Requirements, license levels, and the issuing authority, sourced from Florida's official board.
Florida licenses the plumbing CONTRACTOR, not an individual journeyman: certified contractors work statewide, registered contractors only in the local jurisdiction whose certificate of competency they hold. The plumbing trade examination is the outlier in the Florida system - paper and pencil, offered on set dates, and scored out of 160 points including five hand-drawn isometrics, where every other construction trade examination is daily computer-based multiple choice.
| Requirements | ELIGIBILITY. Section 489.111, Florida Statutes: the applicant must be 18 and of good moral character, and must have a total of at least four years of active experience as a worker who learned the trade by serving an apprenticeship as a skilled worker, of which at least one year must be as a foreman. The statute allows college coursework to substitute for part of the experience in fixed combinations - one year as a foreman plus three years of college coursework; one year as a skilled worker plus one year as a foreman plus two years of college; or two years as a skilled worker plus one year as a foreman plus one year of college. CILB APPLICATION AND FEES, from DBPR's certified contractor application: the initial certification fee is $245 when applying between May 1 of an EVEN year and August 31 of an ODD year, and $145 when applying between September 1 of an ODD year and April 30 of an EVEN year - the fee is prorated against the biennial cycle, so the month of application changes the price. Payable to the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Electronic fingerprints are required of every applicant, along with proof of satisfaction of liens, judgments and discharge of bankruptcy where applicable. An active-status applicant must also submit a credit report carrying a FICO-derived credit score from a nationally recognised agency, with a public records statement showing local, state and federal records were checked; if the score is below 660 the applicant must complete a 14-hour Board-approved financial responsibility course. Financial responsibility is met where the credit report shows no outstanding judgments, liens or unsatisfied bankruptcies. General liability insurance minimums: $300,000 public liability and $50,000 property damage for General and Building contractors; $100,000 public liability and $25,000 property damage for all other categories, plus workers' compensation insurance or a filed exemption, obtained within 30 days after the license issues if not already held. CILB EXAMINATIONS. Division II contractors - every specialty including plumbing and air conditioning - must pass two examinations, Business and Finance and the General Trade Knowledge paper for the specialty. All construction examinations are OPEN BOOK and multiple choice, and the minimum percentage score needed to pass is 70 percent. Only books on DBPR's approved reference list may be brought in, they must remain as published, underlining and highlighting are allowed but photocopies are not without prior written authorisation, and permanently attached tabs may carry only normal chapter or page headings. Registration and scoring run through Professional Testing, Inc.; scheduling and delivery through Pearson VUE. Applications must be received no later than 30 days before the examination date. A candidate who passes and later applies in an additional category may be exempt from retaking the Business and Finance part. Business and Finance is 120 scored questions in 6.5 hours (the Service Pool version is 60 questions in 3.5 hours), delivered daily by computer. PLUMBING TRADE EXAMINATION - the one Florida construction examination that is not delivered by computer. It is administered in paper-and-pencil format and offered several times a year rather than daily. The Plumbing General Trade Knowledge examination is worth 160 possible points and consists of 110 multiple-choice questions plus five plumbing isometric drawings, each drawing worth up to 10 points. A candidate must score 112 out of 160 points to pass - the same 70 percent threshold, expressed in points. Multiple-choice content weights: drainage 20%, water distribution 20%, natural gas piping 15%, medical gas piping 20%, industrial piping 10%, swimming pools, wells and irrigation 5%, solar 5%, fire protection 5%. The five isometric drawings are graded on published criteria: legibility 8 points, orientation of fixtures 20 points, direction of flow 12 points (required on all waste lines and fixture connections even where implied, not required on vent lines), 30-60-90 degree angles 8 points, piping - all pipes, fittings, traps and clean-outs shown exactly as on the drawing and at the correct elevation relative to the floor plan - 20 points, and labeling of all fixtures to the legend provided. DBPR's own booklet notes that a candidate scoring 50 of 160 points is at 31.25 percent and that it is therefore not possible to pass without earning points on the drawings. Basic mathematics is assumed throughout. |
| Reciprocity | No formal reciprocity; endorsement possible for equivalent out-of-state exams or 10+ years active licensure. |
| Renewal | Biennial, expiring August 31 of even-numbered years; 14 hours CE per cycle. |
| Notes | Florida licenses the plumbing CONTRACTOR, not an individual journeyman: certified contractors work statewide, registered contractors only in the local jurisdiction whose certificate of competency they hold. The plumbing trade examination is the outlier in the Florida system - paper and pencil, offered on set dates, and scored out of 160 points including five hand-drawn isometrics, where every other construction trade examination is daily computer-based multiple choice. |
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Sources: www2.myfloridalicense.com, www.leg.state.fl.us, www2.myfloridalicense.com, www2.myfloridalicense.com. Always confirm current requirements with the issuing authority.
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