Department of Business & Professional Regulation
The Department of Business and Professional Regulation is the agency charged with licensing and regulating businesses and professionals in the State of Florida, such as cosmetologists, veterinarians, real estate agents and pari-mutuel wagering facilities. Our mission is to license efficiently, regulate fairly, and we strive to meet this goal in our day-to-day operation. The Department is under the executive branch of the Governor and is governed by Chapter 120, F.S. The Department is structured according to the requirements of Section 20.165, F.S.
Office of the Secretary
The head of the Department of Business and Professional Regulation is the Secretary, who is appointed by the Governor and is subject to confirmation by the Senate. There is no set term limit; the Secretary serves at the pleasure of the Governor. The Secretary is responsible for planning, directing, coordinating and executing the powers, duties and functions vested in the Department, its divisions, bureaus and other subunits.
Ken Lawson, Secretary
A native Floridian, Ken Lawson has spent more than 12 years serving and protecting the public in numerous regulatory positions. Lawson began his legal career in the United States Marine Corps, Judge Advocate General's Division and spent seven years serving as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida.
After serving as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, Lawson was appointed the Assistant Secretary of Enforcement for the U.S. Department of the Treasury. In this capacity, Lawson was responsible for the oversight of several federal law enforcement agencies, including the U.S. Secret Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center.
In 2003, Lawson returned to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Florida where he defended the United States against civil claims. He was then appointed the Assistant Chief Counsel for Field Operations with the Department of Homeland Security's Transportation Security Administration, a position he held for several months before moving to the private sector.
In the private sector, Lawson spent two years consulting for Booz Allen Hamilton, including one year as Chief of Party for the Financial Crimes Prevention Project in Jakarta, Indonesia. He most recently served as Vice President for Compliance at nFinanSe Inc., a financial services company in Tampa, where he was responsible for the company's Bank Secrecy Act/Anti-Money Laundering program and its compliance with state money transmitter licensing regulations for 42 states.
Lawson is a graduate of Florida State University and the Florida State University College of Law.
Organizational Structure: Agency Administration, Business Regulation and Professional Regulation
Agency Administration
Agency administration is managed by the Chief of Staff who is responsible for the day-to-day service operations of the agency, including technology and communications.
The Division of Administration and Financial Management is responsible for the Department's personnel, agency services and support services such as agency-wide award programs, safety and loss control, and facilities management. The Division also performs the Department's central planning and budgeting functions, including monitoring spending, revenue projections, fiscal impact statements, legislative budget requests, budget amendments, and the Long Range Program Plan. The Division is also responsible for the payment of the Department's bills.
The Office of Communications manages the Department's media/press relations, public relations with stakeholders, licensees and consumers, and internal relations, such as the Department's Intranet and Governor's Office of Citizen Services correspondence function. The office also develops brochures, reports and weekly internal newsletters and coordinates external newsletter development and publication.
The Office of General Counsel performs the Department's legal functions, including hearings, depositions, arbitration and final orders. OGC staff maintains all legal documents; prepares, certifies and transmits records on appeal to appellate courts; responds to records requests; and maintains the statutorily mandated subject matter index of final orders.
The Office of Inspector General performs internal independent audits, reviews and examinations to identify, report and recommend corrective action for control deficiencies or non-compliance with laws, rules or policies. The office also performs internal investigations to detect and investigate alleged misconduct by department employees involving fraud, waste or abuse of laws, policies, procedures and rules.
The Office of Legislative Affairs coordinates the Department's lobbying efforts; prepares and reviews legislative proposals; and informs the legislature, Governor's office and other interested parties about the Department's position on legislative issues. Additionally, this office coordinates the implementation plans for new laws that impact the agency. This office is the central point of contact for legislators and their staff, as well as committee staffs, for information regarding the Department's programs.
The Division of Technology oversees the processes for system design, testing, planning, implementation and administration of the Department's computer operations and desktop/field support. Development and maintenance of DBPR's corporate database application system, LicenseEase, is handled through this Division, as is the development and maintenance of the Department's Internet/Intranet presence and various web-based applications.
