, fixtures, appliances, apparatus, raceways and conduit "which generates, transmits, transforms, or utilizes electrical energy in any form, including the electrical installations and systems within plants and substations."¹ On the jobs that raise questions:

• Alarms and specialties. A certified EC's scope "includes the work of a certified alarm system contractor," and board rule adds every specialty category.^6,8 DBPR: "A certified electrical contractor license (EC) covers all types of electrical and alarm work."¹¹
• Alarms on an ER. "Alarm contracting is not within the scope of work for the ER license."¹¹ An ER may bid a job that includes alarm work but has to sub it, except the raceways, to a certified or registered alarm contractor, and may install residential smoke and heat detectors.⁶
• Solar. DBPR: "solar electric is within the scope of the certified and registered electrical contractor's licenses." Solar water heating isn't; that takes a construction board license.¹¹
• Being the prime. A certified contractor can be the prime "when the majority of the work to be performed under the contract is within the scope of his or her license" and sub the rest to other licensed contractors. You don't need a construction board license for work inside your own scope.^2,6
• Signs and lighting. Both are inside an EC. The sign and lighting maintenance specialties exist for shops that do only that.^8,11

Florida specialty electrical licenses (ES and ET)

The 11 or so specialty licenses issued a month fall into six categories set by rule 61G6-7.001. Each is a slice of what an EC can do.⁸

The non-electrical signs were added by a 2024 law.¹¹ The CE load for a specialty license is 7 hours a cycle, not 11.²

Florida low voltage license: what needs one

This is the rule that surprises electricians moving in from other states. DBPR says that if you are "installing wiring within a structure for any reason," cable TV, satellite, speakers and computer networks included, "a license is required." Any wiring under 98 volts can be done by someone holding a Limited Energy Systems specialty, an alarm system contractor I or II, an electrical contractor or a Residential Electrical specialty license.¹¹ Your EC or ER covers it.

The exemptions in section 489.503 are narrow. They cover employees, contractors and affiliates of companies certificated as telephone or cable providers, low-voltage landscape lighting with a factory cord and plug that needs no wiring changes, and lightning rods. Even the telephone and cable exemption doesn't relieve anyone from licensure as an alarm contractor.¹ DBPR's answer to "Am I exempt?" is "Probably not," and it warns that unlicensed activity "can carry a fine of up top $5000 per offense."¹¹

Florida alarm system contractor license: EF, EG and the agents who work for you

About 20 of the month's new licenses are alarm system contractors. Alarm system contractor I (EF) covers "all types of alarm systems for all purposes." Alarm system contractor II (EG) covers all of them "other than fire."¹ A certified alarm contractor's scope runs from the alarm control panel under the NEC alarm and communications articles and NFPA 72, and takes in wiring up to 98 volts for data, proprietary video, central vacuum and electric locks. A 2025 law added "surveillance cameras" to that list from July 1, 2025.^1,15 The registered versions (EY, EZ, and EJ for residential burglar alarms) work only where you hold the local license.¹⁰

The part that trips up new alarm shops is the people. Any employee who installs, services, monitors or sells burglar or fire alarms is an alarm system agent, and before you send them out:^4,11

• 14 hours of board-approved training, with at least 2 on false alarm prevention, within 90 days of hire. Until then they work "under the direction and control" of your licensed company, and if the training and background check aren't done by day 90, "the employment must be terminated immediately."
• A fingerprint and criminal background check from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, updated at each renewal.
• A photo ID card in the board's format, signed by you and the agent, valid 2 years, carried on every job.
• 6 hours of continuing education every 2 years.
• Exempt from the training: state-certified electrical and alarm contractors, local journeyman electricians, and helpers working under "direct, onsite, continuous supervision." DBPR adds that a licensed journeyman still needs the agent card and the 6-hour renewal course.
• Fire alarm agents can only be employed by a certified unlimited electrical contractor or a licensed fire alarm contractor. An ER can't hire one.
• Sales reps too. A 1099 salesperson selling monitored alarms doesn't work: DBPR says the person "must be licensed or be an employee of a licensed alarm contractor."

Two installation rules: every audible alarm you install needs a device that silences it within 15 minutes (fire alarms excepted), and hardwired low-voltage alarm jobs use a permit label instead of a full permit (permits section below).^4,15 Electrical contractors who do alarm work add 2 hours of false alarm prevention to their 11 hours of CE.²

Journeymen, helpers and supervision

There is no state journeyman or master electrician license in Florida. DBPR "does not license or regulate the journeyman's license" and sends people to the county.¹¹ Counties and cities may issue journeyman licenses, and since a 2024 amendment every county and city "must recognize" a journeyman license issued by any other Florida county or city.⁶

State law sets no apprentice-to-journeyman ratio for electrical work that I could find in Part II or the board's rules. Your employees can work under your license without their own, as long as they act within its scope "with the knowledge and permission of the licenseholder," and the statute defines an employee as someone you pay, supervise and run through payroll with FICA, withholding and workers' comp.¹ An unlicensed electrician you pay on a 1099 isn't that, and employing "persons who are not certified or registered to practice contracting" is a misdemeanor.⁵

Local rules add to that. State law lets a county or city require one journeyman on site to supervise or do the work on industrial or commercial new construction of 50,000 square feet or more where the work is over 77 volts.⁶ Miami-Dade goes further in its own code: "There shall be at least one journeyman for every three trainees on each construction or installation job site for which a permit is required," and work stops until journeymen are provided.²⁸ I read only Miami-Dade's page. Ask each building department you'll work in whether it has a journeyman rule, and staff to it.

