Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation
| Department overview | |
|---|---|
| Jurisdiction | Government of Florida |
| Headquarters | Tallahassee, Florida |
| Motto | License Efficiently. Regulate Fairly. |
| Employees | Over 1500 |
| Website | www |
The Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) is the agency charged with licensing and regulating more than one million businesses and professionals in the State of Florida, such as cosmetologists, veterinarians, real estate agents, hotels and restaurants and pari-mutuel wagering facilities. On the Department’s website, consumers and licensees can verify licenses, file a complaint against licensed or unlicensed individuals, apply for or renew licenses, search food and lodging inspections, search for or request public records and read about recent Department initiatives.
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.
In recent years, the Department has significantly reduced the average professional license processing time. In October 2008, the average was more than 41 days and at the end of 2012, the average was less than two days.
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.
The current Secretary is Ken Lawson. Lawson has held the position since May 2011. A native Floridian, Lawson has spent more than a decade protecting the public in numerous public and private regulatory positions. Lawson is a graduate of Florida State University and the Florida State University College of Law.
Business Regulation
Division of Hotels and Restaurants: 2009 Food Code
Effective January 1, 2013, the Division of Hotels and Restaurants adopted provisions of the 2009 Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Food Code. The updates encompass more efficient and smarter regulations that improve the inspection process, ultimately helping operators better serve their customers.
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