Well Driller List

State rules

Florida

Florida licenses water well contractors through its five water management districts, under a program the Department of Environmental Protection describes and coordinates. DEP says statute delegates to each district the authority to license water well contractors and to permit the location, construction, repair, and abandonment of water wells. A person applies to the district where most of the work will be done, but the contractor license is valid statewide. A separate permit is required from the appropriate district, or from an authority the district has delegated, before construction, repair, or abandonment. The five districts are Northwest Florida, Suwannee River, St. Johns River, Southwest Florida, and South Florida.

Checked against official sources on October 11, 2026. Rules and links change; confirm with the office listed before you act.

Try a ZIP like 30303, “Travis County” or “Columbus, OH”
Licensing or permitting agency
Florida Department of Environmental Protection, with licensing and permitting delegated to the five water management districts
Who must hold a credential
Water well contractor licensed by a water management district; the license is valid statewide
Official permit or license page
Official page →

Section 373.323, Florida Statutes, says every person who wishes to engage in business as a water well contractor shall obtain a license from the water management district. It says that district license is the only water well contractor license required for construction, repair, or abandonment of water wells in the state or in any political subdivision. The applicant applies to the district where the applicant lives or has a principal place of business. A resident of another state applies to the district where most of the business will take place. The department prepares the examination, and a license issued by any district is valid in every district.

The same statute says the district issues the license to an applicant who receives a passing grade, pays the initial application fee, completes a minimum of 12 hours of approved coursework to the department's satisfaction, and meets the other requirements of the section. The passing grade is set by department rule. DEP's program page tells readers to file the license application with the district and to get a permit before construction, repair, or abandonment. The South Florida district's permit page adds that a permit is required for new wells and for repair, modification, or abandonment regardless of size, and that the work is done by licensed water well contractors.

DEP prints its address as 3900 Commonwealth Boulevard, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-3000, the email Public.Services@FloridaDEP.gov, and the phone 850-245-2118. Those are department contacts, not a substitute for the district that will issue the license or the permit. A homeowner should ask which district covers the property and whether a county has been delegated to take the permit. This record does not list contractors and does not copy a fee into the fee field. The statute and the DEP page are the statewide starting points.

Official resources in Florida

DEP water well contractor licensing and permitting

Explains district licensing, statewide validity, and the permit requirement.

Florida Statutes section 373.323

License requirement, where to apply, exam, coursework, and statewide validity.

South Florida Water Management District well construction permits

Example district permit page for construction, repair, modification, and abandonment.

EPA private drinking water wells

Federal context for private well owners.

Key facts for Florida

What to do next

  1. Ask which water management district covers the property.
  2. Ask for the contractor license and the well construction permit number.
  3. Confirm whether a county has been delegated to issue the permit.
  4. Ask who files the completion record with the district.

Looking for your city or county in Florida?

We haven't found official program-level pages for Florida we can verify yet, so we don't show local numbers here rather than guess. Here's what to use instead, in order:

  1. General Start with the statewide information above. It applies across Florida, but cities and counties can add their own steps, fees or deadlines.
  2. Call to confirm Ask the official office. They have the current local rule, fee and form.
    Your city or county office: Local governments →
    Not sure who handles it locally? USAGov's free help line, 1-844-872-4681, or the Florida page on USA.gov can point you to the right office.
  3. Know the current info? Tell us and include a link to the official page. We check every tip before it goes up.

Helpful guides

Well permit planner →

Do you serve Florida? Get a featured listing for $30/month, clearly labeled as a paid placement.