Hillsborough County Contractor License Renewal

Last reviewed October 2026 · 6 min read

To do construction work regulated by the State of Florida in Hillsborough County, you need a contractor license issued by the Florida DBPR or by Hillsborough County. Licenses registered with the county are renewed in its HillsGovHub portal. What renewal means depends on the license. A Local Specialty license, issued by the county and valid only in Hillsborough County, renews every 2 years for $140; the county's fee list also names a $70 late fee per year. State Registered and State Certified contractors renew with the DBPR first, then renew their county record in HillsGovHub, with no county fee, by entering the new state expiration date and keeping their insurance information current. A journeyman electrician or plumber certificate of competency does not expire, and no renewal is required.

At a glance

Who it covers: Anyone performing construction-related work regulated by the State of Florida in Hillsborough County: the contractor license has to be issued by the State of Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation (DBPR) or Hillsborough County. All three kinds below are renewed in HillsGovHub: Local Specialty (issued by the county, valid in Hillsborough County only), State Registered (valid only with jurisdiction approval, and requires registration with the DBPR) and State Certified (issued by the DBPR, valid statewide). Due to House Bill 735, not all trades require a contractor license in Hillsborough County: the county's Contractor License Comparison chart shows which do
Renews every: 2 years for a Local Specialty license. A State Registered or State Certified license is renewed with the county after its DBPR renewal. A journeyman electrician or plumber certificate does not expire
Renew: Online through HillsGovHub (My Records, then Licenses, then the license's Update Renew Application link under Action). The License Renewal option opens 30 days before the license's current expiration date, for licenses about to expire or already expired. First-time users register for HillsGovHub and may need to complete License Verification first (required only once)
Local Specialty license: Renewed every 2 years via HillsGovHub. Renewal fee $140 for 2 year cycles; late fee $70 per year. Local Specialty license holders are required to update their certificates of insurance, including workers' comp, general liability and bond
State Registered license: Renew your license with the DBPR before renewing with Hillsborough County, then renew in HillsGovHub. No fees are collected during the county renewal (a one-time $140 registration fee is paid when the license is first registered). State Registered license holders are required to update their certificates of insurance, including workers' comp, general liability and bond
State Certified license: Renew your license with the DBPR before renewing with Hillsborough County. Registering a State Certified license in Hillsborough County is free and no fees are collected during renewal: you only update your workers' compensation information and the license expiration date (the county's instruction: complete License Renewal within 30 days of license expiration). State Certified contractors are no longer issued a Certificate of Competency card and are not required to have the Hillsborough County bond
New expiration date: When renewing a state license in HillsGovHub, the new expiration date must be entered in the State License Expiration field; if an incorrect date is submitted, you must email the county's licensing office to have it corrected. You may upload a copy of your new state license
Journeyman electrician or plumber: A journeyman certification remains valid and does not expire once obtained: journeymen don't complete a renewal in HillsGovHub. An updated journeyman card (electrical or plumbing) can be requested by emailing licensing@hcfl.gov. There is no State of Florida requirement to hold a journeyman certificate of competency, and it doesn't let the holder work or contract on their own: they must always work under the supervision of a properly licensed electrical or plumbing contractor
Insurance: Local Specialty and State Registered licenses need a general liability certificate of insurance (COI) and a workers' compensation COI or exemption (exemptions are issued by the Florida Department of Financial Services) on file. The Certificate Holder section must read: Hillsborough County Contractor License, 601 E. Kennedy Blvd., 19th Floor P.O. Box 1110 Tampa FL 33601. A workers' compensation exemption certificate must be in the license holder's name; the exemption application is not proof of exemption. All updates are made in HillsGovHub, no longer by email
Reminders: Delegates (formerly authorized agents) added to a license in HillsGovHub also receive reminder emails when expiration dates are approaching
Licensed elsewhere: Fire protection, septic tank, well drilling, LP gas and mobile home installation work need licenses from other agencies
Contact: Hillsborough County Development Services: licensing@hcfl.gov, (813) 272-5600

The county's own pages don't list the same Local Specialty trades (the forms page's list differs from the comparison chart's and the application page's, and its FAQ says local specialty licenses are no longer available): check the Contractor License Comparison chart or ask licensing@hcfl.gov before relying on one.

This page covers Hillsborough County's own license or its record of your state license. A Florida state certification or registration renews separately with the DBPR (see the Florida guides).

How to renew

Find which kind of license you hold: a Local Specialty license from the county, a State Registered license (applied for with the county and registered with the DBPR), or a State Certified license from the DBPR.
State Registered or State Certified: renew your license with the DBPR first (see the Florida guides): the county asks for that before you renew with Hillsborough County.
Log in to HillsGovHub (register and complete License Verification first if it's your first time). The License Renewal option opens 30 days before the license's current expiration date.
Under My Records, open Licenses and select the Update Renew Application link under Action. For a state license, enter the new date in the State License Expiration field exactly: a wrong date has to be corrected by email.
Keep your insurance current in HillsGovHub: workers' compensation information for every kind of license, and for Local Specialty and State Registered licenses also general liability and bond. Certificates of insurance name Hillsborough County Contractor License as Certificate Holder.
Local Specialty: pay the $140 renewal fee for the 2-year cycle; the county's fee list also names a $70 late fee per year. State Registered and State Certified renewals have no county fee.