The Division of Service Operations manages the Central Intake and Licensure unit, the one-stop shop for intake of applications and payments. The Division also oversees the Customer Contact Center, which handles all initial interaction conducted via telephone, email and the Web.
Business Regulation
Business Regulation is responsible for licensing and regulating four major industries: (1) Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco; (2) Condominiums, Timeshares, and Mobile Homes; (3) Hotels & Restaurants (including elevator safety); and (4) Pari-Mutuel Wagering. The Deputy Secretary of Business Regulation administers these agency divisions.
The Division of Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco issues licenses or permits that are required for any business or person to manufacture, import, export, store, distribute or sell alcoholic beverages or tobacco. The Division issues permits required for any business or person engaging in business as a manufacturer, importer, exporter, distributing agent or wholesale dealer of cigarettes; for distributors, makers, manufacturers or fabricators of other tobacco products within the state; and for distributors of cigars within the state.
The Division of Florida Condominiums, Timeshares, and Mobile Homes provides consumer protection for Florida residents living in the regulated communities through education, complaint resolution, mediation and arbitration and developer disclosure. This Division licenses and regulates yacht and ship brokers and regulates condominiums, cooperatives, timeshares and mobile home parks.
The Division of Hotels & Restaurants licenses, inspects and regulates public lodging and food service establishments in Florida. The mission of the Division is to protect the health and safety of the public by providing the industry with quality inspections and fair regulation. The Division also licenses and regulates elevators, escalators and other vertical conveyance devices.
The Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering is charged with the regulation of Florida's pari-mutuel, cardroom and slot gaming industries, as well as collecting and safeguarding associated revenues due to the state. Horse racing, harness horse racing, greyhound racing, jai alai games and cardroom poker games are authorized throughout the state. Slot machine gaming at pari-mutuel facilities is authorized in Broward and Miami-Dade Counties. Florida is also the only state in the United States where live jai alai games are conducted.
Professional Regulation, Education and Testing Services
Professional Regulation is responsible for licensing and regulating individual professional licenses primarily through regulatory boards administratively housed within the Department. This side of the agency is responsible for licensing a diverse group of professions, including real estate appraisers, brokers and sales associates, certified public accountants, boxers, community association managers, construction and electrical contractors, child and farm labor contractors, cosmetologists, geologists and veterinarians. The Deputy Secretary of Professional Regulation administers these agency divisions. The Florida Boxing Commission and the Florida Building Commission are also administratively housed in this section.
The Division of Professions is responsible for licensing nearly half a million professionals. The Division administers 12 professional boards, five Department-regulated professions and one council. Each board office is responsible for the administrative functions of its board and for coordinating support functions provided by the Department, including establishing meeting dates and locations, compiling and preparing agendas, noticing meetings in the Florida Administrative Weekly and ensuring the effective operation of board meetings and board business. After a board meeting, staff is responsible for notifying the Bureau of Education and Testing and the Central Intake Unit of all application approvals and denials, preparing executive summaries and meeting minutes.
The Division of Regulation is the enforcement authority for the professional boards and programs. The Division monitors professions and related businesses to ensure that the laws, rules and standards set by the Legislature and professional boards are followed by proactively monitoring the professionals and related businesses; investigating complaints of wrongdoing; using compliance mechanisms such as notices of noncompliance and citations; and performing statutorily mandated inspections. The Division is divided into six program areas – Complaints, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Unlicensed Activity, Compliance, Farm Labor and Child Labor. Regional offices are located in Tallahassee, Jacksonville, Gainesville, Orlando, Ft. Myers, West Palm Beach, Margate (Ft. Lauderdale) and Miami, with satellite offices in Pensacola and Tampa.
The Division of Real Estate protects the public by regulating real estate and appraisal licensees through education and compliance. The Division is responsible for the examination, licensing and regulation of more than a quarter of a million individuals, corporations, real estate schools and instructors. Located in Orlando, the Division also provides administrative support to the Florida Real Estate Commission (FREC) and the Florida Real Estate Appraisal Board (FREAB).
