Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation

The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) is a $1.5 billion agency regulating one million professionals and businesses across some 200 licensee categories. To apply for a specific business or professional license in Florida, you are most likely to deal with this department.

What is the purpose of the department and what does the department regulates?

Florida DBPR for Consumers

As the name DBPR suggests, Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation’s mission is to protect the public’s health, safety, and welfare through the regulation of those professions or occupational groups and businesses prescribed in the Florida Statutes.

The applicable statutes establishes the Department of Business and Professional Regulation is Section 20.165, Florida Statutes. Various state laws that are referenced in the related program profiles authorize the department’s programs.

There are 3 main functions where the public and businesses may interact with the department:

1. Verify a license
The DBPR Online Services website provides information about applicants and licensed individuals for those professions and businesses that are regulated by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation. You can do a search here at: https://www.myfloridalicense.com/wl11.asp, where you can search by name,by license number,by city or county, or by license type

2. Apply for a license
3. Renew / maintain a license

Since Florida sets high standards for the professionals, to hold the licensees accountable, consumers play a very important role. The official website of the department enables the consumers to:

1. find information about licensed professionals and businesses
2. file complaints against licensed and unlicensed professionals

The website and the overall system is in ongoing process of improvement, to show the effort and commitment the department made to the public to serve them better.

From the official website of Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, consumers can
* Search for a License, Permit, or Registration
* Search for Food and Lodging Inspections
* File a Complaint against a Business or Professional
* Search Unlicensed Construction Complaints
* Search All Other Unlicensed Complaints
* AB&T Delinquent Invoice and Activity List
* Request Public Information
* Download Files
* File a Complaint against a Department employee
* Compliment a Department employee
* Request a Refund

If you feel that above listed features are still lack in those you wish to have, you can:

1. suggest on features that would be of value to them (the consumers)
2. have feedback about our website or recommendations on how to improve it

For more information on this, visit : http://www.myfloridalicense.com/dbpr/consumers.html. Let’s look at how the Florida DBPR interacts with businesses in the next section.

Florida DBPR for Businesses and Professionals

Besides being responsible to consumers, the department is also responsible for regulating both professionals and businesses operating in Florida.

The department’s diverse regulatory responsibilities fall under three primary areas:
1. standards and licensing;
2. compliance and enforcement; and
3. tax collection and auditing.

The department licenses 1 in 16 Floridians, which includes electricians,real estate agents, cosmetologists, professional boxers, hotels, restaurants, alcohol and tobacco retailers, condominiums, mobile home parks etc.

To check out the list of the services that need to be licensed, visit services require a DBPR license page, you will be disclosed with details. For example, if you are involved in the real estate, you will be given information about activities that need and do not need a license at:http://www.myfloridalicense.com/dbpr/pro/division/Servicesthatrequirealicense_re.html.

In order for businesses to learn more about a particular profession or business that is regulated by the Florida DBPR, they have updated their website to provide users an easier way to find the appropriate application for licensure.

With the information provided, users can either using the online services or using a paper application to apply for a specific business or professional license.

If you are thinking of a business relocation, it is always better to check around from online resources. Since Florida DBPR for Businesses and Professionals’s mission is to ensure that professions and businesses provide quality services for the health, safety and welfare of citizens and visitors in the great state of Florida, you can always check out their site at http://www.myfloridalicense.com/dbpr/index.html.

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