Still tracking this in a spreadsheet? On a paid plan, get emailed 90, 60, 30, 7 and 1 days before it expires, by default.

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Deadline checklist

Before your state license expiresState Registered and State Certified: renew with the DBPR first.
30 days before the county expiration dateThe License Renewal option opens in HillsGovHub. Check your insurance certificates on file are current.
Before the Local Specialty expiration dateSubmit the renewal in HillsGovHub and pay the $140 renewal fee for the 2-year cycle (the county's fee list also names a $70 late fee per year).
After your DBPR renewalState Registered and State Certified: renew the county record in HillsGovHub with the new state expiration date. For State Certified licenses, the county's instruction is to complete License Renewal within 30 days of license expiration.

Put this renewal in your calendar

Know your expiration date? Download a free calendar file with reminders before it, no sign-up needed. It's made in your browser: nothing you type is sent to us (your browser keeps it only if you follow the sign-up link, for your new ledger). A Google Calendar button sends just that one event to Google.

The file covers one date: once you renew, make a new one. How to add it to your calendar

The license isn't the only thing expiring

Most lapses that cost contractors work aren't the license itself. They're one of these, renewing on a different date:

If you hold a State Registered or State Certified license: your Florida DBPR state license, renewed before the county record
Your workers' compensation certificate (or exemption) on file in HillsGovHub, and for Local Specialty and State Registered licenses your general liability certificate and bond too
General liability insurance policy
Workers' compensation policy (or exemption)
Certificates of insurance (COIs) you've given to clients and GCs
Commercial auto insurance

LicenseLedger keeps every one of those dates in one place and emails you before each one expires, with reminders far enough ahead to finish CE and paperwork.

Track your renewal dates free

Frequently asked questions

How do I renew a Hillsborough County contractor license?

Online through HillsGovHub, where the License Renewal option opens 30 days before the license's current expiration date. State Registered and State Certified contractors must renew with the DBPR before renewing with Hillsborough County.

How much does it cost to renew in Hillsborough County?

A Local Specialty license costs $140 for each 2 year cycle; the county's fee list also names a $70 late fee per year. No fees are collected when a State Registered or State Certified license is renewed with the county.

What do State Certified contractors update with Hillsborough County?

Only their workers' compensation information and the license expiration date, after renewing with the DBPR. State Certified contractors are no longer issued a Certificate of Competency card and are not required to have the Hillsborough County bond.

Does a Hillsborough County journeyman card expire?

No. A journeyman certification remains valid and does not expire once obtained, so journeymen don't renew in HillsGovHub. An updated journeyman card can be requested by emailing licensing@hcfl.gov.

Official sources

Rules, fees and CE requirements change. Confirm the current requirements with the official source before you renew:

Hillsborough County Development Services, Contractor Licensing How To and Forms

This guide is general information, not legal advice.

Other Florida guides

All Florida guides on one page

Get a reminder before this renewal is due

Add this license, your insurance policies and the COIs you collect from subs to LicenseLedger, and get an email before each one expires. Free for up to 3 records, no credit card required.

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Hillsborough County Contractor License Renewal

Last reviewed October 2026 · 6 min read

At a glance

Who it covers: Anyone performing construction-related work regulated by the State of Florida in Hillsborough County: the contractor license has to be issued by the State of Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation (DBPR) or Hillsborough County. All three kinds below are renewed in HillsGovHub: Local Specialty (issued by the county, valid in Hillsborough County only), State Registered (valid only with jurisdiction approval, and requires registration with the DBPR) and State Certified (issued by the DBPR, valid statewide). Due to House Bill 735, not all trades require a contractor license in Hillsborough County: the county's Contractor License Comparison chart shows which do
Renews every: 2 years for a Local Specialty license. A State Registered or State Certified license is renewed with the county after its DBPR renewal. A journeyman electrician or plumber certificate does not expire
Renew: Online through HillsGovHub (My Records, then Licenses, then the license's Update Renew Application link under Action). The License Renewal option opens 30 days before the license's current expiration date, for licenses about to expire or already expired. First-time users register for HillsGovHub and may need to complete License Verification first (required only once)
Local Specialty license: Renewed every 2 years via HillsGovHub. Renewal fee $140 for 2 year cycles; late fee $70 per year. Local Specialty license holders are required to update their certificates of insurance, including workers' comp, general liability and bond
State Registered license: Renew your license with the DBPR before renewing with Hillsborough County, then renew in HillsGovHub. No fees are collected during the county renewal (a one-time $140 registration fee is paid when the license is first registered). State Registered license holders are required to update their certificates of insurance, including workers' comp, general liability and bond
State Certified license: Renew your license with the DBPR before renewing with Hillsborough County. Registering a State Certified license in Hillsborough County is free and no fees are collected during renewal: you only update your workers' compensation information and the license expiration date (the county's instruction: complete License Renewal within 30 days of license expiration). State Certified contractors are no longer issued a Certificate of Competency card and are not required to have the Hillsborough County bond
New expiration date: When renewing a state license in HillsGovHub, the new expiration date must be entered in the State License Expiration field; if an incorrect date is submitted, you must email the county's licensing office to have it corrected. You may upload a copy of your new state license
Journeyman electrician or plumber: A journeyman certification remains valid and does not expire once obtained: journeymen don't complete a renewal in HillsGovHub. An updated journeyman card (electrical or plumbing) can be requested by emailing licensing@hcfl.gov. There is no State of Florida requirement to hold a journeyman certificate of competency, and it doesn't let the holder work or contract on their own: they must always work under the supervision of a properly licensed electrical or plumbing contractor
Insurance: Local Specialty and State Registered licenses need a general liability certificate of insurance (COI) and a workers' compensation COI or exemption (exemptions are issued by the Florida Department of Financial Services) on file. The Certificate Holder section must read: Hillsborough County Contractor License, 601 E. Kennedy Blvd., 19th Floor P.O. Box 1110 Tampa FL 33601. A workers' compensation exemption certificate must be in the license holder's name; the exemption application is not proof of exemption. All updates are made in HillsGovHub, no longer by email
Reminders: Delegates (formerly authorized agents) added to a license in HillsGovHub also receive reminder emails when expiration dates are approaching
Licensed elsewhere: Fire protection, septic tank, well drilling, LP gas and mobile home installation work need licenses from other agencies
Contact: Hillsborough County Development Services: licensing@hcfl.gov, (813) 272-5600

