How to verify a license.

“Licensed & Insured” — But Licensed to Do What?

You see it everywhere:

LICENSED & INSURED

It sounds reassuring. But before you hand someone a deposit and the keys to your house, there’s one more question worth asking:

Licensed and insured to do WHAT?

Having an LLC, a business tax receipt, a nice truck, a Facebook page, and general liability insurance does not automatically make someone a Florida state-licensed contractor.

A business can be legally established without holding the professional contractor license required to perform regulated construction work. Florida law even specifically states that a business tax receipt is not a contractor license.

So before hiring someone to remodel, repair, or build your home, spend five minutes doing your homework.

1. Ask for Their Florida Contractor License Number

Don't just ask:

“Are you licensed and insured?”

Ask:

“What is your Florida contractor license number?”

Then verify it yourself through the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation.

Florida DBPR License Search:

https://www.myfloridalicense.com/portalsearches/VerifyLicensee

You can search by:

• Contractor name

• License number

• Business name

• City or county

And here's another useful clue: Florida law requires contractors to display their state certification or registration number on offers of services, proposals, bids, contracts, and advertisements.  It also must be displayed on a vehicle when the vehicle identifies the contractor or clearly advertises contracting services.

In other words, a legitimate contractor license isn't exactly something you should need to be a detective or magnifying glass to find.

2. Make Sure the License Matches the Company

Finding a contractor license isn't enough. Make sure the person holding that license actually qualifies the company you are hiring. DBPR specifically provides instructions for searching by license number, individual contractor, or business name so homeowners can see the relationship between the licensee and the business. Someone else's contractor license number is not a community password.

3. Make Sure the License Is ACTIVE

The name showing up in DBPR doesn't automatically mean the license is currently valid.

Look at the license status.

You want to see that the contractor is properly licensed and active—not expired, inactive, suspended, or otherwise unable to legally contract for the work being offered. Florida law prohibits a certificate holder or registrant from engaging in contracting without an active license status.

4. Make Sure It's the RIGHT License

This is probably the most overlooked part. Having a Florida contractor license does not mean someone is licensed to perform every type of construction work. Florida has different license classifications, including:

• General Contractor

• Building Contractor

• Residential Contractor

• Electrical Contractor

• Roofing Contractor

• Plumbing Contractor

• Air-Conditioning Contractor

• Mechanical Contractor

• Pool Contractor

• Specialty Contractors

Each has a defined scope. So don't stop at: “Yep, his license is active.”

Ask: “Does this license allow this contractor to perform the work I'm hiring them to do?” That's the question that matters.

5. Now Verify the “Insured” Part

A certificate of insurance is not a contractor license—and a contractor license doesn't mean you should skip checking insurance. Ask for proof of:

General liability insurance and workers' compensation coverage as required by law.

Florida contractor licensing requirements include public liability/property damage insurance and workers' compensation coverage as required under Florida law.

Then look beyond the piece of paper.

Confirm: Is the policy active? Does the insured business name match the company I'm hiring? Does the coverage apply to the type of work being performed?

Florida law even addresses claims of being “insured” when the actual work is not covered by the applicable general liability or workers' compensation policy.

Five Minutes Can Save You a Huge Headache

Before hiring a contractor:

1. Get the Florida contractor license number.

2. Match it to the person and business.

3. Make sure it's active.

4. Make sure it's the right license for the work.

5. Verify the insurance actually protects the work being performed.

A business license isn't a contractor license.

An LLC isn't a contractor license.

Insurance isn't a contractor license.

And writing “Licensed & Insured” across the side of a truck, social media post or on a bandit sign doesn't magically make it so.

Verify it yourself.

Florida DBPR License Search: https://www.myfloridalicense.com/portalsearches/VerifyLicensee

At Sanders Signature Homes, we believe homeowners should know exactly who they're trusting with their home.

Protect your home. Verify. Confirm. Build with confidence.

This article is intended for general homeowner education and is not legal advice. Licensing and insurance requirements can depend on the specific scope of work and circumstances.