TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) partnered with local and state agencies, as well as the Capital Area Chapter of the American Red Cross to participate in the “Build Your Bucket” event on Saturday, June 18, 2016.
The event provided 250 local residents with natural disaster buckets and information to help them prepare in case of a natural disaster.
Two representatives from DBPR’s Division of Regulation attended the event to inform consumers of the dangers of hiring unlicensed contractors to do work on a home or business after suffering storm damage. Over 500 people visited the DBPR table to learn how to protect themselves against unlicensed individuals. DBPR provided informational flyers in each bucket with tips on how to avoid unlicensed contractors in the event of a natural disaster and how to report suspected unlicensed activity.
Unlicensed activity is against the law and occurs when an individual offers to perform or performs services that require a state license and the individual does not hold the required license. Florida law sets specific rules and guidelines for obtaining professional licensure and the people who have met these requirements are held to professional standards.
DBPR offers several informational resources for Florida consumers:
- The 2016 Natural Disaster Guide provides steps to prevent consumers from becoming victims of unlicensed activity after a natural disaster.
- The Unlicensed Activity Resources page has useful information such as unlicensed activity FAQs, tips for hiring licensed professionals, printable informational materials…and more!
- Consumers can verify professional licenses with DBPR online at DBPR Online Services, by calling (850) 487-1395 or by downloading the free DBPR Mobile app through iTunes or the Google Play app store.
- Floridians should report any suspected unlicensed activity to DBPR by emailing ULA@myfloridalicense.com, calling the Unlicensed Activity Hotline at 1-866-532-1440 or using the DBPR Mobile app.
The “Build Your Bucket” event directly followed DBPR’s 2016 Unlicensed Activity Awareness Week (June 13-17) in which the agency partnered with the Florida Better Business Bureau to inform consumers of the dangers of unlicensed activity.