Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions:

Q: How do I contact the Board staff by email?
A: Due to the volume of calls we receive, it is more efficient to reach us through email. Review a staff list complete with email addresses.

Q: How can I file a complaint against a licensee?
A: Go to the MQA and select on How to File a Complaint

Q: How can I check if someone is licensed?
A: Go to the MQA and select on the License Lookup option.

Q: How can I get a list of licensee information?
A: Go to the MQA and select on Obtaining Licensee Data.

Continuing Education:

Q: May I take a course that has not been pre-approved by the Board of Occupational Therapy Practice nor sponsored by an approved provider?
A: Yes. Courses and programs not approved by the Board nor sponsored by an approved provider shall be approved as appropriate continuing education if said course or program meets the same criteria for provider approval. In summary, course must be “relevant to the practice occupational therapy”; given by appropriate educators, with experience and credentials relevant to the course or program’s subject matter; documentation obtained regarding the course educational goals, objectives and teaching methods; and receipts, vouchers, certificates, or other papers documenting proof of completion and proof of the number of the contact hours awarded.  See 64B11-6.001(5), F.A.C.

Q: May I take courses offered by FOTA or AOTA?
A: Yes. Programs offered by the Florida Occupational Therapy Association (FOTA), the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) and occupational therapy courses accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy.

Q: I am in an ongoing higher OT education program, may I get continuing education credit for my courses?
A:  Yes.Courses sponsored by a college or university when providing a curriculum for occupational therapists or occupational therapy assistants shall be awarded 10 hours of continuing education credit per semester hour and shall be verified by official transcripts.

Q. What are the requirements regarding Home study?
A.  Twelve (12) hours of home study per biennium are allowed.  Home study education is independent study and requires a certificate of completion. Home study education does not include a web-based, satellite transmitted or online instruction program that allows or requires the licensee to interact or communicate back and forth with the instructor during the presentation of the program.

Q. Must all online courses be counted as home study hours?
A. No. If a course is an interactive course, it is not limited to being counted as home study hours.  Home study education does not include a web-based, satellite transmitted or online instruction program that allows or requires the licensee to interact or communicate back and forth with the instructor during the presentation of the program.

Q:  May I get continuing education credit hours by attending the Board of Occupational therapy meetings?
A:  Yes. A maximum of eight contact hours may be awarded per biennium for attendance at board meetings.

Q:  May I obtain continuing education credit for supervising a student completing their Fieldwork Experience?
A.Yes. A licensee may earn up to 6 continuing education hours per biennium for supervision of a Level II Occupational Therapy or Occupational Therapy Assistant fieldwork student at the rate of no more than 3 hours per student. The licensee must be the primary clinical fieldwork educator for the student. Documentation shall include verification provided by the school to the fieldwork educator with the name of the student, school, and dates of fieldwork or the signature page of the completed student evaluation form. Evaluation scores and comments must be deleted or blocked out.

Q: Must I send all continuing education paperwork to the Board office?
A: No. Keep all proof of continuing education requirements in a personal file. If you are selected for a random audit you will be requested to send copies of continuing education information.

Q: How may I be exempt from continuing education requirements?
A: There are two exemptions allowed for continuing education requirements. One is for the person licensed in the second half of the biennium (on or after 3/1/2006). 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..

Q: If someone does not wish to subscribe to CEBroker but wants to know what continuing education CEBroker has on file for them, what can they do?
A: They can make a CE History Public Records Request. When submitting a written public records request include full name, license number, and email address, of the individual(s) to be researched to the address below:

Division of Medical Quality Assurance
Management Services, Bin C01
Attention: Public Records - CE History
4052 Bald Cypress Way
Tallahassee, FL 32399-3251

Q. If I take a course by a Board approved provider, do I submit the information in CE Broker?
A:  No. Florida approved CE providers are required to report your CE course completion credits to CE Broker and are requested to do so within 90 days of course completion. If at that time you do not see credits posted to your records, please contact the CE provider.

