Florida SB 492: Distilled Spirits Displays

Bill Text

492 
Contracting 
2025-11-13T08:43:10Z 
Providing minimum penalties for certain unlawful actions, etc. 
Original Filed Version 
2026 
S 
2026-07-01T00:00:00Z 
GB 
General Bill 
__ 

 Florida Senate - 2026 SB 492 

 By Senator Arrington 

 25-00498-26 2026492__ 
 1 A bill to be entitled 
 2 An act relating to contracting; amending s. 489.127, 
 3 F.S.; providing minimum penalties for certain unlawful 
 4 actions; reenacting s. 489.13(7), F.S., relating to 
 5 remedies for unlicensed contracting, to incorporate 
 6 the amendment made to s. 489.127, F.S., in a reference 
 7 thereto; providing an effective date. 
 8 
 9 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 
 10 
 11 Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of section 
 12 489.127, Florida Statutes, is amended, and subsection (1) of 
 13 that section is republished, to read: 
 14 489.127 Prohibitions; penalties.— 
 15 (1) No person shall: 
 16 (a) Falsely hold himself or herself or a business 
 17 organization out as a licensee, certificateholder, or 
 18 registrant; 
 19 (b) Falsely impersonate a certificateholder or registrant; 
 20 (c) Present as his or her own the certificate or 
 21 registration of another; 
 22 (d) Knowingly give false or forged evidence to the board or 
 23 a member thereof; 
 24 (e) Use or attempt to use a certificate or registration 
 25 that has been suspended or revoked; 
 26 (f) Engage in the business or act in the capacity of a 
 27 contractor or advertise himself or herself or a business 
 28 organization as available to engage in the business or act in 
 29 the capacity of a contractor without being duly registered or 
 30 certified; 
 31 (g) Operate a business organization engaged in contracting 
 32 after 60 days following the termination of its only qualifying 
 33 agent without designating another primary qualifying agent, 
 34 except as provided in ss. 489.119 and 489.1195; 
 35 (h) Commence or perform work for which a building permit is 
 36 required pursuant to part IV of chapter 553 without such 
 37 building permit being in effect; or 
 38 (i) Willfully or deliberately disregard or violate any 
 39 municipal or county ordinance relating to uncertified or 
 40 unregistered contractors. 
 41 
 42 For purposes of this subsection, a person or business 
 43 organization operating on an inactive or suspended certificate 
 44 or registration is not duly certified or registered and is 
 45 considered unlicensed. A business tax receipt issued under the 
 46 authority of chapter 205 is not a license for purposes of this 
 47 part. 
 48 (2)(a) An Any unlicensed person who violates any of the 
 49 provisions of subsection (1) commits a misdemeanor of the first 
 50 degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083. A 
 51 person convicted under this paragraph must be sentenced to a 
 52 minimum of either: 
 53 1. Fifteen days in jail; or 
 54 2. Twelve months of probation. 
 55 
 56 The remedies set forth in this subsection are not exclusive and 
 57 may be imposed in addition to the remedies set forth in s. 
 58 489.129(2). 
 59 Section 2. For the purpose of incorporating the amendment 
 60 made by this act to section 489.127, Florida Statutes, in a 
 61 reference thereto, subsection (7) of section 489.13, Florida 
 62 Statutes, is reenacted to read: 
 63 489.13 Unlicensed contracting; notice of noncompliance; 
 64 fine; authority to issue or receive a building permit; web 
 65 page.— 
 66 (7) The remedies set forth in this section are not 
 67 exclusive and may be imposed in addition to the remedies set 
 68 forth in s. 489.127(2). In addition, nothing in this section is 
 69 intended to prohibit the department or any local governing body 
 70 from filing a civil action or seeking criminal penalties against 
 71 an unlicensed contractor. 
 72 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.