Licensee & Renewal FAQs

The Board has not made any changes regarding CE requirements at this time, as licensees may currently take all 26 continuing education hours as “live” interactive (in real time) courses online, as opposed to physically attending live courses.  To find providers offering interactive courses you may go to CE Broker and search for “live” courses.  Such courses may be listed on providers’ sites as live, interactive, broadcasted interactive event, web-based in real-time program, etc.  Interactive courses must allow the opportunity for interaction with presenter/host in real time.  See Rule 64B11-5.001(3), F.A.C.

IF you were licensed in the first half of the biennium (Visit the Renewals, CE TAB for specific dates information at this link: https://floridasoccupationaltherapy.gov/renewals/#tab-ce)

OR

This is a second or subsequent renewal, you are required to complete and confirm in CE Broker, 26 contact hours of approved continuing education to renew. The 26 hours must include:
• Two (2) hours of Prevention of Medical Errors education required by section 456.013(7), Florida Statutes, given by an FL OT board approved provider
• Two (2) hours of a Laws and Rules education course as required in Rule Chapter 64B11-5.001, Florida Administrative Code, given by an FL OT board approved provider
• A minimum of 14 “live” CE hours.

NOTE: A minimum of 14 “live” CE hours are required if you take 12 hours of Home Study CE. Home Study hours are not required, only “limited” to 12 hours. You can take all 26 CE hours as “live” hours, if you wish, or as online “live interactive” courses (in real-time). Interactive courses must allow the opportunity for interaction with presenter/host.

IF THIS IS YOUR FIRST RENEWAL and you were licensed in the second half of the biennium you are exempt the 26 hours requirement and must only complete three (3) contact hours of approved continuing education as stated: (Visit the Renewals, CE TAB for specific dates information at this link: https://floridasoccupationaltherapy.gov/renewals/#tab-ce)

• Two (2) hours of Prevention of Medical Errors education required by section 456.013(7), Florida Statutes, given by an FL OT board approved provider, and
• One (1) hour of HIV/AIDS education as required by section 456.033, Florida Statutes.

Yes, a licensee who is the spouse of a member of the Armed Forces of the United States is exempt from all licensure renewal provisions for any period of time in which the licensee is absent from the State of Florida due to the spouse’s duties with the Armed Forces. The licensee must document the absence and submit copies of the spouse’s military orders/status to the Board, per Board Rule 64B11-5.0065, F.A.C.

• Must submit a request to be placed in Military/ Active status with official military orders. If orders do not include spouse in written content, a marriage certificate must also be submitted with the request.

– Renew Clear/Active. Complete and confirm 26 continuing education hours in CE Broker (www.CEBroker.com) and submit a $60 renewal fee. Note: Continuing education hours must include 2 hours of a Florida OT Board approved Laws and Rules course, 2 hours Florida OT Board approved Medical Errors course, and a minimum of 14 “live” interactive hours (in real-time). Hours may be completed with interactive online courses. Interactive courses must allow the opportunity for interaction with presenter/host during the completion of the program or course. Visit: www.flhealthsource.gov or go directly to the Licensee Online Services Portal:  https://mqa-vo.doh.state.fl.us/datamart/voservicesportal to complete this transaction online and receive licensure renewal confirmation.

– Renew Clear/Inactive. To Renew your license into the same Inactive status, you may submit a $60 renewal fee online and selecting Clear/ Inactive status. NOTE: This status will “hold” a license for later reactivation, however, is not intended for a long-term status. Because you choose not to work in Florida, does not mean your license must be in an Inactive status. This is not the purpose for this status. Continuing education requirements and renewal fees continue to accrue for the biennial period you renewed Inactive and for each licensure biennial period in which the license remains in an Inactive status. Visit: www.flhealthsource.gov or go directly to the Licensee Online Services Portal:  https://mqa-vo.doh.state.fl.us/datamart/voservicesportal to complete this transaction online and receive licensure renewal confirmation.

– Reactivate from the Inactive status, to a Clear/Active status.  This transaction cannot be completed online.  Requirements are 1) Submit the Reactivation Application form (download from the Board’s website, “Resources” tab or send a request to the Board office at: mqa.occupationaltherapy@flhealth.gov), 2) submit online in CE Broker, the required 26 hours of continuing education for the renewal biennium you changed your status to Inactive and 26 hours for each licensure biennium, in which the license remained in an Inactive status. 3) a $100 reactivation fee, along with any delinquent renewal fees, and if you choose to reactivate outside of a renewal window, an additional $50 change of status fee is required.  These fees and changes must be completed by mail. See Rule 64B11-5.006 Inactive and Delinquent Status Fees.

