A home EV charger is a large, long-running load on a circuit that will run for hours almost every night. The person who installs it matters more than the charger brand. In Florida, checking that person takes a few minutes. This post shows how to verify a license, what the license types mean, why the permit should be in the contractor's name, which questions to ask, and the red flags we see in quotes around South Florida.
For the full homeowner picture, see the Florida Home EV Charging Guide. For our own service, see home EV charger installation.
Step 1: verify the license
Florida's Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) runs a public lookup at myfloridalicense.com. You can search by the person's name, the business name or the license number. Check four things:
- The license is current and active, not delinquent, inactive or null and void.
- It is an electrical contracting license, not a different trade.
- The name matches the business on the quote, the truck or the invoice. If the license belongs to a different company, ask why.
- Anything else on the record you would want explained. If the license detail shows anything other than a clean, current status, ask the contractor about it.
A quote should show the license number. If it does not, ask for it. A contractor who hesitates to give it is answering your question.
What the license prefixes mean
The Electrical Contractors' Licensing Board issues several license types. The board's FAQ lists these, among others:
| Prefix | License | Where it is valid |
|---|---|---|
| EC | Certified Electrical Contractor | Passed the state examination; can work anywhere in Florida |
| ER | Registered Electrical Contractor | Holds a local county or municipal certificate of competency; can only work where they hold that local license |
| ES | Certified Electrical Specialty Contractor | A specialty license; ask what the specialty covers |
| ET | Registered Electrical Specialty Contractor | A local specialty license |
| EF, EG, EY, EZ | Alarm system contractor licenses | Alarm work, not a general electrical license |
Both an EC and an ER can be the right contractor. The practical check for an ER is whether their local registration covers your city or county. For a specialty or alarm license, ask the contractor to show you how an EV charger circuit falls within its scope.
Step 2: the permit should be in the contractor's name
A charger circuit is electrical work that needs a permit from your city or county building department. Your contractor should pull that permit under their own license, and that is how you know the licensed contractor is taking responsibility for the job. Our post on EV charger permits in South Florida explains the process by county.
Florida does allow homeowners to act as their own electrical contractor on their own single-family home or duplex for their own use, under section 489.503(6), Florida Statutes. The owner must personally appear and sign the permit application, and the exemption does not cover anyone the owner hires. So if a contractor asks you to pull the permit yourself as an owner-builder while they do the work, that is not a shortcut. It shifts the responsibility onto you for work you did not do. See DIY EV charger installation in Florida for the full picture.
Step 3: questions to ask before you sign
- Will you do a load calculation? The answer should be yes, based on your service size and actual usage, not just the main breaker number.
- What breaker, wire size and charger setting are you proposing, and why? The answer should connect to your car's maximum charging rate.
- What route will the wire take? Inside the wall, surface conduit, attic or underground, and what gets patched afterward.
- Who pulls the permit, and is the inspection included?
- Who supplies the charger, and will you mount and set it up? Including Wi-Fi, current limit and a schedule.
- Can you show a certificate of insurance? Ask for general liability and workers' compensation certificates, and check the dates.
- If my panel is short on capacity, what are the options? A good answer includes more than one: a lower setting, load management, or an upgrade.
- What happens if the inspector asks for a correction?
Red flags in a quote
| What you see | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| "You don't need a permit for a charger" | Charger circuits are electrical work, and local electrical permits and inspections still apply to charging stations under Rule 5J-28 |
| No license number, or a license in another company's name | You cannot check who is responsible |
| Asks you to pull the permit as owner-builder | The owner-builder exemption does not cover anyone you hire |
| A panel upgrade recommended with no load calculation | It may be necessary, or it may not; a calculation shows which |
| A dryer outlet splitter proposed without looking at the dryer circuit | Some splitters are designed for this; any shared-circuit plan needs a look at the circuit first (see dryer outlet splitters) |
| The federal 30C credit listed as a saving | It is not allowed for property placed in service after June 30, 2026 (see the 30C credit ending) |
| A price quoted without any look at the panel | Distance, capacity and route drive the job; the price is a guess |
| Cash only, deposit for the whole job up front | Leaves you with little leverage if the job stalls |
Condo owners: the association may set conditions
If you live in a condo, Florida law lets the association require that the charger be installed by a licensed and registered installer, and ask for a certificate of insurance naming the association within 14 days of approval (section 718.113(8), Florida Statutes). Check your association's requirements before you choose a contractor, so the paperwork is ready. Our guides to condo EV charger installation and condo board approval steps walk through it.
Reviews are useful, with limits
Reviews tell you how a contractor communicates, shows up and cleans up. They rarely tell you whether the wire was sized correctly. Use them alongside the license check and the questions above, not instead of them. Our roundup of EV charger installers in South Florida lists what to look for, and our own reviews are public.
Questions homeowners ask
How do I check an electrician's license in Florida?
Search the name, business or license number on DBPR's myfloridalicense.com lookup. Confirm it is an active electrical contracting license and that the name matches the business on your quote.
What is the difference between an EC and an ER license?
According to the Electrical Contractors Licensing Board FAQ, a certified (EC) contractor passed the state exam and can work anywhere in Florida; a registered (ER) contractor holds a local certificate of competency and can only work where they hold that local license.
Does the electrician or the homeowner pull the permit?
When you hire a licensed contractor, the contractor should pull it under their license. The owner-builder route is for owners doing the work themselves.
Do I need an installer approved by my charger's manufacturer?
Not for the permit or the inspection. Some manufacturer promotions require a particular installer network, so read the terms of any offer. The installation itself needs a licensed electrical contractor and a permit.
Should I get more than one quote?
It helps, as long as you compare the same scope. Our post on what drives the cost of an installation lists what each quote should spell out.
KRW Electric is a licensed electrical contractor, license EC13012832, which you can look up on DBPR's site. We are based in Miami Beach, serve Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties, handle the permit and inspection on our jobs, and are rated 5.0 on Google across 118 reviews. Before we arrive, our installation checklist shows what to prepare. Get in touch or call (305) 359-7312.
Reviewed by Kyle White, KRW Electric Company LLC — licensed electrical contractor EC13012832.
