About PublicWarden
What we are, what we're not, and how we verify contractors
PublicWarden is a free contractor verification tool for Florida homeowners. We pull data from two government sources — the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) and the Florida Division of Workers' Compensation (DWC) — and present it in a single, readable page.
The goal is simple: before you sign a contract, check whether the person you're hiring is licensed and insured according to state records. It takes less than a minute and costs nothing.
We are not a review platform. We don't publish opinions, star ratings, or customer testimonials. We are not a contractor directory or a lead generation marketplace. We don't sell leads to contractors and we don't accept payment to improve anyone's profile.
PublicWarden never recommends contractors. An active license and current insurance are baseline requirements — they don't tell you whether someone does good work. We show you the public record floor so you can make your own decision.
Florida DBPR — License Verification
The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation maintains records for all state-licensed construction contractors. We import their bulk license data, which includes license status (active, suspended, revoked), license type and classification, original licensure date, expiration date, and any complaints or disciplinary actions on file. This data is public under Florida's Sunshine Law (Chapter 119, F.S.).
Florida DWC — Workers' Compensation Insurance
The Florida Division of Workers' Compensation publishes insurance policy data through its Digital Download database. We match contractors to their workers' comp policies using entity name matching. This tells you whether a contractor carries current coverage, whether coverage has lapsed, and who the insurer is. Workers' comp protects you from liability if a worker is injured on your property.
Every verification page shows two primary indicators:
Green — Record confirmed in good standing. License is active per DBPR, or insurance is current per DWC.
Gray — Not verified. We don't have data confirming this status one way or the other. This isn't a red flag — it means you should ask the contractor directly.
Red — Record shows a concern. License is suspended or revoked, or insurance has lapsed or been cancelled.
We never use scores, rankings, or recommendations. The indicators reflect what government records say, not what we think.
Every data point on a PublicWarden verification page is traceable to a specific government source. We cite the source on every indicator — "Active per FL DBPR" or "Current per FL DWC" — so you can verify independently if you choose.
All verification snapshots include SHA-256 hash-chain provenance. Each snapshot cryptographically links to the previous one, creating a tamper-evident record of what the data showed and when. If anyone — including us — modifies a historical record, the hash chain breaks.
If you believe any information on PublicWarden is inaccurate, you can submit a correction request. We review all disputes against the underlying government records. If DBPR or DWC records have been updated, we'll update our data to match.
PublicWarden is not affiliated with DBPR, DWC, or any Florida state agency. All data is sourced from publicly available government databases under Florida's Sunshine Law (Chapter 119, F.S.).