Frequently Asked Questions

Pursuant to 468.211(6), Florida Statutes, Applicants having taken the exam 3 times without success must complete additional education as prescribed by the Board. See the Florida OT Board’s recommendation under FAQ: “I FAILED the NBCOT Exam 3 times, What kind of education is prescribed by the Florida OT Board?” Also, pursuant to Pursuant to 468.211(6), Florida Statutes, after 5 unsuccessful examination attempts an applicant is no longer eligible to take the examination. However, the exam is not a Florida OT Board/state owned nor administered exam, it is a national Board exam, owned and administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). Please visit NBCOT’s website for more information on its exam re-take procedures and requirements at: www.nbcot.org.

NOTE: Individuals in these circumstances may apply for licensure, by the Endorsement application method, After successfully completing the NBCOT exam and receiving NBCOT certification, to be eligible for licensure in Florida. Please visit NBCOT’s website for more information on its exam re-take requirements and procedures, at: www.nbcot.org.

If you have a current licensure application by examination on file with the Board, your application and fees are valid for one year after the date the Board approved your application. You must re-apply with NBCOT to take the exam, request (and pay) for your scores to be sent to Florida, again. We will process your licensure when we receive your successful scores, if received before your application expires. It is your responsibility to make sure we receive your successful score or your NBCOT Certification number to verify and complete your licensure, prior to your file expiration date.

If you were issued a Temporary Permit you must STOP working immediately and notify the Board, as the Temporary Permit is invalid upon knowledge of your unsuccessful score. The temporary permit will be revoked by the Board upon receipt of your score.

If you do not have a current application on file for licensure in Florida, after you successfully complete the exam and receive your NBCOT certification number, you may apply for licensure, by the Endorsement application method. https://floridasoccupationaltherapy.gov/licensing/ Please visit NBCOT’s website for more information on the exam re-take requirements and procedures, at: www.nbcot.org.

There is no time limitation between graduation date and exam date.

Florida does not have a state exam, and does not honor other states or country exams for licensure. Licensure in Florida as an OT or an OTA requires the successful passage of the National Board of Certification for Occupational Therapy, Inc. (NBCOT) Examination. (www.nbcot.org or 301-990-7979)

Yes. You may call (850) 488-0595, the Call Center, designed for this purpose and ask an operator to give you the status of your application. Status information regarding your file will be mailed periodically.

Staff has 30 days to process an application, however most applications are reviewed and a notice is sent by email to the applicant within 1-5 days.

Login to your MQA Online Services Portal account, select Request Address Change from the “Manage My License” pulldown menu, make the necessary changes and click “Submit” to complete your update.   https://mqa-vo.doh.state.fl.us/datamart/voservicesportal

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.

Yes, if all your CE’s are interactive online courses. To find Board approved providers offering such courses, you may search in CE Broker at: www.CEBroker.com. Select the “Live Courses” Tab, and one of the following categories: “Broadcasted Interactive Event” or “Web Based Program”. Interactive courses must be in “real time” and allow the opportunity for interaction with presenter/host.

A PDU is a Professional Development Unit. Most often, it is equal to one contact hour. One AOTA CEU is equal to ten contact hours, or ten PDUs. For more clarification on the conversion from contact hours to PDUs when it is not an AOTA CEU course, please go to www.nbcot.org, click on "Certificants" in the left-hand menu, then on "Renewal Guidelines Handbook" in the left-hand menu. The handbook should give you all the information you need for NBCOT’s requirements and how to convert hours.

Yes. Any hours not reported by a provider, for which a licensee has proof of attendance, can be easily self-reported.

First, verify whether the course provider is a Florida Board of Occupational Therapy Practice approved provider by visiting the CE Providers Search option for approved providers on CE Broker, at: www.CEBroker.com. If they are a Board approved provider their courses are acceptable for continuing education credit.  Secondly, verify whether they are an approved CE Provider for the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) or a Florida Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) provider, which by Board Rule would also be acceptable continuing education.

If the provider does not have specific approval by the Board, AOTA or FOTA, you would need to consider whether the certification you are seeking meets the Board’s CE acceptance criteria for other courses relevant to the practice as defined in Board Rule 64B11-6.001, Florida Administrative Code.  Please compare the information from the course you are considering to the outlined criteria in this rule to determine whether it meets the stated requirements.  If you determine it is relevant to the practice of occupational therapy and to take the course, you will need to self-report the course to your personal CEBroker account according to the instructions below.  You are not required to have a paid account to self-report in Ce Broker.  You would need to login to your CEBroker dashboard, where you will see the option to self-report CE.  You would report under the category “Course/Program Relevant To The Practice Of Occupational Therapy”.

How to Self-Report non-Board approved, relevant to the practice of occupational therapy practice continuing education hours. ↓

Questions

1. 1. 1. What is the name of the continuing education provider?
         A:/ Short Answer
      2. What is the name of the course as indicated on your course completion certificate?
         A:/ Short Answer
      3. Was the course presented by an instructor possessing education and/or experience relevant to the subject matter of the course?
         A:/ Short Answer
      4. Please indicate, from the selections below, how this course was most relevant to the practice of occupational therapy as defined by Florida law?
         A:/ Multiple Choice:
         1. Most relevant to achieving functional outcomes by maximizing the independence and maintenance of an individual limited by a physical injury or illness.
         2. Most relevant to achieving functional outcomes by maximizing the independence and maintenance of an individual limited by a cognitive impairment, a psychosocial dysfunction, a mental illness, a developmental or a learning disability, or an adverse environmental condition.
         3. Most relevant to occupational therapy skills related to the observation or the administration and interpretation of standardized or non-standardized tests and measurements to identify areas for occupational therapy services.
         4. Most relevant to occupational therapy services involving treatment, education, consultation or interventions directed toward developing daily living skills, work readiness or work performance, play skills or leisure capacities, or enhancing educational performance skills.
         5. Most relevant to occupational therapy services providing for the development of sensory-motor, perceptual, or neuromuscular functioning; range of motion; or emotional, motivational, cognitive, or psychosocial components of performance.

   Attachments: If submitting documentation, be prepared to attach your certificate of completion.

   Attestation: I hereby certify that the answers on this application are true and correct.

   Pursuant to Section 456.072(1), F.S., making misleading or fraudulent representations shall constitute grounds for which disciplinary actions specified in Section 456.072(2)(3), F.S., may be taken.

There are two exemptions allowed for continuing education requirements. One is for the person licensed in the second half of the biennium. They are exempt from continuing education requirements for that biennium, except for the 2 hours prevention of medical errors course and the 1 hour HIV/AIDS education until the beginning of the next renewal, at which time they must begin collecting their continuing education requirements for the next renewal. See 64B11-5.001, F.A.C. for further information. Two, 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. See 64B11-5.0065, F.A.C..