Florida CE Provider Requirements: Hours, Exams & Step-by-Step Guide

Becoming a Board‑Approved Continuing Education (CE) Provider for Florida Psychologists

Florida has a specific license category for “Board of Psychology Practice Approved CE Program Providers.” Approval is governed mainly by Chapter 64B19‑13, Florida Administrative Code, especially Rules 64B19‑13.003–.008, and the fees rule 64B19‑12.009. (flrules.elaws.us)

Below is a structured guide to what the Board actually requires, including how “hours” and key wording are defined.

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1. Big picture: what the Board expects from CE providers

A provider is approved to offer continuing psychological education programs to licensed psychologists for CE credit. To obtain or renew provider status, you must show that the programs you offer will: (flrules.elaws.us)

1. “Enhance psychological skills or psychological knowledge.”
2. “Be of sufficient duration to adequately address the subject matter of the program.”
3. Be “taught by an individual who has at least two (2) years of education or research in, or practical application of, the subject matter of the program.”

The Board further explains that “enhancement of psychological skills or knowledge” means the program increases psychologists’ ability to deliver psychological services to the public and assumes education beyond the undergraduate level; programs aimed at the general public typically do not qualify. (flrules.elaws.us)

No clinical hour minimums are imposed on providers.
Unlike licensure as a psychologist (which specifies supervised experience hours), there is no requirement such as “1,500 hours of direct experience” or “1,500 hours of supervised experience” for CE provider approval. The only explicit experience‑type standard is the 2 years of education/research/practice in the subject area for each instructor. (flrules.elaws.us)

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2. How “hours” are defined for CE credit

The Board uses a specific definition of a CE “hour” that providers must follow:

• Providers must “allow only one hour of continuing psychological education credit for each hour of instruction that is no less or no more than fifty (50) minutes of instruction.” (flrules.elaws.us)

In practice:

• 1 CE credit hour = 50 minutes of actual instruction (not including long breaks).
• You cannot award more than 1 hour of CE credit per such 50‑minute instructional hour.

This is the only quantified hour requirement applied directly to CE providers’ programs.

For context (not a provider requirement, but relevant to your course design), psychologists must complete 40 hours of continuing psychological education per biennium, including: (flrules.elaws.us)

• 3 hours in ethics and Florida laws/rules (≥1 hour ethics, ≥1 hour laws/rules, including Chapters 456 and 490, F.S., and Rule Title 64B19, F.A.C.).
• 2 hours in prevention of medical errors, with content tailored to psychological practice (e.g., inadequate suicide risk assessment, failure to report abuse, misdiagnosing medical conditions as psychological disorders). (flrules.elaws.us)

Providers often design courses to meet these specific content areas because they are mandatory for license renewal.

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3. Initial application: what you must submit

You apply through CE Broker as the Board’s processing system. (floridaspsychology.gov)

3.1. Online application route

The Board’s site specifies that CE program providers seeking initial approval must: (floridaspsychology.gov)

• Apply online at CEBroker.com, completing:
  • An initial provider application, and
  • A CE course application with documentation for at least one course (your sample course).

The Board’s CE liaison reviews the application and course through CE Broker and responds by email to the contact person listed on the provider application. (floridaspsychology.gov)

3.2. Required sample course documentation (Rule 64B19‑13.004(2))

To allow the Board to evaluate your initial application, you must submit: (flrules.elaws.us)

1. Narrative description of one program

   • Describes a single CE program you will offer for credit.
   • Must clearly show that the program satisfies the three criteria in 64B19‑13.004(1) (enhances psychological skills/knowledge, sufficient duration, qualified instructor).
   • Must include the research to be relied upon in the presentation.

2. All promotional materials for that program

   • Flyers, brochures, website copy, email announcements, etc.

3. Learning objectives of the program.

4. Name of the instructor for the program.

5. Qualifications of the instructor

   • To demonstrate at least 2 years of education, research, or practical application in the subject matter.

6. Sample program evaluation form

   • To be completed by each attendee.

7. Sample certificate of completion

   • Shows how you will document CE credit for attendees.

8. Application fee

   • A nonrefundable $250 application fee (details below).

If you plan to offer a medical errors course, your sample course content must go beyond typical medically oriented examples such as wrong‑site surgery and must specifically address psychological‑practice‑related errors (improper diagnosis, failure to comply with mandatory abuse reporting, inadequate assessment of violence risk, failure to detect medical conditions presenting psychologically, telehealth‑related risks, etc.). (flrules.elaws.us)

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4. Fees and renewal cycle

4.1. Application and renewal fees

Florida’s fees rule for psychology CE providers states: (regulations.justia.com)

• Application fee for Board approval of a continuing education provider: $250
• Renewal fee: $250

The Board’s provider page reiterates these amounts and notes there are no additional Board fees per individual course once you are approved. (floridaspsychology.gov)

By rule, the application or renewal fee must be paid to the Department of Health by May 31 of every even‑numbered year. (regulations.justia.com)

