Click on the appropriate tab below to see the Renewal Requirements, Process, Fees and Continuing Medical Education (CME) for a Medical Doctor of Public Health.
The department will renew your certification upon receipt of:
- Completed Renewal application (Mailed by the Department of Health)
- Letter from the State Surgeon General recommending that the certificate be renewed
- Required fees (renewal and background)
- Verification of your current status relating to prescribing controlled substances for the treatment of chronic nonmalignant pain
- Completed Financial Responsibility Form
- Updated practitioner profile. To review and approve your practitioner profile, log into MQA Online Services and select ‘Review, Update & Confirm Profile’.
- Login to complete Physicians Workforce Survey
- Confirmation of required continuing education hours reported into the continuing education tracking system, CE Broker.
A Public Health Certificate authorizes you to practice medicine only in conjunction with your employment duties with the Department of Health and automatically expires when your relationship with the department expires.
Current certification will expire at midnight, Eastern Time, January 31, 2026
Dispensing Registration
If you are currently registered to dispense medicinal drugs to your patients, you are required to renew your registration at the same time you are renewing your certification. If you are no longer interested in dispensing medicinal drugs, you can cancel your registration by notifying the department in writing.
If you are not currently registered to dispense medicinal drugs and would like to register, you can complete the registration process at the time you are renewing your certification by submitting the Physician Dispensing Registration Application and paying the dispensing registration fee. The registration fee will be in addition to your renewal fee.
Volunteer Health Services Exemption
If you volunteer 160 hours of medical services to the indigent residents of Florida with incomes at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level during the previous biennium, you may be eligible for a waiver of your biennial renewal fee and some of the continuing education hours (no more than 25%) required for license renewal; however, the continuing education requirements for domestic violence, HIV and AIDS, and medical errors cannot be waived.
Public School Health Volunteer Exemption
If you volunteer your services in public schools for a minimum of 80 hours a year or if retired, at least 400 hours a year, you may be eligible for a waiver of your biennial renewal fee and some of the continuing education hours (no more than 25%) required for license renewal; however, the continuing education requirements for domestic violence, HIV and AIDS, and medical errors cannot be waived.
Member of the Florida Legislature Exemption
If you are a member of the Legislature, the requirements for biennial renewal of your license shall stand continued and extended without the requirement to apply for renewal with the board or department and such license shall be an active status license throughout the period that you are a member of the Legislature and for a period of 60 days after you cease to be a member of the Legislature; however, at any time during your legislative term of office and during the 60 days after your term ends, you may file a completed application that shall consist solely of:
- A renewal fee of $250 for each year your license was continued and extended since the last otherwise regularly scheduled biennial renewal year and each year during which the renewed license shall be effective until the next regularly scheduled biennial renewal date.
- Documentation of completing 10 hours of continuing medical education credits for each year from the effective date of your last renewed license until the year in which you apply for renewal.
- Compliance with practitioner profile requirements in s. 456.031(1)(a)1-8 and (b), and (4)(a), (b), and (c).
As a medical doctor with a Public Health Certification, you will be required to RENEW BY MAIL.
Current certification will expire at midnight, Eastern Time, January 31, 2024.
Failure to renew your certification by the expiration date will result in the certification automatically expiring without any further action by the board or the department.
Dispensing Registration
If you are currently registered to dispense medicinal drugs to your patients, you are required to renew your registration at the same time you are renewing your certification. If you are no longer interested in dispensing medicinal drugs, you can cancel your registration by notifying the department in writing.
If you are not currently registered to dispense medicinal drugs and would like to register, you can complete the registration process at the time you are renewing your certification by submitting the Physician Dispensing Registration application and paying the dispensing registration fee. The registration fee will be in addition to your renewal fee.
Volunteer Health Services Exemption
To receive an exemption from the biennial renewal fee and some of the continuing education hours (no more than 25%), you will be required to submit a letter certifying the total number of uncompensated health care service hours volunteered during the renewal cycle along with your request to renew your certification.
Member of the Florida Legislature Exemption
No action is needed; however, at any time during your legislative term of office and during the period of 60 days after your term ends, you may file a completed renewal application as described under the renewal requirements tab.
Information for requesting a Name Change
Name changes require legal documentation showing the name change. Please submit a request including your full name as it appears on your license, profession, license number, your new name, your date of birth, the last four digits of your social security number, and your signature. Attach supporting documents, which must be one of the following:
- a copy of a state issued marriage license that includes the original signature and seal from the clerk of the court
- a divorce decree showing the name change
- a court order showing the name change (Adoption, legal name change, federal identity change)
Any one of these will be accepted unless the department has a question about the authenticity of the document. A social security card is not considered legal documentation.
