Fingerprint Retention FAQs

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.CEatRenewal.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 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 board’s webpage .

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 dropdown 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.

Out of state and out of the country applicants are still required to submit their fingerprints electronically. There are national Livescan service providers, such as L1 Identity Solutions, Fieldprint, and National Fingerprint, Inc. which can assist out-of-state applicants. You can obtain a hard fingerprint card from the FBI’s website or by contacting your board office.

Starting January 1, 2013, the Florida Department of Health retains fingerprints on any applicant who is required to undergo a criminal history screening 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, therefore, if your fingerprints are submitted without a photograph, you may have to undergo additional fingerprinting in the future when applying at a different agency.

A Social Security Number is not required for Livescan. You can find a list of providers who provide this service on the Department’s Livescan Service Provider website.

Please note: If you are an applicant located outside of the U.S., you will need to contact a Livescan service provider who has the capability to convert a traditional (hard card) into an electronic fingerprint card. To obtain an electronic copy of the fingerprint card, please visit the FBI’s website.

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 under the Livescan Service Providers tab on our background screening website.

Fingerprinting is required only for medical doctors, osteopathic physicians, chiropractic physicians, podiatric physicians, advanced registered nurse practitioners, registered and practical nurses, orthotists and prosthetists.

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, 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/.

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 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) (Contract Number: COMV5)
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) (Contract Number: COMW3)
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 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.

Mail your application and fees to:

Department of Health
Post office Box 6330
Tallahassee, FL 32314-6330

By visiting your board’s licensing page. Select your profession then click on Requirements.

The division’s call center at (850) 488-0595. We are open from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Eastern Standard Time. We’re closed on weekends and state holidays. You may email us at MedicalQualityAssurance@flhealth.gov.

We will send you notification about the status of your application within 30 days after we receive it.

You are required to report all criminal offenses to the Board. Each application will be evaluated on an individual basis. For more information on offenses that may prevent you from obtaining a medical license, see the links below:

• Chapter 456, F.S.: Health Professions and Occupations: General Provisions
• s. 766.301 through 766.316, F.S.: Medical malpractice and related matters

• If you have a criminal record, you must submit certified official court documents related to your criminal record, showing the date(s) and circumstance(s) surrounding your arrest(s)/conviction(s), sections of the law violated, and disposition of the case(s). Documents would normally consist of a complaint or indictment, a judgment, a docket sheet, or other documents showing disposition of your case. Some courts refer to these documents as an order of probation. A court clerk must certify these court documents before we can accept them.
• If you have received discipline against any license that you have held, you must submit certified copies of the documents related to the disciplinary action taken. The documents must come from the agency that took the disciplinary action and must be certified by that agency.
• You must submit a detailed description of circumstances surrounding your criminal record or disciplinary action.

Yes. Offenses must be reported to the board even if you received a suspended imposition of sentence and the record is now considered closed.

Each application is evaluated on a case-by-case basis. The board considers the nature, severity, and recency of offenses, as well as rehabilitation and other factors. The board cannot make a determination for approval or denial of licensure without evaluating the entire application and supporting documentation.

All convictions, guilty pleas, and nolo contendere pleas must be reported, except for minor traffic violations not related to the use of drugs or alcohol. This includes misdemeanors, felonies, “driving while intoxicated (DWI)” and “driving under the influence (DUI).”

Crimes must be reported even if they are a suspended imposition of sentence. All prior disciplinary action against any other professional licenses must be reported, whether it occurred in Florida or another state or territory.

Section 456.013(1)(a), Florida Statutes does not allow for an extension. An incomplete application is only valid for one year.

You can 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/.

We encourage you to send as much information as possible to help expedite the licensure process.

Please mail all required supporting documents directly to the Board Office. For your Board’s mailing address, please visit the Contact page.

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.

Five business days.

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.

If you are an allopathic physician, osteopathic physician or dentist, licensed in another state but do not hold a Florida medical license, and you plan to provide expert witness testimony in Florida, you must register for an Expert Witness Certificate. If you are interested in becoming an Expert Witness, please complete this survey

The board no longer prepares newsletters. You may get the newest profession updates by viewing hottopics on our website.

Go to Continuing Education to review the current continuing education requirements

Yes, if they meet the requirements as outlined by rule.

