The Florida Senate

458.319  Renewal of license.--

(1)  The department shall renew a license upon receipt of the renewal application, evidence that the applicant has actively practiced medicine or has been on the active teaching faculty of an accredited medical school for at least 2 years of the immediately preceding 4 years, and a fee not to exceed $500; provided, however, that if the licensee is either a resident physician, assistant resident physician, fellow, house physician, or intern in an approved postgraduate training program, as defined by the board by rule, the fee shall not exceed $100 per annum. If the licensee has not actively practiced medicine for at least 2 years of the immediately preceding 4 years, the board shall require that the licensee successfully complete a board-approved clinical competency examination prior to renewal of the license. "Actively practiced medicine" means that practice of medicine by physicians, including those employed by any governmental entity in community or public health, as defined by this chapter, including physicians practicing administrative medicine. An applicant for a renewed license must also submit the information required under ¹s. 455.565 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 of Health for the statewide criminal background check of the applicant. The applicant must submit a set of fingerprints to the Department of Health 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 a national criminal background check of the applicant for the initial renewal of his or her license after January 1, 2000. If the applicant fails to submit either the information required under ¹s. 455.565 or a set of fingerprints to the department as required by this section, the department shall issue a notice of noncompliance, and the applicant will be given 30 additional days to comply. If the applicant fails to comply within 30 days after the notice of noncompliance is issued, the department or board, as appropriate, may issue a citation to the applicant and may fine the applicant up to $50 for each day that the applicant is not in compliance with the requirements of ¹s. 455.565. The citation must clearly state that the applicant may choose, in lieu of accepting the citation, to follow the procedure under s. 455.225. If the applicant disputes the matter in the citation, the procedures set forth in s. 455.225 must be followed. However, if the applicant does not dispute the matter in the citation with the department within 30 days after the citation is served, the citation becomes a final order and constitutes discipline. Service of a citation may be made by personal service or certified mail, restricted delivery, to the subject at the applicant's last known address. If an applicant has submitted fingerprints to the department for a national criminal history check upon initial licensure and is renewing his or her license for the first time, then the applicant need only submit the information and fee required for a statewide criminal history check.

(2)  The department shall adopt rules establishing a procedure for the biennial renewal of licenses.

(3)  The licensee must have on file with the department the address of his or her primary place of practice within this state prior to engaging in that practice. Prior to changing the address of the primary place of practice, whether or not within this state, the licensee shall notify the department of the address of the new primary place of practice.

History.--ss. 1, 8, ch. 79-302; ss. 2, 3, ch. 81-318; s. 6, ch. 84-543; s. 6, ch. 84-553; ss. 13, 25, 26, ch. 86-245; s. 21, ch. 88-1; s. 16, ch. 88-392; s. 1, ch. 90-60; s. 4, ch. 91-429; s. 163, ch. 94-119; s. 206, ch. 97-103; s. 135, ch. 97-237; s. 21, ch. 97-264; s. 11, ch. 97-273.

¹Note.--Substituted by the editors for a reference to "section 1." The reference to "section 1" in s. 135, ch. 97-237, and s. 11, ch. 97-273, is incorrect; the correct references, "section 127" and "section 3," were redesignated as s. 455.565 by the reviser.