The Florida contractor license credit score threshold is 660, FICO derived, on a current credit report showing no unsatisfied judgments or liens. Below 660, construction board applicants no longer post a bond. Since an April 2022 rule amendment they complete a 14 hour board approved financial responsibility course instead. Liens and judgments must still be satisfied.
Listen to this article, about 10 minutes. A synthetic voice reads the article and announces each section title as it begins; tables are read row by row and the questions at the end are left out.
Recorded 3 October 2026 from the article as published that day. Press a chapter to jump there; the highlighted line is what is playing. A play button sits beside every section heading, and once you scroll past this player a bar at the bottom of the screen keeps the controls in reach. Tap or click any sentence to hear the reading start from there.
What credit score do you need for a Florida contractor license?
660, and it has to be a FICO derived score. Rule 61G4-15.006 of the Florida Administrative Code, the Construction Industry Licensing Board’s rule on financial responsibility, splits the test in two. Financial responsibility is the clean record part: the board refuses an applicant whose current credit report discloses unsatisfied judgments or liens, against you or against any business you qualified before. Financial stability is the number: a FICO derived score of 660 or higher. One report that clears both halves satisfies both.
For scale, 660 sits just under the 670 to 739 band that myFICO describes as good. The board is not asking for excellent credit, only evidence that you pay people, which is fair for someone about to hold a customer’s deposit. Our full checklist of Florida contractor license requirements shows where this step falls.
What happens if your credit score is under 660?
You take a course. The current rule says an applicant unable to provide a FICO derived score of 660 or higher shall meet the financial stability requirement by completing a 14 hour financial responsibility course approved by the board. That is the whole of it. There is no bond in the rule as published today.
That is a change, and a lot of what you will read online has not caught up. The department’s own July 2021 application form told a sub 660 applicant to post a bond or an irrevocable letter of credit from a Florida bank: $20,000 for Division I (general, building and residential contractors) or $10,000 for Division II (every other construction board category). The 14 hour course halved it, to $10,000 or $5,000, and the bond stayed in force until you could show a 660 score.
The rule history shows amendments effective 13 April 2022 and 5 May 2024. Licensing service sites date the end of the bond to April 2022, which matches, and the current text has no bond or letter of credit language. We could not find an official summary of what the 2024 amendment changed.
One nuance the ranking pages miss. Section 489.115 of the Florida Statutes still authorises the board to require a bond, capped at $20,000 for Division I and $10,000 for Division II, with half coverable by the 14 hour course. The statute sets the ceiling on what the board may ask for. The rule is what the board actually asks for, and right now it asks for the course.
Search results today still surface surety companies selling a Florida “sub 660” construction license bond. If someone quotes you one for a construction board application, ask which current rule requires it. The answer should be a rule number, not a sales pitch.
How do the credit routes compare by license type?
Each route, its figures and the text it comes from, checked on 14 September 2026.
| Applicant | Score 660 or higher, no unsatisfied liens or judgments | Score below 660 | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construction board, Division I, today | Credit report meets both requirements | 14 hour approved financial responsibility course | r. 61G4-15.006, F.A.C., amended 5 May 2024 |
| Construction board, Division II, today | Credit report meets both requirements | 14 hour approved financial responsibility course | r. 61G4-15.006, F.A.C. |
| Construction board, Division I, before April 2022 | Credit report meets both | $20,000 bond or letter of credit, or $10,000 with the course | DBPR CILB 10 form, July 2021 |
| Construction board, Division II, before April 2022 | Credit report meets both | $10,000 bond or letter of credit, or $5,000 with the course | DBPR CILB 10 form, July 2021 |
| Statutory ceiling on any construction board bond | Not applicable | Up to $20,000 (Division I) or $10,000 (Division II), half by course | s. 489.115, Florida Statutes |
| Electrical board, business applicant | No FICO figure in the rule | Credit history, financial statement and questionnaire reviewed; net worth $10,000 or $5,000 (specialty) | r. 61G6-5.004 and 5.005, F.A.C. |
Do liens, judgments or a bankruptcy stop an application?
