Florida

Board

of

Physical Therapy

No, however you can apply by endorsement. Florida does not have reciprocity with any state; we endorse the National Physical Therapy Examination given by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT).

Rule 64B17-9.001(7) states: The board shall make exceptions for licensees from the continuing education requirements including waiver of all or a portion of these requirements or the granting of an extension of time in which to complete these requirements upon a finding of good cause by majority vote of the board at a public meeting following receipt of a written request for exception based upon emergency or hardship. Emergency or hardship cases are those:

1. Involving long term personal illness or illness involving a close relative or person for whom the licensee has care-giving responsibilities;
2. Where the licensee can demonstrate that the required course(s) are not reasonably available; and
3. Other demonstrated economic, technological or legal hardships that substantially relate to the ability to perform or complete the continuing education requirements.

If you wish to request an exception and you have a hardship listed above, you must submit your request in writing to info@floridasphysicaltherapy.gov, or mail to:

Florida Board of Physical Therapy
4052 Bald Cypress Way, C-05
Tallahassee, FL 32399-3255

Your request will be placed on the next available board meeting agenda for consideration.

No. However, your education must be deemed equivalent to a US degree based on your time of graduation.

To be eligible for licensure as a PTA, an applicant must have earned a PTA degree from a two year PTA program. If the PTA program was outside of the United States, the applicant must also have a credentials evaluation that deems the education equivalent.

No, you are not eligible for licensure.

Yes, transitional DPT programs are not entry level and are not accredited, therefore, you must obtain a credential evaluation.

No. Transitional degrees will not be accepted for initial licensure.

Yes. Per Section 486.102, F.S, you must have graduated from a school giving a course for physical therapist assistants in a foreign country and have educational credentials deemed equivalent to those required for the educational preparation of physical therapist assistants in this country.

We suggest you contact a Commission on Accreditation for Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) accredited university that has an approved physical therapy program. They may allow you to enroll and take the courses through their program. You may visit the American Physical Therapy Associations website for a list of approved schools.

Yes, in some cases. You can use CLEP examinations to fulfill deficiencies for any of the required general education credits. You cannot use CLEP examinations to substitute for any of the required professional education credits.

No, you can apply for licensure and take the exam prior to getting a social security number. However, you will need a social security number prior to receiving your license.

No.

The credential evaluation must address each of the requirements outlined in Rule 64B17-3.001. a. A clear and definitive statement as to whether the education is equivalent to a CAPTE-accredited physical therapy educational program. b. Whether the institution is accredited by any governmental agency and, if so, which agency. c. A list of courses in general education and professional education with the United States post-secondary equivalent course indicated. d. All opinions contained in the report shall be substantiated by reference to the source materials which form the basis for the opinion.

The board has approved the following four credentialing agencies: Foreign Credentialing Commission on Physical Therapy (703) 684-8406 International Consultants of Delaware, Inc. (215) 243-5858 International Education Research Foundation (310) 258-9451

To obtain an electronic listing of active and inactive licensee’s mailing addresses and license status for DOH/MQA regulated professions use our Licensee Data Information service.

Please note: The department does not maintain email addresses, fax or telephone numbers in the normal course of business.

You may use our License Look-Up Search Screen. The best results often occur when the system receives the least amount of information. If licensee is one of our profiled professions, there will be a link at the upper right portion of the screen that says Link to Practitioner Profile. This will take you to practitioner reported information about their education, specialty certification, etc.

You may print the Complaint Form from our or call (850) 488-0595 or (850) 414-1976 to request one by mail. To file a complaint on a non-medical related business or profession, please visit the website.

Any applicant who has failed the NPTE exam three times in any jurisdiction must complete remedial training approved by the board prior to being seated for the NPTE on the fourth time. The remedial training must be taken after the third attempt. An applicant who has failed to pass the NPTE by or on the fifth attempt, regardless of the jurisdiction through which the exam was taken, is precluded from licensure in Florida.

All board meetings are open to the public and you are encouraged to attend.

Licensees that are subject to disciplinary action, as ordered by the Florida Board of Physical Therapy Practice, frequently require monitors to supervise the practice of those licensees.

The monitor is providing a service to the board, the licensee, the physical therapy profession and the citizens that we protect. Monitors are applauded for their willingness to participate in this process and are not under scrutiny by the physical therapy board.

