North Port Mobile Home Leveling Florida's mobile home installer licence, explained for North Port owners
Florida law requires a mobile home installer licence from FLHSMV for installation work. Around North Port that is the first thing to ask anyone who is about to work under your home: what is your licence number? Then look it up. This page lays out what the state law and Sarasota County’s own guidance say, so you know what you are asking about and why.
The state rule
Section 320.8249 of the Florida Statutes opens with this line: “Any person who installs a mobile home shall obtain a mobile home installers license from the Bureau of Mobile Home and Recreational Vehicle Construction of the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles pursuant to this section.”
What getting the licence involves, in short:
| Step | What it means |
|---|---|
| Training | An 8-hour course |
| Exam | A department-approved exam |
| Bond | A bond in an amount set by the department |
| Insurance | Liability insurance |
| Penalty for working without it | A first-degree misdemeanour |
FLHSMV’s own installer FAQ adds two lines worth knowing. Asked whether every mobile home dealer needs an installer licence, it answers: “Only mobile home dealers that pull permits and/or set up homes are required to have an installer license.” That is about dealers, not about who may install a home. And on local permits: “Set-up permits are required and can be applied for at a local county building department.”
What Sarasota County adds
By the Census map, most of the big parks with a North Port mailing address sit in unincorporated Warm Mineral Springs, where Sarasota County handles permits. The county’s building official issued a bulletin dated October 31, 2022, called “Mobile and Manufactured Homes Guidance for Customers”. It says:
- Mobile home set-ups and tie-downs can only be performed by a Florida licensed mobile or manufactured home installer, and owners are prohibited by state statute from doing that work.
- A building permit is required for set-up or tie-down of all new or used mobile and manufactured homes.
- Elevating a mobile home requires a replacement permit.
If your park is inside the City of North Port, such as Holiday Park, the City’s Building Division is the office to ask. The City’s permit pages we read do not list a mobile home permit, so ask them directly.
What the licence does not tell you
A licence number tells you the person is allowed to do installation work in Florida. It does not tell you how many piers they plan to rebuild, whether the straps are in the price or whether the job needs a permit. Those are questions for the quote, and our pricing page lists them.
Questions to put to anyone working under your home
- What is your FLHSMV installer licence number?
- Is my park in the City of North Port or in unincorporated Sarasota County?
- Does this work need a permit there, and who is applying for it?
- Will the tie-downs meet Rule 15C-1, with diagonal frame ties no more than 5 feet 4 inches apart and no coral anchors? Sarasota and Charlotte counties are HUD Wind Zone III.
Whoever you hire, check the number before work starts. For more on the anchors themselves, see tie-downs and anchors. For the City and county split around the parks, see Warm Mineral Springs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which agency issues the installer licence?
The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV), through its Bureau of Mobile Home and Recreational Vehicle Construction, under section 320.8249 of the Florida Statutes.
What does it take to get one?
An 8-hour training course, an exam, a bond and liability insurance. Installing a mobile home without the licence is a first-degree misdemeanour under the same statute.
Can I set up or tie down my own home in Sarasota County?
No. Sarasota County's building official says set-up and tie-down of mobile homes can only be done by a Florida licensed mobile or manufactured home installer, and that state statute prohibits owners from doing that work.
Does a relevel on its own need a licensed installer?
The statute speaks of anyone who installs a mobile home, and the county bulletin speaks of set-ups and tie-downs. Neither says anything specific about a relevel by itself, and we are not going to stretch either one. If it matters for your job, ask FLHSMV, Sarasota County or the City of North Port directly, and ask whoever is going under your home for the licence number either way.