Florida's out-of-state telehealth registration lets a clinical social worker licensed elsewhere treat Florida clients by telehealth only, with no Florida office or in-person care, a registered agent, liability coverage and no discipline in five years. Anyone who wants in-person work, is moving to Florida or has recent discipline needs the full Florida LCSW.
Florida is one of the few states that lets out-of-state health care practitioners treat its residents by telehealth without a Florida license. Section 456.47, Florida Statutes, created the Out-of-State Telehealth Provider Registration in 2019. Clinical social workers licensed in another state can use it.
It is a good tool. It is also easy to outgrow without noticing.
What the registration requires
According to the Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage & Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling and the Department of Health, you qualify if you:
- hold an active, unencumbered license in another state, D.C. or a U.S. territory (verification is required);
- have had no pending investigation, discipline or revocation on the license in the last five years;
- designate a registered agent for service of process in Florida;
- maintain liability coverage or financial responsibility for Florida telehealth patients at least equal to what Florida requires of its own licensees; and
- do not open a Florida office or provide in-person services to Florida patients.
You apply through the Department of Health's MQA Online Services portal by choosing "Out-of-State Telehealth Providers." Florida licensees cannot use it and do not need it.
When the registration is enough
- You live and practice in another state and have a handful of clients who moved to Florida or winter there.
- Every session with a Florida client will be by video or phone.
- You will never see those clients in person in Florida, even once.
- Your home license is clean, and has been for five years.
When you need the full Florida LCSW
- You want any in-person work in Florida, including a part-time office or occasional home visits.
- You are moving to Florida. The registration is for practitioners licensed outside Florida, and once Florida is home your practice belongs under a Florida license.
- Your home license had discipline in the last five years. That disqualifies the registration but does not automatically disqualify licensure.
- A payer or employer insists on a Florida license. Some do, and the registration does not change their policy.
Florida's statute also has a short visitor exemption in section 491.014(4)(d): a nonresident licensed elsewhere may offer services in Florida for no more than 15 days in a calendar year without a Florida license. It is a narrow allowance, not a plan for an ongoing caseload.
The full LCSW by endorsement
Florida's endorsement route is its MOBILE pathway under section 456.0145. You must:
- hold an active, unencumbered license in another state, D.C. or territory with a similar scope of practice;
- have passed a national licensure exam (for clinical social workers, the ASWB Clinical exam);
- have actively practiced for at least two of the four years before applying;
- have no reports to the National Practitioner Data Bank (unless removed on appeal or based on conduct that would not violate Florida law), no pending discipline, and no discipline in the last five years.
Endorsement applicants also complete three Florida courses through board-approved providers on CE Broker: an 8-hour Florida laws and rules course, a 3-hour HIV/AIDS course (or the board's affidavit), and a 2-hour domestic violence course within six months of licensure. Electronic fingerprinting is required, and the board says it reviews initial applications within 30 days of receipt.
If you do not meet MOBILE, Florida offers a provisional license to applicants who already have two years of post-master's supervised experience but are missing something else, such as coursework or the exam. It allows supervised practice, lasts 24 months and cannot be renewed.
Cost and upkeep compared
The registration avoids Florida's CE cycle. A Florida LCSW renews every two years (current licenses expire March 31, 2027) with 30 hours of CE, including medical errors and, in alternating cycles, ethics and boundaries or telehealth, plus laws and rules and domestic violence every third cycle. If you already hold several licenses, that is another calendar to track; see renewing in several states.
Florida is not in the Social Work Licensure Compact. The Compact Commission's map lists no active legislation there.
Not sure which side of the line you are on? A short conversation usually settles it. If the answer is the full license, it runs as a License by Endorsement. The Florida page has the basics.
Common questions
- Can I see a Florida client in person once with only the telehealth registration?
- No. The registration requires that you not open a Florida office or provide in-person services to Florida patients. A separate statutory exemption allows a licensed nonresident up to 15 days of services a year.
- Does Florida's telehealth registration require CE?
- The registration requirements published by the board do not include a Florida CE cycle. A full Florida LCSW renews every two years with 30 hours of CE.
- What courses do I need for a Florida LCSW by endorsement?
- An 8-hour Florida laws and rules course, a 3-hour HIV/AIDS course or the board's affidavit, and a 2-hour domestic violence course within six months of licensure, all from board-approved providers.
- Is Florida in the Social Work Licensure Compact?
- No. The Compact Commission's map shows no active compact legislation in Florida as of October 2026.
Need Help with Your Application?
We handle the social work licensing process end-to-end — eligibility screening, documents, board follow-ups, and tracking.