- •Florida: search the DBPR license database at MyFloridaLicense.com by name or license number. Status should read "Current, Active."
- •South Carolina: search the LLR verification portal; residential roofing runs through the Residential Builders Commission, and larger commercial work through the Contractor’s Licensing Board.
- •Match the license class to your job: a Florida Certified Roofing Contractor is statewide; a Registered one is valid only in specific local jurisdictions.
- •Confirm the license is active and not expired or suspended, then check the disciplinary/complaint history on the same record.
- •The license number on the truck or the estimate means nothing until you look it up yourself on the state site.
- •Florida: DBPR license search: myfloridalicense.com
- •South Carolina: LLR verification portal: verify.llronline.com · Residential Builders Commission: llr.sc.gov/res
The number on the truck proves nothing
A license number printed on a magnet, a business card, or an estimate is just a string of characters until you look it up on the state's own site. Numbers get copied, borrowed, transposed, and kept on documents after a license has lapsed or been revoked. The only verification that counts is the one you run yourself on the official database, and both states make it free.
Verifying does three things: confirms the license exists and is active, confirms its class covers your trade in your jurisdiction, and surfaces any disciplinary history the contractor is not going to volunteer. It pairs with the full roofer-vetting checklist. Below is the exact path for each state.
Florida, step by step (DBPR)
Match the class to the job
The prefix on the license number tells you the class. Roofing is the one to get right after a storm.
Certified Roofing Contractor (CCC)
Licensed by the state Construction Industry Licensing Board, valid statewide for roofing work.
Registered Roofing Contractor (RC)
Registered only in the local jurisdictions that recognize it, not automatically valid statewide. Confirm it covers your county/city.
Certified General / Building (CGC / CBC)
For structural repairs beyond roofing. Confirm the class covers the scope of your specific job.
Certified Residential (CRC)
One- and two-family and townhouse construction up to the class limits. Check the scope against your project.
South Carolina, step by step (LLR)
Which board for which job
South Carolina splits residential from commercial. Searching the wrong system is the most common reason a legitimate contractor "doesn't come up."
Residential Builders Commission (RBC)
Home building and residential specialty trades, including roofing, for most storm roof jobs on houses.
Residential Specialty Contractor
The RBC sub-category a dedicated residential roofer typically holds. Confirm the specialty is roofing.
Contractor’s Licensing Board (CLB)
Larger commercial and general/mechanical construction above the residential thresholds, a different system entirely.
How to read the result
Four fields decide whether you keep going. Read them in this order.
If the search returns nothing, try the business and the individual name separately and re-check the number format. A contractor who cannot be found and cannot produce a verifiable number should be treated as unlicensed, and in Florida that carries real legal weight: contracts with unlicensed contractors are generally unenforceable by the contractor under Fla. Stat. § 489.128.
HurricaneLaw.pro does not vet, rank, or recommend individual contractors. Any listing is drawn from public state license rolls and presented as a starting point, listed by license, not vetted. The state databases above are the authoritative source; verify there yourself.
Verifying a license, FAQ
What does "Certified" vs "Registered" mean in Florida roofing?
A Certified Roofing Contractor (CCC) is licensed by the state and can work statewide. A Registered Roofing Contractor (RC) has met a local jurisdiction’s competency requirements and is valid only where that registration is recognized, not automatically across Florida. For a roof outside a Registered contractor’s home jurisdiction, confirm they are actually authorized to work at your address.
Which South Carolina board licenses residential roofers?
Residential roofing generally falls under the Residential Builders Commission (RBC) within LLR, typically as a residential specialty contractor. Larger commercial construction runs through the separate Contractor’s Licensing Board. Verify a home roofer through the RBC side, and confirm you are searching the correct system for the type of work.
The status says "Current, Active." Am I done?
That is the floor, not the finish. Also confirm the class covers your trade and jurisdiction, that the named individual actually stands behind the company you are hiring, and that the disciplinary history is clean. An active license held by a qualifier with no real connection to the crew on your roof is a common gap.
What if I cannot find the contractor at all?
Try the business name and the individual’s name separately, and check spelling and the exact license format. If nothing comes up on the state site and the contractor cannot produce a verifiable number, treat that as an unlicensed contractor and stop. In Florida, contracts with unlicensed contractors can be unenforceable by the contractor (Fla. Stat. § 489.128).
Does the license tell me if they carry insurance?
Not fully. Licensing and insurance are separate. Ask for a certificate of insurance showing general liability and workers-compensation coverage, then call the issuing agent to confirm it is active. Some state records note financial responsibility or bonding, but the certificate call is the reliable check.
- Florida DBPR, license search & verification ↗, Search by name or number; shows status, class, qualifier, and discipline.
- Florida DBPR, department home ↗, The parent agency for Florida construction licensing and the Construction Industry Licensing Board.
- South Carolina LLR, license verification portal ↗, Public lookup for SC LLR-issued professional and contractor licenses.
- South Carolina LLR, Residential Builders Commission ↗, Licenses residential builders and residential specialty (roofing) contractors.
- South Carolina LLR, Contractor’s Licensing Board ↗, Licenses commercial and general/mechanical contractors above residential thresholds.
- Fla. Stat. § 489.128, unlicensed contractor contracts ↗, Construction contracts are generally unenforceable by an unlicensed contractor.
Not legal advice; consult an attorney about your specific claim. The state databases and current statutes control. Confirm the license class required for your specific job.
Hired someone who turned out unlicensed?
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