Where your license stops

The statute tells you to "subcontract the work of any other craft for which an examination for a certificate of competency or registration or a license is required."⁶ On the jobs electricians get asked about:

• Gas lines. The gas line to a standby generator, range or pool heater is plumbing contractor work: Florida's plumbing scope includes "the installation of water, natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas and related venting." A propane installer licensed by the Department of Agriculture under chapter 527 can do LP gas work too.^1,14 Wire the generator and transfer switch, and sub the gas line.
• HVAC equipment. Setting the condenser or air handler and the refrigerant work belong to an air-conditioning or mechanical contractor. Their scope also lets them "replace, disconnect, or reconnect power wiring on the line or load side of the dedicated existing electrical disconnect switch on single phase electrical systems" and repair or replace breakers and disconnects on dedicated HVAC circuits. It excludes other "electrical power wiring."¹⁴ A new circuit is yours; a like-for-like changeout at an existing disconnect may be theirs. Agree the split in writing.
• Water heaters and pools. You wire them. The tank, piping and pool equipment belong to the plumbing and pool/spa contractors.¹⁴ A pool contractor may reconnect a pump or heater on the load side of its existing disconnect, but a new or upgraded circuit is yours; the Florida pool contractor license page has their side of that line.³¹
• Alarm systems on an ER. Sub them to a certified or registered alarm contractor (above).
• Solar water heating. A construction board license. Solar PV is yours.¹¹
• Lead paint in pre-1978 homes. Florida doesn't run its own lead renovation program, so EPA's rule applies directly. Cutting into painted walls for pay in a home built before 1978 needs an EPA-certified firm and a certified renovator, unless it's minor repair: "6 square feet or less of painted surface per room for interior activities or 20 square feet or less" outside, and "Jobs ... performed in the same room within the same 30 days must be considered the same job." The federal civil penalty is up to $49,772 per violation.²⁷
• Digging. Before you trench for a service, feeder or hot tub circuit, notify Sunshine 811 at least 2 full business days ahead. Skipping it is a noncriminal infraction with a $500 civil penalty, and more around hazardous pipelines.²⁶

Florida electrical permits and inspections

Florida has one statewide building code, and the city or county building department enforces it. You may not "construct, erect, alter, modify, repair, or demolish any building" without a permit from the local enforcing agency.¹⁵

Which code, and the December 31, 2026 change

The code in force is the Florida Building Code, 8th edition (2023), adopted by rule 61G20-1.001.¹⁶ The Florida Building Commission built that edition on the 2020 NEC, and it took effect December 31, 2023. The 9th edition (2026) is built on the 2023 NEC, the Commission's schedule gives it an effective date of December 31, 2026, and the rule adopting it was proposed on September 23, 2026.¹⁶ Under the current code each permit application is dated with "the code in effect as of that date."¹⁶ So for jobs quoted in November and December, ask the building department which edition your permit falls under.

What needs a permit, and who pulls it

• Small jobs. A 2026 law makes local governments exempt work under $7,500 on a single-family property from permits, but the exemption leaves out "Any electrical, plumbing, structural, mechanical, or gas work." Electrical work stays permitted.¹⁵ I didn't find a statewide list of electrical jobs that skip a permit in the code sections I read, so ask the building department before you skip one on a device swap.
• Your license number. You "affix the number of his or her registration or certification to each application for a building permit," and the building department checks it before issuing.³
• What a city or county can ask of an EC. Your current certificate, the business tax receipt from the jurisdiction where your main office is, and the permit fee.² It can't add "any additional certification or licensure," though it may require one bond of up to $5,000 per contractor, tied to code compliance.⁶ Another county can't charge you its business tax for "work or services performed on a temporary or transitory basis" there.²⁹
• Owner-builders. A homeowner can pull an electrical permit for their own single-family or duplex home, but they must personally appear and sign, the exemption covers only the owner's own work, and it "does not exempt any person who is employed by such owner and who acts in the capacity of a contractor."¹ If a customer offers to pull the permit to save you the fee, you're still contracting.
• Private inspectors. Since July 1, 2025, on a single-family or two-family dwelling you can use a private provider for a "single-trade inspection," which explicitly covers "alteration or installation of wiring, lighting, and service panels" and solar and storage, by notifying the building official before the next scheduled inspection.¹⁵
• Low-voltage alarm jobs. Building departments sell uniform permit labels for no more than $40, valid for a year in that jurisdiction. Post one on site before you start and file a "Uniform Notice of a Low-Voltage Alarm System Project" within 14 days after you finish. Wireless alarm systems need no permit. Fire alarms that need a plan review aren't covered.¹⁵
• How long it lasts. A permit for a single-family dwelling expires 1 year after it's issued or when the next code edition takes effect, whichever is later.¹⁵

