How to Verify a Florida A/C Contractor License (CAC or RA), Step by Step

ByCarmen Delgado

Every air-conditioning contractor on LicensedHVACNearMe is listed with a real Florida DBPR license number — the same number you can look up yourself in the state’s records. Verifying it takes about five minutes and is the single most useful thing you can do before signing an estimate. Here is the exact process.

Step 1: Find the license number

On any listing here, the badge under the contractor’s name shows the license number — for example FL #CAC012345. Florida A/C licenses start with CAC (Certified Air Conditioning Contractor, valid statewide) or RA (Registered Air Conditioning Contractor, valid in the local jurisdictions where the contractor is registered). A contractor should also print this number on proposals, vehicles, and advertising — Florida law requires license numbers in contractor advertising.

Step 2: Look it up on MyFloridaLicense.com

Go to the DBPR license search at MyFloridaLicense.com and choose “Verify a License.” Search by license number (fastest), or by name or city if you do not have the number yet. The record shows:

  • Status — you want “Current, Active.” Inactive, delinquent, suspended, or null statuses mean the contractor should not be pulling permits or contracting for work.
  • License type — confirms it is actually an air-conditioning license, not a different trade.
  • Expiration date — Florida construction licenses renew on a two-year cycle; an expiration in the past is a red flag.
  • The name behind the license — the qualifying individual or business of record.

Step 3: Match the name on the estimate

The company name on your written estimate should match the licensee or its registered doing-business-as name. If the license belongs to one company and the estimate comes from another, ask why before proceeding. Our listings show both the public business name and the license number from the state file, so mismatches are easy to spot.

Step 4: Ask for proof of insurance

Licensed Florida contractors must maintain the insurance the state requires at licensure. Ask for a certificate of insurance naming you as certificate holder for the job — a routine request that reputable contractors handle without friction. For larger jobs, ask whether a permit is required in your jurisdiction (for most changeouts, it is) and confirm the contractor, not you, will pull it.

Step 5: Check complaint and discipline history

The same DBPR record links to any public discipline. You can also search your county’s contractor licensing board for local complaints against registered (RA) contractors, since their oversight is local.

Where the data on this site comes from

We rebuild our directory from the DBPR’s weekly public licensee download, keeping only licenses that are current and active at the time of refresh, and we show the license number on every profile. It is a starting point, not a substitute for your own check — status can change between refreshes, so always confirm at the source before hiring. Not sure whether your project even needs a licensed A/C contractor? Start with our guide to Florida’s CAC and RA license types.

Ready to compare? Browse licensed A/C contractors in Jacksonville, Fort Myers, or every Florida listing — and if you are budgeting a replacement, see what AC replacement costs Florida homeowners report.

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