Okaloosa County
Okaloosa County Department of Growth Management, Licensing Division
In short
Okaloosa County Department of Growth Management, Licensing Division issues 2 permits we publish for Okaloosa County, last verified 2026-10-27. Each carries the fee as the agency publishes it, with a link to the schedule it was read from.
What this agency issues
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| County Contractor Certificate of Competency (Competency Card)only if it applies to you | Okaloosa County Department of Growth Management, Licensing Division | Per Resolution 17-102, Exhibit A, Sec. II (building and construction trades) and Sec. III (electrical), as shown on Growth Management's current Inspection & Permitting Fees page under "EFFECTIVE July 6, 2017": application for county competency board approval $25.00 ($200.00 for purged contractors); trade exam with business and law $50.00 (one fee when both exams are taken together); business and law exam $50.00; examination retake $50.00; reciprocal letters (each municipality and county) $50.00 for construction trades and $25.00 for electrical; annual renewal $100.00 for all contractors and $75.00 retired; late fee when renewed 30 days or more after expiration $100.00 during the first year past 30 days and $200.00 after one year past the initial 30 days; change of status $100.00; staff assistance with a state license package $50.00 (construction trades). The county's March 2026 Registration Checklist states: "Please contact License Department regarding the required fee." | annual; Resolution 17-102 sets an annual renewal fee for a certificate of competency | 2026-10-27 |
| Registration of State-Certified Contractors with Growth Managementonly if it applies to you | Okaloosa County Department of Growth Management, Licensing Division | Per Resolution 17-102, Exhibit A, as shown on Growth Management's current Inspection & Permitting Fees page under "EFFECTIVE July 6, 2017": building trades, "State certified administrative fee - $35.00 for liquid petroleum, State Fire Marshall, and Mobile Home Installers only" (Sec. II); electrical, "State-certified administrative fee - $35.00" (Sec. III). Resolution 17-102 lists the building-trades administrative fee only for those three trades. The Registration Checklist (Revised March 2026) states: "Administrative FEE required for Trades NOT issued through DBPR." | renewed on the county's Registration/Renewal Application; a renewal interval is not published in Resolution 17-102 or the Registration Checklist (Revised March 2026) | 2026-10-27 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
About each permit
County Contractor Certificate of Competency (Competency Card)
Growth Management's Choosing a Contractor page states: "A person contracting in the unincorporated areas of Okaloosa County must hold a current Competency Card with the Okaloosa County Department of Growth Management." The Licensing page describes two county-issued categories: County Local Specialty Licensing ("Competency license issued on the county level") and State Registered License (a competency license issued and the contractor registered through the state for a specific trade); for both, county-level testing and board approval are required, and the applicant must appear before the appropriate Trade Competency Board and, if approved, take the required examinations. A contractor licensed in another Florida county should check with licensing staff whether reciprocity is accepted, and the county's Registration Checklist (Revised March 2026) requires a reciprocal letter showing Trade and Business & Law exam scores of 75 percent or greater and states that a license obtained by grandfathering in another county is not accepted. To keep a card current, the Choosing a Contractor page lists workers' compensation coverage or an exemption, general liability insurance, a business tax receipt and a state license where required. The fees in this record are those of Resolution 17-102, adopted in June 2017, which the current Department Ordinances page links and which the current Inspection & Permitting Fees page reproduces as effective July 6, 2017; the county's 2026 checklists publish no amount and say to contact the License Department for the fee, so confirm the current amount with the Licensing Division. Since November 3, 2025, licensing applications are filed through the county's online CSS portal. Licensing Division: 850-651-7180 (Shalimar) or 850-689-5080 (Crestview).
Registration of State-Certified Contractors with Growth Management
Growth Management's Licensing page describes State Certified contractors as certified through the state for a specific trade and able to work anywhere in Florida, "but must register with each county or municipality." The county's Registration Checklist for State Certified Contractors (License Form 49-0106, Revised March 2026) lists what to file: a copy of the DBPR state license; a business tax receipt from a Florida jurisdiction or from the state where the home office is located (the checklist states that companies setting up a jobsite trailer or office in Okaloosa County "MUST obtain an Okaloosa County business tax receipt"); general liability and workers' compensation insurance certificates, or a workers' compensation exemption card in the company name (limit 3); a notarized Letter of Authorization for employees, partners and officers who will buy permits or schedule inspections; the Okaloosa County Registration/Renewal Application; the administrative fee for trades not issued through DBPR; a signed and witnessed Hold Harmless Agreement; and a copy of the license holder's driver license. The checklist warns that all paperwork must show the company name exactly as it appears on the state license. The fee figures come from Resolution 17-102 as reproduced on the county's current fee page, effective July 6, 2017. Registrations and renewals are submitted through the county's online permitting portal; Licensing Division: 850-651-7180.
Contact
- Jurisdiction
- Okaloosa County
- Phone
- 850-651-7180 (Shalimar) / 850-689-5080 (Crestview)
- Website
- myokaloosa.com/gm/licensing
Contact details are taken from the agency’s own site or its published fee schedule. Where we have not verified a phone number we leave it blank rather than guess.
Sources
Every fee and term above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.
- Choosing a ContractorOkaloosa County Department of Growth Management · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
- Department OrdinancesOkaloosa County Department of Growth Management · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
- Inspection & Permitting Fees (EFFECTIVE July 6, 2017)Okaloosa County Department of Growth Management · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
- LicensingOkaloosa County Department of Growth Management · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
- Okaloosa County Department of Growth Management Registration Checklist (License Form 49-0106, Revised March 2026)Okaloosa County Department of Growth Management · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
- Resolution 17-102 Implementing Building Permit Fees per Ordinance 17-11Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
Other offices serving Okaloosa County
The full permit list for this jurisdiction
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