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Last reviewed: Next review due: Reflects current Florida contractor license bond requirements
✓ 2026 Requirements Verified

Florida Contractor License Bond— Required Only When Your FICO Is Below 660

FICO 660 or Higher

No license bond required. You satisfy the CILB financial responsibility requirement with your credit score alone (assuming no unsatisfied judgments or liens). But if you are a certified contractor bidding commercial or public projects, the bond you actually need is a performance and payment bond — not this license bond. Understanding what a surety bond is helps you tell the two apart.

FICO Below 660

Bond required: $20,000 (Div I) or $10,000 (Div II). Complete the 14-hour course to cut the requirement in half. We approve all credit levels with premiums starting at $100/year.

$5K-$20K
Bond Range
$100+
Annual Premium
50%
Course Reduction
185K+
FL Contractors
Sub-660 FICO specialists -- no application declined
DBPR-accepted bond forms delivered same day

Official Florida Requirements

"The board deems an individual is financially responsible if the applicant has a 660 FICO-derived credit score or higher, has no unsatisfied judgments, and has no unsatisfied liens. Applicants who do not meet these criteria must submit a surety bond: $20,000 for Division I contractors, $10,000 for Division II contractors. Bond amounts may be reduced by 50% upon completion of a board-approved 14-hour financial responsibility course."
Florida Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB) • Florida Statutes Chapter 489

The 14-Hour Course That Cuts Your Bond in Half

Florida offers a significant incentive: complete a board-approved 14-hour financial responsibility course and your required bond amount is cut in half. This reduction applies to both new applications and renewals. The surety bond cost guide explains how bond amounts affect your annual premium.

Division I Without Course
$20,000
Division I With Course
$10,000
Division II Without Course
$10,000
Division II With Course
$5,000

Course cost: $150-$300 from CILB-approved providers. Available online and in person. The investment typically pays for itself in the first year through lower bond premiums.

What Division I and Division II Actually Cover

Bond amounts for applicants with FICO below 660

Division II covers the specialty trades most active in Florida's storm-recovery and residential growth markets. For trade-specific bond detail, see the Florida pages for electrical contractors, plumbers, HVAC contractors, and roofing contractors — each covers the CILB division and any county-level overlay for that trade.

Division I
Sub-660 FICO Only
$20,000
With course: $10,000
General, Building, and Residential Contractors -- unlimited project size

Requirements:

Four years construction experience (or equivalent)
Pass business and finance exam
Pass trade knowledge exam
$25,000 net worth minimum
Bond required ONLY if FICO below 660

Project Types:

Commercial buildings, infrastructure, unlimited residential

Division II
Sub-660 FICO Only
$10,000
With course: $5,000
Sheet Metal, Roofing, Class A/B/C A/C, Mechanical, and other categories

Requirements:

Two years construction experience (or equivalent)
Pass business and finance exam
Pass trade-specific exam
$10,000 net worth minimum
Bond required ONLY if FICO below 660

Project Types:

Roofing, HVAC, sheet metal, mechanical, swimming pool, and other specialty trades

Cleared the 660 Threshold? The Bond You Need Next Isn't a License Bond

Here is the part most Florida contractors get wrong. The DBPR license bond on this page is a credit-driven formality — it tops out at $20,000 and disappears entirely once your FICO clears 660. It is not the bond a project owner asks for. The moment you bid a commercial build-out, a school district job, an FDOT contract, or any public project over $200,000, the owner requires a performance and payment bond sized to the full contract value — not a flat license figure.

DBPR License Bond
$10K–$20K, flat

Tied to your credit. Satisfies the CILB financial responsibility rule. Required only when FICO is below 660. Has nothing to do with the size of the jobs you bid.

Performance & Payment Bond
100% of contract value

Tied to the job, not your credit. Guarantees you finish the work and pay your subs. This is what a GC, developer, or public owner means when they say “you need to be bonded for this project.”