FPL, Duke Energy, TECO, JEA, OUC and the co-ops

The state's energy office lists five investor-owned utilities, 35 city-owned ones and 18 cooperatives.²⁴ The 200-amp service upgrade is where your permit, the inspector and the utility meet, and each big utility has its own rule for the meter seal and the reconnect. Breaking a meter seal is also on the list of things section 812.14 of the Florida Statutes makes unlawful, so follow each utility's rule.²⁵

FPL

• Requests go through the FPL Project Portal. A service disconnect and reconnect is self-service for single-phase residential service only, "and appointments can be scheduled 1-2 weeks after creating your application." An appointment can't run past four hours, or FPL "cannot guarantee that service will be reconnected on the same day."¹⁹
• The reconnect waits for the inspection: "FPL is required to receive the electrical inspection directly from the AHJ. FPL is unable to schedule your reconnection appointment without this inspection." If the upgrade needs a bigger meter enclosure and panel, FPL wants "a set of finalized and approved plans from the AHJ before proceeding with any work."¹⁹
• The meter and seal are FPL's. The exception: with FPL's approval, a licensed electrical contractor may do the disconnect on a single-phase overhead service with a main of 300 amps or less, after booking the reconnect, cutting on the load side of FPL's connection, and never pulling a meter from an energized socket. "Electrical contractors are not allowed to reconnect the service."¹⁹
• Upgrades that need new FPL equipment get an FPL project manager and need load and panel details, your schedule and the permits.¹⁹ See FPL's project types page.

Duke Energy Florida

• Register for the Builder Portal. The Florida builders line is 866.372.4663, Monday to Friday 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.²⁰
• Duke "can make connection only when ... the Company has been notified by the authority having jurisdiction that the installation has been approved."²⁰
• Duke has a written contractor sealing policy: "When a licensed electrical contractor removes a Company seal, said contractor shall replace the seal with a tie wrap type with a tab displaying the contractor's name and telephone number and shall notify the Company in a timely manner." Keep tagged tie wraps on the truck.²⁰

Tampa Electric (TECO)

Call (813) 635-1500 in advance of a service change and book a disconnect and reconnect appointment. TECO's exception for a licensed electrician disconnecting a single-phase overhead service of 300 amps or less, with TECO's approval and a reconnect booked first, matches FPL's. New service requests are online from its construction page.²¹

JEA and OUC

• JEA (Jacksonville): disconnects go through the JEA Customer Experience Center, and "Only JEA personnel will perform the disconnection and/or removal of the service conductors and removal of all meters." When a single-family customer increases service size, the service has to be brought up to JEA's current rules.²²
• OUC (Orlando): use the Change Service Request form "if you need to upgrade your electrical service."²³

The co-ops and city utilities

Read the name on the meter before you quote. The Florida Electric Cooperatives Association lists the co-ops, from SECO Energy, Withlacoochee, Clay and Lee County to Florida Keys Electric.²⁴ Find that utility's service requirements and write down who may pull the meter and how the inspection reaches them.

Can I take this job? A table for Florida electrical contractors

The verdicts assume a certified EC (or an ER working where it's registered), qualified for your business, with the ECLB insurance in force and a licensed employee doing the work.

Sources for the table: scope and exemptions,^1,6,8,10,11 other trades,¹⁴ permits,¹⁵ alarm agents,⁴ local rules,^2,29 utilities,^19,20,21,22 811,²⁶ lead.²⁷

Your first 30 days: a checklist for a new Florida electrical contractor

This is the same list as the printable. Week 1 keeps you legal on the next job. The rest keeps a service upgrade from stalling for two weeks while the customer waits for power.

Week 1: license and paperwork

1. Look yourself up on DBPR's Verify a Licensee. Write down the license number, the type (EC, ER, ES, EF, EG), the business name printed on it, the expiration date and, for a registered license, every county and city listed.¹²
2. If the business is an LLC or corporation, check it's active with the Division of Corporations; DBPR asks for its certificate of status. Trading under any other name than the one licensed or registered means registering a fictitious name with the Division, after a newspaper notice.^11,29
3. Confirm the qualifier is an officer or a supervising employee and has authority over checks, payments and contracts.^3,7
4. Get the local business tax receipt where your main office is. That receipt and your certificate are what other building departments ask to see.^2,29
5. Registered license: confirm your local certificate of competency is current in each place you'll work, and add counties through DBPR ($25 each) after meeting their local rules.^2,11
6. Put your license number on every quote, proposal, contract, ad, website and truck sign. Missing numbers draw a fine of at least $100 or a citation, and DBPR lists vehicle signs by name.^3,11