– Renew Retired. This transaction cannot be completed online. Submit a written request to change license to Retired status by mail and submit a $50 fee.

–  Reactivate a Retired license. You may Reactivate a Retired license by mail (transaction cannot be completed online) by submitting the Reactivation Application form (download from the Board’s website, “Resources” tab or send a request to the Board office at: mqa.occupationaltherapy@flhealth.gov,  You must submit a written request to convert your retired license to an active status. To reactivate the license you must pay the same amount as the renewal fee $60 for an active status licensee for each biennial licensure period in which the licensee was in retired status. You must also submit proof of completing 26 hours of CE, in CE Broker (www.CEBroker.com) including the statutory mandated courses (2 hours laws and rules and 2 hours medical errors) for each biennium the license was in a retired status.  This is not a status valid to work in Florida. It is unlawful to practice your profession in Florida on a Retired status license. You may email the Board office for your specific requirements at: mqa.occupationaltherapy@flhealth.gov See 64B11-5.0041 Retired Status and Reactivation of Retired Status License; Fees.

– Not Renew or change licensure status. You may choose to not do anything at this time, and your license will go into a Delinquent Status after the renewal deadline. (NOTE: this is not a derogatory status, only indicates your license has not been renewed). This is not a status valid to work in Florida. It is unlawful to practice your profession in Florida with a delinquent license status. To renew a delinquent license, you will be required to complete the CE requirements in CE Broker and submit a $55 delinquent fee, along with the past renewal fee $60 ($115), if submitted prior to the next renewal deadline. After a second non-renewed biennium period, the license will go into a Null and Void status. A Null and Void license cannot be renewed or reactivated. Should you ever desire to work in Florida you would be required to re-apply for licensure and meet the current licensure eligibility requirements.

– Voluntarily Relinquish. You may choose to send a written request to voluntarily relinquish your license to the Board email address at: mqa.occupationaltherapy@flhealth.gov stating your request is not due to any disciplinary reasons. Should you ever desire to work in Florida you would be required to re-apply for licensure and meet the current licensure eligibility requirements.

You will need to log in to your MQA online account and link both of your licenses to the same account. Before submitting a renewal you will need to go to CE Broker and report all continuing education and then go back to the MQA Portal to complete the renewal process.

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

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

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)

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

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.

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)

The Renew License link is only activated for practitioners who are in renewal. Renewal windows are opened approximately 90 days prior to the renewal deadline. 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.

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.  You may download the the Reactivation Application form  from the Board’s website, “Resources” Tab or send a request to the Board office at: mqa.occupationaltherapy@flhealth.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. All OT and OTA licenses expire on February 28, of each odd year.

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.

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

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.

Those persons certified for licensure in the second half of a biennium, on or after March 1st of even years are exempt from the total 26 hours required continuing education requirements for that biennium, except for the mandatory two (2) hours prevention of medical errors course requirement, and the one (1) hour of HIV/AIDS education given by Board approved providers.

A licensure biennium is the twenty-four month period between expiration dates. All occupational therapists, occupational therapy assistants, and occupational therapy continuing education provider licenses expire on February 28 of every odd year.  It is during this time period that the continuing education requirements must be met for each renewal cycle.

Licenses for occupational therapy and occupational therapy assistants expire on February 28th of every odd year. Please note that at the time of initial licensure, and during each biennial licensure renewal thereafter, the licensure expiration date will print on the hard copy of the license issued by the Department of Health. The expiration date may also be viewed on the Department’s licensure verification page at anytime.

All OT and OTA licenses expire on February 28, of each odd year. (02/28/2023, 02/28/2025, 02/28/2027, etc.)

The renewal cycle starts 120 days prior to the expiration date of a license and ends on the expiration date. It is during this time that you receive your renewal notice and when licensees begin sending in their renewal notices and fees to renew the license for the next biennium. It is your responsibility to notify the department of a change of address.

It takes approximately 1-3 weeks to process a renewal. If you wait until the end of the renewal cycle to mail your renewal notice and fee, you will not be current on the licensure computer system until the renewal is processed. There may be a period of time that your license will be in delinquent status. Your place of employment may not allow you to work during this interim period; consequently, it is recommended that you mail your renewal in no later than 30 days from the expiration date.

