Guides · Paperwork and licenses
The paperwork is less than you've been told.
What you actually have to register to work legally in Florida, what each filing costs, and what you can do yourself without paying anyone.
17 guides
- The Florida roofing licenseYes, you need one, and roofing gets a bond and insurance minimums other trades don't. The number starts with CCC.
- The Florida plumbing licenseYes, you need one, and there's no way around it. Four years of experience, one as a foreman, and two exams you pass at 70.
- The Florida HVAC licenseYes, you need one, and there are two classes. Class B caps out at 25 tons, and that cap decides which jobs you can take.
- The Florida flooring licenseNo. The state doesn't require one and, since 2024, your county can't require one either. But three things you do need.
- Do you need a remodeling license in Florida?Swapping cabinets or painting needs no contractor license. Touching a load-bearing wall, plumbing, or electrical does.
- Do you need a photography license in Florida?No, Florida requires no state license for photography. What you do need is the local permit and, if you sell albums, a sales tax permit.
- Do you need a pest control license in Florida?The business needs an FDACS license, and it needs a Certified Operator for each pest category it treats.
- Do you need a painting license in Florida?There's no standalone "painting license" in Florida. The real line is $500 per job before a contractor license kicks in.
- Do you need a nail technician license in Florida?180 hours of school, no state exam, and about $75 in fees. Shorter than most people think.
- Do you need a moving license in Florida?The FDACS IM registration costs $600 and renews every two years. Crossing state lines also needs a USDOT number.
- Do you need a detailing license in Florida?There's no state license. What there is is a wastewater rule that a lot of mobile detailers overlook.
- Do you need a landscaping license in Florida?Mowing and basic yard work need no state license. Spraying, fertilizing, or installing irrigation do.
- Do you need a handyman license in Florida?The legal cap is $1,000 in labor and materials combined, and you can't split a big job into pieces to dodge it.
- Do you need a cosmetology license in Florida?1,200 hours of school is the longest process among the beauty trades, but it covers nearly everything a salon offers.
- Do you need a barber license in Florida?600 hours for the restricted license, 900 for the full one, and a three-hour written exam with no practical portion.
- How to register an LLC in FloridaThe five steps, what each one costs, and where the extra money goes.
- What license you need in FloridaWhich trades need a state license, which only a local permit, and what happens if you work without one.
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