Monitors are approved by the board or board chair after submission of acceptable credentials.

A newly licensed physical therapist or physical therapist assistant is required to take an approved one hour HIV/AIDS course for his/her first renewal.

Up to 12 hours per biennium.

You are required to pay the inactive renewal fee each biennium. You are not required to obtain continuing education to place or maintain your license on inactive status.

However, to reactivate an inactive license, you will be required to show 20 hours of continuing education for each biennium of inactive status and 24 hours of continuing education for the preceding biennium during which the licensee held an active license.

All continuing education information must be maintained for at least 4 years from the date the course was taken. If your license is Inactive, you are encouraged to keep your certificates for an indefinite period of time as proof of completion will be required when you reactivate.

You can obtain individual course approval from the Florida Physical Therapy Association who can be reached at 850-222-1243. You may also visit https://www.fpta.org/page/ConEducationFAQ for more information.

The Florida Board of Physical Therapy staff does not perform this service.

Continuing education credits are awarded only for educational experiences received through the methods listed in Rule 64B17-9.001 and may be self-reported through CE Broker

24 contact hours of approved continuing education is required to renew.

This includes the Prevention of Medical Errors education required by section 456.013(7), F.S. The approved providers are listed in Rules 64B17-8.001 and 64B17-9.001, Florida Administrative Code.

Completion of an approved HIV/AIDS course for the first renewal after initial licensure is required. Please review our continuing education pages for more information.

Failure to renew by the expiration date will cause the license to become delinquent. It is unlawful to practice your profession in Florida on a delinquent license. To renew a delinquent license, you must submit the renewal fee plus the delinquency fee.

If you do not receive your postcard instructions, renewing online is as simple as going to www.FLHealthsource.gov.

If you do not know your User ID and Password, the system will assist you in logging in after you answer several specific validation questions. You may also contact our Call Center at (850) 488-0595 for assistance.

If it is longer than 90 days before your license renewal is due, the system may not yet be activated for your profession. If this is the case, please return to the online renewal system within the 90 days prior to your renewal due date.

If you have any problems using online renewal or other questions about your renewal, please contact the division’s customer contact center at 850-488-0595 and choose option 3.

The renewal cycle starts between 90 to 120 days prior to the expiration date of a license and ends on the expiration date.

It is during this time that a renewal postcard is mailed, providing you with instructions to renew.

It is your responsibility to notify the department of a change of address.

Licensure biennium is the twenty-four month period between expiration dates. The biennium is December 1st through November 30th of every odd-numbered year. It is during this time period that the continuing education requirements must be met for each renewal cycle.

Each license is valid for two years, with the exception of your first biennium. Regardless of when the license is initially issued during the biennium, it will expire on the expiration date of that biennium. It may be that the license is only valid for a few months.

Yes, an applicant for licensure by examination must have obtained a passing score on the NPTE examination within the five (5) years immediately prior to filing of the application.

All licenses expire on November 30th of every odd year regardless when it was issued.

Yes, all applicants applying for licensure by endorsement or examination must take and pass the Florida laws and rules exam before they can be licensed.

Legislation passed in 1997 that would allow Florida to recognize this examination; however, the final determination is up to the Board of Physical Therapy.

The Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT) must transfer the scores directly to Florida before a determination can be made about whether or not the scores are high enough. The scores differ for each examination and the results are calculated according to each individual state’s laws.

The applicant will not have to reapply as they have already met licensure requirements. Staff will keep their files and upon being issued a social security number, will be licensed.

Rule 64B17-2.001(1), F.A.C., provides that an incomplete application shall be administratively closed one year after initial filing with the department. If your application is closed, you will be required to complete another application and application fee.

Unfortunately, there is no way to expedite the process.

The process takes up to 48 hours.

The profile contains required and optional information from the practitioner.

Required information includes:

• The practitioner’s education and training, including other health-related degrees, professional and post graduate training specialty
• The practitioner’s current practice and mailing addresses
• The practitioner’s staff privileges and faculty appointments
• The practitioner’s reported financial responsibility
• Legal action taken against the practitioner
• Board final disciplinary action taken against the practitioner
• Any liability claims filed against Podiatric Physicians which exceed $5000
• Any liability claims filed against M.D.s and osteopathic physicians which exceed $100,000 Optional information may include committees/memberships, professional or community service awards, and publications the practitioner has authored.

