(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.
1(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 fingerprints to the department in accordance with procedures specified by the department for state and national criminal history checks 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 whom the board verifies:

(a) Has submitted the completed application and completed the fingerprinting requirements and has paid the applicable application fee, not to exceed $500. The application fee is nonrefundable;
lawyer at desk

Ask a business law question, get an answer ASAP!
Thousands of highly rated, verified business lawyers.
Click here to chat with a lawyer about your rights.

Terms Used In Florida Statutes 468.803

  • Board: means the Board of Orthotists and Prosthetists. See Florida Statutes 468.80
  • Department: means the Department of Health. See Florida Statutes 468.80
  • Internship: means a program in which a person receives clinical experience under the supervision of a licensed orthotist or prosthetist as defined by the board by rule. See Florida Statutes 468.80
  • Mandatory courses: means continuing education courses that the board has defined by rule and required for license issuance or renewal. See Florida Statutes 468.80
  • Orthotic fitter: means a person who is licensed to practice orthotics whose scope of practice is limited to fitting prefabricated cervical orthoses not requiring more than minor modification and not used for the treatment of cervical fractures or dislocations; custom-made and prefabricated compression garments; trusses; custom-molded and noncustom diabetic therapeutic footwear; prefabricated corset or frame-type spinal orthoses, except for those used in the treatment of vertebral fractures or scoliosis, rigid body jackets made of thermoformable materials, and "halo" devices; and prefabricated orthoses of the upper and lower extremities, except for those used in the treatment of bone fractures and open diabetic ulcers. See Florida Statutes 468.80
  • Orthotic fitter assistant: means a person who is licensed to practice orthotics whose scope of practice is limited to fitting, without modification, prefabricated soft cervical orthoses not used for the treatment of cervical fractures or dislocations; prefabricated soft spinal supports not used for treatment of vertebral fractures; prefabricated compression garments; trusses; and soft prefabricated orthoses for the upper and lower extremities not used in the treatment of bone fractures and open diabetic ulcers. See Florida Statutes 468.80
  • Orthotics: means the practice of evaluating, treatment formulating, measuring, designing, fabricating, assembling, fitting, adjusting, servicing, or providing the initial training necessary to accomplish the fitting of an orthosis or pedorthic device. See Florida Statutes 468.80
  • Orthotist: means a person licensed to practice orthotics pursuant to this chapter. See Florida Statutes 468.80
  • Pedorthics: means the practice of evaluating, treatment formulating, measuring, designing, fabricating, assembling, fitting, adjusting, servicing, or providing the initial training necessary to accomplish the fitting of a pedorthic device. See Florida Statutes 468.80
  • Pedorthist: means a person licensed to practice pedorthics pursuant to this chapter. See Florida Statutes 468.80
  • person: includes individuals, children, firms, associations, joint adventures, partnerships, estates, trusts, business trusts, syndicates, fiduciaries, corporations, and all other groups or combinations. See Florida Statutes 1.01
  • Prosthetics: means the practice of evaluating, treatment formulating, measuring, designing, fabricating, assembling, fitting, adjusting, servicing, or providing the initial training necessary to accomplish the fitting of a prosthesis. See Florida Statutes 468.80
  • Prosthetist: means a person licensed to practice prosthetics pursuant to this chapter. See Florida Statutes 468.80
  • Prosthetist-orthotist: means a person licensed to practice as a prosthetist and as an orthotist. See Florida Statutes 468.80
  • Resident: means a person registered to practice orthotics or prosthetics under the supervision of a licensed orthotist or prosthetist as defined by the board by rule. See Florida Statutes 468.80
(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 board 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 an institutionally accredited college or university recognized by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs.
(b) A minimum of a bachelor’s degree from an institutionally 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 an institutionally 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 an institutionally accredited college or university recognized by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs or, at a minimum, a bachelor’s degree from an institutionally 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 an institutionally accredited college or university recognized by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs or, at a minimum, a bachelor’s degree from an institutionally 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 an institutionally accredited college or university recognized by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs, or a bachelor’s degree from an institutionally 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;
2. An approved 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 an institutionally accredited college or university recognized by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs, or a bachelor’s degree from an institutionally 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;
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.
  Previous section
Next section  
 Part XIV Contents