Florida Nursing Board License Verification

The Florida Board of Nursing (FBN) is a regulatory organization that protects the public interest by ensuring that nurses practice safely and competently. The FBN regulates all registered nurses, licensed practical nurses (LPNs), vocational nurses (VNs), and certified nurse assistants (CNAs) in Florida. To verify if your active FL nursing license is valid, contact the FBN directly at 866-764-2873 or visit their website at https://floridabon.org/nurse_verification/.

Florida Nursing Board License Verification

1 Nursing license registration renewal

You can renew your nursing license online, by mail, in person, by phone and/or by email. The online renewal process is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You must have an active e-mail address and a credit card to use this service.

If you choose to renew your nursing license by mail or through our office, please send:

• A completed Application for Renewal (Form RN-16) with the appropriate fee payment;

• Proof of current Florida registration as a Registered Nurse (RN); and

• A copy of your CRNA certificate if applicable.

2 Nursing license renewal fees

You must pay the renewal fee each year as long as you hold your license. If you do not renew, the Board will send you warnings, and eventually your license will be suspended.

• RNs and LPNs: $60 for each year of licensure (up to $120).
• Qualified exempt professionals: $30 for each year of licensure (up to $90). Note that this includes qualified exempt registered nurses who are licensed under another state’s compacted nurse licensure compact.
• Military spouses or domestic partners pursuing a new Florida nursing license: The fee is waived if they have been issued an active duty military spouse or domestic partner identification card by US military authorities (active-duty service member ID card). If not, then there is no surcharge tacked on top of their annual RN/LPN license renewal fees.
• Nurse Licensure Compact states: A person who holds a current active state nursing license from another state who wishes to practice in Florida must register with the Board before practicing in Florida under its jurisdiction; however, they do not have to pay additional fees compared with other non-compact states’ licensed applicants since they already paid a similar fee when applying for their initial licenses in other jurisdictions

3 Nursing license renewal dates

• You need to renew your license every two years.
• The renewal date is based on the month and year of your initial licensure.

4 Continuing education for RNs and LPNs in FL

The Board of Nursing requires that RNs and LPNs complete a minimum of 40 hours of continuing education every two years. This is to ensure that nurses receive the most up-to-date knowledge and skills needed to provide safe patient care. The Board offers an online course, but it can also be taken in person at various locations around Florida.

If you’re unsure about how to meet the requirements for your license renewal, contact the board directly for more information about how to do so

5 Qualified exempt professionals

Qualified exempt professionals include:

• Physicians, surgeons, dentists, psychologists, optometrists, podiatrists and chiropractors who hold a license to practice in Florida.
• Nurse practitioners (including certified nurse-midwives), clinical nurse specialists and certified registered nurse anesthetists who hold a license to practice in Florida.
• Naturopathic doctors who hold an active license to practice in Florida.

6 Nursing license renewals for military spouses or domestic partners

If you are a military spouse or domestic partner and would like to renew your nursing license, you will need to use the same renewal form as other Florida residents. You must also meet all of the same requirements as other Florida residents.

In addition to completing and submitting an application for renewal by mail, you may also renew your nursing license online. To complete this process, you will need a current Florida driver’s license or ID card that has not expired for more than one year at time of renewal.

7 Nurse licensure compact in Florida

The Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) is an agreement among all 50 states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands to mutually recognize each other’s nurse licensure credentials. In order to participate in the NLC, a state must have laws and regulations that are at least as stringent as federal standards when it comes to nursing education programs, exams and disciplinary actions by boards of nursing.

The NLC provides several benefits:

• It eliminates duplicative processes for nurses who wish to work across state lines while continuing their careers in different states;
• It allows nurses to maintain a single license without having multiple licenses from multiple states; and
• It makes it easier for employers who need qualified nurses with experience working in other states or countries because they don’t have to go through all of the steps involved in hiring out-of-state employees

8 The Florida Board of Nursing offers two different methods to verify an active Florida nursing license.

You can verify your Florida nursing license in a variety of ways.

• The online Florida nursing license verification system, located on the Florida Board of Nursing website, allows you to search for specific information about individual licenses. This includes current status (active or inactive), expiration date and more. If you have an active license but it has been lapsed for more than 30 days, then this tool will not be helpful to you.
• Call the Florida Board of Nursing at 800-487-2373 if you want to verify someone’s current status as well as other information such as whether or not they are licensed by another state or territory. You can also use this number if there is any reason why they cannot verify themselves using the online system (for example: if they do not have access).

Conclusion

The Florida Board of Nursing offers two different methods to verify an active Florida nursing license.