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BROWARD COUNTY · LOCALbuilding permit
Local Impact

Broward County Building Code and Contractor Licensing Updates

Original title: Building Code Building Code

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The Frame

What this does

Contractors and journeymen in Broward County will face higher licensing fees starting January 1, 2025, and some local specialty licenses will be eliminated by July 1, 2025, requiring affected individuals to transition to state-certified licenses.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Contractors and Journeymen

They face increased licensing fees and must navigate the transition of local licenses to state-certified licenses.

Tree Trimming Contractors

They are no longer required to hold a Broward County Certificate of Competency.

Broward Municipal Services District (BMSD) Residents

They are subject to the Broward County Zoning Code and code enforcement regulations administered by the county.

What changed

No recent stage movement in the current record.

What's next

Next step not available in the current record.

Key Facts

  • New contractor and journeyman licensing application and renewal fees take effect January 1, 2025.
  • Contractor licensing application or renewal fee is set at $450.00.
  • Journeyman application fee is $225.00; renewal fee is $120.00.
  • Grandfathered letter fee is $50.00 per license.
  • Change of status application fee is $350.00.
  • Letter of reciprocity fee is $50.00.
  • Local specialty contractor licenses will be eliminated effective July 1, 2025, per HB 735.
  • Tree Trimmer Certificate of Competency is no longer required as of July 1, 2025.
  • Individuals with eliminated local licenses may apply for state-certified contractor licenses or petition the CILB for new specialty categories.
  • Broward County provides building code services for 22 municipalities and specific districts via Inter-Local Service Agreements.
  • The Urban Planning Division administers the Broward County Zoning Code (Chapter 39) for the Broward Municipal Services District (BMSD) and unincorporated areas.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if my local contractor license is eliminated?
You may apply for a state-certified contractor license or petition the Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB) to create a new certified specialty license category.
Are tree trimmers still required to hold a Broward County license?
No, as of July 1, 2025, Broward County no longer requires a for tree trimmers.
Where can I find zoning information for my property?
If you are in the Broward Municipal Services District (BMSD) or an unincorporated area, contact the Urban Planning Division. If you are in a municipality, contact that specific municipality.

Summary

This document outlines updated contractor licensing requirements, fee increases effective January 1, 2025, and the elimination of certain local specialty licenses by July 1, 2025, due to state law HB 735. It also provides information on zoning and code enforcement services for the Broward Municipal Services District.

Why It Matters

Contractors and journeymen in Broward County will face higher licensing fees starting January 1, 2025, and some local specialty licenses will be eliminated by July 1, 2025, requiring affected individuals to transition to state-certified licenses.

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Lobbying Activity

AARP

$4,110,000

2026

HEALTH ISSUESMEDICARE/MEDICAIDLAW ENFORCEMENT/CRIME/CRIMINAL JUSTICEPHARMACY

P.L. 119-21, One Big Beautiful Bill Act H.R. 8867, Planning for Long-term Aging Needs (PLAN) Act H.R. 5861, Legacy Act of 2025 H.R. 9393, the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act. H.R. 9396, the Prior Authorization Accountability Act. S. 4916, the Aging with Artificial Intelligence Act. H.R. 8100, Safe Staffing Saves Lives Act. S. 3886, Nurses Belong in Nursing Homes Act. H.R. 6766/S. 3492, the Essential Caregivers Act of 2025. H.R. 7966/S. 4118, Hospice Care Accountability, Reform, and Enforcement (Hospice CARE) Act. S. 2120, the Older Americans Act Reauthorization Act of 2025 H.R. 5575, the Firefighters Assisting Seniors to Emergency Response (FASTER) Act of 2025. H.R. 3954/S. 4641, Improving Access to Medicare Coverage Act. H.R.5554/S.2831, Stand Strong for Medicare Act. S. 3439/H.R. 6735, Connecting Caregivers to Medicare Act and efforts related to the bill S. 1227/H.R. 2491, Alleviating Barriers for Caregivers Act S. 668/H.R. 3183, Supporting Access to Falls Education and Prevention and Strengthening Training Efforts and Promoting Safety Initiatives (SAFE STEPS) for Veterans Act of 2025 CMS-1851-P, Hospice Proposed rule. CMS-1843-P, Skilled Nursing Facility Proposed rule. CMS-1844-P, Home Health Proposed rule. No bill number. Health care transparency. No bill number. Discussed use of artificial intelligence and health data technology. No bill number. Discussed health-related policies and activities around the fall respiratory virus season. No bill number. Discussed health insurance affordability proposals. No bill number. Discussed Nursing Home staffing standards, safety, and quality. No bill number. Discussed Nursing home transparency and ownership requirements. No bill number. Discussed home health, hospice, and long-term care. No bill number. Discussed falls prevention. No bill number. Discussed social isolation. No bill number. Discussed HUD Assisted Living Requirements No bill number. Discussed family caregiving. No bill number. Discussed AARP paper on Medicare Caregiver Training Services. No bill number. Discussed Medicaid community engagement interim final rule, including the family caregiver exemption. No bill number. Discussed the paid direct care workforce in long-term care. No bill number. Discussed the unaffordability of long-term care. No bill number. Discussed Money Follows the Person Rebalancing Demonstration Program and Medicaid HCBS spousal impoverishment protections. No bill number. Discussed Medicaid fraud and family caregivers, Medicaid self-direction programs. No bill number. Discussed sandwich generation family caregiver hearing and submitted a statement for the record discussing family caregivers and sandwich generation caregivers, programs that support them, AARP caregiving resources, and federal policies to support sandwich generation caregivers and caregivers more broadly. No bill number. Discussed long-term care. No bill number. CMS-2453-NC; Medicaid Program; 2028 Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services Quality Measure Set Submitted comments No bill number. Discussed expanding access to home care. No bill number. Discussed the increasing cost of home care No bill number. Discussed HSA use for telehealth chronic care management services/subscriptions. No bill number. Discussed artificial intelligence and technology

