Florida electricians must have a license from the state to work there. This allows Florida to ensure that all working electricians have the required knowledge and background to safely perform electrical work. A limited energy specialty license (formerly called a low-voltage license) falls under the certified electrical specialty license category. To receive one, you must apply to the state to take an exam demonstrating competency in the field.

Things You Will Need

  • Photo ID

  • Application

  • Documented proof of experience

  • Credit report

Verify that you meet all prerequisites for a certified specialty electrical contractor’s license according to state law, including being at least 18, having six years of electrical work experience either from actual work or from training and a credit report that does not suggest financial irresponsibility.

Download the certified electrical contractor exam application from the Florida Electrical Contractors’ Licensing Board. Fill it out by typing or using legible print, making sure to select the ES class license or specialty electrical contractor license. Sign and date the bottom of the application. Attach any required documents, including your credit report and your proof of experience.

Return the application and the supporting documents to the state of Florida at the address listed on the application with a check or money order for $300. Make your check or money order payable to the Department of Business and Professional Regulation.

Read the authorization notice you receive from the Florida Electrical Contractors’ Licensing Board after it verifies you meet the prerequisites for licensing. Use the information on the notice to schedule your exam by phone or Internet and pay your exam fees, which total $67.50 as of the publication date.

Arrive for your exam on the testing date you chose at the testing center you chose with your authorization notice and a government-issued picture ID. Take your exam within the 7 1/2 hours allotted for it. Receive your results bearing your score and photo immediately after the exam. Receive your certified specialty electrical contractor’s license by mail from the Florida Electrical Contractors’ Licensing Board after it receives notice of your results.

Tip

If you have a current certified specialty electrical contractor’s license in another state, you can skip the exam requirement for Florida’s license. This process is called licensing by endorsement and requires you to present proof of your current license (see Resources).

Warning

A Florida certified specialty electrical contractor’s license gives you the right to work statewide. It’s not the same as a registered license, which grants you the right to work only in the municipality that issued it.