Week 2: insurance and people

7. General liability at the ECLB minimum: $100,000 per person and $300,000 per occurrence plus $500,000 of property damage, or $800,000 combined single limit, including completed operations and products. The certificate names "DBPR/Electrical Board" as certificate holder, the insured exactly as the qualified business, a policy number (not a binder) and 30 days' notice of cancellation.^7,11,13 Keep it in force without a gap: the board audits at least 10% of licensees, who get 30 days to send proof.⁷
8. Workers' comp. In construction it's required once you have one employee. Up to three corporate officers, or LLC members owning at least 10%, can file an exemption with the Division of Workers' Compensation ($50). The statute counts a construction sole proprietor as an employee, and the ECLB's application warns that "as an individual or sole proprietorship you may not be eligible for the workers' compensation exemption."^13,17 If you told DBPR you'd get an exemption, it's due within 30 days after the license was issued.²
9. Subcontractors: get each sub's certificate of workers' comp or exemption, because you're liable for comp to their employees if they have none, and look up each license.¹⁷
10. Put helpers on payroll as W-2 employees, and check whether the counties you work in require journeymen on site (Miami-Dade: one per three trainees).^1,28
11. Alarm work: start each installer's 14-hour agent training and FDLE fingerprint check, and issue ID cards, within 90 days of hire.⁴

Weeks 3 and 4: utilities, permits and digging

12. FPL: create a Project Portal account. Book disconnect and reconnect appointments 1 to 2 weeks ahead, and make sure the building department sends FPL the inspection.¹⁹
13. Duke Energy Florida: register on the Builder Portal, save 866.372.4663, and carry tie-wrap seals tagged with your company name and phone.²⁰
14. TECO: save (813) 635-1500 for service change appointments. JEA: disconnects through the Customer Experience Center. OUC: the Change Service Request form.^21,22,23
15. Co-op or city utility: download its service requirements and write down who pulls the meter.²⁴
16. Open a permit portal account with each building department you'll work in. Ask whether it requires a contractor bond (up to $5,000), and how it takes private provider inspections.^6,15
17. Alarm shops: buy low-voltage alarm permit labels in each jurisdiction you'll work in (no more than $40 each, valid a year).¹⁵
18. Before any trench, notify Sunshine 811 at least 2 full business days ahead.²⁶
19. Pre-1978 homes: get the firm EPA-certified and someone through the certified renovator course.²⁷

On the calendar

20. December 31, 2026: the 9th edition Florida Building Code (2023 NEC) is scheduled to take effect. Ask which edition your open and upcoming permits fall under.¹⁶
21. August 31, 2028: your license expires, like every ECLB license, on August 31 of an even year. $296 certified or $121 registered, $25 more if late, and you can't renew without your CE done. Registered ECLB licenses renew in even years too, unlike the construction board's.^10,11
22. CE for that first renewal, by my reading of rule 61G6-9.004: licensed 12 or more months before August 31, 2028, an electrical contractor needs 5 hours (business, workers' comp, workplace safety, and laws and rules, an hour each, plus one more; false alarm prevention if you do alarm work), and an alarm or specialty contractor needs 4. After that it's 11 hours, or 7.⁹
23. If the qualifier leaves: the qualifier notifies the board within 30 days, and the business has 60 days to qualify someone else.^3,7
24. Any change to the business's officers or other application details: tell the board within 45 days.³
25. Liability and workers' comp renewals, the business tax receipt, and every alarm agent's 2-year ID card and 6 hours of CE.^4,7

What happens if you cross the line

Contracting without the license the job needs

• It's a crime. Practicing contracting without a certificate or registration is a first-degree misdemeanor: up to 1 year in jail and a $1,000 fine.^5,18
• It becomes a felony in two cases. An unlicensed person who does it again after a prior finding of guilt, or who does it "during the existence of a state of emergency declared by executive order of the Governor," commits a third-degree felony: up to 5 years and a $5,000 fine.^5,18 After a hurricane, that's the rule that matters.
• DBPR can fine up to $5,000 per incident or issue a citation of $500 to $5,000, and issue a stop-work order on the job. A county or city can cite you too: up to $2,000 on the citation and up to $2,500 a day from its hearing board.^5,18
• You may not get paid. A contract made by an unlicensed contractor is "unenforceable in law or in equity by the unlicensed contractor," with no lien or bond claim. For a business, "unlicensed" means no qualifying agent for the scope of the work, so an ER doing alarm work, or a company whose qualifier left more than 60 days ago, is exposed. A missing business tax receipt doesn't count. The contract page has the rest.⁵

Licensed, but outside the rules

• The board can fine up to $10,000 per count, and suspend, revoke or restrict your license, for practicing beyond your scope, working without the required permits and inspections, leaving the license number off, or helping someone unlicensed.⁵
• Starting work that needs a permit without one in effect is also a first-degree misdemeanor under Part II.⁵
• Lending your license counts against you (the active participation test above), and presenting "as his or her own the certificate or registration of another" is a misdemeanor for the borrower.⁵
• Workers' comp: going without when required brings a stop-work order, $1,000 a day for working through it, and a penalty of twice the premium you'd have paid over the past year, or $1,000, whichever is more. The ECLB adds a $500 fine and can suspend or revoke your license.^1,17
• Claiming in an ad to be certified or registered when you're not is a second-degree misdemeanor.³

Insurance

I found no Florida rule on what unlicensed or out-of-scope work does to your coverage. That's in your policy. Ask your agent in writing and keep the reply.