For certified General, Building, and Residential contractors bidding real work, surety underwriting shifts from a quick credit pull to a review of your financial statements, working capital, and bonding capacity. Florida's two public-works statutes — §255.05 for state and local projects and FDOT §337.18 for transportation work — spell out exactly when a project bond is mandatory. Our Florida performance bond breakdown walks through both thresholds and what carriers ask for. If you want to see how premium scales with contract size before you bid, the surety bond cost guide lays out the typical 1%–3% range, and the performance bond calculator estimates a number for a specific project value.

Bidding commercial or public projects in Florida? Start a project bond application instead of a license bond — we underwrite both.

Explore Performance & Payment Bonds

What Trips Up Florida Applicants at the Bond Stage

The single most common surprise on Florida applications is a contractor assuming the credit pull is a hard wall. It is not. A FICO sitting at 640–659 is the textbook sub-660 case — the applicant still gets licensed, just with a $10,000 or $20,000 bond attached until the score recovers. Annual premium on a sub-660 Division II bond commonly lands in the $100–$300 range, and the 14-hour course halves the bond amount, which pulls the premium down again. For most applicants the math favors taking the course before buying the bond.

The second snag is the FRO trap. A contractor forms an LLC, names a non-owner qualifier to pull the license, and only learns at submission that the structure triggers a separate $100,000 FRO bond on top of (or instead of) the sub-660 bond. If you can keep an owner as the qualifying agent, you avoid the FRO requirement entirely — worth knowing before you finalize the corporate structure.

Need help deciding which bond your situation actually calls for? Compare the full menu of state contractor bond requirements, or run the numbers with the Florida contractor bond calculator. Contractors working the South Florida market — particularly the Miami metro — face the same CILB credit threshold but must also track Miami-Dade's local registration layer on top of the state license.

The DBPR Licensing Sequence From Exam to Approval

Six steps to your Florida contractor license

1

Complete DBPR Application

Submit application and $189 fee for Division I or Division II through the DBPR online portal.

2

Pass Required Exams

Business and finance exam ($50) plus trade-specific exam ($50). Both administered by PSI/AMP testing.

3

Check Your FICO Score

CILB pulls your credit report. If 660+, no bond needed. If below 660, proceed to step 4.

4

Purchase Bond (If Required)

Sub-660: get $20,000 (Div I) or $10,000 (Div II) bond. Complete 14-hour course first to reduce by 50%.

5

Submit Documentation

Provide bond (if required), experience verification, financial statements, and workers' comp certificate.

6

Receive License

Pay $119 license fee and receive your Florida contractor license. Valid for 2 years (odd-year expiration cycle).

For a general walkthrough of the bonding process, see our surety bond application guide.

Start Your Florida Bond Application

The $100,000 FRO Bond: When Your Qualifying Agent Is Not an Owner

A separate requirement that applies regardless of credit score

When the qualifying agent of a Florida construction company does not hold an ownership interest in the business, the company must designate a Financially Responsible Officer (FRO) under Fla. Stat. §489.1195. The FRO must either deposit $100,000 in cash with the board or obtain a $100,000 FRO surety bond (Rule 61G4-15.0021). This requirement exists regardless of credit score and is separate from the sub-660 contractor license bond. The bond vs insurance comparison explains why this is a bond rather than an insurance product. Florida notaries who witness contractor agreements or lien releases will need a separate Florida notary bond through the Department of State.

FRO Bond Amount
$100,000
Required when qualifying agent lacks ownership interest
Alternative: Cash Deposit
$100,000
Held by the CILB -- bond is far more practical
Video Guide

Watch: Florida Contractor License Bond — $10,000–$20,000 (FICO Under 660)

Florida's contractor bond is unique — you only need one if your FICO score is below 660. Above that, you meet financial responsibility automatically. Here's how the DBPR/CILB credit-triggered system works and how a 14-hour course can cut your bond amount in half.

