61G4-18.001. Continuing Education Requirements for Certificateholders and Registrants

(1) Each person who is certified or registered by the Board must, as a condition of each renewal of the certificate or registration, obtain at least 14 classroom or interactive distance learning hours of continuing education in one or more courses from a continuing education provider approved by the Board. Of the required 14 hours of continuing education, up to four (4) hours of credit may be earned by attending a meeting of the Board wherein disciplinary cases are considered. The first complete hour of attendance will satisfy the requirement for continuing education in laws and rules regulating the construction industry, pursuant to paragraph (2)(e), below. At least seven (7) days advance notice of the intent to attend the disciplinary case session must be given to the Board, and the licensee must check in with Board staff prior to the beginning of the disciplinary proceedings. The licensee must sign in and out at breaks and at lunchtime. After the conclusion of the meeting, Board staff will issue a certificate of attendance to the licensee. The licensee must submit documentation of such participation to the Department within five (5) days of the date of issuance of the certificate of attendance. A maximum of four (4) hours will be allowed during a renewal cycle. Credit hours shall be awarded on an hour for hour basis up to a maximum of four hours. Credit hours may not be earned when the licensee attends a disciplinary case session as a party to a disciplinary action.

(2) All registered contractors and certified contractors are required to complete fourteen (14) hours of continuing education each renewal cycle. Of the fourteen (14) hours, one (1) hour shall be required in each of the following topics:

(a) Specialized or advanced module course approved by the Florida Building Commission, or the Board;

(b) Workplace safety;

(c) Business practices;

(d) Workers’ compensation; and

(e) Laws and rules regulating the construction industry;

(f) Wind mitigation methodologies, if license is held in the following category: General, Building, Residential, Roofing, Speciality Structure, or Glass and Glazing.

(g) Pool electrical requirements, if license is held in the following category: Commercial pool/spa, Residential pool/spa, Swimming pool/spa servicing, or Residential pool/spa servicing specialty.

The remaining hours may include any of the aforementioned subject matter or general topics as defined hereinafter.

(h) Cementitious Cladding, Stucco, Plastering and Lath application and repair methodologies, if license is held in the following category: General, Building, Residential, or Specialty Structure.

The remaining hours may include any of the aforementioned subject matter or general topics as defined hereinafter.

(3) The content of Board approved courses must be business, trade, workers’ compensation, laws and rules related to the construction industry, or safety topics relevant to the construction industry. For purposes of this rule:

(a) Business practice topics include bookkeeping and accounting practices; managing cash flow; estimating and bidding jobs; negotiating and interpreting contracts and agreements; processing change orders; controlling purchasing; scheduling; controlling expenses; insurance and bonding related to construction; complying with payroll and sales tax laws; interpreting financial statements and reports related to construction; complying with Florida laws and rules related to construction, and Chapter 682, F.S., Arbitration Code, chapter 713, F.S., Florida Construction Lien Law, and Chapter 553, F.S., Building Construction Standards.

(b) Trade related courses may be used to satisfy the “general” requirements. These courses may include topics considered as contract administration and project management activities, including management and operation of the day-to-day activities of a construction contracting firm and advanced knowledge of the trade in which the contractor is licensed. Examples include, but are not limited to: preconstruction activities, including design and structural loading; project contracts; permits; plan and specification approvals; construction procedures and operations; methods, materials, tools and equipment as codified in the CSI 16 Division Format or ASTM; maintenance and service; reading plans and specifications; code updates pursuant to Chapter 553, F.S., and related statutes.

(c) Safety courses include courses related to job site safety in the following topics: OSHA safety; workplace safety programs; safety manuals; procedure of testing and use of tools and equipment.

(d) Workers’ compensation courses include: Compliance with Chapter 440, F.S.; drug free workplace; calculating and assigning workers’ compensation costs; premium modification and adjustments.

(e) Laws and rules related to the construction industry found in Chapters 489, part I, and 455, F.S., Division 61G4, F.A.C.

(f) Wind mitigation methodology, as limited to those topics listed in Section 553.844(2)(b)1.-5., F.S. (2007).

(g) Pursuant to Section 489.115(4)(b)2., F.S., specialized continuing education courses approved for the purpose of allowing Division I certificateholders or registrants to certify plans and specifications on compliance with the wind resistance provisions for one and two family dwellings contained in the Florida Building Code and alternate methodologies approved by the Florida Building Commission are required to comply with the Florida Building Code and must require the demonstration of proficiency at the completion of such course.

(h) Cementitious or synthetic cladding courses include courses related to the application and repair of cementitious or synthetic material in building, including but not limited to stucco, plastering, glazing, “EIFS” (exterior insulating finishing system) or any other applied cementitious or synthetic texture as it relates to the prevention and mitigation of water intrusion.

(4) A person who holds more than one certificate or registration issued by the Board is required to complete the continuing education requirements only once during each biennial certification renewal period and only once during each biennial registration period, providing all applicable license numbers to the course provider at the time of registration to ensure proper reporting of CE hours. Workers’ compensation, work place safety and business practice courses approved for the continuing education requirements for persons certified or registered under Chapter 489, Part II, F.S., shall be accepted for continuing education for renewal under this rule.

(5) Any course approved for the continuing education requirements for persons certified under Chapter 468, Part XII, F.S., which meet the criteria for course content approved by this Board, shall be accepted for continuing education for renewal under this rule, for persons who are certified under part XII or who are certified or registered under this part.

(6) The Board shall grant a maximum of four (4) hours of continuing education credit, on an hour for hour basis, to any licensee who participates as a member of any technical advisory committee to the Florida Building Code Commission within the Department of Business and Professional Regulation. The licensee must submit documentation of such participation to the Department within five (5) days of the date of completion.

(7) Continuing education credit shall be granted to instructors, teachers, lecturers, panelists and discussion leaders of a specific continuing education course, on an hour for hour basis, for the first presentation each renewal cycle.

(8) Continuing education credit for a specific course will be awarded only once for each renewal cycle.

(9) A person is not required to complete any continuing education requirements for the year in which a certificate or a registration is initially issued. Any person who obtains a certificate or a registration more than 12 months prior to the end of a biennial period is required to complete seven hours of approved continuing education as a condition of the first renewal of the certificate or registration.

(10) Credit may be earned for assisting in exam development. (See Rule 61G4-18.013, F.A.C.)

(11) A person is not required to complete any of the above continuing education requirements while his or her license is in an inactive status. However, registrants and certificateholders who change licensure status from inactive to active must show proof of completion of fourteen (14) hours of continuing education as required for active renewal for the biennium previous to the requested license activiation.

(12) Any course approved for the continuing education requirements for persons certified under chapter 489, parts I and II, F.S., shall be accepted for continuing education for renewal under this rule.

Rulemaking Authority 455.213(6), 455.2177, 455.2178, 455.2179, 489.108, 489.115 FS. Law Implemented 455.2123, 455.213(6), 455.2177, 455.2178, 455.2179, 455.271(6), 489.115, 489.116 FS. History–New 12-2-93, Amended 5-19-94, 8-16-94, 10-12-94, 1-18-95, 2-4-98, 5-11-99, 7-12-99, 1-23-00, 2-1-00, 12-27-00, 3-25-01, 7-26-04, 9-1-05, 9-27-06, 9-1-07, 11-15-07, 11-17-08, 10-23-12, 3-31-13, 7-19-17, 5-28-18, 6-26-23.