More for new electrical contractors

• How much to charge per hour: service call, first hour and hourly rate, with a free rate sheet.
• Flat rate, per opening or hourly: how electricians price each kind of job, with a free price sheet.
• 200 amp service upgrade checklist: scope, permit, utility, inspection and price.
• Someone asked to use your master license: what being a company's qualifier pays, and what it can cost you.
• Florida construction contract requirements: what your contract must include, and how much deposit you can take.
• Florida mechanics lien: what to do when a customer won't pay, and the deadlines.
• Florida general contractor license: the construction board's licenses and what a GC must sub out to you.

Where Deepsel fits

Deepsel is the field service software I build, and it doesn't know Florida licensing. It won't book your FPL appointment, pull a permit or track your agents' training, and its built-in state contract templates (on Pro) don't include Florida yet. Two parts of it help with what's above. Florida wants your license number on every offer of services and business proposal: the shop-wide terms text you set once is copied onto every new quote, and the invoice footer onto every invoice, so the number goes on every document without retyping. And you can build a checklist template once (permit number, utility appointment, inspection passed, meter set) and add it to the quote for each service upgrade. Your office and techs tick items off, each answer is stamped with who did it and when, and the customer never sees it. Quotes can carry options, the customer approves and signs on screen, and an optional card deposit is credited on the final invoice. Free covers 30 estimates and 30 invoices a month for your whole team; Pro is $29 a month with unlimited estimates and invoices (pricing).

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between an EC and an ER license in Florida?

Both come from the Electrical Contractors' Licensing Board (ECLB). An EC is a certified electrical contractor: it was earned by passing the state exam and it is good anywhere in Florida. An ER is a registered electrical contractor: it registers a county or city certificate of competency with the state, and it is good only in the counties and cities where you hold that local license. The EC also covers every kind of alarm system. The ER doesn't: a registered electrical contractor may install raceways for alarm systems and residential smoke and heat detectors, but has to sub out the rest of the alarm work.

Is there a Florida journeyman or master electrician license?

Not from the state. DBPR says it "does not license or regulate the journeyman's license", and the ECLB licenses contractors, not masters. Counties and cities may issue journeyman licenses, and since a 2024 change every county and city must recognize a journeyman license issued by any other Florida county or city. The state contractor license (EC or ER) is what lets a business contract for electrical work. Some counties also require journeymen on job sites: Miami-Dade wants at least one for every three trainees on each permitted job.

Do I need a license for low voltage work in Florida?

Yes, if you are wiring inside a structure. DBPR's answer on cable TV, satellite, speakers and computer networks is that a license is required, and that any wiring under 98 volts can be done under a Limited Energy Systems Specialty license, an alarm system contractor I or II license, an electrical contractor license or a Residential Electrical specialty license. The exemptions are narrow: employees and subcontractors of certificated telephone and cable companies, plug-in low-voltage landscape lighting, and lightning protection.

What insurance does a Florida electrical contractor need?

Rule 61G6-5.008 sets the minimum for every ECLB license: public liability of $100,000 per person and $300,000 per occurrence plus $500,000 of property damage, or a combined single limit of $800,000, both including completed operations and products. The certificate names DBPR's Electrical Contractors' Licensing Board as certificate holder and the insured exactly as the qualified business. You also need workers' compensation or an exemption under chapter 440, and you have to keep both in force for as long as the license is active.

What is a Florida alarm system contractor license?

Alarm system contractor I (EF) covers all alarm systems, fire included. Alarm system contractor II (EG) covers all alarm systems except fire. The registered versions are EY and EZ, good only where you hold a local license. A certified alarm contractor's scope also takes in data, proprietary video, central vacuum, surveillance cameras and electric locks up to 98 volts. Every employee who installs, services or sells burglar or fire alarms needs 14 hours of approved training within 90 days of being hired and an FDLE fingerprint background check, unless an exemption applies.

When does a Florida electrical contractor license expire?

Every certified and registered ECLB license expires on August 31 of each even-numbered year, so a license issued in late 2026 runs to August 31, 2028. Renewal is $296 for a certified license and $121 for a registered one, plus $25 if you're late. The full continuing education load is 11 hours for electrical contractors and 7 for specialty and alarm contractors, but rule 61G6-9.004 cuts the first renewal to 5 hours (electrical) or 4 hours (specialty and alarm) for someone licensed 12 or more months before the end of the first cycle.