Key moments in this video
  • 0:00Does Florida require a contractor license bond?
  • 0:45Bond amount & how it's determined
  • 1:30What you actually pay (cost by credit tier)
  • 3:00Bond vs. insurance — why you need both
  • 4:30Step-by-step: how to get your Florida contractor bond
  • 6:00Filing requirements & renewal rules
Watch on YouTube

FICO Scores, Course Reductions, and Licensing: Your Questions Answered

What Florida contractors ask most about CILB bonding

How much is a contractor bond in Florida?
Florida contractor bond costs depend on which division you fall under and whether you complete the 14-hour course. Division I contractors (FICO below 660) need a $20,000 bond -- or $10,000 with the course. Annual premiums range from $200-$600 with fair-to-good credit. Division II contractors need a $10,000 bond ($5,000 with course), with premiums of $100-$300. The 14-hour financial responsibility course ($150-$300) typically pays for itself in the first year through lower bond premiums. For a personalized estimate, use our contractor bond calculator at /tools/calculator/contractor-license-bond/. For broader pricing context, visit our surety bond cost guide at /surety-bond-cost/.
How to get a contractor license bond in Florida?
Getting a Florida contractor license bond follows this process: (1) Apply to DBPR and pay the $189 fee. (2) Pass the business and finance exam ($50) and trade exam ($50). (3) The CILB pulls your FICO score -- if 660 or above with no unsatisfied judgments or liens, no bond is needed. (4) If your FICO is below 660, consider completing the 14-hour financial responsibility course first to cut the bond requirement in half. (5) Purchase the required bond -- $20,000 for Division I or $10,000 for Division II (reduced amounts with course). (6) Submit the bond with your application and pay the $119 license fee. We issue Florida contractor bonds instantly. For a general walkthrough of the bonding process, see /how-to-get-a-surety-bond/.
Do all Florida contractors need a surety bond?
No -- and this has been the rule since April 2022, not a recent change. Florida contractor LICENSE bonds are required ONLY for applicants whose FICO credit score is below 660. The Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB) evaluates financial responsibility as part of every license application. If your FICO is 660 or higher with no unsatisfied judgments and no unsatisfied liens, you satisfy the financial responsibility requirement without a license bond. If your FICO falls below 660 -- or you have outstanding judgments or liens -- you must post a bond. Important distinction: clearing 660 frees you from the LICENSE bond, but it does NOT free you from a PROJECT bond. Any commercial or public job that requires bonding still calls for a performance and payment bond sized to the contract -- that is a separate product. Learn more about how surety bonds work at /what-is-a-surety-bond/.
I am a certified GC bidding commercial and public work -- which bond do I need?
Not the license bond on this page. The DBPR license bond is a flat $10,000-$20,000 figure tied to your credit and required only when your FICO is below 660. The bond a project owner, developer, or public agency requires is a performance and payment bond sized to the full contract value (100% of the contract under Florida public-works law). For public projects, Fla. Stat. §255.05 governs state and local jobs and FDOT §337.18 governs transportation work; both spell out when a project bond is mandatory. Underwriting for project bonds reviews your financial statements, working capital, and bonding capacity rather than a quick credit pull. See our performance and payment bonds overview at /performance-and-payment-bonds/ and the Florida-specific breakdown at /performance-bonds/florida/.
How do I reduce my Florida contractor bond by 50%?
Florida allows a 50% bond reduction when you complete a board-approved 14-hour financial responsibility course. This reduces Division I bonds from $20,000 to $10,000, and Division II bonds from $10,000 to $5,000. The course covers financial management, bookkeeping, business practices, and Florida construction law. Multiple CILB-approved providers offer the course online and in person ($150-$300). The investment typically pays for itself in the first year through reduced bond premiums.
What is the Florida Financially Responsible Officer (FRO) bond?
If the qualifying agent for a Florida construction company does not have an ownership interest in the company, the company must appoint a Financially Responsible Officer (FRO). The FRO must either make a $100,000 cash deposit or purchase a $100,000 FRO surety bond to provide financial security for enforcement of the license law. This is separate from the sub-660 contractor license bond and applies regardless of credit score.
How do I get a Florida contractor license and bond?
To get licensed and bonded in Florida: (1) Complete DBPR application and pay $189 fee, (2) Pass business and finance exam ($50), (3) Pass trade exam ($50), (4) If your FICO is below 660, purchase your contractor license bond -- $20,000 for Division I or $10,000 for Division II (or reduced amounts with the 14-hour course), (5) Submit bond (if required) with license application to DBPR, (6) Pay $119 license fee upon approval. If your FICO is 660+, no bond is needed for the financial responsibility requirement.
What is the difference between a certified and registered contractor in Florida?
Florida has two types of contractor licenses: certified and registered. A certified contractor holds a state-issued license from the CILB and can work anywhere in Florida without additional local licensing. A registered contractor holds a local (county) license and can only work within that county or counties where they have registered. Both types are subject to the same bond requirements based on credit score. Certified licenses offer statewide mobility but require passing the state exam, while registered licenses require passing a local competency exam.
Are there different requirements for hurricane recovery work in Florida?
Florida may activate emergency licensing provisions during and after hurricanes, allowing expedited licensing for out-of-state contractors engaged in disaster response. However, the standard bond requirements still apply for permanent licensing. Hurricane recovery work may require additional performance bonds for insurance claim projects and large restoration contracts beyond the basic license bond. Note that a DBPR contractor license bond is NOT the same as a project performance bond — see our Florida performance bond guide (buysuretybonds.com/performance-bonds/florida/) for the distinction and the full §255.05 and FDOT §337.18 requirements.

