Florida's job licensing decreases motivation instead of increasing quality

I sometimes question how serious Florida legislators are about creating jobs and helping Florida’s economy. They’ve taken some appreciable steps with changing tax codes, protecting property rights and investing in infrastructure. But even with Gov. DeSantis pushing his “Deregathon,” this was at least the third straight legislature that has failed to tackle occupational licensing reform.

Occupational licenses require aspiring workers and entrepreneurs to secure government permission to enter a particular field. Through a combination of educational and experience requirements, as well as exams and fees, occupational licensing attempts to protect consumers from malpractice and to ensure that practitioners are sufficiently skilled. Although only one in 20 U.S. workers was required to obtain licensure in the 1950s, nearly one in three workers is required to do so today, with the average occupation requiring nine months of training, $209 in fees and passage of an exam.

Florida requires a license for 326 professions and businesses. Many of those requirements do not protect consumers from any obvious harms but do reduce jobs and competition and raise prices. Few of the occupations for which Florida requires licenses are licensed in all states. For example, Florida requires occupational licenses for: