Click on the appropriate tab below to see the Initial Licensing Requirements, Process, Fees, Statutes and Administrative Rules for an Occupational Therapist.
To be licensed as an Occupational Therapy Assistant in Florida through the MOBILE Endorsement pathway you must meet the following requirements in section 456.0145, Florida Statutes:
- Must hold an active, unencumbered license issued by another state, the District of Columbia, or a territory of the United States in a profession with a similar scope of practice, determined by the board or the department, as applicable.
- Must have obtained a passing score on the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy’s (NBCOT’s) COTA licensure examination or currently hold the NBCOT’s COTA certification.
- Must have actively practiced the profession for at least three years during the four-year period immediately preceding the date of submission of this application.
- Must not have ever been reported to the National Practitioner Data Bank, unless the applicant successfully appealed to have the report removed.
- Must not be the subject of a disciplinary proceeding in a jurisdiction in which he or she holds a license or by the United States Department of Defense for reason related to the practice of the profession for which the applicant is applying.
- Must not have had disciplinary action taken in the five years immediately preceding the date of submission of the application.
- Refer to section 456.0145(2)(c), Florida Statutes, for licensure ineligibility criteria.
Applicants must complete the following steps:
- Contact the state board(s) in which a license has been held to request License Verification be sent to Florida. If the state has an online verification including disciplinary actions, we will accept the online verification.
- Documenting Current NBCOT Certification or Passage of NBCOT Licensure Examination
- If you currently hold the NBCOT’s COTA certification, please list your certification information, to include your certification number, on the application form where requested and Board staff will verify certification through the NBCOT.
- If you do not currently hold COTA certification through the NBCOT, please list your original NBCOT COTA examination information on the application form and reach out directly to the NBCOT at 301-990-7979 to request your examination score be transferred to the Florida Board of Occupational Therapy Practice.
- In the event the Board is unable to verify exam passage or current certification, applicants must have official proof provided to the Board Office by the NBCOT.
- Apply online at flhealthsource.gov, pay applicable fees, and upload any supplemental documentation.
- If applicants have any affirmative answers in the Criminal, Personal, or Disciplinary sections of the application, submission of the personal statement and supporting documentation can be uploaded with the online application.
- Please allow up to 5 business days for initial review of new applications. All applications and document submissions are reviewed in the order they are received. After your application is reviewed, any deficiencies will be communicated to you in writing by our Board staff. To expedite processing, please submit all required supporting documentation with your application and the requisite fees. If you are having documentation submitted by another entity on your behalf, please verify the Board office’s mailing address to ensure delivery.
Department of Health
Board of Occupational Therapy Practice
4052 Bald Cypress Way Bin C-05
Tallahassee, FL 32399-3258 - When all requirements are met the license will be issued to qualified within 7 days pursuant to Section 456.0145(2)(e), Florida Statutes.
Licensure Fees
| Application Fee | $100.00 (non-refundable) |
| Initial License Fee | $75.00 |
| Unlicensed Activity Fee | $5.00 |
| Total Fee Due with Application: | $180.00 |
Make checks or money orders payable to the “Department of Health.”
Applicants and licensees are responsible for the fees outlined in applicable board or department rule at the time an application is received.
Other Payer Code
Other Payer Information
The Florida Department of Health, Division of Medical Quality Assurance (MQA), is pleased to offer employers, recruiters and schools of Occupational Therapist and/or Occupational Therapist Assistant applicants an option to pay for the applicant’s licensure fees.
Occupational Therapists and Occupational Therapy Assistants may complete and submit an application for licensure online. Instead of providing their own credit card for payment, applicants will have the option to enter the ‘Other Payer Code’ to complete the application process. The application will be uploaded for processing and will stay in pending status until the other payer makes payment.
Interested parties will need to register with the Florida Board of Occupational Therapy Practice by providing, in letter format, the following information:
- Business Name
- Mailing Address
- Phone Number
- Federal ID Number.
In addition, we will need a contact person and email address. Please indicate if you require more than one payment code, or a code expiration, date and sign the letter indicating that all of the provided information is true and correct. Please mail this letter to:
Florida Board of Occupational Therapy
4052 Bald Cypress Way, Bin # C-05
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-3254
Once the third party payer is registered, the Florida Board of Occupational Therapy Practice will mail a notification letter including the payment code and instructions on how to submit payment for applicants who applied for an Occupational Therapist or Occupational Therapy Assistant license. The third party payer will need to provide their “Other Payer Code” to applicants prior to them applying.
Third party payers who elect to use the Other Payer Code will be required to log-on to MQA’s secure on-line services website to approve and submit payment. The payer will be able to deselect applicants who are not eligible to use their ‘Other Payer Code’. Then the payer will be prompted to a Credit Card payment screen where they can pay by using Visa, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express.
Third party payers wishing to pay by check will need to send a cashiers check or money order along with a list of applicants and their file number. Applicants are issued a file number as a part of their application confirmation e-mail. The applicant’s file number is required when submitting payments by this method:
Department of Health
Post Office Box 6330
Tallahassee, FL 32314
PLEASE NOTE: Applicants are responsible for the fees at the time an application is received. Applications will stay in Pending and Deficient status until the other payer makes payment.
Click on Chapter or Section Number to View
Florida Statutes
Chapter 468, Part III: Occupational Therapy
Chapter 456, Florida Statutes: Health Professions and Occupations: General Provisions
Florida Administrative Code
Rules: Chapter 64B11: Board of Occupational Therapy, Florida Administrative Code
