Continuing education / Requirements / Florida
Florida Psychologist continuing education requirements
Florida psychologists generally need 40 continuing education hours every two years, including 3 hours of professional ethics and Florida psychology laws and 2 hours of medical errors. Domestic violence adds a required 2-hour topic every third biennium, within the same 40-hour total.
The regular renewal deadline is May 31 in even-numbered years. Following the May 31, 2026, renewal, the next standard cycle runs from June 1, 2026, through May 31, 2028. First-renewal requirements depend on whether you passed the Florida laws-and-rules examination, and the medical-errors requirement still applies.
What the board requires
Mandated topics
Included in the 40 hours. At least 1 hour must cover professional ethics and at least 1 hour must cover Florida laws and rules affecting psychology, including chapters 456 and 490 and rule chapter 64B19. The third hour may address either component. A generic 3-hour ethics course without Florida-law content does not automatically satisfy the requirement.
Our course for this: Ethics and Professional Boundaries (3 hours). CE credit approvals in progress.
Required even at first renewal. Use a course specifically approved for the Florida psychology medical-errors requirement. General APA recognition alone does not replace this topic-specific board approval.
Required every third biennium and included in the 40-hour total. When due, the 2 domestic-violence hours reduce the otherwise available general hours; they do not raise the total to 42.
Format and self-study limits
The board permits home-study CE without a numerical cap. Its home-study acceptance route covers courses approved by APA or its affiliates; all 40 hours can therefore be online when the courses satisfy the applicable approvals and required subjects. There is no general live-attendance minimum. Medical errors still requires the specific Florida board approval.
Which providers count
Use psychology CE approved through the board’s accepted routes, including APA-approved education or a Florida Board of Psychology approved provider. Psychology-relevant courses approved by another Florida health-profession board may qualify for general credit under the board’s rules. Check the specific home-study route for asynchronous courses. Confirm Florida-law content for the ethics-and-law requirement and specific board approval for medical errors.
Reporting and audits
Review and complete your CE Broker record before renewing. Florida’s Department of Health uses the electronic tracking system to verify CE at renewal. Check that provider-reported courses are present and report eligible missing completions as required. Retain certificates and provide them if requested; do not mail routine course certificates to the board as a substitute for electronic reporting. Renew separately in the MQA licensing portal.
First renewal
If you passed the Florida laws-and-rules examination and are renewing for the first time, the board exempts you from 38 hours. You must still complete the 2-hour board-approved medical-errors course. If you did not pass that examination, the board requires the full 40 hours at first renewal, or you may request to take the examination to satisfy the 38-hour portion. Medical errors remains required in either case.
Common questions
How many CE hours do Florida psychologists need?
Complete 40 hours every two years, including 3 hours of ethics and Florida psychology law and 2 hours of medical errors. Domestic violence requires 2 hours every third biennium within the total. First-renewal exemptions can reduce the required hours.
Can I take all 40 hours online?
Yes, if the courses meet the board’s home-study acceptance rules and required topic approvals. The board accepts home study approved by APA or its affiliates without a numerical cap. Medical errors requires its specific Florida board approval.
Does a general ethics course satisfy the Florida requirement?
Only if the complete 3-hour requirement includes the necessary components: at least 1 hour of professional ethics and at least 1 hour of Florida psychology laws and rules. Check the course description and credit breakdown rather than relying on the word ethics in the title.
What do I need for my first Florida psychologist renewal?
If you passed the Florida laws-and-rules examination, complete the 2-hour medical-errors course; the other 38 hours are exempt at first renewal. Without that examination, complete 40 hours or arrange the examination route described by the board, while still completing medical errors.
Is the next renewal May 31, 2026, or May 31, 2028?
May 31, 2026, has passed. Applying the Department of Health’s regular May 31 even-year schedule, the next standard deadline is May 31, 2028. The board webpage still showed the previous date on September 11, 2026, so check the expiration in your own MQA record.
Do I need domestic violence every two years?
No. The requirement is 2 hours every third biennium. It is part of the 40-hour total when due. Use your renewal history and CE Broker requirements to identify the applicable cycle.
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Not legal advice. This guide summarizes board rules for convenience. Your board's current published rules control.
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