Resources for obtaining a contractor license
Pursuant to State of Florida House Bill 1383, local jurisdictions/counties are authorized to continue offering contractor licenses that mirror the Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation (DBPR). Please see the Contractor License Comparison Table for Local Specialty Licenses that Hillsborough County offers. Additional details are available in the Contractor Licensing FAQs.
License renewals for State Certified contractors will begin on August 1, 2024. An automated email from HillsGovHub will be sent with instructions on how to renew. (Licenses with an expiration date other than August 31, 2024, will open for renewal 30 days prior to the specific expiration date.)
Please Note: Specialty License types are subject to change according to licenses offered by the DBPR. Please check back occasionally for any updates.
In Hillsborough County, to perform construction-related work regulated by the State of Florida you must have a contractor license. The contractor license has to be issued by the State of Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation (DBPR) or Hillsborough County.
State certified license holders
To register a State Certified license, please see page 7 of the Create Contractor License Applications User Guide. There are no fees associated with registering a license in Hillsborough County.
- To maintain your County registration, workers' compensation information and state expiration should remain current. To update:
- Complete License Renewal within 30-days of license expiration
- Update Workers' Compensation information
- State Certified contractors are no longer issued a Certificate of Competency card
- State Certified contractors are not required to have the Hillsborough County bond
Journeyman Electrician/Journeyman Plumber
- Journeyman Certificate of Competency applications must be submitted through HillsGovHub.
- How to apply for a Journeyman Electrician / Journeyman Plumber contractor license
- Application Instructions for Journeyman Electrician or Plumber - Fillable*
- Application Instructions for Journeyman Electrician or Plumber - Printable
- Create Contractor License Applications User Guide
- Journeyman registration does not expire once issued
- Fees to apply and register
- $50 to initialize application
- $100 balance due at time of application acceptance
- $70 one-time registration fee
- Renewal not required; registration does not expire
Local specialty & state registered licensure
Hillsborough County accepts applications for the licenses below:
- State Registered – all types
- Local Specialty:
- Aluminum Structure
- Demolition
- Drywall
- Glass & Glazing
- Irrigation
- Marine Contractor
- Fees to apply and register
- $50 to initialize application
- $230 balance due at time of application acceptance
- $140 State Registered one-time registration fee (renewal fees not required)
- $140 Local Specialty registration/renewal fee (due every 2 years)
Visit the Apply for a Hillsborough County Contractor License to find information on fees and instructions on How to apply, as well as resources.
For additional information, refer to the Contractor Licensing Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and .
Reciprocity
- Incoming reciprocity letters must include:
- Sponsoring jurisdiction letterhead
- Exam scores of 75% or higher
- Exam dates
- Exam types
- Exam agency
- Applicant’s current standing in sponsoring jurisdiction
- For a Letter of Reciprocity from Hillsborough County:
Complete License Verification in HillsGovHub and submit a Letter of Reciprocity Request per instruction below.
Please Note: You must have the receiving jurisdiction’s email address for this process
- Login HillsGovHub
- Select New from left side menu
- Select Contractor License Application
- Review terms & select Continue Application
- Select Contractor License next to the tringle to expand or type “letter” in the search box
- Select Letter of Reciprocity Request & select Continue Application
- Enter License Number
- Continue and complete application
Resources
Guides, how-to pages, applications, and other resources.
How to
- Apply for a Hillsborough County Contractor License
- Apply for a Journeyman Electrician / Journeyman Plumber contractor license
Applications
- Instructions for Local Specialty and State Registered (Certificate of Competency) - Fillable*
- Instructions for Local Specialty and State Registered (Certificate of Competency) - Printable
- Application Instructions for Journeyman Electrician or Plumber - Fillable*
Guides, FAQ, and other info
- Create Contractor License Applications User Guide
- Contractor License Verification User Guide
- Contractor License Renewal User Guide
- Update Contractor Information User Guide
- Manage My Account User Guide
- Frequently Asked Questions
- License Comparison Information
- Hillsborough County Code Compliance Bond - Fillable*
- Hillsborough County Code Compliance Bond - Printable
*Fillable forms may not work with many browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Edge, etc.) - if you have issues with the form, do one of the following:
- Download the form to your computer and open it up with a PDF viewer, such as Adobe Acrobat Reader
- Download the printable version of the form, print it, and fill out by hand