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Key West · Monroe County

How do I check a marine contractor in Key West?

City licence + competencyDBPR contractors register online

Key West's code requires every contractor working in the city to hold and keep a city licence, issued under the city's business tax receipt rules (Secs. 18-146, 18-147), and to hold a current certificate of competency for its trade (Sec. 18-150). DBPR state-licensed contractors register through an online form; specialty contractors need a competency card, and the city sends testing to Monroe County.

Source: City of Key West Code Secs. 18-118, 18-146, 18-147, 18-150; Note on Specialty Contractors page; DBPR Licensed Contractor Registration Form; eTRAKiT; Monroe County Contractors Examining Board page; New Certificate of Competency checklist (rev. 07/23/2026); File A Contractor Complaint page; F.S. 489.105, 489.126, 489.141, 489.1425, 489.143, 440.02, 440.05, 501.021, 501.025, 205.065 (2026); Fla. Admin. Code R. 61G4-15.100; DBPR Construction Industry page and Verify a Licensee; DFS Division of Workers' Compensation construction exemption page and data portal · Verified 2026-10

The detail

DBPR registrationOnline Licensed Contractor Registration Form: attach workers' comp or exemption, business tax receipts from the local jurisdiction, liability insurance and the DBPR state licence. The form reminds contractors that F.S. 489.119(5)(c) requires the registration or certification number on any vehicle bearing the company name
Specialty cardsSpecialty trades must show a competency card; the City does not test - call the Monroe County Contractor License Coordinator, (305) 289-2583 - Note on Specialty Contractors page
Homeowner permitsAn agent may not act for someone applying for a homeowner permit unless a licensed contractor is employed - Sec. 18-118(b)
Past permitseTRAKiT (etrakit.cityofkeywest-fl.gov) has Search Permit and Search Contractors pages
County certificatesMonroe's Contractors Examining Board (County Code Secs. 6-263 to 6-270) issues certificates of competency, including Seawall & Small Dock (Marine Const.) Engineering Class II (c), which needs three years' experience. County certificate holders may work only where the county has a reciprocal agreement
County look-upSearch county licences in MCeSearch (mcesearch.monroecounty-fl.gov) or call the Monroe County Licensing Coordinator, 305-289-2583
State licenceSearch the company and the qualifier on DBPR's Verify a Licensee (myfloridalicense.com). A licence number starting with C is a state certification valid anywhere in Florida; one starting with R is a registration, good only where the holder met local competency rules - F.S. 489.105(8),(10) and the DBPR licensing page
Who may build a seawall or dockA certified general contractor's scope is unlimited (489.105(3)(a)). The state also certifies five marine specialties: marine specialty, marine seawall work, marine bulkhead work, marine dock work and marine pile driving - Rule 61G4-15.100(1)(b)-(f)
Workers' compIn construction a single employee makes coverage mandatory (440.02(20)(b)2). Up to three officers or LLC members owning at least 10% may file exemptions (440.02(18)(b)2), and the exemption certificate itself says it is not a DBPR licence (440.05(4)). Check it on the DWC data portal's Coverage and Exemptions search (dwcdataportal.fldfs.com)
Recovery fundFor contracts signed on or after 1 July 2024 the Homeowners' Construction Recovery Fund pays at most $100,000 per claim against a Division I contractor (general, building, residential) and $30,000 against a Division II contractor, which includes the marine specialties; the lifetime caps are $2 million and $600,000 per licensee - 489.143(3),(6). Nothing is paid if the contractor was unlicensed when you signed - 489.141(2)(d) - and residential contracts over $2,500 must print the fund notice - 489.1425
DepositsA contractor who takes more than 10% up front on residential work must apply for permits within 30 days and start within 90 days of the permits issuing, unless you agreed to longer in writing - 489.126(2)(a)
Three-day cancelIf the deal was a home solicitation sale over $25 - signed away from the seller's place of business and not the result of your own request for specific goods or services - you can cancel in writing until midnight of the third business day; Sundays and federal holidays don't count - 501.021, 501.025
Business tax is not a licenceA contractor pays business tax where its permanent office is, and no other city or county may levy a business tax or an equivalent registration fee for temporary work there - 205.065

Your city's height sheet

The elevation your city requires, the datum it is measured in, and the section of code that says so. One page.

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The county rule behind this

What applies across Monroe County, and where each city departs from it.

Monroe CountySeawall requirements county-wide

The same question, nearby

The rule changes at the city line, not the county line.

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What to look for, where to look for it, and what it means when you find it. Walk your wall in twenty minutes.

A screening sheet for owners, not an engineering inspection.

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