Profiles can be accessed by on our License Verification screen. If the health professional is licensed in one of profiled professions, a “Practitioner Profile” tab will be available.

No; however, Licensure Verification is available for all health care professionals currently or previously licensed in Florida.

Livescan device is a term used to describe the scanners used to directly capture fingerprints through a scanning function. Persons being screened place their hands directly on the scanner for reading. Fingerprint scanning using a LiveScan device provides faster results and generally costs less than hard card scanning as there is less handling involved.

Livescan capture also produces a better quality print, so there is a lower rejection rate of illegible prints (no ink smudging, etc). Hard card scanning is a method of submitting a traditional fingerprint card where finger prints are “rolled” in ink onto an FBI fingerprint card. Cards may be converted to “electronic” by using a machine that scans the cards. There is typically a fee associated with “rolling the prints” as a high degree of skill is required to achieve the necessary quality.

If this feature is currently available for your profession, you may check the status of your application in real time via our Online Services. You will need your User ID and password in order to log in. If you lose your User ID and password, you can log in alternatively using the ‘Get Login Help?‘ link located below the login fields.

Yes.

With a free Basic Account you can view your basic course history, which will list the course name, educational provider name, date of completion and hours reported. It would then be up to you to determine whether all of the courses that have been reported will complete all of your specific continuing education requirements. You can also self-report any continuing education that may be missing.

A Professional Account (paid subscription) provides you with all of the tracking tools that CE Broker offers. Your transcript will display what your specific CE requirements are and will calculate what requirements have been met and what may still be outstanding.

A Professional Account is a subscription service and is not a requirement but it can be a useful tool in managing your Florida continuing education requirements should you chose to subscribe.

You will be able to view your course history free of charge. Your course history will show all the courses that have been reported.

No, subscriptions remain optional. There are a number of services you can receive by subscribing, however, it is optional. You can always search for courses, report your hours, and view your course history free of charge by creating a Basic Account

No, you can report your hours free of charge anytime during the biennium. For more information please visit www.CEBroker.com.

Please note, if you take a course from a Florida Board approved Provider they are required to report on your behalf. If you take a course from a National organization it is your responsibility to report completion. There may be other ways for you to obtain credit towards continuing education required for license renewal.

For specific approved methods of obtaining continuing education for your profession please review the Board rules by visiting www.flhealthsource.gov

Beginning in 2015 you will not be able to renew a license without having your continuing education reported into the continuing education tracking system.

If you do not have the hours to report, your license will move to a delinquent status at expiration. In order to renew a delinquent license you will be required to complete the continuing education requirements. Additional fees may apply.

Beginning with licenses expiring May 31, 2013, practitioners will be prompted to report continuing education credits during the renewal process.

Continuing Education is a requirement to renew a professional license. Section 456.025(7), F.S. requires the Department to implement an electronic continuing education tracking system for each biennial renewal cycle and to integrate such system into the licensure and renewal system.

1. If applicant has been convicted of or pled nolo contendere to, regardless of adjudication, any felony or misdemeanor related to the practice of a health care profession.
2. If applicant has had a health care provider license revoked or suspended from another state, the District of Colombia, or a United States Territory.
3. If applicant has been reported to the National Practitioner Data Bank, unless the applicant has successfully appealed to have his or her name removed from the data bank.
4. If applicant has previously failed the Florida examination required to receive a license to practice the profession for which the applicant is seeking a license.
5. The board or department if there is no board may revoke a temporary license upon finding that the individual violated the profession’s governing practice act.

Yes. Applicants must complete state and national criminal history checks.

1. Fees
2. Proof of marriage to an active duty member of the Armed Forces of the United States and that the applicant’s spouse is assigned to a duty station in this state based upon the member’s official active duty military orders.
3. Proof of a valid license in another state, the District of Columbia, a possession or territory of the United States, or a foreign jurisdiction and eligibility to take the Florida licensure examination.

The military temporary license is valid for 12 months after the date of issuance and is not renewable.

The applicant must provide proof that he or she would otherwise be entitled to full licensure under the appropriate practice act, and is eligible to take the respective licensure examination as required in Florida.

The applicant can download the regular application to include the supplemental page from the licensing page.

This bill amends section 456.024, Florida Statutes, (F.S.), creating a temporary license for health care practitioners who are spouses of active duty members of the Armed Forces.