Sources

1. Florida Statutes (2026), § 489.503 (exemptions: (1) employees acting within the scope of the license "with the knowledge and permission of the licenseholder," and the definition of "employee"; (6) owner-builders and the disclosure statement; (12) chapter 527 licensees; (14) telephone and cable companies; (22) lightning rods; (24) plug-in low-voltage landscape lighting), § 489.505 (definitions: (2) alarm system contractor I and II; (4) certificate; (7) certified alarm system contractor, amended by ch. 2025-140 to add Article 722 and "surveillance cameras", compared with the 2024 text at flsenate.gov; (12) "unlimited electrical contractor"; (14) and (15) primary and secondary qualifying agent; (16) registered electrical contractor; (19) specialty contractor) and § 489.510 (workers' compensation; $500 fine; grounds to revoke, suspend or deny). leg.state.fl.us, read November 8, 2026.
2. Florida Statutes (2026), § 489.511 (certification), § 489.513 (registration; (5) adding an area), § 489.515 (insurance at issuance; (3)(b) workers' comp exemption within 30 days of issuance), § 489.516 ((3) what a local official may ask a certificateholder for; (5) prime contractor when the majority of the work is in scope) and § 489.517 (renewal; 11 hours of CE for electrical contractors, 7 for specialty and alarm contractors, with the required subjects). leg.state.fl.us, read November 8, 2026.
3. Florida Statutes (2026), § 489.521 (business organizations: (2)(a) license in the qualifying agent's name with the business noted, changes reported within 45 days; (5) an officer or supervising employee must qualify, 30-day notice and 60 days to replace the only qualifier; (7)(a) number on permit applications; (7)(b) number "stated in each offer of services, business proposal, or advertisement"; (7)(c) fine of not less than $100 and second-degree misdemeanor for false claims; (8) additional business organizations) and § 489.522 (qualifying agents' responsibilities; 60 days to transfer, qualify individually or go inactive; approval authority for checks, payments, drafts and contracts). leg.state.fl.us, read November 8, 2026.
4. Florida Statutes (2026), § 489.518 (burglar alarm system agents: 14 hours of training within 90 days, FDLE fingerprint check, ID card valid 2 years, 6 hours of CE every 2 years, exemptions), § 489.5185 (fire alarm system agents; employed by a certified unlimited electrical contractor or licensed fire alarm contractor) and § 489.530 (audible alarms silenced within 15 minutes). leg.state.fl.us, read November 8, 2026.
5. Florida Statutes (2026), § 489.531 (prohibitions: (1)(a) contracting without a license, (1)(c) presenting another's certificate, (1)(e) employing unlicensed persons, (1)(g) operating 60 days past the only qualifier's termination, (1)(i) work without a required permit; (2) and (3) first-degree misdemeanor, third-degree felony for a repeat violation or during a declared state of emergency; (4) local citations up to $2,000 and up to $2,500 a day; (8) stop-work orders), § 489.532 (contracts unenforceable by the unlicensed contractor; no lien or bond claim; business tax receipt not counted) and § 489.533 (grounds for discipline including (1)(k) certificate used without "active participation," (1)(q) license number, (1)(r) permits and inspections, (1)(s) beyond scope; (2)(c) fine up to $10,000 per count). leg.state.fl.us, read November 8, 2026.
6. Florida Statutes (2026), § 489.5335 (journeyman licenses issued by counties and cities; (2) must be recognized statewide, as amended by ch. 2024-125; the 2023 text made recognition conditional, flsenate.gov), § 489.537 ((2)(a) scope, excavation and paving, subcontracting other crafts; (2)(b) registered electrical contractors and alarm work; (3)(a) no additional certification for certified contractors; (3)(d) one bond of up to $5,000; (3)(f) journeyman on commercial or industrial new construction of 50,000 sq ft or more over 77 volts; (7) EC includes alarm contractor scope; (9) ER may install residential smoke and heat detectors) and § 489.538 (no Part I license needed within scope). leg.state.fl.us, read November 8, 2026.
7. Florida Administrative Code, chapter 61G6-5: 61G6-5.004 (business organization financial statement with minimum net worth of $10,000 for unlimited electrical and alarm contractors and $5,000 for specialty contractors; credit report; primary qualifying agent's authority over checks, payments, drafts and contracts), 61G6-5.008 (public liability $100,000 per person and $300,000 per occurrence and property damage $500,000, or $800,000 combined single limit, including completed operations and products; certificate holder DBPR ECLB; 30-day cancellation notice; continuous coverage; random audits of at least 10% with 30 days to respond; workers' comp or exemption), 61G6-5.010 and 61G6-5.012 (30 days for name, address and qualifier changes). flrules.org, read November 8, 2026.
8. Florida Administrative Code, 61G6-7.001 (specialty electrical contractors: lighting maintenance, sign, residential electrical, limited energy systems, utility line, two-way radio communications enhancement; amended 9-25-24) and 61G6-7.002 (a certified electrical contractor's scope includes all the specialties). flrules.org, read November 8, 2026.
