Electrical Permits in Florida: When You Need One and Who Can Do the Work

Electrical work is one of the clearest permit cases in Florida: almost anything beyond swapping a fixture needs a permit, a licensed electrical contractor (or a qualifying owner) and an inspection.

Work that needs an electrical permit

• new circuits, outlets and switches on new wiring
• moving outlets or switches
• panel replacements and service upgrades
• standby generators and transfer switches
• wiring for a new range, dryer, air conditioning unit, pool equipment or EV charger
• wiring in additions, garage conversions and sheds
• outdoor lighting and wiring in screen enclosures

Like-for-like replacements of fixtures, switches and outlets on existing circuits are usually considered minor work. Florida's 2026 small-project exemption excludes electrical work entirely.

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Who can do it

Electrical contractors are licensed by Florida's Electrical Contractors' Licensing Board, part of the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR):

• Certified electrical contractors (EC licenses) can work anywhere in Florida.
• Registered electrical contractors (ER licenses) earned their license through a local exam and can work only in the jurisdictions where they're registered.

Florida law requires general, building and residential contractors to subcontract electrical work unless they hold an electrical license themselves. You can check any license on the state's license search; see how to check a contractor before hiring.

The owner exemption for electrical work

Florida has a specific exemption that lets property owners act as their own electrical contractor on a home for their own use and occupancy. County disclosure statements explain the conditions: the home can't be built or improved for sale or lease, you can't hire an unlicensed person as your electrical contractor, and selling or leasing more than one building you wired yourself within a year of completion creates a presumption that you did the work for sale or lease. You'll sign a disclosure when you apply. See owner-builder permits.

Generators and hurricane season

Standby generators are popular in Florida, and demand jumps after every storm. A proper installation includes an electrical permit, a transfer switch to prevent back-feeding power lines, and usually a gas or fuel permit. After a hurricane, be wary of anyone offering to skip the permit to get you running sooner; see storm repair scams in Florida. For Melbourne-area costs and the permits Brevard County and its cities ask for, see standby generator cost in Melbourne.

Electrical work in remodels

Kitchens and bathrooms almost always involve electrical permits: see kitchen remodel permits and bathroom remodel permits. In older homes, the panel and wiring can change the scope; see renovating an older Florida home.