1. Login to online services by selecting your profession from the drop down menu and entering your User ID and Password. The survey must be completed by allopathic and osteopathic physicians only.
   1. Your User ID and Password were mailed with your initial license. Please look at the center section and refer to the Online Services Instructions, item #5.
   2. If you do not have your User ID and Password, click on “Get Login Help“.
2. Select “Physician Workforce Survey” on the left side of the page
3. Complete Physician Workforce Survey

You can view, confirm, or make changes to the information that will be published in your practitioner profile by logging in to the Practitioner Login page.

In carrying our legislative mandate to publish practitioner profiles, we want to ensure the information that we publish is accurate. Accordingly, we ask that you please review your profile for any changes, corrections, and/or omissions. If you see the statement “The practitioner did not provide this mandatory information”, please provide that information. We will not accept curriculum vitae or resumes in place of you providing specific information. Changes, excluding education and training, year began practicing, and liability claims, can be made to your profile electronically by following the instructions below. You may also submit changes by mail to:
Department of Health
Licensure Support Services
4052 Bald Cypress Way, Bin C-10
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-3260

Please note that Section 456.042, Florida Statutes, requires practitioners to update profile information within 15 days after a change of an occurrence in each section of your profile. Attention Newly Licensed Practitioners Chapter 456.041(7), Florida Statutes, requires you to submit changes to the department within thirty (30) days from receipt of notice. If you do not make changes within thirty (30) days, your profile will be automatically published.

Once you have completed your review and made any necessary corrections, click on “Confirm Changes”. The Practitioner Confirmation Page will display the information that will be published online, at which time you must “Confirm” the profile again before the changes will be implemented.

Note: Under Florida law, e-mail addresses are public records. If you do not want your e-mail address released in response to a public records request, do not send electronic mail to this entity. Instead, contact this office by phone or in writing.

All medical doctors, osteopathic physicians, chiropractic physicians, podiatrists, and advanced registered nurse practitioners have profiles that list this information.

Because the Florida Department of Health retains fingerprints on any applicant who is required to undergo a criminal history screening starting January 1, 2013, those prints are retained in the Care Provider Clearinghouse. This Clearinghouse allows for the sharing of criminal history information among specified agencies.

One of the requirements for the Clearinghouse is a photograph taken at time of fingerprinting. If your fingerprints are submitted without a photograph, you may have to undergo additional fingerprinting in the future.

As an applicant, you have the choice to select a service provider approved by the FDLE. Since DOH does not approve or regulate LiveScan service providers, you will be fully responsible for the fingerprint submission and for ensuring that the prints have been timely submitted to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

The DOH retrieves the fingerprint results from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement electronically. We suggest that you ask the service provider for a receipt showing payment date and other pertinent information in case you need to go back to them for assistance.

The electronic fingerprint scanning machines are equipped to determine if your fingerprints scanned successfully; however, if it is determined by the Federal Bureau of Investigation that your prints were not legible, we will send you a notification letter asking you to go back to the same service provider that did your initial prints and schedule a re-roll of your prints.

You will be required to bring the notification letter with you as information such as the TCN (Transaction Control Number) and TCR (Transaction Control Reference) must be identified and used at the time of the reroll. You will be responsible for any costs associated with the re-roll of your fingerprints.

As of the date of the mailing of the deficiency letter, your electronic fingerprinting results have not been transmitted to the Department. We will not be able to process your application until we have received this information. You should contact your fingerprint service provider to determine if they have submitted the prints to the FDLE for processing.

You can view the service provider options and contact information on the Livescan Service Providers List. As of the date of the mailing of the deficiency letter, your electronic fingerprinting results have not been transmitted to the Department. We will not be able to process your application until we have received this information. You should contact your fingerprint service provider to determine if they have submitted the prints to the FDLE for processing.

You can view the service provider options and contact information on the Livescan Service Providers List. Applicants should submit their applications prior to submitting their fingerprints in order to afford themselves an opportunity to resolve any application deficiencies prior to the expiration of the criminal history results.

All applicants will be required to bring two (2) forms of identification to the electronic fingerprinting site on the day of fingerprinting. One of the two types of identification must bear your picture and signature such as a driver’s license, state identification card or passport.

The total fee charged by each service provider varies. Please contact the service provider to obtain this information. The fingerprint results are usually received by the Department two to four days after your fingerprints are scanned.