The Division of Certified Public Accounting is responsible for the regulation of more than 35,000 Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) and accounting firms. Located in Gainesville, the Division also provides administrative support to the Board of Accountancy.
The Division of Drugs, Devices and Cosmetics safeguards the health, safety, and welfare of the citizens of the state of Florida from injury due to the use of adulterated, contaminated, misbranded drugs, drug ingredients and cosmetics by administering the provisions of the Florida Drug and Cosmetic Act (Chapter 499, F.S.). This Division licenses and regulates manufacturers and wholesale distributors of drugs.
The Florida Building Commission is a 25-member technical body responsible for the development, maintenance and interpretation of the Florida Building Code through a consensus-building process. The Chair is appointed by the Governor, subject to confirmation by the Senate, and serves at the pleasure of the Governor. Other Commission members appointed by the Governor represent architects, engineers, contractors, building owners, insurance, public education, local governments, building and fire officials and persons with disabilities. The Commission also approves products for statewide acceptance and administers the Building Code Training Program.
The Bureau of Education and Testing is housed within the Division of Professions. The bureau administers numerous examinations, including DBPR-developed and national exams, and monitors contracts with private testing companies for the Department. The bureau also monitors continuing education and compliance of the licensees as well as approving providers and their courses.
Agency Clerk's Office
The Agency Clerk is responsible for providing an efficient and centralized area for the maintenance of filed documents and to comply with statutory and rule requirements of the agency. This office maintains final orders and other legal documents; prepares, certifies and transmits records on appeal to appellate courts; responds to records requests; and maintains the statutorily mandated subject matter index of final orders for the Department. The office is open from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, with the exception of State-recognized holidays.
Telephone: 850.921.0342
Facsimile: 850.488.5761
Email: AGCfiling@myfloridalicense.com
Address: Department of Business and Professional Regulation
Agency Clerk's Office
1940 North Monroe Street, Suite 92
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-2202
Requests for filings may be submitted by hand delivery, regular mail, email or facsimile transmission. Filings will be accepted during business hours; requests received after 5:00 p.m. will be filed on the next regular business day.
Pursuant to Section 28-101.001, please note the following:
A party who files a document by electronic mail or facsimile transmission represents that the original physically signed document will be retained by that party for the duration of the proceeding and of any subsequent appeal or subsequent proceeding in that cause, and that the party shall produce it upon the request of other parties.
A party who elects to file a document by electronic mail or facsimile transmission shall be responsible for any delay, disruption or interruption of the electronic signals and accepts the full risk that the document may not be properly filed with the agency as a result.
The filing date for a document transmitted by electronic mail or by facsimile shall be the date the agency receives the complete document.
Requests for Variances and Waivers
Requests for variances and/or waivers should be submitted for filing to the Agency Clerk's Office. Requests must be submitted according to the guidelines outlined in Section 120.542, F.S. and Chapter 28-104, F.A.C.
Public Records/Office of Open Government
There are several options available for requesting public records. The divisions maintain regularly requested information electronically on their home pages. Please visit the Public Records page on our website to see if the records you are looking for are available electronically. If the public record you are seeking is not online, please send an email to the appropriate division or office contact. For a list of division or office contact information, please visit the Request Public Records page, located on either the Open Government or Public Records pages on our website.
You may also request a record by telephone, facsimile or mail.
Phone: 850.921.0342
Facsimile: 850.488.5761
Address: Department of Business and Professional Regulation
1940 North Monroe Street
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-2202
Publications, Documents, Forms, Applications, Etc.
All requests for publications, documents, forms, applications for licenses, permits and other similar certifications can be obtained by contacting the Customer Contact Center.
Telephone: 850.487.1395
Facsimile: 850.488.5761
Email: contact form
Address: Department of Business and Professional Regulation
1940 North Monroe Street
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-2202