(1) The department shall issue a license to practice orthotics, prosthetics, or pedorthics, or a registration for a resident to practice orthotics or prosthetics, to qualified applicants. Licenses to practice orthotics, prosthetics, or pedorthics must be granted independently, but a person may be licensed in more than one such discipline, and a prosthetist-orthotist license may be granted to persons meeting the requirements for licensure both as a prosthetist and as an orthotist. Registrations to practice orthotics or prosthetics must be granted independently, and a person may be registered in both disciplines at the same time or jointly in orthotics and prosthetics as a dual registration.
(2) An applicant for registration, examination, or licensure must apply to the department on a form prescribed by the board for consideration of board approval. Each initial applicant shall submit a set of fingerprints to the department on a form and under procedures specified by the department, along with payment in an amount equal to the costs incurred by the department for state and national criminal history checks of the applicant. The department shall submit the fingerprints provided by an applicant to the Department of Law Enforcement for a statewide criminal history check, and the Department of Law Enforcement shall forward the fingerprints to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for a national criminal history check of the applicant. The board shall screen the results to determine if an applicant meets licensure requirements. The board shall consider for examination, registration, or licensure each applicant who the board verifies:
(a) Has submitted the completed application and the fingerprint forms and has paid the applicable application fee, not to exceed $500, and the cost of the state and national criminal history checks. The application fee and cost of the criminal history checks shall be nonrefundable;
(b) Is of good moral character;
(c) Is 18 years of age or older; and
(d) Has completed the appropriate educational preparation.
(3) A person seeking to attain the orthotics or prosthetics 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. The board shall set a registration fee not to exceed $500 to be paid by the applicant. 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. The renewal fee may not exceed one-half the current registration fee. To be considered by the board for approval of registration as a resident, the applicant must have one of the following:
(a) A Bachelor of Science or higher-level postgraduate degree in orthotics and prosthetics from a regionally accredited college or university recognized by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs.
(b) A minimum of a bachelor’s degree from a regionally 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.
(c) A minimum of a bachelor’s degree from a regionally 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.
(4) The department may develop and administer a state examination for an orthotist or a prosthetist license, or the board may approve the existing examination of a national standards organization. The examination must be predicated on a minimum of a baccalaureate-level education and formalized specialized training in the appropriate field. Each examination must demonstrate a minimum level of competence in basic scientific knowledge, written problem solving, and practical clinical patient management. The board shall require an examination fee not to exceed the actual cost to the board in developing, administering, and approving the examination, which fee must be paid by the applicant. To be considered by the board for examination, the applicant must have:
(a) For an examination in orthotics:
1. A Bachelor of Science or higher-level postgraduate degree in orthotics and prosthetics from a regionally accredited college or university recognized by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs or, at a minimum, a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university and a certificate in orthotics from a program recognized by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs, or its equivalent, as determined by the board; and
2. An approved orthotics internship of 1 year of qualified experience, as determined by the board, or an orthotic residency or dual residency program recognized by the board.
(b) For an examination in prosthetics:
1. A Bachelor of Science or higher-level postgraduate degree in orthotics and prosthetics from a regionally accredited college or university recognized by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs or, at a minimum, a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university and a certificate in prosthetics from a program recognized by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs, or its equivalent, as determined by the board; and
2. An approved prosthetics internship of 1 year of qualified experience, as determined by the board, or a prosthetic residency or dual residency program recognized by the board.
(5) In addition to the requirements in subsection (2), to be licensed as:
(a) An orthotist, the applicant must pay a license fee not to exceed $500 and must have:
1. A Bachelor of Science or higher-level postgraduate degree in Orthotics and Prosthetics from a regionally accredited college or university, or a bachelor’s degree with a certificate in orthotics from a program recognized by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs, or its equivalent, as determined by the board;
2. An appropriate internship of 1 year of qualified experience, as determined by the board, or a residency program recognized by the board;
3. Completed the mandatory courses; and
4. Passed the state orthotics examination or the board-approved orthotics examination.
(b) A prosthetist, the applicant must pay a license fee not to exceed $500 and must have:
1. A Bachelor of Science or higher-level postgraduate degree in Orthotics and Prosthetics from a regionally accredited college or university, or a bachelor’s degree with a certificate in prosthetics from a program recognized by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs, or its equivalent, as determined by the board;
2. An internship of 1 year of qualified experience, as determined by the board, or a residency program recognized by the board;
3. Completed the mandatory courses; and
4. Passed the state prosthetics examination or the board-approved prosthetics examination.
(c) An orthotic fitter, the applicant must pay a license fee not to exceed $500 and must have:
1. A high school diploma or its equivalent;
2. A minimum of 40 hours of training in orthotics education, as approved by the board;
3. Two years of supervised experience in orthotics acquired after completion of the required education, as approved by the board; and
4. Completed the mandatory courses.
(d) An orthotic fitter assistant, the applicant must pay a license fee not to exceed $500 and must have:
1. A high school diploma or its equivalent;
2. A minimum of 40 hours of training in orthotics education, as approved by the board; and
3. Completed the mandatory courses.
(e) A pedorthist, the applicant must pay a license fee not to exceed $500 and must have:
1. A high school diploma or its equivalent;
2. A minimum of 120 hours of training, as approved by the board;
3. An internship of 80 hours of qualified working experience, as determined by the board; and
4. Completed the mandatory courses.
History.—s. 4, ch. 97-284; s. 15, ch. 2003-2; s. 4, ch. 2008-121; s. 36, ch. 2020-133.