Please Note: The last four digits of the SSN are requested as required by DOH Policy Number DOHP 385-LS05-12 Name Changes for Existing Licensees, which was established for security purposes due to past instances of fraudulent activity.
Note: If you were initially licensed in 2013 or later, you may see a reduction of $24 in your renewal fee.
| Active Renewal for Public Health Certificate | $350.00 |
| Dispensing Registration | $100.00 |
Your renewal fee is $350.00. If you are currently registered to dispense medicinal drugs to your patients in the regular course of your practice, you can renew your dispensing registration by paying the additional $100.00 registration fee, along with the appropriate renewal fee indicated above.
If you are not currently registered to dispense medicinal drugs and would like to register, you can complete the registration process at the time you are renewing your certification by submitting the Physician Dispensing Registration Application and paying the dispensing registration fee. The registration fee will be in addition to your renewal fee.
Continuing medical education requirements are based on the date your original license was issued. If you are renewing your license for the first time, you are exempt from the continuing medical education (CME) requirements for renewal with the exception of:
- Two hours in Prevention of Medical Errors
- One hour of HIV/AIDS
Otherwise, you will be required to complete 40 hours of approved CME within the 24 months proceeding each biennial renewal period which consist of:
- Two hours in Prevention of Medical Errors.
- Two hours of Domestic Violence as part of every third biennium renewal (or every six years). The chart below will assist you in determining when you will be required to complete this training.
- 38 hours of general CME
- Up to five credit hours per biennium may be fulfilled by performing pro bono medical services for entities under the Department of Health, Volunteer Health Care provider programs, in an area of critical need and in Community and Migrant Health Care Centers.
- Three to six credit hours may be fulfilled by serving as a monitor
- Up to five credit hours may be fulfilled by any volunteer expert witness who is providing expert witness opinions for cases being reviewed pursuant to Chapter 458 or 468, F.S., in the area of risk management for each case reviewed up to a maximum of 15 hours per biennium
- Five credit hours in the subject area of risk management or medical ethics may be obtained by attending one full day or eight hours, whichever is more, of disciplinary hearings at a regular meeting of the Board of Medicine in compliance with the following:
- The licensee must sign in with the Executive Director of the Board before the meeting day begins.
- The licensee must remain in continuous attendance.
- The licensee must sign out with the Executive Director of the Board at the end of the meeting day or at such other earlier time as affirmatively authorized by the Board. A licensee may receive CME credit in risk management or medical ethics for attending the disciplinary portion of a Board meeting only if he or she is attending on that date solely for that purpose; he or she may not receive such credit if appearing at the Board meeting for another purpose
NOTE: Up to 5 hours, per biennium, of continuing education credit may be fulfilled by performing pro bono medical services, for an entity serving the indigent or underserved populations or in areas of critical need within the state where the licensee practices. See Rule 64B8-13.005, F.A.C. for more information about continuing education requirements.
Click on Chapter or Section Number to View
Florida Statutes
456.013 Department; general licensing provisions
456.024 Members of Armed Forces in good standing with administrative boards or the department; spouses
456.031 Requirement for instruction on domestic violence
456.033 Requirement for instruction for certain licensees on HIV and AIDS
456.035 Address of record
456.039 Designated health care professionals; information requirement for licensure
456.048 Financial responsibility requirements for certain health care practitioners
456.0635 Medicaid fraud; disqualification for license, certification, or registration
458.316 Public health certification
458.3191 Physician survey
458.320 Financial responsibility
766.1115 Health care providers; creation of agency relationship with governmental contractors.
766.1116 Health care practitioner; waiver of license renewal fees and continuing education
Florida Administrative Code
64B8-13.005 Continuing Education for Biennial Renewal
64B-2.001 Practitioner Profile
64B-9.001 Biennial Licensing
64B8-12.001 Financial Responsibility applicability
64B8-12.005 Financial Responsibility procedures
64B8-12.007 Financial Responsibility exemptions for persons not practicing in Florida; Change of status
64B8-13.001 Criteria for license renewal
64B8-13.0051 Delinquent status license
64B8-3.003 Renewal fees
64B8-3.006 Dispensing fee
64B8-3.009 Unlicensed Activity fee