This page covers Hillsborough County's own license or its record of your state license. A Florida state certification or registration renews separately with the DBPR (see the Florida guides).

How to renew

Find which kind of license you hold: a Local Specialty license from the county, a State Registered license (applied for with the county and registered with the DBPR), or a State Certified license from the DBPR.
State Registered or State Certified: renew your license with the DBPR first (see the Florida guides): the county asks for that before you renew with Hillsborough County.
Log in to HillsGovHub (register and complete License Verification first if it's your first time). The License Renewal option opens 30 days before the license's current expiration date.
Under My Records, open Licenses and select the Update Renew Application link under Action. For a state license, enter the new date in the State License Expiration field exactly: a wrong date has to be corrected by email.
Keep your insurance current in HillsGovHub: workers' compensation information for every kind of license, and for Local Specialty and State Registered licenses also general liability and bond. Certificates of insurance name Hillsborough County Contractor License as Certificate Holder.
Local Specialty: pay the $140 renewal fee for the 2-year cycle; the county's fee list also names a $70 late fee per year. State Registered and State Certified renewals have no county fee.

Still tracking this in a spreadsheet? On a paid plan, get emailed 90, 60, 30, 7 and 1 days before it expires, by default.

Start free

Deadline checklist

Before your state license expiresState Registered and State Certified: renew with the DBPR first.
30 days before the county expiration dateThe License Renewal option opens in HillsGovHub. Check your insurance certificates on file are current.
Before the Local Specialty expiration dateSubmit the renewal in HillsGovHub and pay the $140 renewal fee for the 2-year cycle (the county's fee list also names a $70 late fee per year).
After your DBPR renewalState Registered and State Certified: renew the county record in HillsGovHub with the new state expiration date. For State Certified licenses, the county's instruction is to complete License Renewal within 30 days of license expiration.

Put this renewal in your calendar

The file covers one date: once you renew, make a new one. How to add it to your calendar

The license isn't the only thing expiring

Most lapses that cost contractors work aren't the license itself. They're one of these, renewing on a different date:

If you hold a State Registered or State Certified license: your Florida DBPR state license, renewed before the county record
Your workers' compensation certificate (or exemption) on file in HillsGovHub, and for Local Specialty and State Registered licenses your general liability certificate and bond too
General liability insurance policy
Workers' compensation policy (or exemption)
Certificates of insurance (COIs) you've given to clients and GCs
Commercial auto insurance

LicenseLedger keeps every one of those dates in one place and emails you before each one expires, with reminders far enough ahead to finish CE and paperwork.

Track your renewal dates free

Frequently asked questions

How do I renew a Hillsborough County contractor license?

How much does it cost to renew in Hillsborough County?

What do State Certified contractors update with Hillsborough County?

Does a Hillsborough County journeyman card expire?

No. A journeyman certification remains valid and does not expire once obtained, so journeymen don't renew in HillsGovHub. An updated journeyman card can be requested by emailing licensing@hcfl.gov.

Official sources

Rules, fees and CE requirements change. Confirm the current requirements with the official source before you renew:

Hillsborough County Development Services, Contractor Licensing How To and Forms

This guide is general information, not legal advice.

Other Florida guides

All Florida guides on one page

Get a reminder before this renewal is due

Add this license, your insurance policies and the COIs you collect from subs to LicenseLedger, and get an email before each one expires. Free for up to 3 records, no credit card required.

Start free

Not ready to sign up? Get the free tracking spreadsheet