Occupational Licensing in Florida
Florida requires a licence for 126 of the 246 occupations the Archbridge Institute tracks, against a national median of 124. It ranks 8 of 51 on their index, where 1 is the most burdensome.
- Licensed occupations
- 126
- With any entry barrier
- 170
- National rank
- #8
- In the South Atlantic
- #2
Moving to Florida with a licence
Florida recognises out-of-state licences broadly — Archbridge grades its reform gold. Universal recognition is the reform that lets someone already licensed elsewhere practise after moving, instead of repeating the training; 28 of the 51 jurisdictions have some version of it.
Licensed here, rarely elsewhere
These are the occupations Florida licenses that few other jurisdictions do — the clearest sign of where its rules go further than the national norm.
- Farm Labor Contractorlicensed in 3 of 51
- Orthotic Fitter Assistantlicensed in 4 of 51
- Mold Assessor Inspectorlicensed in 5 of 51
- Mold Remediation Contractorlicensed in 5 of 51
- Orthotic Fitterlicensed in 5 of 51
- Cemetery Brokerlicensed in 7 of 51
- Manager of Record (Standard, Real Estate)licensed in 7 of 51
- Optician Apprentice/Traineelicensed in 7 of 51
Every licensed occupation in Florida
All 126, alphabetically. Archbridge tracks 246 occupations in total, so anything absent here is either unlicensed in Florida or outside their list.
- Acupuncturist
- Addictions/Chemical Dependency Counselor
- Anesthesiologist Aide/Assistant
- Architect
- Asbestos Abatement Worker
- Asbestos Contractor/Supervisor
- Asbestos Management Planner
- Athlete Agent/Manager
- Athletic Trainer/Sports Trainer
- Attorney
- Auctioneer
- Auctioneer Apprentice
- Audiologist
- Barber
- Broker (Standard Real Estate)
- Cemetery Broker
- Cemetery Salesperson
- Certified Clinical Supervisor (CCS)
- Certified Nurse Aide/Assistant
- Certified Nurse Midwife
- Certified Peer Recovery Support Specialist
- Certified Public Accountant
- Chiropractor
- Clinical Mental Health Counselor/Mental Health Counselor
- Clinical Nurse Specialist
- Cosmetologist
- Court Interpreter
- Dental Hygienist
- Dental Radiographer
- Dentist
- Dietitian–Nutritionist (LDN)
- Electrical Contractor
- Electrologist
- Embalmer
- Emergency Dispatcher / Public Safety Telecommunicator
- EMT
- Esthetician
- Esthetician Instructor
- Family-Marriage Therapist/Counselor
- Farm Labor Contractor
- Fire/Life/Safety Technician
- Fuel Piping Contractor
- Funeral Director/Mortician
- Funeral Resident Intern
- General Insurance Agent Manager or Exclusive
- Genetic Counselor
- Geologist in Training
- Geologist/Geoscientist
- Hearing Aid Dealer/Hearing Aid Dispensers/Hearing Instrument Specialist
- Home Inspector
- HVAC Installer
- Insurance Producer
- Investment Advisor
- Landscape Architect
- Level Class II Wastewater Operator
- Level Class III Wastewater Operator
- Level Class IV Wastewater Operator
- Licensed Practical Nurse
- Limited X-ray Machine Operator
- Manager of Record (Standard, Real Estate)
- Manicurist
- Maritime Pilot
- Massage Therapist
- MD Physician/Surgeon
- Medical Health Physicist
- Medical Clinical Laboratory Technician
- Medication Technician/Aide /Assistant
- Mold Assessor Inspector
- Mold Remediation Contractor
- Mortgage Loan Originator
- Nail Technician
- Nuclear Medicine Technicican
- Nurse Anesthetist
- Nurse Practitioner
- Nursing Home Administrator
- Nutritionist
- Occupational Therapist
- Occupational Therapist Assistant
- Optician
- Optician Apprentice/Trainee
- Optometrist
- Orthotic Fitter
- Orthotic Fitter Assistant
- Orthotist
- Parole /Probation Officer
- Pedorthist
- Pharmacist
- Pharmacy Technician
- Physical Therapist
- Physical Therapist Assistant
- Physician Assistant
- Plumber
- Plumbing Inspector
- Podiatrist
- Preschool Teacher, except Special Education
- Private Investigator
- Professional Counselor/Professional Clinical Counselor
- Professional Engineer
- Professional Fundraising Counsel
- Professional Land Surveyor
- Professional Solicitor (Charities)
- Prosthetist
- Provisional Psychologist
- Psychologist
- Public School Administrator
- Public School Principal
- Public School Teacher
- Radiologic Technologist
- Radiologist Assistant
- Real Estate Appraiser
- Real Estate Instructor
- Real Estate Salesperson
- Registered Nurse
- Respiratory Therapist/Respiratory Care Practitioner
- Sanitarian/Environmental Health Sanitarian
- Security Guard
- Septic Tank Installer
- Social Worker
- Speech Language Pathologist
- Speech Language Pathologist Assistant
- Tattoo Artist
- Title Insurance Agent (Individual)
- Veterinarian
- Wastewater Operator
- Well Driller
- Wildlife Rehabilitator
Where this comes from
The Archbridge Institute's State Occupational Licensing Index 2026, retrieved 2026-09-16. The index records whether an occupation needs a licence — it does not record fees or training hours, so nothing here says what a licence costs or how long it takes. The rank is Archbridge's own and is not part of the FreedomRankings score. Check the relevant Florida board before acting on any of it.
More on Florida: its freedom score and rank · school choice · homeschool laws