You can view the service provider options and contact information on the LiveScan Service Providers List

In the traditional method of fingerprinting, ink is applied to each of your fingers which are then rolled across a fingerprint card to obtain your prints.

With electronic fingerprinting, there is no ink or card. Your fingerprints are rolled across a glass plate and scanned. It is faster and cleaner than the traditional method. Electronic fingerprinting reduces the likelihood of illegible fingerprints and will reduce the overall application processing time.

If you apply online, there is a form that you must print out that will have your ORI number pre-populated.

In the paper application, you can locate your ORI number in the instructions.

1. If you are an applicant seeking a license for any profession regulated by the Department of Health which requires a criminal background search as a condition of licensure, you must provide accurate demographic information at the time your fingerprints are taken, including your Social Security number. The Department will not be able to process a submission that does not include your Social Security number.
2. You must provide the correct ORI number. If you apply online, there is a form that you can print out that will have your ORI number prepopulated. In the paper application, you can locate your ORI number in the instructions.
3. In addition to compliance with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement transmission requirements, the LiveScan service providers will need the following information in order for the Department to receive the results appropriately. Failure to submit this information may result in the Department’s inability to obtain screening results:
   • Full Name
   • Individual’s Address
   • Social Security Number (if the SSN is not included, the results will not appear on the Department’s Results website)
   • Date of Birth
   • Race
   • Sex
   • Height
   • Weight
   • Employer Name
   • Employer Address (address information should be separated by commas: street, city, state, zip)

The Department of Health accepts electronic fingerprinting service offered by Livescan service providers that are approved by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and listed at their site. You can view the service provider options and contact information on the Livescan Service Providers List.

Name changes require legal documentation showing the name change. To change your name, please submit supporting documents, which must be one of the following:

1. A copy of a state issued marriage license that includes the original signature and seal from the clerk of the court.
2. A divorce decree restoring your maiden name.
3. A court order showing the name change (adoption, legal name change, federal identity change).
4. A copy of a certificate of naturalization or H1B Employment Visa (Note: Foreign applicants and/or licensees may not have state issued documents)

Any one of these will be accepted unless the department has a question about the authenticity of the document.

The Division of Medical Quality Assurance is now issuing electronic licenses, which enables you to download a PDF copy of your license within two business days. The license can be retrieved in the License Documents menu of your MQA Online Services Portal account. To learn more, please visit the electronic licensing webpage at https://flhealthsource.gov/electronic-licensing/

For requests by mail, please include your full name as it appears on your license, profession, license number, your new name, your date of birth, the last four digits of your social security number, and your signature. Please submit your name change along with supporting document(s) 5-7 business days to allow processing if you need to renew online.

You may submit your request online or by mail along with legible supporting document(s) to one of the following:

•  Log onto your MQA Online Services Portal account , select “Request Name Change” from the “Manage My License” dropdown menu
• Mailing address – DOH, Division of Medical Quality Assurance, Post Office Box 6320, Tallahassee, Florida 32314-6320

At the following address:

Department of Health MQA Agency Clerk’s Office
4052 Bald Cypress Way Bin CO1
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-3251

Please note that Account Id and Password are case-sensitive. You must enter the values exactly as they were provided. Use the “Shift” key to capitalize letters, not the “Caps Lock” key.

Yes. After you have successfully logged in, you can modify your password by selecting Update Login located on the side navigational menu.

Yes. After you have successfully logged in, you can modify your account id by selecting “Update Login” located on the side navigational menu.

Once you are logged into Online Services, select Update Address link from the side navigational menu.

There are many reasons why credit card information may not be accepted. Some suggestions for checking credit card data input are listed below. If you find that all data is complete and correct, but the card is still not accepted, try a different card.

• Be sure that you do not use any hyphens, “-“, underlines, “_”, or spaces when you type your credit card number.
• Do not type text in the space provided for your credit card type, be sure that you click on/select your credit card type from the drop down list of acceptable credit cards.
• Be sure to state the credit card expiration date correctly, with the slash and without spaces. An example of a month, year expiration would be: 09/03
• There is no comparison between the name on your license and the credit card name. When typing the name on the credit card, be sure that you type it just as it appears on the card that was used to complete the other credit card information.
• Be sure that all credit card data fields are completed.