1607 STRATEGIES, LLC

on behalf of American Property Casualty Insurance Association

2026

INSURANCEBUDGET/APPROPRIATIONSTORTS

Issues relating to the reauthorization of the National Flood Insurance Program and other Issues related to flood insurance. Issues related to the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Issues regarding environmental policies and their consideration by insurers and state insurance regulators. Issues related to the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program. H.R. 7128, TRIA Program Reauthorization Act of 2026, all provisions.

CARTER LOBBYING FIRM ART

on behalf of INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF PLUMBING & MECHANICAL OFFICIALS

Senate LDAView filing →

1607 STRATEGIES, LLC

on behalf of American Property Casualty Insurance Association

2026

INSURANCEBUDGET/APPROPRIATIONSTORTS

Issues relating to the reauthorization of the National Flood Insurance Program and other Issues related to flood insurance. Issues related to the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Issues regarding environmental policies and their consideration by insurers and state insurance regulators. Issues related to the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program. H.R. 7128, TRIA Program Reauthorization Act of 2026, all provisions.

DAVIS & HARMAN LLP

on behalf of RETIREMENT INDUSTRY TRUST ASSOCIATION

NATIONAL MAIN STREET CENTER, INC.

NATIONAL MAIN STREET CENTER, INC.

ERNST & YOUNG LLP (WASHINGTON COUNCIL ERNST & YOUNG)

on behalf of SARONIC TECHNOLOGIES INC.

1607 STRATEGIES, LLC

on behalf of American Property Casualty Insurance Association

2025

INSURANCEBUDGET/APPROPRIATIONSTORTS

Issues relating to the reauthorization of the National Flood Insurance Program and other Issues related to flood insurance. Issues related to the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Issues regarding environmental policies and their consideration by insurers and state insurance regulators.

1607 STRATEGIES, LLC

on behalf of American Property Casualty Insurance Association

2025

INSURANCEBUDGET/APPROPRIATIONSTORTS

Issues relating to the reauthorization of the National Flood Insurance Program and other issues related to flood insurance products. Issues related to the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Issues regarding environmental policies and their consideration by insurers and state insurance regulators.

Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift100% confidence

State Preemption of Local Licensing

The document highlights a clear shift in regulatory authority from the county to the state, specifically driven by HB 735, which forces the elimination of local specialty licenses.

Connected Entities

organizationConstruction Industry Licensing Board (CILB)State board handling state-certified contractor licenses.Map →
organizationFlorida House of RepresentativesPassed HB 735 regarding contractor licensing preemption.Map →
organizationBroward County Building Code DivisionThe primary agency managing building codes and contractor licensing.Map →
organizationInternational Society of Arboriculture (ISA)Organization providing tree trimming education.Map →
organizationAmerican Society of Consulting Arborists (ASCA)Organization providing tree trimming education.Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.broward.org

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance65
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy40
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment10
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz20
    Current news / social attention level

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