§ 26-122. Certification.

(a)

To obtain a certificate, an applicant shall submit an application in writing to the board containing the statement that the applicant desires the issuance of a certificate and the class of certificate desired on a form containing the information prescribed by the board and shall be accompanied by the prescribed fee.

(b)  (1) Examinations shall be held at times and places within the county as the board determines, but there shall be at least three examinations a year. Each applicant shall take an objective written examination about his fitness for a certificate in the category for which application is made. There shall be a type of examination for all contractor categories that shall apply to the type of work covered by the certificate applied for. The examination shall cover knowledge of basic principles of contracting and construction applicable to the category for which a certificate is requested. It shall be an open-book examination consisting of multiple choice, fill-in, true-false, or short answer questions, and may include or consist of diagrams, plans, or sketches in connection with which the applicant is required to demonstrate his knowledge of construction by answering questions keyed to the diagrams, plans or sketches or make a drawing if required by a certificate of competency examination. All examinations shall be prepared by an independent testing agency, subject to approval of the board.

(2)

A passing grade on the examination is 70 percent.

(3)

Persons desiring to engage in specialty building trades with the county, not covered by this division, that require a municipal or county examination for licensing or certification shall be required to take and pass only one such examination that shall then be recognized in all other municipalities and the county without the necessity for an additional examination.

(c)

Examinations for journeymen certificates of competency shall be conducted by an independent testing agency and shall be held at the times, conducted in the manner, require the passing grade and shall be otherwise similar to those prescribed in subsection (b) of this section.

(d)

Upon receipt of the fee and application, the board shall investigate the financial responsibility and credit, business reputation of the applicant and of any business organization on behalf of which he proposes to engage in contracting, the education and experience of the applicant. Within 30 days from the date of the examination, the board shall tell the applicant in writing whether he has qualified or not and, if the applicant has qualified, that it is ready to issue a certificate in the category for which application was made, subject to compliance with the requirements of subsection (e) of this section.

(e)

As a prerequisite to issuance of a contractor's certificate, the board shall require the applicant to submit satisfactory evidence that he has obtained public liability and property damage insurance for the safety and welfare of the public in amounts to be determined by the board and a code compliance bond not to exceed $5,000.00 in accordance with F.S. § 489.131(3)(e). Thereupon, the certificate shall be issued forthwith, but this subsection does not apply to inactive certificates.

(f)

If an applicant for an original certificate, after having been notified to do so, does not appear for examination within one year from the date of filing his application, the fee paid by him shall be credited to the board as an earned fee. A new application for a certificate shall be accompanied by another application fee. Forfeiture of a fee may be waived by the board for good cause.

(g)

When a certificate holder desires to engage in contracting in any area of the county including municipalities, as a prerequisite therefor, he shall only be required to exhibit to the local official evidence of holding a current certificate issued by the board accompanied by the fee for the occupational license and building permit required of other persons. He shall not be required to take a municipal examination to prove his competency to obtain a municipal license.

(h)

When a state certificate holder desires to engage in contracting in any area of the county, including municipalities, as a prerequisite therefor, he shall be required to exhibit to the local building official, tax collector, or other person in charge of the issuance of licenses and building permits in the area evidence of holding a current state certificate accompanied by the fee for the occupational license and the building permit required of other persons. State certificate holders must register with the board to provide proof of current general liability insurance in amounts determined by the construction industry licensing board pursuant to F.S. ch. 489, and provide a code compliance bond not to exceed $5,000.00 in accordance with F.S. § 489.131(3)(e). He shall not be required to take an examination to prove his competency for the county or municipality, to obtain a county or municipal license.

(i)

The certificate shall not be transferable.

(j)

Persons not desiring to engage in contracting on a countywide basis may take any required examination of any municipality within which he wishes to limit his business, except that he must register with the board in addition thereto.

(k)

A municipality may require persons desiring to engage in the business of contracting within its boundaries to comply with the examination requirements provided in this division rather than requiring its own examination, but it shall not require both.

(Laws of Fla. ch. 75-489, § 17; Laws of Fla. ch. 89-504, § 1)