Requirements, license levels, and the issuing authority, sourced from Florida's official board.
Florida regulates fire sprinkler work through the Division of State Fire Marshal, which certifies fire protection system contractors in five classes rather than licensing individual sprinkler fitters, and separately permits the individuals who inspect water-based systems.
| Requirements | Section 633.336, Florida Statutes makes it unlawful for any organization or individual to engage in the business of layout, fabrication, installation, inspection, alteration, repair or service of a fire protection system, other than a preengineered system, or to act as a fire protection contractor, without holding a valid certificate; the certificateholder used to qualify an organization must be a full-time employee of that organization, and a contractor with more than one place of business must employ a certificateholder at each location. Under section 633.318 every applicant must be at least 18, be of good moral character, and pass an objective written examination for the class sought, with a passing grade of 70 percent. Contractor I requires four years of proven experience in the employment of a fire protection system Contractor I, or a combination of equivalent education and experience, in both water-based and chemical fire suppression systems. Contractor II requires four years of verifiable employment experience with a fire protection system as a Contractor I or Contractor II, or equivalent education and experience, in water-based fire suppression systems. Contractor III requires the same four years but in chemical fire suppression systems. Contractor IV must be licensed as a certified plumbing contractor under chapter 489 and complete a training program acceptable to the State Fire Marshal of not less than 40 contact hours on the NFPA 13D installation standard. Contractor V must be licensed as a certified underground utility and excavation contractor or certified plumbing contractor with four years of proven experience, or equivalent education. Insurance of at least $500,000 is required for Contractor I, II, III and V, and at least $250,000 for Contractor IV. Section 633.318 also provides that an individual employed by a Contractor I or Contractor II certificateholder who will inspect water-based fire protection systems must be issued a permit by the division, known as the Water-Based Fire Protection Inspector permit; the State Fire Marshal requires NICET Sub-field of Inspection and Testing of Fire Protection Systems Level II or equivalent training, and a provisional permit is available for two calendar years, not extendable and not renewable, to an employee who has achieved Level I and started the Level II process. |
| Reciprocity | Neither F.S. 633.318 nor Florida Administrative Code chapter 69A-46 (all ten current rule sections reviewed: 69A-46.001, .010, .015, .0165, .017, .025, .030, .035, .040 and .041) contains any reciprocity, endorsement, or recognition of another state's fire protection contractor credential. What Florida does publish is a national-certification requirement rather than a reciprocity route: F.S. 633.318 requires Contractor IV and V applicants to already hold certification as a plumbing or underground-utility and excavation contractor under chapter 489 plus experience and training, and requires NICET, sub-field of Inspection and Testing of Fire Protection Systems, Level II or equivalent as the qualifying credential for the Water-Based Fire Protection Inspector Permit. Note that Florida's general contractor-endorsement law applies to licences issued under chapter 489 by the Construction Industry Licensing Board at DBPR, a different board; nothing in 633.318 cross-references it, so it does not reach Fire Protection System Contractors licensed by the Division of State Fire Marshal under chapter 633. |
| Renewal | Section 633.332, Florida Statutes provides that certificates expire every two years at midnight on June 30 and must be renewed every two years. A certificate that becomes inoperative for failure to renew may be restored on payment of the renewal fee within 90 days after June 30; after that the restoration fee equals the original application fee and the State Fire Marshal must require examination or reexamination. Contractor I, II and III must complete at least 32 contact hours of continuing education in the fire protection discipline during the biennial licensure period; Contractor IV must complete 14 contact hours covering the appropriate NFPA fire sprinkler documents; Contractor V must complete 14 contact hours, at least one of which is in the fire protection discipline. Permitholders must maintain NICET Sub-field Level II certification and complete 8 contact hours of State Fire Marshal approved continuing education each biennial renewal period. |
| Notes | Florida regulates fire sprinkler work through the Division of State Fire Marshal, which certifies fire protection system contractors in five classes rather than licensing individual sprinkler fitters, and separately permits the individuals who inspect water-based systems. |
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Sources: www.myfloridacfo.com, www.flsenate.gov, www.flsenate.gov, www.myfloridacfo.com. Always confirm current requirements with the issuing authority.
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