The e-Renewal system will not allow you to change your status online. If you need to change your license status, you will be required to mail your renewal application and fee to the department for processing.

The e-Renewal system will allow you to submit a “change of status” application. Please note that you are required to complete the “renewal” application also. This is a two-step process. If you are wanting to reactivate your license, please contact the board office at info@floridasphysicaltherapy.gov.

The department will mail a renewal notification to your last known address at least 90 days prior to the expiration of your license.

Your license also indicates the date it will expire.

The Renew License link is only activated for practitioners who are in renewal.

If you believe your license is in renewal and you do not have access to the online renewal system, please email the Department at MQALicensureServices@flhealth.gov or call (850) 488-0595.

Our Licensure Support Services staff is available to assist you Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Eastern Time

When you renew your license online, you will receive immediate confirmation that your renewal was received and processed successfully. In addition, online renewal allows you to use American Express, VISA, MasterCard or Discover to pay.

If you have any questions about renewing your license, call (850) 488-0595. Our customer service staff is available to assist you Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Eastern Time. (Excluding state holidays)

For Internet Explorer users, the security setting must be set to medium and cookies must be enabled. To set Internet Explorer to medium security follow the instructions below:

• Open Internet Explorer and select ‘Tools’ from the top menu bar.
• Select ‘Internet Options’ from the drop down list.
• Once the ‘Internet Options’ window appears, select the ‘Security’ tab.
• From the ‘Security’ tab window click on/select ‘Medium’.
• To enable cookies, use the same ‘Internet Options’ window and select the ‘Advanced’ tab.
• From the ‘Advanced’ tab window, press the down arrow on your keyboard until the words ‘Always Accept Cookies’ are highlighted and use the scroll bar and click on/select ‘Always Accept Cookies’. Click ‘Apply’ and retry using the e-Renewal system.

No. If you receive confirmation of a successful renewal, submission of the renewal application is not necessary.

You will receive a confirmation message following a successful renewal. You are encouraged to print this message for your records.

No. The e-Renewal web site is a secure site and does not retain complete credit card information after the data is processed.

Online renewal does not change your renewal expiration date. You are still required to submit a renewal no later than midnight on the date the license is scheduled to expire

Yes, Florida health care professionals can seek assistance for impairment through the Department’s Impaired Practitioner Programs – the Intervention Project for Nurses (IPN) or the Professionals Resource Network (PRN). Impairment may be as a result of misuse or abuse of alcohol or drugs, or both, or due to a mental or physical condition which could affect the licensee’s ability to practice with skill and safety.

Intervention Project for Nurses, Inc. (IPN)
Linda L. Smith, ARNP, M.Div, CAP, Chief Executive Officer
P.O. Box 49130
Jacksonville Beach, FL 32240-9130
Toll Free: (800) 840-2720
Telephone Number: (904) 270-1620
FAX: (904) 270-1633
E-Mail: lsmith@ipnfl.org

Professionals Resource Network, Inc. (PRN)
P.O. Box 1020
Fernandina Beach, Florida 32035-1020
Toll Free: (800) 888-8PRN (8776)
Telephone Number: (904) 277-8004
Fax: (904) 261-3996
E-Mail: admin@flprn.org

You are required to report all criminal activities after you receive your medical license. You may report the criminal offense(s) online via Online Services, by e-mail MQAOnlineservice@flhealth.gov, or by mail:

Florida Department of Health
Licensure Support Services Unit,
Bin #C-10
Tallahassee, FL 32399-3267

If reporting by e-mail or mail, provide the date of the offense, a description of the crime, and the county and state of jurisdiction.

Only the initial license fee and the unlicensed activity fee will be applied to the new application.

Once your request is received, it can take up to four weeks to receive your refund.

There is a three year statute of limitation for refunds so if the overpayment was made less than three years ago you are eligible for a refund.

You must submit your request in writing. Mail or fax your signed request to the Board Office. Please visit our Contact Information page for the mailing address and fax number.

The Board Office will refund your initial license fee and unlicensed activity fee. Your application fee is non-refundable and will not be refunded to you.

License Verification – Information regarding the licensure status of a practitioner. This is for use by persons or organizations that do not require a document certifying this information under seal.