9. Florida Administrative Code, 61G6-9.004 (CE for renewal: 11 hours for electrical contractors and 7 for alarm and specialty contractors, with the required subjects; (4) to (7) 5 hours, 4 hours or none for the first renewal, by how long before the end of the first biennial period the license was issued). flrules.org, read November 8, 2026.
10. DBPR, Electrical Contractors' Licensing Board main page (license types EC, ER, EF, EY, EG, EZ, ES, ET, EJ with definitions; "A 'registered electrical contractor' MAY NOT contract for any alarm system"; "Licenses expire August 31st every even year"; CE and fee table: $296 certified, $121 registered). myfloridalicense.com, read November 8, 2026.
11. DBPR, Electrical Contractors FAQs (certified and registered; fees including $25 to add a county, $542 additional business application, $146 and $46 transfers; journeyman licenses not regulated by DBPR; ER and alarm work; solar; low voltage wiring and exemptions, "can carry a fine of up top $5000 per offense"; additional business qualification; insurance and certificate requirements; workers' comp exemptions for up to three officers; renewal fees and $25 delinquent fee; primary qualifying agents must be an officer or supervising employee; where the license number goes, including vehicle signs; alarm agent requirements; 1099 alarm salespeople; HB 1335 (2024) and non-electrical signs; certificate of status for the business). myfloridalicense.com, read November 8, 2026.
12. DBPR, Electrical Contractors, Business Information page ("The name of the approved business entity will appear on the contractor's individual license"; "INDIVIDUAL"; how to verify a license). myfloridalicense.com; DBPR Verify a Licensee, myfloridalicense.com. Read November 8, 2026.
13. DBPR ECLB 1, Application for Initial Certification by Examination, eff. June 2022, incorporated by rule 61-35.012 (Section V insurance minimums; workers' comp exemption warning for individuals and sole proprietorships; attestation to obtain an exemption within 30 days), myfloridalicense.com, and its checklist page (business financial statement showing net worth of at least $10,000), myfloridalicense.com. Read November 8, 2026.
14. Florida Statutes (2026), § 489.105(3) (f) and (g) (Class A and B air-conditioning contractors: power wiring at the dedicated existing disconnect on single-phase systems, dedicated HVAC circuits, exclusion of "electrical power wiring" and gas lines within buildings), (k) (residential pool/spa contractor), (m) (plumbing contractor, including natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas lines), (o) (solar contractor). leg.state.fl.us, read November 8, 2026.
15. Florida Statutes (2026), § 553.79 ((1)(a) permit required; (1)(c) single-family permits expire 1 year after issuance or on the next code edition's effective date, whichever is later; (1)(g) exemption for single-family work under $7,500, excluding "Any electrical, plumbing, structural, mechanical, or gas work"), § 553.791 (private providers; "single-trade inspection" includes "alteration or installation of wiring, lighting, and service panels" and solar and energy storage; notice before the next scheduled inspection on one- and two-family dwellings) and § 553.793 (streamlined low-voltage alarm permits: labels up to $40, valid 1 year; uniform notice within 14 days; no permit for wireless systems; fire alarms needing plan review excluded). 553.79, 553.791, 553.793. Laws: ch. 2025-140 (CS/CS/CS/HB 683, effective July 1, 2025: alarm contractor definition, private providers and single-trade inspections), laws.flrules.org; ch. 2026-63 (CS/CS/HB 803, effective July 1, 2026: permits and inspections), flsenate.gov and its bill summary. All read November 8, 2026.
16. Florida Administrative Code, 61G20-1.001 (the Florida Building Code, 8th Edition (2023), as updated through December 9, 2025, adopted; amended 3-18-26), flrules.org; Florida Administrative Register notice 31378159, proposed rule 61G20-1.001, "To adopt the Florida Building Code, 9th Edition (2026)," published September 23, 2026 (Vol. 52/185), flrules.org; Florida Building Commission, "8th Edition (2023) FBC Code Update Development Tasks" (Commission selects the 2020 NEC; effective date 12/31/2023), floridabuilding.org, and "9th Edition (2026) FBC Code Update Development Tasks," August 2026 (2023 NEC; "2026 FBC (9th edition) effective date ... 12/31/2026"), floridabuilding.org; 2023 Florida Building Code, Building, Section 105.3 (each application dated with "the code in effect as of that date"), up.codes. All read November 8, 2026.
17. Florida Statutes (2026), § 440.02 ((10) construction industry; (11) officer includes a member owning at least 10% of an LLC; (18)(b) no more than three officers may elect exemption, each owning at least 10%; (18)(c) a construction sole proprietor is an employee; (20)(b)2. construction employment with one or more employees), § 440.05 ($50 fee for a construction exemption), § 440.10(1) (contractor liable for uninsured subcontractors' employees; must require evidence of coverage) and § 440.107(7) (stop-work orders; $1,000 a day; penalty of 2 times the premium or $1,000, whichever is greater). 440.02, 440.05, 440.10, 440.107, read November 8, 2026.
