Certification of registered contractors; grandfathering provisions.

The board shall, upon receipt of a completed application and appropriate fee, issue a certificate in the appropriate category to any contractor registered under this part who makes application to the board and can show that he or she meets each of the following requirements:

(1) Currently holds a valid registered local license in one of the contractor categories defined in s. 489.105(3)(a)-(p).

(2) Has, for that category, passed a written examination that the board finds to be substantially similar to the examination required to be licensed as a certified contractor under this part. For purposes of this subsection, a written, proctored examination such as that produced by the National Assessment Institute, Block and Associates, NAI/Block, Experior Assessments, Professional Testing, Inc., or Assessment Systems, Inc., shall be considered to be substantially similar to the examination required to be licensed as a certified contractor. The board may not impose or make any requirements regarding the nature or content of these cited examinations.

(3) Has at least 5 years of experience as a contractor in that contracting category, or as an inspector or building administrator with oversight over that category, at the time of application. For contractors, only time periods in which the contractor license is active and the contractor is not on probation shall count toward the 5 years required by this subsection.

(4) Has not had his or her contractor’s license revoked at any time, had his or her contractor’s license suspended within the last 5 years, or been assessed a fine in excess of $500 within the last 5 years.

(5) Is in compliance with the insurance and financial responsibility requirements in s. 489.115(5).