Licensure Certification – Specific document certifying licensure status and disciplinary history, prepared by a representative of the Division of Medical Quality Assurance and bearing a seal. This document is generally required for applicants seeking licensure in other states and for use in court proceedings. There is a $25 fee for this service in accordance with Rule 64B-4.001, F.A.C.

By visiting the board’s meetings page. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on either past or upcoming meetings. Review the meeting dates to locate the agenda you need, and the board’s agenda should be posted on the right under Materials.

Board members are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate. You may apply by contacting the Governor’s Appointment Office.

Governor’s Appointment Office
LL10 The Capitol
Tallahassee FL 32399-0001

or by calling (850) 488-2183

Five business days.

You can request a practitioner’s disciplinary history from our Public Records website under Disciplinary Records.

To view a list of actively licensed practitioners, use the License Verification Search and select the county and profession from the drop-down list.

Users of later versions of AOL may experience problems accessing links within the Medical Quality Assurance (MQA) Services page when inside AOL and using the AOL browser. This is caused by pop-up security features within newer versions of AOL. Try to avoid accessing MQA Services from within AOL.

The way around the problem, once you have started AOL, is to minimize the AOL window and, from your computer’s desktop, open up an Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator browser.

Type the url directly on the address line of the browser and press Enter. You will be able to access all the features within the MQA Services page without experiencing problems.

This website is secured using a thawte Digital Certificate. This ensures that all information you send to us via the World Wide Web will be encrypted.

Please click on the thawte Trusted Site Seal which demonstrates our commitment to your security. In addition to the thawte Trusted Site Seal, you will also see the “lock” emblem displayed in the browser.

In Internet Explorer 6, the lock emblem can be found in the lower right-hand corner of the status bar.

In Internet Explorer 7.0, the lock emblem can be found next to the address (URL) line.

In FireFox and Netscape, the emblem can be found in both locations.

No. There is no additional cost for making a credit card payment online.

Verify that you are using the email address: MedicalQualityAssurance@flhealth.gov Also, If you have SPAM blocker on your computer, you will not be able to receive emails from Licensure Services without updating your SPAM blocker to allow emails from the Department.

Please update your SPAM blocker to receive emails from @doh.state.fl.us or contact our Licensure Support Services at (850)-488-0595, for Account ID and Password renewal information.

If a PDF file fails to download, shows up blank, or freezes your internet browser, the file was most likely corrupted during the download process. To correct the problem, you will need to first clear your browser’s cache, then close and restart the browser, which entails logging back into MQA Services to continue downloading the document. If the cache is not cleared the cached version of the document, which is likely damaged, will still appear.

All transcripts and supporting documentation need to be mailed to:

Florida Board of Physical Therapy
4052 Bald Cypress Way BIN C-05
Tallahassee, FL 32399-3255

This commonly occurs when a user has already created an account. Please use the Forgot User ID link on the MQA Online Service log-in page. If you cannot remember your password, you can select the Reset Password button to have a new password emailed to you.

We have updated our MQA Online Services Portal to be more user-friendly. Registration is a one-time process and you can use your email address or a user ID that you will easily remember to set up your account.

You will need access to a desktop or laptop computer with a compatible web browser (Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, or Google Chrome) installed, your social security number, date of birth, and your mailing address zip code currently on file with the Department of Health.

*Note: MQA Online Services is not fully compatible with all mobile devices or Apple Safari at this time.

Check your email account’s junk mail folder. If the temporary password email is not in your junk mail folder, make sure you entered your valid email address correctly. If your email was entered correctly, please wait at least one hour to receive the email (NOTE: Some email systems take longer to receive emails than others. Even though we send the email immediately, it make take some time for you to receive it.)

Accounts are locked after 5 failed login attempts. You must close your browser and wait one hour before attempting to login again.

You can update your email address by selecting the Update Account link within the MQA Online Services Portal. If you do not remember your password, please contact the MQA Call Center at (850) 488-0595 for assistance in changing your email address.

Your email address is initially used to create your user account. We ask for your email address a second time when you renew as part of your renewal application’s contact information; however, providing your email address on an application is optional.

The email address provided at the time of registration is private and will not be provided to the public. If you provide an email address within an application’s contact information (i.e. when renewing), the address will be saved in our licensing database and becomes public information.

