The State of Local Licensing in Florida
Since 2021, multiple statutes have been enacted and revised to eliminate most local licenses, while also expanding the availability of certain state-level contractor licenses. After four years of legislation, many of those changes finally took effect earlier this month, leaving some contractors without local licenses and without a lot of guidance on local licensing requirements.
Court Reinstates Contractor's Lien After Holding that Claimed Local Licensing Violations Do Not Necessarily Fall Under 489.128, Florida Statutes
Florida’s Fourth District Court of Appeal reinstated a contractor’s construction lien after finding that alleged unlicensed contracting in violation of local ordinances did not trigger the application of 489.128, Florida Statute. The court does a good job of outlining the differences between state and local licensing laws and the penalties and scope of enforcement available at the state and local level.