IMPORTANT NEWS...
New Law Waives Many Licensing Fees for Military Veterans
April 9, 2012
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Secretary Ken Lawson of the Department of Business and Professional Regulation today applauded the signing of HB 887, a bill that waives initial licensure fees for many military veterans. Governor Scott signed the bill into law on Friday.
“We thank the Governor for signing this bill because it demonstrates our state’s commitment to our military heroes who are applying for licensure,” said Secretary Lawson. “By waiving the initial fees, we are letting our veterans know that we are grateful for their sacrifices and service to our country, and we support them in their quest for a professional or business license in Florida.”
Through HB 887, the initial license fee, initial application fee and initial unlicensed activity fee will be waived for veterans returning from service, provided the veteran applies for licensure within 24 months of being honorably discharged. The new law could save veterans anywhere from a few hundred dollars to more than a thousand dollars, depending on the license type. The law will apply to more than 20 professions under DBPR’s jurisdiction, including construction, real estate, certified public accountants and cosmetologists, as well as businesses under DBPR’s Drugs, Devices and Cosmetics Division. The military fee waivers will go into effect October 1, 2012.
The bill was sponsored by Senator Dennis Jones (R – Seminole) and Representative Clay Ingram (R – Pensacola) and co-sponsored by Senate President Designate Don Gaetz (R – Destin), Representative Bryan Nelson (R – Apopka) and Representative Jimmie Smith (R – Lecanto).
The new law becomes one of Florida's military-friendly licensure laws that serve as a model for other states. Recently, Florida was acknowledged as one of only a handful of states that have a state license program specifically for spouses of military veterans. More information about the Department's programs for members of the military, their spouses and military veterans is available online at: http://www.myfloridalicense.com/dbpr/dbprmilitary.html.
The Department of Business and Professional Regulation’s mission is to license efficiently and regulate fairly. The Department licenses and regulates more than one million businesses and professionals ranging from hotels and restaurants, real estate agents and certified public accountants to veterinarians, contractors and cosmetologists. For more information, please visit www.MyFloridaLicense.com.
More information about DBPR is available online at www.myfloridalicense.com. Also, follow @FloridaDBPR on Twitter or Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation on Facebook for updates about license cycles, events and other important news.