The department will mail a renewal notification to your last known address at least 90 days prior to the expiration of your license. It is the responsibility of the licensee to make sure he or she renews on time. Your license expiration date is printed on your license. If you do not get a notice, chances are that your address is not current in the licensure system. Address changes can be completed by you online, or submitted to the Department online on the website, by email, or by mailing a request. MQA On-line Services account ID and passwords can be found directly on your renewal notice. If you do not receive a renewal notice, it is best that you go online and register in our new online service system where you can acquire a new account ID and password and change your address in the system, to become familiar prior to the upcoming renewal. However, the Department can provide you with your account ID and password over the telephone, or by email if a request is sent online from the website.Should you need assistance you may contact the Customer Contact Center

Should you need assistance you may contact the Customer Contact Center at: (850) 488-0595 and someone will assist you, Or you may email at: MedicalQualityAssurance@doh.state.fl.us, Blank renewal forms may also be printed from the website. PLEASE NOTE: There is no grace period after the license expiration date. Failure to renew by the expiration date will cause the license to become delinquent. You will not be able to renew your license if your continuing education requirements are not Completed in CE Broker Prior to processing your Renewal. It is unlawful to practice your profession in Florida on a delinquent license.

Failure by a delinquent licensee to become active or inactive before the expiration date of the current licensure cycle renders the license null and void without any further action by the board or the department. Any subsequent licensure shall be as a result of applying for and meeting all requirements for initial licensure.

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 and complete required continuing education hours online in CE Broker at www.cebroker.com. You may complete your renewal online at: www.flhealthsource.gov

All licensees accrue continuing education requirements, whether active or inactive. You can renew without having the continuing education requirements by requesting to put your license in an Inactive status and pay the $60 renewal fee. You may even continue to renew inactive at subsequent renewals. However, understand the main advantage to placing a license in inactive status is to keep your license from becoming delinquent or null and void for non-renewal because you have not completed the required continuing education hours. When you decide to reactivate to a Clear/Active status you must complete and submit proof of 26 continuing education hours for the licensure biennium you changed your license to an  inactive status, and for each subsequent biennium you renewed inactive. You must also pay a $100 reactivation fee and appropriate $50 change of status fee if outside of a renewal window. Because you choose not to work in Florida, does not mean your license must be in an Inactive status. See FAQ: What are my Renewal options?

According to Chapter 64B11-5.001(5) HIV/AIDS, Licensees must take one hour of HIV/AIDS education no later than their first renewal. HIV/AIDS courses approved by any Board within the Division of Medical Quality Assurance of the Department of Health is acceptable for this requirement. There is no requirement to take repeat HIV/AIDS courses for subsequent renewals.

You must submit a request to place your license in "retired" status and pay a one-time fee of $50.00 plus the $5 unlicensed activity fee, for a total fee of $55. The Board will no longer contact you regarding your license. Retired status does not allow you to continue providing therapy.

You must submit a written request to convert your retired license to an active status. To reactivate the license you must pay the same amount as the renewal fee $60 for an active status licensee for each biennial licensure period in which the licensee was in retired status. You must also submit proof of completing 26 hours of CE, in CE Broker (www.CEBroker.com) including the statutory mandated courses (2 hours laws and rules and 2 hours medical errors) for each biennium the license was in a retired status.

You must renew your license every two years and pay the current renewal fee. The Board will continue to contact you regarding renewals. Inactive status does not allow you to continue providing therapy. However, all licensees accrue continuing education requirements, in an and and inactive status. You may continue to renew inactive without having to submit continuing education requirements, however, when you choose to reactivate to an active status you must complete and submit proof of all continuing education (26 hours), for EACH renewal biennium you have been inactive, and pay the $50 change of status fee and $100 reactivation fee.

During an open renewal period, if your license is in Clear/Inactive status, to reactivate to Clear/Active status you must pay a $160 ($100 reactivation fee + $60 Renewal fee). You must also submit online in CE Broker, the required 26 hours of continuing education for the renewal biennium you changed your status to Inactive and 26 hours for each licensure biennium, in which the license remained in an Inactive status. If you are reactivating your license outside of a renewal period, an additional $50 change of status fee is required.

If your license is in a Delinquent/Active or Delinquent/Inactive status, additional delinquent fees will apply. You will need to contact the Customer Care Center (850) 488-0595 or email the Board office at: mqa.occupationaltherapy@flhealth.gov for specific requirements.

These transactions cannot be completed online. These fees and changes must be completed by mail.  You must submit the Reactivation Application form (download from the Board’s website, “Resources” tab or send a request to the Board office at: mqa.occupationaltherapy@flhealth.gov). See Rule 64B11-5.006 Inactive and Delinquent Status Fees.

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.