Prosthetic Resident

Orthotist-Prosthetist license requirements are specified in section 468.803, Florida Statutes.

Online Application: Submit a completed application and the required fees to the Board Office. Select the “Apply Online” button and follow the prompts to complete the application. The associated fee payment screen will provide an invoice that must be paid by credit card before the application can be processed.  Once the application has been submitted, the status of application processing may be verified by selecting the “Status” button from the menu on the top right side of the page.

Paper Application: If submission of a paper application or payment by check is required, applicants may download a fillable pdf file, complete the application, print, and submit. Submit the completed paper application and required fees to the address listed below:

Florida Board of Orthotists and Prosthetists

Post Office Box 6330

Tallahassee, FL 32314-6330

Read Affirmation and Sign Application: The applicant must agree by signing the application that: “I have carefully read the questions in the foregoing application and have answered them completely, without reservation of any kind, and I state that my answers and all statements made by me herein are true and correct. I understand that if I provide false information that such action shall constitute cause for denial, suspension, or revocation of licensure to practice for which I am applying in the state of Florida”.

The Board of Orthotists and Prosthetists will consider denial of any application that is submitted with incomplete or inaccurate information disclosures related to criminal history or discipline.  Applicants must disclose all information accurately, completely, and include all required documentation.  You will be notified in writing by the Board Office if any additional documentation is required to complete your application.

Licensure Requirements

A person seeking to attain the prosthetic experience required for licensure in this state must be approved by the board and registered as a resident by the department. Although a registration may be held in both disciplines for independent registrations the board may not approve a second registration until at least 1 year after the issuance of the first registration. Notwithstanding subsection (2), a person who has been approved by the board and registered by the department in one discipline may apply for registration in the second discipline without an additional state or national criminal history check during the period in which the first registration is valid. Each independent registration or dual registration is valid for 2 years after the date of issuance unless otherwise revoked by the department upon recommendation of the board. A registration may be renewed once by the department upon recommendation of the board for a period no longer than 1 year, as such renewal is defined by the board by rule.

Education

To be considered by the board for approval of registration as a resident, the applicant must have one of the following:

• A Bachelor of Science or higher-level postgraduate degree in Orthotics and Prosthetics from an accredited college or university recognized by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs, OR
• A minimum of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university AND a certificate in orthotics or prosthetics from a program recognized by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs, or its equivalent, as determined by the board, OR
• A minimum of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university and a dual certificate in both orthotics and prosthetics from programs recognized by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs, or its equivalent, as determined by the board.

NOTE: Applicants for initial registration only, having completed their degree requirements at a recognized prosthetics and orthotics degree program within forty-five (45) days of their registration application, and whose transcript is not yet available, may instead of an official transcript, submit both of the following:

• A letter sent directly to the Board on school letterhead signed by the orthotic and prosthetic degree program’s director, documenting the applicant has completed the orthotic and prosthetic degree curriculum and is eligible and due to graduate, and specifying the degree to be awarded; and
• A copy of the applicant’s request for a certified transcript addressed to be sent directly to the Board.

Residency

For registration as a prosthetic or dual resident, the applicant must provide documentation of enrollment in an NCOPE approved residency program.

Mandatory Courses – 64B14-5.005, F.A.C.

• One hour of laws and rules in the area of Chapters 456, 468 Part XIV, F.S., and Rule Division 64B14, F.A.C.
• One hour relating to the prevention of medical errors, which shall include a study of root cause analysis, error reduction and prevention, patient safety and medical records training.
• One hour on infection disease control, including HIV/AIDS.

License Verification

If any type of license has ever been issued to the applicant in another state, contact the state licensing office and request license verification to be sent directly to the Board Office for each license issued. License verification may be mailed to the address provided below or by e-mail to MQA.OrthoPros@flhealth.gov.

Florida Board of Orthotists and Prosthetists

    4052 Bald Cypress Way, Bin C-08

    Tallahassee, FL 32399-3257

If you answer “yes” to any of the health history questions on the application, please submit supporting documentation including the relevant dates and circumstances of such treatment and/or addiction along with the names and addresses of the medical practitioners or hospitals who performed such treatment.

Applicants with prior disciplinary actions are required to submit the following:

Board Actions – Certified copies of document(s) relative to any disciplinary action taken against any license. The documents must come from the agency that took the disciplinary action and must be certified by that agency.