4.2. Duration of provider status

Provider status is not permanent:

• CE providers are approved only for the biennium during which they apply or for which they have been renewed.
• The Board is not obligated to renew if you have not followed its CE rules.
• After a revocation of provider status, the Board will not grant new provider status until at least two (2) years have elapsed since the final revocation order. (law.cornell.edu)

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5. Timing requirements

The Board specifies several key timeframes:

• Initial course review lead time:
  The provider application and course should be submitted for Board approval not less than 90 days before the date the initial offering is scheduled. (floridaspsychology.gov)

• Board review of initial application:
  Florida law requires that an initial application be reviewed within 30 days; the Board notes this processing standard on its CE provider page. (floridaspsychology.gov)

• Promotional materials for new programs:
  For any program not previously reviewed by the Board, all promotional material must be sent so that it is received at least one (1) week before the first date on which the program will be offered for credit. (flrules.elaws.us)

• Address changes:
  You must notify the Board within two (2) weeks of any change in the provider’s address. (flrules.elaws.us)

• Significant program changes:
  Give the Board 30 days’ advance notice of any significant change in the programs you have on file with the Board. (flrules.elaws.us)

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6. Ongoing obligations once you are approved

Rule 64B19‑13.005 sets out detailed obligations for continuing psychological education providers. Key points: (flrules.elaws.us)

1. Attendance requirement for credit

   • You must require each attendee to remain for the entire program to receive any CE credit.

2. Mandatory wording on evaluation forms

   • Every attendee must receive an evaluation form that contains a specific disclosure about CE credit not being revoked if provider status is later revoked due to a complaint.
   • The rule requires a precise sentence (see 64B19‑13.005(1)(b)); the form must reproduce that Board‑required language verbatim. In practice, you should copy it directly from the current rule text to ensure accuracy.

3. Record‑keeping

   • Retain original evaluation forms for three (3) years from the program date.
   • Provide these forms to the Board upon request.

4. Promotional materials content

   • All promotional material for programs offered to psychologists for CE credit must contain the name of the approved provider and the assigned provider number.

5. Submission of new program materials

   • For any program not previously reviewed, send all promotional material to the Board so that it is received at least one week before the first offering date.

6. Defining CE hours

   • As noted earlier, you must “allow only one hour of continuing psychological education credit for each hour of instruction that is no less or no more than fifty (50) minutes of instruction.”

7. Maintaining active provider status

   • Conduct at least one program per year for psychologists.
   • Renew provider status each biennium by paying the renewal fee by the end of the biennial cycle (tied to May 31 of even‑numbered years under the fees rule). (flrules.elaws.us)

8. Cooperation and oversight

   • Permit the Department of Health and the Board’s designee to access information about your programs for credit.
   • Continue providing programs that meet the criteria in Rule 64B19‑13.004(1) (enhance psychological skills/knowledge, sufficient duration, qualified instructor). (flrules.elaws.us)

9. Co‑sponsorship

   • Co‑sponsored programs are allowed, but the approved provider remains fully responsible for compliance with all Board rules. (flrules.elaws.us)

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7. How the Board evaluates providers

Under Rule 64B19‑13.007, the Board may evaluate your programs in several ways: (regulations.justia.com)

• By attending your programs,
• By reviewing your files (course materials, evaluations, certificates, etc.), or
• By asking program attendees to submit their evaluations of your program.

Even if a psychologist files a complaint, the rule states that the Board will not revoke CE credit already granted to licensees who completed the program.

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8. Summary of key quantitative requirements

For ease of reference, the principal numerical/“hours”‑type requirements for Florida Board‑approved psychology CE providers are:

• Instructor experience:
  Each program must be taught by an individual with at least two (2) years of education, research, or practical application in the subject matter. (flrules.elaws.us)

• CE hour definition:
  1 CE hour = 50 minutes of instruction, and you may grant only 1 CE hour per such instructional hour. (flrules.elaws.us)

• Application fee: $250 (nonrefundable).

• Renewal fee: $250 each biennium, paid by May 31 of even‑numbered years. (regulations.justia.com)

• Record retention: Keep evaluation forms for three (3) years. (flrules.elaws.us)

• Program frequency: Conduct at least one (1) program per year to maintain active status. (flrules.elaws.us)

What you do not see in the CE provider rules are any requirements for a specific number of clinical practice hours, supervision hours, or prior teaching hours akin to “1,500 hours of direct experience.” Those types of hourly requirements exist for psychologist licensure (4,000 hours supervised experience, etc.), but they are not imposed on CE providers. (regulations.justia.com)

Taken together, becoming a Florida Board of Psychology–approved CE provider is mainly about: (1) having qualified instructors, (2) offering programs that genuinely enhance licensed psychologists’ skills and knowledge, (3) documenting and evaluating those programs according to the rules, and (4) adhering to the Board’s specific definitions of CE hours, disclosure language, and administrative obligations.