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| General Questions | |
| Q: | How can I become a Board member? |
| A: | Board members are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate. For more information about Gubernatorial Appointments, please visit the Governors website |
| Q: | Who can attend Board meetings? |
| A: | All Board meetings are open to the public and you are encouraged to attend. |
| 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. | |
| Q: | How can I get a Board agenda? |
| A: | You may request to be placed on the Boards Interested Parties list. The Board routinely sends out Agenda Outlines to interested parties 7-10 days prior to an upcoming board meeting. Copies of the full "public" agenda are also available, but are subject to a duplication fee. |
| Q: | How can I file a complaint against a licensee? |
| A: | You may print the Complaint Form from our website 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 Department of Business and Professional Regulation. |
| Q: | How can I check if someone is licensed? |
| A: | 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. |
| Q: | How can I get a list of licensee information? |
| A: | 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. |
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| Continuing Education Questions | |
| Q: | How many hours are required to renew my license? |
| A: | 20 hours every biennium. |
| Q: | How many hours are required for laws and rules? |
| A: | 2 hours. |
| Q: | How many hours are required related to the Technical practice of Opticianry? |
| A: | 11 hours. |
| Q: | If I go inactive will I still need to obtain continuing education? |
| A: | Yes, proof will be required upon reactivation. |
| Q: | What are the continuing education requirements to reactivate my license? |
| A: | 20 hours for every biennium you are inactive with applicable fees. |
| Q: | How many home study hours can you obtain in a biennium? |
| A: | 5 hours per biennium. |
| Q: | Are Opticians required to take an HIV/AIDS courses? |
| A: | Yes, one hour only on the 1st renewal. |
| Q: | I am Board Certified to dispense contact lens, how many technical contact lens hours must I obtain for renewal? |
| A: | 4 hours. |
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| Inactive Status Questions | |
| Q: | How long can my license be on inactive status? |
| A: | Indefinitely, provided the licensee requests and pays for inactive status at the beginning of each renewal cycle. |
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| Applicant Questions | |
| Q: | How soon after an apprentice completes the required 6,240 hours of an apprenticeship must they apply for the State Board examination? |
| A: | Apprentices do not have a limited time in which to apply for examinations; they may apply at any time upon the completion of their apprenticeship. (Passing of the ABO and NCLE are required to be considered eligible for the State Board examinations.) |
| Q: | How soon after passing the examination must I pay the initial licensure fee? |
| A: | The initial licensure fee must be paid within one year of successfully passing the examination. If the required fee is not paid within one year, you must re-apply, re-take, and re-pass the State Board Examination. |
| Q: | Does Florida have reciprocity with any other states? |
| A: | No. All applicants must take the Florida State Board Examination. They must also meet the requirements to be certified eligible to sit for the examination. |
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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.
If you have any other Questions that are not addressed here, please send them to the Board staff so they can be included for everyone's benefit. Thank you!
| MISSION: | To protect, promote & improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county, & community efforts. |
| VISION: | To be the Healthiest State in the Nation |
| PURPOSE: | To protect the public and make Florida the healthiest state in the nation through health care licensure, enforcement, and information. |
| FOCUS: | To be the nation's leader in quality health care regulation. |
| VALUES: | I CARE (Innovation, Collaboration, Accountability, Responsiveness, Excellence) |