Unsatisfied ones do, and a high score does not rescue you. Financial responsibility is a separate test, so a 780 score with an open judgment against a company you once qualified still fails it. The department’s application has asked for proof of satisfaction of liens and judgments, and proof of discharge of any bankruptcy, where they appear on the report. Start early: a satisfaction of judgment is recorded on the creditor’s timetable, not yours, so a debt settled last month can still read as open.
Does the electrical board use the same credit rule?
No. Electrical and alarm contractors answer to the Electrical Contractors’ Licensing Board under its own chapter, and rules 61G6-5.004 and 61G6-5.005 of the Florida Administrative Code use no FICO number. A business applicant needs a financial statement prepared within 12 months showing net worth of at least $10,000 for unlimited electrical and alarm contractors or $5,000 for specialty contractors, plus a business credit report dated within 12 months.
The board then weighs bankruptcy arising from electrical contracting in the past five years, judgments in that window for unpaid suppliers or workers, and any IRS or Florida Department of Revenue lien. Some licensing service sites say the electrical board applies 660 as well. We could not confirm that against the board’s own application, so ask before relying on either answer. Our guide to the Florida electrical contractor license covers the rest.
Which credit report will the board accept?
Not the free one you pull for yourself, in most cases. The department’s application asks for a report from a nationally recognised agency carrying a FICO derived score and a public records statement confirming records were checked at local, state and federal levels. The free annual reports from the three bureaus do not usually include a score, so check that whatever you order carries both before you pay for it.
Qualifying a business means a credit report on the business too, and before you sign anything it is worth reading what qualifying an entity commits you to under Florida law, because an unsatisfied judgment against a business you once qualified follows you into every later application. The department keeps a list of suitable agencies; its construction industry FAQ pages are the place to start, or call 850.487.1395. Ask while you are on the phone what the construction board treats as current, because its rule puts no number of days on the word.
How long does the 14 hour course take, and what does it cost?
Fourteen hours, usually online and self paced. As one example, Gold Coast Schools lists its approved course at $149 with a year of access, covering accounting basics, cash management, board rules and lien law. That overlaps heavily with the Business and Finance exam, so the hours do double duty. Confirm the course is on the board’s approved list, and keep the school name, provider number, course name and dates: the application asks for all four.
What should you do before you apply?
- Pull a report with a FICO score months before you file, so the number is a plan, not a surprise.
- Find any unsatisfied judgment or lien, including against a business you qualified before, and start the satisfaction paperwork.
- Under 660 and applying to the construction board: book an approved 14 hour course and keep the completion details.
- Applying to the electrical board as a business: get a financial statement within 12 months showing the minimum net worth.
- Order the application report, with its public records statement, close to filing.
If you plan to qualify a company, the difference between registered and certified contractors decides which application you file, and the construction industry licensing board reviews it. None of this is a reason to delay the exams. It is a reason to start the paperwork while you study.
Frequently asked questions
Is 660 a FICO 8 score or any FICO score?
The rule says FICO derived and names no version. The department’s application has accepted a FICO or Beacon score from a nationally recognised agency. If your report uses another model, confirm with the department.
Does the credit check apply when I renew my license?
Section 489.115 ties the credit report to an initial application and to a request for a change of status. A routine renewal with no status change is not the trigger.
Can someone else with better credit qualify the business instead of me?
The credit review follows the applicant who qualifies the business, so a different qualifier means that person’s report is reviewed. Lending a license to a business you do not supervise is a separate problem under Chapter 489.
Does taking the 14 hour course raise my credit score?
No. It meets the financial stability requirement in place of the score. Your score stays where it is, and an unsatisfied judgment or lien still has to be satisfied.
If I posted a sub 660 bond before 2022, do I still need it?
We could not confirm how the board treats bonds posted under the old rule. Contact the Construction Industry Licensing Board before cancelling one, because the old bond form required it to stay in force until you showed a 660 score.
Will a collection account or a late payment disqualify me?
The construction board rule names unsatisfied judgments and liens, not late payments. A collection that drops your score below 660 sends you to the course route. The electrical board weighs overall credit history.
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