Self-Explanation – A detailed description of the circumstances surrounding your disciplinary action and a thorough description of the rehabilitative changes in your lifestyle since the time of the disciplinary action which would enable you to avoid future occurrences. It would be helpful to include factors in your life, which you feel may have contributed to your disciplinary action, what you have learned about yourself since that time, and the changes you have made that support your rehabilitation.

Applicants with prior criminal convictions are required to submit the following:

Final Dispositions/Arrest Records – Final disposition records for offenses can be obtained at the clerk of the court in the arresting jurisdiction. If the records are not available, you must have a letter on court letterhead sent from the clerk of the court attesting to their unavailability.

Completion of Probation/Parole/Sanctions – Probation and financial sanction records for offenses can be obtained at the clerk of the court in the arresting jurisdiction. Parole records for offenses can be obtained from the Department of Corrections or at the clerk of the court in the arresting jurisdiction. If the records are not available, you must have a letter on court letterhead sent from the clerk of the court attesting to their unavailability.

Self-Explanation – Applicants who have listed offenses on the application must submit a letter in their own words describing the circumstances of the offense. Include in your letter the date of the original offense, the charge, and the jurisdiction where it occurred.

Effective January 1, 2013, applicants for initial licensure must use an approved Livescan Service Provider to submit electronic fingerprints to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) for the purpose of conducting a search for any Florida and national criminal history records that may pertain to applicant. The results of the search will be returned to the Care Provider Background Screening Clearinghouse and made available to the Department for consideration during the licensure process. The fingerprints submitted by the applicant will be retained by FDLE and the Clearinghouse. All costs for conducting a criminal history background screening are borne by the applicant.

It is important to use the correct Originating Agency Identification (ORI) when submitting fingerprints. If you do not provide an ORI number or if you provide an incorrect ORI number to the Livescan service provider, the board office will not receive your fingerprint results.

The ORI number for the Board of Orthotists & Prosthetist is EDOH3451Z.

The applicant is fully responsible for selecting an approved Livescan Service Provider and for ensuring the results are reported to the Department. Print this electronic fingerprinting form and take it with you to a Livescan Service Provider.

For more information, FAQs, and a list of all approved Livescan Service Providers please visit the Background Screening website: https://www.flhealthsource.gov/background-screening/ (Click on Locate a Provider)

Effective July 1, 2012, Section 456.0635, Florida Statutes (F.S.), provides that health care boards or the department shall refuse to issue a license, certificate or registration and shall refuse to admit a candidate for examination if the applicant:

1. Has been convicted of, or entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere to, regardless of adjudication, a felony under Chapter 409, F.S., (relating to social and economic assistance), Chapter 817, F.S., (relating to fraudulent practices), Chapter 893, F.S., (relating to drug abuse prevention and control) or a similar felony offense(s) in another state or jurisdiction unless the candidate or applicant has successfully completed a drug court program for that felony and provides proof that the plea has been withdrawn or the charges have been dismissed. Any such conviction or plea shall exclude the applicant or candidate from licensure, examination, certification, or registration, unless the sentence and any subsequent period of probation for such conviction or plea ended:
   1. For the felonies of the first or second degree, more than 15 years from the date of the plea, sentence and completion of any subsequent probation;
   2. For the felonies of the third degree, more than 10 years from the date of the plea, sentence and completion of any subsequent probation;
   3. For the felonies of the third degree under section 893.13(6)(a), F.S., more than five years from the date of the plea, sentence and completion of any subsequent probation;
2. Has been convicted of, or entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere to, regardless of adjudication, a felony under 21 U.S.C. ss. 801-970 (relating to controlled substances) or 42 U.S.C. ss. 1395-1396 (relating to public health, welfare, Medicare and Medicaid issues), unless the sentence and any subsequent period of probation for such conviction or pleas ended more than 15 years prior to the date of the application;
3. Has been terminated for cause from the Florida Medicaid program pursuant to section 409.913, F.S., unless the candidate or applicant has been in good standing with the Florida Medicaid program for the most recent five years;
4. Has been terminated for cause, pursuant to the appeals procedures established by the state or Federal Government, from any other state Medicaid program, unless the candidate or applicant has been in good standing with a state Medicaid program for the most recent five years and the termination occurred at least 20 years before the date of the application;
5. Is currently listed on the United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General’s List of Excluded Individuals and Entities.