Yes, Rule 64B15-13.001(4)(e), F.A.C., states it is the fellow, intern, and/or resident’s responsibility to obtain the CME required under the rule.

Yes, Rule 64B15-13.001(4)(e), F.A.C., allows for ten (10) general CME credit hours to be awarded for successful completion of each six (6) month training program period.

Home study hours are restricted to eight (8) hours.

Yes. This is an Osteopathic License. You are required to complete forty (40) total hours for biennial renewal, twenty (20) of which must be AOA 1 A hours. See Rule 64B15-13.001(1).

You can search for Florida AOA 1-A live and on demand CME hours at: https://osteopathic.org/cme/search-calendar/?type=live.

Only if you currently hold a DEA registration. If you currently hold a DEA registration you must complete a two-hour prescribing controlled substance course from one of the providers approved in Rule 64B15-13.001(1)(e), FAC.

Although, Rule 64B15-13.001(1)(b), FAC, reflects licensees renewing for the first time whose license was issued subsequent to July 1, of the second year of the biennium only have to complete one live hour of Florida Laws and Rules/Professional and Medical Ethics and two live hours of Prevention of Medical Errors, the statute requires licensees renewing for the first time whose license was issued subsequent to July 1, of the second year of the biennium, who hold a current DEA registration must also complete the two hour prescribing controlled substances course.

No. The rule requires you complete one (1) hour of Florida Laws and Rules/ Professional and Medical Ethics and two (2) hours of Prevention of Medical Errors through live participatory courses.

No. If you have an inactive license you cannot reactivate the license online. It is important to know that there are two steps to the process and failure to complete both steps will likely result in failure to reactivate. Please contact licensure services at MQAOnlineService@flhealth.gov.

Yes, Rule 64B15-13.001(7), FAC, states that a licensee who is on active duty as a member of the United States Armed Forces may obtain all forty (40) hours of CME in a distance learning format or home study, including the courses required by 64B15-13.001(1)(a), FAC, and is exempt from the requirements of 64B15-13.001(1)(b), FAC.

Yes. Rule 64B15-13.005 allows up to ten (10) CME hours per biennium by performing pro bono medical services to the indigent or to underserved populations or in areas of critical need within the state where the licensee practices. Credit is given on an hour by hour basis.

The following entities are approved for credit under this rule.

• Department of Health
• Community and Migrant Health Centers funded under section 330 of the US Public Health Services Act.
• Volunteer Health Care Provider programs contracted to provided uncompensated care under the provisions of section 766.1115, FS, with the Department of Health.
  VHCP programs can be located here.

Volunteer services provided to an entity not listed above require prior approval from the board in order to receive credit. If you wish to volunteer with an entity other than listed above, contact the board office for instruction.

Yes, if you qualify under the Volunteer Health Care Provider program (VHCP). See Sections 766.1115, FS
and 766.1116, FS.

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

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.

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).

Log into your MQA Online Services Portal account and select Request Duplicate License from the “Manage My License Information” pulldown menu. 

For Dentists, Medical Doctors and Osteopathic Physicians – To provide expert testimony concerning the prevailing professional standard of care, you must either be licensed in Florida OR you must possess an expert witness certificate.

To apply for an “Expert Witness Certificate”:

• Go to our Online Application Login page
• First time users must create an account by clicking on the “Create an Account button” and following the prompts
• Once you have created an account, select your profession from the “Board/Council” drop down menu
• Under the “Profession” drop down menu, select either “Dental Expert Witness Certificate”, “Medical Doctor Expert Witness Certificate” or “Osteopathic Physician Expert Witness Certificate”
• Enter your email address and password and click “Login”

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.

Section 119.083(4), F.S., requires only that the agency provide electronic data in some common format such as, but not limited to, the American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) text format. Therefore, the download files provided on this page are formatted as ASCII text, pipe delimited.

Financial information, medical information, school transcripts, examination questions, answers, papers, grades and grading keys, which are confidential and exempt from s. 119.07(1), F.S.,. will be withheld pursuant to Chapter 456, Florida Statutes. Social Security numbers will also be redacted pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 405(c)(2)(C)(vii)(1).

The agenda and public book are available on the Board’s website at least seven days before the scheduled public meeting.