Florida Mold Remediation Laws: What Homeowners Should Know
A plain-language guide to Florida's mold licensing rules. This is general information, not legal advice — for advice about your specific situation, talk to a licensed attorney.
Do mold companies need a license in Florida?
Yes. Under Florida Statutes Chapter 468, Part XVI, anyone performing mold assessment or mold remediation on an area larger than 10 square feet must hold an active license issued by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR). The state licenses individuals as mold assessors or mold remediators — it does not license mold companies as businesses, so the license belongs to the person doing the work, not just the company name on the invoice.
Why can't the same company assess and remediate my mold?
Florida law does not allow a mold assessor (or that assessor's company) to also perform remediation on the same property within 12 months of doing the assessment, and the reverse is also true for remediators. The idea is to avoid a conflict of interest where the same company both diagnoses the problem and gets paid to fix it. In practice, this means it is normal — and expected — to use one company for the inspection and a different, independent company for the actual removal work.
How to verify a mold license yourself
Before hiring anyone, look them up at MyFloridaLicense.com, the DBPR's public license search. Search by the person's name or license number, and confirm the license is active and matches the type of work they're quoting (assessor vs. remediator). Don't rely on a company's word alone — the lookup takes under a minute and it's free.
What happens if someone does mold work without a license?
Unlicensed mold assessment or remediation carries real penalties in Florida: a second-degree misdemeanor for a first offense, a first-degree misdemeanor for a second offense, and a third-degree felony for a third or later offense. Hiring an unlicensed company doesn't just risk bad work — it can also complicate insurance claims and home sales down the line if the work is later found to be non-compliant.
Mold, home sales and insurance
Visible mold or a history of water damage can come up during a home inspection or appraisal, and some Florida insurers limit or exclude mold-related coverage depending on the cause. If mold is connected to a specific covered event (like a burst pipe), start with your insurer before paying out of pocket. This is general background only — ask your insurance agent or a real estate attorney about your specific policy or transaction.
Questions to ask before you hire anyone
- What is your Florida mold assessor or mold remediator license number, and can I verify it at MyFloridaLicense.com?
- Is the person quoting the remediation a different company from the one that did the assessment?
- Can I get the scope of work and price in writing before anything starts?
- What is causing the moisture, and how will that be addressed — not just the visible mold?
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