Does a Garage Door Company Need a License in Florida?
By Vlad Ivanov · Updated November 14, 2026 · 26 sources
Short answer
Usually yes for installation and replacement: Florida now offers a state Certified Garage Door Installation Specialty Contractor license through DBPR's Construction Industry Licensing Board, and counties such as Hillsborough, Broward and Palm Beach still issue local garage door certificates of competency. Check a state license on myfloridalicense.com and a county license in that county's contractor search before you sign anything.
Key takeaways
- DBPR's Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB) created a new certified specialty license type, Garage Door Installation Specialty Contractor, under HB 1383 (2023) as extended by SB 1142 (2024).[1]
- Garage Door Installation Specialty Contractor is one of those 13 new state categories (alongside Window and Door Installation).[2]
- State licensure in the new categories became available June 20, 2024 for exam-exempt applicants.[3]
- Exam exemption required holding a valid local competency card in that category as of June 30, 2021, no discipline in five years, and having passed a substantially similar written exam.[4]
What the sources say
The state application is Form DBPR CILB 5-AQ, Application for Certified Garage Door Installation Specialty Contractor as an Individual.[5]
The experience areas the state looks for are garage door fabrication/assembly, installation, replacement, framework, and low-voltage wiring related to garage door components.[6]
One qualifying route is four years' experience as a worker or foreman, at least one year as a foreman.[7]
Specialty contractors (non general/building) must carry $100,000 public liability and $25,000 property damage insurance, plus workers' comp or an exemption.[8]
F.S. 489.117(4)(a)1: a local government may not require a license for a job scope that does not substantially correspond to a state contractor category or a certified specialty category set by board rule.[9]
The statute lists job scopes locals cannot license (painting, flooring, cabinetry, handyman services, etc.); garage door work is not on that list.[10]
Hillsborough County says contractors doing state-regulated construction work need a license from DBPR or the County, and HB 1383 lets counties keep offering licenses that mirror DBPR's.[11]
Hillsborough County lists Garage Door Installation among the local specialty licenses it accepts applications for.[12]
Hillsborough local specialty fees: $50 to start, $230 at acceptance, $140 registration/renewal every 2 years; state-certified contractors register free and no longer receive a County Certificate of Competency card.[13]
Palm Beach County's Contractor Regulations section says county contractors must be certified and insured, and it offers both a county and a state licensed-contractor search.[14]
Palm Beach County advises verifying license and insurance, getting a written contract, and not making final payment until the permit is closed.[15]
Palm Beach County stopped issuing Certificates of Competency for 18 preempted trades on July 1, 2025; garage door is not on that list.[16]
Palm Beach County's Contractor Regulations office: 2300 N. Jog Road, 2nd Floor, West Palm Beach; 561-233-5525 (also to report unlicensed activity).[17]
Broward County's contractor database (BCS) has a 'Garage Door Installation Specialty Contractor' license category; anyone can search by name, CC number or firm.[18]
Broward County: for county-licensed, unlicensed, suspended or revoked contractors call 954-765-4400; state-licensed complaints go to DBPR.[19]
Miami-Dade County licenses contractors and tradesmen through its own contractor licensing section and has a BCCO contractor inquiry and complaint search.[20]
Pinellas County tells permit applicants to verify the contractor's license is active via the DBPR lookup (myfloridalicense.com/wl11.asp).[21]
Rather talk to a local garage door company? Call now.
One number for every Florida city. Say your city and what is wrong with the door, and a local garage door company that covers your area calls you back. Calls answered 24/7.