Q. If I take a course by a non-approved provider can I submit the information in CE Broker?
A: Yes. There are two ways to self-submit.
The first way is through a Full Access subscription. Full Access subscription is $35 per biennium. It will allow you to view your continuing education (CE) transcript as the Florida Department of Health Licensing System sees it. Know your updated license renewal status & any outstanding CE hours needed. Receive notification each time completed CE credit is posted to your record. Access FAQ’s for a full description of your CE license renewal requirements.  Search for CE Providers and courses that match your CE needs, knowing that anything on our site has been approved for you continuing education. Receive customized Alerts of upcoming CE courses & reminders of upcoming renewal periods.  Know if a program's hours, and how many, will count toward license renewal before you take it.  Link your Florida Department of Health licenses so that CE hours may post to all of them simultaneously, if applicable, even if the CE Provider has reported only one license number. Self submit CE as allowed by your profession's rule and search for Florida approved CE providers.

The second way to self submit is by registering for Limited Access.  Limited Access is free and will allow you to view a list of approved Florida CE Provider and self submit CE credit for the license cycle tracking for the FDOH. For further assistance, please call the CE Broker Helpdesk toll free, 1-877-i-FIND-CE (1-877-434-6323) Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. till 5:00 p.m. EST. 

Q: What is a PDU?  And what does it equal in regards to ceu’s, contact, or clock hours?
A: 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.

Address Changes:

Q: How do I change my mailing address with the Department?
A. You may submit your change of address electronically; or complete the Change of Address form , print, and submit; or write a letter requesting the change and include your name, license number, social security number, and your old and new address.


Application Processing:

Q: How long does it take to process my application?
A: Once an application has been received and validated by the revenue section, it is then forwarded to the board office for staff to process. Staff has 30 days to process an application once it has been receipted by revenue.
 
Q: Can I call to get the status of my application?
A: 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.


NBCOT Examination:

Q: If I do not sit for the scheduled exam, what happens to my temporary permit? Will it be extended?
A: No. You must cease working on the date of the exam for which you failed to sit. See Rules 64B11-2.005(3) and 64B11-3.003(3).


Permanent Licensure:

Q. When will my permanent licensure be issued?
A. Once a file is complete, it is placed on the next Board meeting agenda for approval. The Board meets every 2-3 months. (See the Board meeting schedule)

• Endorsement applicant - permanent licensure will be processed upon completion of the application.
  
• Examination applicant - the board will approve for licensure pending successful examination results.

Refunds:

Q. What if I choose to withdraw my application and not pursue licensure in Florida, may I receive a refund of fees?
A. The $100 application fee is a non-refundable fee. You must submit a written request, including your original signature, to withdraw your application in order to be refunded the $75 licensure fee and the $5 unlicensed activity fee.


Supervision:

Q. Must I work under supervision with my temporary permit?
A. An endorsement applicant may practice without supervision until the next meeting of the Board. An examination applicant must practice under the supervision of a licensed occupational therapist until notification of the results of the examination.

Q. If I am not required to be under supervision with my temporary permit by endorsement, then may I supervise others?
A. No. See Section 468.203(8), F.S..

Q. What does supervision mean in Florida? Must my notes be co-signed? How much supervision is required? Must the licensed therapist be with me at all times?
A. How much supervision is required and the co-signature of notes is determined by the supervising occupational therapist. The supervising occupational therapist takes responsibility for the person they supervise and makes judgment calls regarding co-signatures based on their knowledge of the person’s skills, ability and training. Section 468.203(8), F.S., defines supervision.


Temporary Permits:

Q. Once I have mailed in my application, may I work while l await my licensure?
A. No. You may not work as an occupational therapist/assistant until you have been issued a temporary permit or a permanent license.

Q. When will my temporary permit be issued?
A. Individuals who have applied for permanent licensure and requested a temporary permit will receive a temporary permit when the application is complete and the applicant is deemed eligible. If applying by examination, you must apply by the NBCOT deadline to be eligible for a temporary permit.

Q. What happens if I fail the examination?
A. If you are working on a temporary permit, you must quit working immediately upon notification of your failing results and return your temporary permit to the board office.

Q. May I apply for another temporary permit or ask for an extension?
A. No. An applicant can have only one temporary permit and it cannot be extended.

Q. If I re-apply to take the exam, may I have another temporary permit?
A. No. A temporary permit shall not be issued to an applicant for licensure who has previously failed the examination and has not subsequently passed the examination.

Q. If I re-apply to take the examination, must I re-apply for licensure?
A. No, if you successfully pass the next examination it is possible your application is still in pending examination scores status and may be valid to process your licensure.

(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.)