Florida Board of Nursing – Licensing and Contact Information

Not everyone who wants to become a nurse in Florida knows the contact information of the nursing board in this state.

You’ll find out just that and not only, so read on!

What Does the Board Do?

Nurses are overseen by a nursing board in all the states.

The Florida Board of Nursing has to:

• Ensure the integrity of the public health, safety, and welfare
• Issue licenses
• Renew the credentials
• Ensure the candidates meet the requirements
• Imposes disciplinary actions
• Promulgate the rules and regulations
• Maintain accurate records

These types of nurses need licenses in Florida:

• Registered nurses (RNs)
• Practical nurses (LPNs)
• Certified nursing assistants (CNAs)
• Advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs)
• Autonomous advanced practice registered nurses

Getting Approval to Take the NCLEX

The NCLEX is the exam nurses need to pass to become licensed.

The test is provided by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing.

This exam is made available in Australia and Canada not only across the US.

You must:

• Graduate from a training program
• Sign up with Pearson Vue
• Pay the fees
• Apply for the license
• Fill out the online application
• Have a clean criminal record

Renewing Your License

In Florida, nurses have to renew their credentials every 2 years.

Most types of nurses are split into groups and each group has a different renewal date.

The renewal date for each group is mentioned on the Board’s website.

Certain individuals may be exempted from license renewal:

• Members of the Armed Forces of the United States on active duty, or their spouses
• Those who volunteer health services and have an income under a certain poverty level
• Those who volunteer their services in public schools for a minimum of 80 hours a year
  • Retirees must complete a minimum of 400 hours a year

These individuals must continue their education in at least a few areas.

Certified Nursing Assistants

CNAs must do the following to renew their licenses:

• Provide proof of paid work in the previous period
• Pay the renewal fee
  • $55 if you do it on time
  • $105 if the license expired
  • $160 if you are a 120 day Notified Delinquent
• Complete 24 hours of in-service training

Licensed Practical Nurses

These nurses need to:

• Pay the renewal fee
  • You must check the website to see which fee you must pay, based on your situation
• Send an application
• Complete 27 hours of continuing education in specific areas

Registered Nurses (RN)

Registered nurses need to: 

• Fill out an application
• Complete the hours of continuing education
• Pay the renewal fee

The fee depends on the status of your license, and it’s best to check out the site.

These nurses also have to complete at least 27 hours of continuing education on specific topics, as mentioned on the site.

Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs)

APRNs need to send the following to the Board: 

• An application
• Proof of having completed the 30 hours of continuing education
• The renewal fee mentioned on the site, based on the situation
• Their current primary place of practice address
• A copy of their current national certification – where this applies

These professionals must also verify their practitioner profiles and complete the financial responsibility form.

Autonomous Advanced Practice Registered Nurses

These nurses must complete the same renewal requirements as APRNs.

How To Do A License Lookup

If you need to verify the license of a compact multi-state RN or LPN, you have to visit the NURSYS website where there is more information on how this is done.

Otherwise, you can visit the mqa-internet.doh.state.fl.us/MQASearchServices/HealthCareProviders page.

Here you’ll be asked to provide the following information, in separate fields:

• Board or Council
• Profession
• License number
• Business name
• Last Name
• First Name
• City
• County
• Zipcode
• License status

You can then proceed with the search or you can reset the data.

Florida Board of Nursing Contact Information

There are various ways to contact the Florida Board of Nursing: 

• Physical address: 4052 Bald Cypress Way, Tallahassee, 32399
• Applications and fees must be sent only to P.O. Box 6330 Tallahassee, FL 32314-6330
• Customer support phone number: (850) 488-0595, Monday to Friday starting at 8 am until 6 pm
• Board’s office fax: 850-617-6460
• Press Team phone number: 850-245-4111
  • Can also be contacted at NewsMedia@flhealth.gov

If you access its website at https://floridasnursing.gov and look for the “Contact” page, you’ll have another option.

That is using the new artificial intelligence system, called ELI.

ELI is an online chat service and it can transfer you to a real human if it can’t answer your question.

Conclusion

Check out the Board’s website for in-depth answers to your questions!