Official Florida Resources

DBPR / CILB Contact

Phone: (850) 487-1395

DBPR Portal: https://www.myfloridalicense.com/DBPR/

CILB: Construction Industry Licensing Board

Legal Authority

Statute: Florida Statutes Chapter 489

Financial Responsibility: CILB Rule 61G4-15.001

View Statute
Florida CILB Bond Family

Pick the page that matches your situation

Four deep-dive pages cover every scenario a Florida contractor faces — from FICO-triggered Sub-660 bonds to the $100K FRO requirement, the 14-hour course discount, and our interactive premium calculator.

FICO < 660?
Sub-660 Bond
$10K Div II / $20K Div I — and three ways out of paying for it
Non-owner qualifier?
FRO Bond ($100K)
The corporate-structure trigger most contractors miss + the dual-bond trap
Halve your bond
14-Hour Course
Spend $150, save $300–$1,600/yr — the ROI math and approved providers
Get the number
Calculator
Live premium estimator — Sub-660 + FRO + course halving in one tool

Explore More Florida Bond Resources

How Neighboring States Differ

Georgia: flat $25,000, no FICO triggerAlabama: $10K–$20K by tradeSouth Carolina: $20K–$500K by group

For Florida Project Work

Performance & payment bondsFlorida performance bond (§255.05)Florida auto dealer bondFlorida notary bondstate-by-state contractor license bondsContractor bond cost guide

Tools & Guides

Contractor bond calculatorSurety bond cost guide50-state requirements guideGeneral contractor bond guideWhat is a surety bond?Bond vs insuranceHow to get a surety bondCompare all bond types we offerGet your free quote

Want to understand contractor bonding requirements nationwide? See our contractor industry overview for a complete guide.

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Florida Performance Bond

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Nearby States

Contractor license bonds in neighboring states

Alabama Contractor License Bond

Alabama requirements, statute, and bond amount

Georgia Contractor License Bond

Georgia requirements, statute, and bond amount

Eric Drummond, Licensed Surety Producer
Reviewed by
Eric Drummond, Licensed Surety Producer
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