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Applicant Questions
Q. How long do I have to complete my application?
A. Please understand that section 456.013(1)(a), Florida Statutes,
provides that an incomplete application shall expire one year after
initial filing with the department. Your application will expire upon
the date we receive your application.
Q.If the applicant was approved (education) and has taken and passed the exam(s) but has not received a social security number, will they have to reapply again?
A. The applicant will not have to reapply as they have already met licensure requirements. Staff will keep their files and upon being issued a social security number, will be licensed.
Q. Must I take a medical errors course prior to submitting my
application?
A. No. However, the two-hour medical errors course is mandated by
statute for all initial licensees and for every licensee renewal.
Applicants will be required to complete the medical errors course prior
to licensure.
Q. Can I transfer my license from one state to Florida?
A: No, Florida does not have reciprocity with any state; we endorse the
National Physical Therapy Examination given by the Federation of State
Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT).
Q. Is my score of 132 in Michigan high enough for Florida?
A: The Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT) must
transfer the scores directly to Florida before a determination can be
made about whether or not the scores are high enough. The scores differ
for each examination and the results are calculated according to each
individual state’s laws.
Q. Does Florida recognize the Registry Examination?
A: Legislation passed in 1997 that would allow Florida to recognize this
examination; however, the final determination is up to the Board of
Physical Therapy.
Q. Does Florida require applicants to take and pass a laws and rules
examination?
A: Yes, all applicants applying for licensure by endorsement or
examination must take and pass the Florida laws and rules exam before
they can be licensed.
Q. When does my license expire?
A: All licenses expire on November 30th of every odd year regardless
when it was issued.
Q. Can I apply for licensure if I have passed the NPTE in another state, but do not hold an active license?
A. Yes, an applicant for licensure by examination must have obtained a passing score on the NPTE examination within the five (5) years immediately prior to filing of the application.
Licensee Questions
Q. How long is my license valid?
A: Each license is valid for two years. Regardless of when the license
is initially granted during the biennium, it will expire on the
expiration date of that biennium. It may be that the license is only
valid for a few months.
Q. What is a licensure biennium?
A licensure biennium is the twenty-four month period between expiration
dates. The biennium is December 1st through November 30th of every
odd-numbered year. It is during this time period that the continuing
education requirements must be met for each renewal cycle.
Q. What is a renewal cycle?
A: The renewal cycle starts between 90 to 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.
Q. How do I renew if I do not receive a renewal notice?
(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.)
A: Renewal notices are mailed out approximately 90 to 120 days prior to
the expiration date. MQA Online Services account ID and passwords can
be found directly on the renewal notice. It is your responsibility to
make sure you renew on time. If you do not receive a renewal notice, the
Department can provide you with you account ID and password over the
telephone or by email. To receive an account ID and password over the
telephone, you should contact the Department at (850) 488-0595 and press
menu option 3 and someone will assist you with this information. To
receive an account ID and password by email, you can email your request
to LicensureServices@doh.state.fl.us. Blank renewal forms are published
on the website and may be found through the Current Licensee portion.
There is no grace period after your expiration date.
Q. What happens if I do not renew on time?
A: 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. In addition, you must make the
following statement along with your check: “I affirm compliance with all
renewal requirements including the continuing education requirement.”
Q. How much continuing education is required for me to renew?
A. 24 contact hours of approved continuing education is required to
renew. This includes the Prevention of Medical Errors education required
by section 456.013(7), F.S. The approved providers are listed in Rules
64B17-8.001 and 64B17-9.001, Florida Administrative Code. Completion of
an approved HIV/AIDS course for the first renewal after initial
licensure is required.
Q. Who provides the continuing education courses required for license
renewal?
A: Continuing education credits are awarded only for educational
experiences received through the methods listed in Rule 64B17-9.001 and
may be self-reported through CE Broker (Website: www.CEBroker.com)
Q. What if a continuing education course that I took is not approved
by one of the approved providers listed in the rule?
A: You can obtain individual course approval from the Florida Physical
Therapy Association who can be reached at (850) 222-1243. The Board of
Physical Therapy staff does not perform this service.
Q. How long do I have to keep my continuing education certificates?
A: All continuing education information must be maintained for at least
4 years from the date the course was taken. The Board conducts random
audits to verify compliance and you must have your certificates if you
are audited.
Q. If I place my license on inactive status, am I exempt from the
continuing education requirements?
A: You are required to pay the inactive renewal fee each biennium. You
are not required to obtain continuing education to place or maintain
your license on inactive status. However, to reactivate an inactive
license, you will be required to show 20 hours of continuing education
for each biennium of inactive status and 24 hours of continuing
education for the preceding biennium during which the licensee held an
active license.
Q. How many home study hours can I have?
A: Up to 12 hours per biennium.
Q. How many hours of HIV/AIDS education must I take?
A. As of July 1, 2006, licensees will no longer be required by Chapter 456, F.S., to take an HIV/AIDS course for each renewal. A newly licensed physical therapist or physical therapist assistant is required to take an approved one hour HIV/AIDS course for his/her first renewal.
Q. How many hours of Prevention of Medical Errors must I take?
A: Two hours for renewal and for initial licensure. Course must also
include the following:
a) medical documentation and communication;
b) contraindications and indications for PT management and
c) pharmacological components of pt and patient management.
Q: How does the Board feel about Physical Therapists serving as monitors?
A: Licensees that are subject to disciplinary action, as ordered by the Florida Board of Physical Therapy Practice, frequently require monitors to supervise the practice of those licensees. The monitor is providing a service to the board, the licensee, the physical therapy profession and the citizens that we protect. Monitors are applauded for their willingness to participate in this process and are not under scrutiny by the physical therapy board. Monitors are approved by the board or board chair after submission of acceptable credentials.
General
Q. How can I become a Board member?
A: Board members are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the
Senate. You may apply by contacting the Governor’s Appointment Office at
(850) 488-2183.
Q. Who can attend Board meetings?
A: All Board meetings are open to the public and you are encouraged to
attend.
Q: How can I get a list of licensee information?
A: 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).
Q: How can I get a Board agenda?
A: You may request to be placed on the Boards
Interested Parties list. The Board routinely sends out Agenda
Outlines to interested parties 7-10 days prior to an upcoming board
meeting. Copies of the full "public" agenda are also
available, but are subject to a duplication fee.
Q: How can I file a complaint against a licensee?
A: Learn More About How to File A
Complaint - You may print the Complaint Form with the Authorization for Release of Patient
Records from the list below or call 1-888
419-3456 or (850) 414-1976 to request one by mail. To avoid delays in the process, please complete all sections of the form and attach the requested information. All complaints must be legibly written or typed, and signed.
To file a complaint on a non-medical related business or
profession, please visit the Department of Business and Professional Regulation.
Q: How can I check if someone is licensed?
A: You may use our License Verification Screen to search. The best results often occur when the system receives the
least amount of information. Some techniques include only providing the county where the practitioner is located or the
last name or the first letter of his name, or select
a profession. If licensee is one of our profiled professions, there will be a
link at the upper right portion of the screen that says Link
to Practitioner Profile. This
will take you to practitioner reported information about their
education, specialty certification, etc. |