For more information regarding criminal and disqualifying offenses click here

UPDATE ADDRESS ONLINE:

• Login to online services by selecting your profession from the dropdown menu and entering your User ID and Password
• Your User ID and Password were mailed with your initial license. Please look at the center section and refer to the Online Services Instructions, item #5.
• If you do not have your User ID and Password, click on “Get Login Help“.
• Select “Update Addresses” on the left side of the page
• Enter the new address information
• Once you have entered your new address, click on “Process”. You will receive a confirmation page that displays the updated address.

About Your Practice Location Address

The practice location address will display on the Internet and your license. Your practice location must be a physical location address and must not include a Post Office box. The mailing address will only display on the Internet if you have not provided a practice location address to us. Establishment/Facility Name or Address If the name or address change is for a facility that has changed location, a licensure application must be submitted. See your profession’s web page for additional information.

UPDATE ADDRESS BY MAIL: If you prefer to change your address by mail, please complete the Change of Address form. Written requests for address changes must include your name, profession, license number, old address, new address, date of birth, last four digits of your social security number, and your signature.

PROCESSING TIME: If you are submitting an address change request by mail, please allow 5-7 business days for processing. Online requests will be processed within 48 hours.

The Division of Medical Quality Assurance is now issuing electronic licenses, which enables you to download a PDF copy of your license within two business days. The license can be retrieved in the License Documents menu of your MQA Online Services Portal, https://mqa-vo.doh.state.fl.us/datamart/voservicesportal account. To learn more, please visit the electronic licensing webpage at https://flhealthsource.gov/electronic-licensing/.

You may use our License Look-Up Search screen.

Any substantially affected person (i.e. a licensee or applicant) may seek a Declaratory Statement. Declaratory statements regarding an opinion of a board, or the department when there is no board, as to the applicability of a statutory provision, or of any rule or order of the board, or department when there is no board, as it applies to the licensees particular set of circumstances, pursuant to Section 120.565, Florida Statutes.

The petition seeking a declaratory statement must state with particularity the licensees set of circumstances and must specify the statutory provision, rule, or order that the licensee believes may apply to the set of circumstances.

Visit our Enforcement Website to download and complete our Unlicensed Activity Complaint Form. Before completing your complaint form, please be sure to review all instructions provided on the first page.

You may learn more about the Complaint process and submit the appropriate complaint forms by visiting our online Enforcement website.

You may visit our online License Verification page. You may utilize this service to see the status of your providers license and whether there are any disciplinary cases or public complaints against the licensee.

You can print a confirmation of license through the Practitioner Login feature of MQA Services. The confirmation is available up to 30 days after you submit your online renewal request.

After logging into the system with your User ID and password, select Print Confirmation of License from the navigation bar located on the left.

If you need a written statement on a public record attesting to the record’s genuineness or that it is a true and correct copy, you may fill out the Online Request Form.

Be sure to indicate you need a certified copy of the request form. A $25 fee will be charged, in addition to the public record Fees and Charges.

Visit our Public Records page for information on how to request certified documents by mail.

You may submit your request and payment online by visiting the Department’s License Certification webpage.

Make cashier’s check or money order payable to the Board/Council to be researched, in the amount of $25.00, for each verification requested.

• Include name and address where verification is to be sent
• Verification of Licensure order form
• Non-Licensure Verification order form Mail your request and fee to:

Division of Medical Quality Assurance
Licensure Support Services Attn: License Verifications
P.O. Box 6320 Tallahassee,
FL 32314-6320

Other Important Information:

• Requests for licensure verification received without the appropriate fee will be returned unprocessed to the sender.
• The Division of Medical Quality Assurance cannot guarantee your verification will meet the deadlines for other State Boards. The current processing time for licensure verifications is approximately 10 days from receipt. Please check your deadline dates before you submit your verification request.
• Release forms from the licensees are not required for verifications.

Exemptions: Financial information, medical information, school transcripts, examination questions, answers, papers, grades and grading keys, are confidential and exempt forms pursuant to Section 119.071, Florida Statutes, and will be withheld pursuant to Section 456.057, Florida Statutes. Social Security numbers will also be redacted pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 405(c)(2)(C) (vii)(1).

The Division of Medical Quality Assurance is now issuing electronic licenses, which enables you to download a PDF copy of your license within two business days. The license can be retrieved in the License Documents menu of your MQA Online Services Portal account. To learn more, please visit the electronic licensing webpage at https://flhealthsource.gov/electronic-licensing/.