Before anybody works on your home, take two minutes to check their
license on the State of Florida's own record. It's free, it's public,
and it's the one record a pro can't fake.
IGotAPro doesn't hold the records and we never charge for this.
We just walk you to the state's door and explain what you'll see.
Step 1 — Tell us who you're checking
Step 2 — Run the free state check
Tap the orange button below. The State of Florida's official license search opens in a new tab.
On the state page, choose Search by Name or Search by License Number, then paste or type what you entered above.
Open the matching record and check the three things in Step 3 below.
That button goes straight to myfloridalicense.com — the Florida Department of
Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR). The official record lives there, not here.
If that page ever fails to load, the state's backup entrance is
the DBPR licensing portal.
Step 3 — Read the record like a homeowner
On the pro's state record, three things matter most:
1. Status says "Current, Active"
That's the green light — the license is real and in force today.
"Delinquent," "Inactive," "Suspended," "Revoked," or "Null and Void"
means it is not good right now, whatever the pro tells you.
2. The name on the license matches the person you're hiring
In Florida, a license belongs to a person, and that person "qualifies"
the business. The names don't have to be identical to the truck door — but the record
should connect: same person, or the business listed under that person's license.
3. The expiration date is in the future
Licenses renew on a cycle. An expired date with a "Current" status can just mean
renewal is processing — an expired date with a Delinquent status is a real problem.
"Certified" vs. "registered" — what's the difference?
Florida issues two kinds of contractor licenses. Both are real licenses:
Certified
The pro passed the state exam. The license is good
anywhere in Florida. License numbers usually start with a "C"
(like CGC, CCC, CFC, CAC).
Registered
The pro is licensed for one local area — a specific county or city —
and that license is recorded with the state. Numbers usually start with "R."
A registered pro working outside their area is a red flag.
Not every trade needs a state license. Roofing, plumbing, electrical,
air conditioning, and building work do. House cleaning, lawn care, car detailing, and
small non-structural handyman jobs don't — for those, lean on reviews, insurance,
and how the pro treats you. (One exception to know: pest control businesses are
licensed by the Florida Department of Agriculture, not DBPR — ask them for that
license number instead.)
🚩 Red flags — stop and ask questions
No license at all for work that requires one — roofing, plumbing, electrical, AC, structural work. In Florida, doing that work unlicensed isn't just risky, it's illegal.
The license is under a different person's name and that person isn't part of the business you're hiring. Borrowed licenses are a classic scam.
The license is expired, delinquent, suspended, or revoked — even if the pro says "it's being renewed." Verify again before any deposit.
A registered license, but the job is outside that county.
The pro won't give you a license number. Licensed pros put it on their truck, their quote, and their invoices. Refusing to share it is an answer by itself.
Big cash deposit demanded up front, or pressure to sign today. Licensed pros with real businesses don't work that way.
Found unlicensed activity? The state takes reports at
1-866-532-1440 and on the DBPR site linked above.
The power is yours — that's the point
This check works because you run it, on the state's record,
before money changes hands. We built IGotAPro on the same idea:
homeowners write the reviews here, and pros can answer them — but a pro can
never edit, hide, or delete a review, and no payment buys a
better rating. On IGotAPro, payment buys placement, never ratings.
Find a local pro — every pro lists a real phone
number, right up front. Name your pro — used somebody great who isn't listed yet?
Tell us their name and we'll invite them — a neighbor's word is how good pros get found.
IGotAPro is a private directory, not a state agency, and this page is
general information, not legal advice. License records change daily — the official
record at myfloridalicense.com
is the only one that counts. If anything here and the state record disagree, trust the state record.