Every electrical permit in Florida is pulled under a license, and the letters in front of the number tell you what that license covers and where it is good. A GC hiring an electrical sub, or an owner checking a bid, can learn most of what matters in two minutes on the state's license search. This guide explains the Florida electrical license types issued through the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR), what "certified" and "registered" mean, and a short checklist for vetting an electrical subcontractor.
Certified vs registered
Electrical and alarm contracting is licensed under part II of chapter 489, overseen by the Electrical Contractors' Licensing Board. The statute's definitions in section 489.505, Florida Statutes draw the key line:
- Certified. A "certificate" is a geographically unlimited certificate of competency issued by the department (s. 489.505(4)). A certified electrical contractor can contract anywhere in Florida.
- Registered. A registered electrical contractor has registered with the department after meeting the competency requirements of a local jurisdiction, and may contract only in the jurisdiction for which the registration is issued (s. 489.505(16)). The same limit applies to registered alarm system contractors (s. 489.505(21)-(23)).
So a registered license can be perfectly valid for one county or city and not valid for your job in the next one. That is the first thing to check.
The DBPR license codes
DBPR's license code list uses these prefixes for the electrical board:
| Code | License | Where it is good |
|---|---|---|
| EC | Electrical Contractor (certified) | Statewide |
| ER | Registered Electrical Contractor | Only the jurisdiction of registration |
| ES | Certified Specialty Contractor | Statewide, within the specialty |
| ET | Registered Specialty Contractor | Only the jurisdiction of registration, within the specialty |
| EF / EG | Certified Alarm System Contractor I / II | Statewide |
| EY / EZ, EH / EI | Registered Alarm System Contractor I / II | Only the jurisdiction of registration |
| EJ | Registered Residential Alarm System Contractor | Only the jurisdiction of registration |
| QC | Qualified Business Organization | The company, through its qualifier |
What each license covers
Electrical contractor (EC or ER)
Section 489.505(12) defines an "electrical contractor" or "unlimited electrical contractor" as a person with the experience, knowledge and skill to install, repair, alter, add to or design electrical wiring, fixtures, appliances, apparatus, raceways and conduit that generate, transmit, transform or use electrical energy, including installations within plants and substations. It is the full-scope electrical license, as opposed to a specialty.
Specialty contractor (ES or ET)
A specialty contractor's scope is limited to a specific segment of electrical or alarm contracting in a category adopted by board rule (s. 489.505(19)). DBPR's code list shows these specialty categories: Limited Energy Systems, Lighting Maintenance, Residential, Sign, Utility Line, and Two-Way Radio Communications. A specialty license is not a general electrical license; check that the category matches the work.
Alarm system contractors
Alarm system contractor I covers all types of alarm systems for all purposes; alarm system contractor II covers all types other than fire (s. 489.505(2)). A registered residential alarm system contractor is limited to burglar alarm systems in single-family, quadruplex and mobile-home residential occupancies (s. 489.505(23)). Fire alarm work belongs with an alarm contractor licensed for fire; KRW Electric does not do fire alarm work.
Qualifiers
A company contracts through a qualifying agent. The primary qualifying agent supervises and controls the business's electrical contracting; a secondary qualifying agent does so on a job for which he or she has obtained a permit (s. 489.505(14)-(15)). On the DBPR search, the company appears as a qualified business linked to the individual license.
How to verify a license
- Open DBPR's license search and search by name or license number.
- Confirm the prefix (EC vs ER vs ES/ET) fits the work and, for a registered license, the jurisdiction of your job.
- Confirm the status is current and active, and note the expiration date.
- Confirm the company on your contract is the business the license qualifies, not just an individual's name.
- Match the license number to the one on the permit. The statutory permit application form in section 713.135(7) has a line for the contractor's state certification or registration number, and the owner-builder disclosure in section 489.103(7) notes that a contractor is required by law to list license numbers on permits and contracts.
What a GC should check before hiring an electrical sub
- License fits scope and place. An EC for a whole-building scope; a specialty license only for its category; a registered license only where it is registered.
- The sub pulls its own permit. The electrical permit or sub-permit should be in the electrical contractor's name, under the master where the department uses one. See master permit vs electrical sub-permit.
- Unlicensed work carries lien consequences. Under section 713.02(7), no construction lien exists in favor of a contractor, subcontractor or sub-subcontractor who is unlicensed as provided in section 489.128 or 489.532. That is a reason for everyone on the job to check.
- Watch for the owner-builder dodge. The general owner-builder disclosure in section 489.103(7) warns that it is a frequent practice of unlicensed persons to have the property owner obtain an owner-builder permit. A sub who asks the owner to pull the electrical permit is a red flag.
- Check again on long jobs. Licenses have expiration dates. On a job that runs a year or more, look the license up again before rough and before final, and after any change in the company's qualifier.
- Everything else in writing. Insurance certificates, schedule, submittals and closeout are contract items; our post on what GCs should require from an electrical subcontractor goes through them.
For owner-builders, the rules on who may be hired are in our owner-builder permit guide.
Questions builders ask
Is a certified electrical contractor better than a registered one?
The statute does not rank them; the difference is geography. A certified license is geographically unlimited, and a registered one is limited to the jurisdiction that issued it (s. 489.505(4) and (16)). For a GC working across Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach, a certified EC can go wherever your jobs go.
Can an electrician with an ES Residential license wire a commercial suite?
A specialty scope is limited to the category adopted by board rule (s. 489.505(19)). Check the category's scope with the board or the building department before hiring outside it.
Does a low-voltage installer need an electrical license?
It depends on the work and the category. DBPR lists a Limited Energy Systems specialty (DBPR codes), and alarm work falls under the alarm licenses. Ask the building department which license it will accept on the permit.
What license does KRW Electric hold?
KRW Electric Company LLC is a Florida certified electrical contractor, license EC13012832, which you can check on DBPR's license search.
This is general information about Florida law, not legal advice. Statutes, rules and local procedures change. Read the current statute, follow the building department with jurisdiction over the address, and talk to a Florida attorney about your own contract or dispute.
Working with a licensed EC
KRW Electric (EC13012832) handles the permit and inspections on its jobs across Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach, from new construction to commercial permits. Send us your scope or call (305) 359-7312. The rest of our permit guidance is in the South Florida electrical permits guide.
Reviewed by Kyle White, KRW Electric Company LLC — licensed electrical contractor EC13012832.