County by county
| County | What the official source says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Hillsborough | Hillsborough County offers a local Garage Door Installation specialty license through HillsGovHub; contractors who hold a state certification register with the county at no fee. | [22] |
| Palm Beach | Palm Beach County's Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB) issues local certificates of competency; garage doors were not among the 18 trades the state took over on July 1, 2025. County and state license searches are linked from its page (561-233-5525). | [23] |
| Broward | Broward County's contractor database includes a Garage Door Installation Specialty Contractor category; questions go to Broward Contractor Licensing (954-765-4400, BCSDCL@broward.org). | [24] |
| Miami-Dade | Miami-Dade County's contractor licensing section issues certificates of competency, and its BCCO Contractor Inquiry search shows whether a contractor holds one. | [25] |
| Pinellas | Pinellas County points applicants to the state DBPR license lookup before they apply for an express garage door permit. | [26] |
Related questions
Do you need a permit to replace a garage door in Florida?
Yes, in most of Florida. The Florida Building Code requires a permit to alter or repair a building, and counties like Miami-Dade, Orange, Pinellas and Hillsborough treat garage door replacement as permitted work that needs a product approval and a final inspection. Read more
What wind rating does a garage door need in Florida, and what changes in Miami-Dade and Broward?
There is no single statewide number: a Florida garage door must be rated for the design wind pressure of your specific house (wind speed, exposure, height, door size), carry a Florida Product Approval or Miami-Dade NOA, and be impact-rated or protected in the wind-borne debris region. In Miami-Dade and Broward (the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone) the code sets 175 mph and 170 mph design wind speeds for typical homes, requires every outside door to meet impact criteria or be protected, and Miami-Dade requires a current NOA with the permit. Read more
How much does garage door repair cost in Florida?
Published Florida prices put most single repairs between about $100 and $700: a spring replacement ran roughly $150 to $670 depending on the city, company and whether one spring or a pair is replaced, and a service or diagnostic call ran $195 to $199 where it was listed. There is no official statewide cost survey; these figures are individual company price pages and Angi city estimates checked on 2026-11-14. Read more
Garage door trouble? Call now.
One number for every Florida city. Say your city and what is wrong with the door, and a local garage door company that covers your area calls you back. Calls answered 24/7.
Prefer to pick a company yourself? Find one by city.
Last updated:
Sources
- Florida DBPR - Construction Industry Archives: New Certified Specialty License Types (checked November 14, 2026)
- Florida DBPR - Construction Industry Archives (checked November 14, 2026)
- Florida DBPR - Construction Industry Archives (checked November 14, 2026)
- Florida DBPR - Construction Industry Archives (checked November 14, 2026)
- DBPR CILB Form 5-AQ (checked November 14, 2026)
- DBPR CILB Form 5-AQ (checked November 14, 2026)
- DBPR CILB Form 5-AQ (checked November 14, 2026)
- DBPR CILB Form 5-AQ (checked November 14, 2026)
- 2026 Florida Statutes s. 489.117 (The Florida Senate) (checked November 14, 2026)
- 2026 Florida Statutes s. 489.117 (The Florida Senate) (checked November 14, 2026)
- Hillsborough County - Contractor Licensing How To and Forms (checked November 14, 2026)
- Hillsborough County - Contractor Licensing How To and Forms (checked November 14, 2026)
- Hillsborough County - Contractor Licensing How To and Forms (checked November 14, 2026)
- Palm Beach County PZB - Code Compliance Contractor Regulations (checked November 14, 2026)
- Palm Beach County PZB - Code Compliance Contractor Regulations (checked November 14, 2026)
- Palm Beach County BCAB - Certificate of Competency Preemption notice (checked November 14, 2026)
- Palm Beach County PZB - Code Compliance Contractor Regulations (checked November 14, 2026)
- Broward County BCS - Search for Contractor License (checked November 14, 2026)
- Broward County Building Code Division (checked November 14, 2026)
- Miami-Dade County - Contractors & Building Trades (checked November 14, 2026)
- Pinellas County - Express Permits (checked November 14, 2026)
- Hillsborough official page (checked November 14, 2026)
- Palm Beach official page (checked November 14, 2026)
- Broward official page (checked November 14, 2026)
- Miami-Dade official page (checked November 14, 2026)
- Pinellas official page (checked November 14, 2026)