18. Florida Statutes (2026), § 455.228 (unlicensed practice: administrative penalty up to $5,000 per incident; civil penalty of $500 to $5,000 per offense; citations of $500 to $5,000), § 775.082 (up to 1 year for a first-degree misdemeanor, 5 years for a third-degree felony) and § 775.083 (fines up to $1,000 and $5,000). 455.228, 775.082, 775.083, read November 8, 2026.
19. FPL, Project Portal "Project Types" (Service Upgrades; Service Disconnect / Reconnect: self-service for single-phase residential, appointments 1-2 weeks after the application, inspection received directly from the AHJ before reconnection, approved plans before upgrading a meter enclosure and panel, four-hour limit), partner.fpl.com; FPL Electric Service Standards, Section III, Service Provisions, dated 02-15-13 and posted by FPL (H, connections, disconnects, meter removals and seals by FPL only; I, service changes and the exception for licensed electrical contractors on single-phase overhead services with a main of 300 amps or less), fpl.com. Read November 8, 2026.
20. Duke Energy, Builders, Developers & Contractors (Florida builder line 866.372.4663; Builder Portal), duke-energy.com, and Apply for Service (inspections complete before the meter is set; newconstruction@duke-energy.com), duke-energy.com; "Requirements for Electric Service and Meter Installations," Florida Service Area, revised April 1, 2026, Section II.E (connection only after the authority having jurisdiction notifies approval) and II.H (Electrical Contractor Sealing Policy), duke-energy.com. Read November 8, 2026.
21. Tampa Electric, Standard Electrical Service Requirements (SESR 2025), cover notice ("CALL TAMPA ELECTRIC COMPANY (813) 635-1500 FOR AN APPOINTMENT TO DISCONNECT THE SERVICE AND REMOVE THE SEAL/METER") and Section II.B.6, Change in Service Requirements (advance notice; disconnect/reconnect appointment; exception for licensed electricians on single-phase overhead services of 300 amps or less), tampaelectric.com; construction page, tampaelectric.com. Read November 8, 2026.
22. JEA, Rules and Regulations for Electric Service (January 2021 edition, as posted in 2026), Section 1.14 (disconnects through the Customer Experience Center; only JEA personnel disconnect services and remove meters), 7.02 and 7.14 (required metering upgrades when a single-family customer increases service size). jea.com, read November 8, 2026.
23. OUC, Change Service Request ("Contact us if you need to upgrade your electrical service"). ouc.com, read November 8, 2026.
24. Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Electric Utilities ("five investor-owned electric companies, 35 municipally owned electric companies and 18 rural electric cooperatives"), fdacs.gov; Florida Electric Cooperatives Association, Members, feca.com. Read November 8, 2026.
25. Florida Statutes (2026), § 812.14(2)(b) (a person may not "break the seal of any such meter"). leg.state.fl.us, read November 8, 2026.
26. Florida Statutes (2026), § 556.105(1)(a) (notice "Not less than 2 full business days before beginning any excavation") and § 556.107(1) (noncriminal infractions; $500 civil penalty, $2,500 for hazardous-materials pipelines). 556.105, 556.107, read November 8, 2026.
27. EPA, "Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Program" (authorized states listed; Florida is not among them), epa.gov; 40 CFR 745.83 (minor repair and maintenance, including electrical work: 6 square feet per room inside, 20 outside; same room within 30 days is one job), law.cornell.edu; 40 CFR 19.4, Table 1 (TSCA civil penalty $49,772 for penalties assessed on or after January 8, 2025), law.cornell.edu. Read November 8, 2026.
28. Miami-Dade County, Regulatory and Economic Resources, "Electrical Licenses" (journeymen required in the electrical trade; "at least one journeyman for every three trainees on each construction or installation job site for which a permit is required"; work stopped until journeymen are provided). miamidade.gov, read November 8, 2026.
29. Florida Statutes (2026), § 205.065 (no other local business tax for "work or services performed on a temporary or transitory basis" by DBPR-regulated persons who paid where their permanent business location is) and § 865.09 (fictitious name registration with the Division of Corporations, newspaper notice, exemption where the name matches the licensed or registered name). 205.065, 865.09, read November 8, 2026.
30. Reddit thread 1jgfp63 (March 21, 2025), Florida: "The going rate is 40K/YR plus profit share, (for jist providing the QP) or 150-180K to act as a PM or Sup."; reply: "That is laughable compared to the liability." reddit.com, as quoted on our electrical qualifier page.
31. Florida Administrative Code R. 61G4-12.011(15) (Construction Industry Licensing Board): pool/spa electrical work is "installation, replacement, disconnection or reconnection of power wiring on the load side of the dedicated existing electrical disconnecting means. If installation, removal, replacement, or upgrading of this circuit is necessary, the work shall be performed by a licensed electrical contractor only." flrules.org, read November 9, 2026.