For information and guidance regarding COVID-19 in Florida, visit the Florida Department of Health’s dedicated COVID-19 webpage at http://www.floridahealth.gov/COVID-19.

COVID Related Topics

EXECUTIVE ORDERS OF GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS RELATED TO DBPR STAKEHOLDERS

ACTIVE COVID-19 EXECUTIVE ORDERS OF GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS

Executive Order 20-244: Phase 3; Right to Work; Business Certainty; Suspension of Fines
Executive Order 20-244 establishes Phase 3 of the Safe. Smart. Step-by-Step. Plan for Florida’s Recovery.  Executive Order 20-244 supersedes and eliminates any and all restrictions of Executive Orders 20-112, 20-123, and 20-139, as well as Executive Orders 20-192, 20-214, and 20-223, except as modified in the order.

Executive Order 20-52: Emergency Management – COVID-19 Public Health Emergency
Executive Order 20-52 directs the Florida Division of Emergency Management to activate the Florida Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to a Level II, to coordinate the state’s response to COVID-19.

Executive Order 20-51: COVID-19 Response Protocol and Directs Public Health Emergency
Executive Order 20-51 directs the State Surgeon General to declare a public health emergency.

 

PREVIOUS COVID-19 EXECUTIVE ORDERS OF GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS RELATED TO DBPR STAKEHOLDERS

For a complete list of COVID-19 Executive Orders, please visit: https://www.flgov.com/eog/news/executive-orders

DEPARTMENT EMERGENCY ORDERS

ACTIVE COVID-19 DEPARTMENT EMERGENCY ORDERS

DBPR Emergency Order 2020-02 – Issued March 23, 2020
DBPR Emergency Order 2020-02 suspends the provisions of section 499.006(9), Florida Statutes, as they relate to the expiration date of personal protective equipment (PPE) that is worn to minimize exposure to hazards that cause serious workplace injuries or illnesses, including filtering facepiece respirators such as N-95 respirators and surgical masks.

DBPR Emergency Order 2020-04 – Issued March 27, 2020**
DBPR Emergency Order 2020-04 suspends certain conditions of the emergency powers of the association board of a condominium, cooperative, or homeowners’ association to allow the exercise of these powers during the state of emergency unless specifically prohibited by the provisions of the association’s governing documents.  The order suspends and tolls the timing requirements pertaining to the preparation, submittal, or filing of certain financial reports and statements of a condominium association, cooperative association, or timeshare plan.  The order waives the assessment of pilotage earned by harbor pilots for March and April, 2020, and extends the deadline for the filing of a harbor pilot’s annual earnings statement from April 15, 2020, to July 15, 2020.  The order suspends any restriction of chapter 474, F.S., or chapter 61G-18, F.A.C. which would prohibit an active Florida-licensed veterinarian from practicing telemedicine on a patient.

**Emergency Order 2020-04 (ONLY paragraph 11 remains active during duration of state of emergency as described in Executive Order 20-52)

 

PREVIOUS COVID-19 DEPARTMENT EMERGENCY ORDERS

DBPR Emergency Order 2020-10 – Issued September 10, 2020
DBPR Emergency Order 2020-10 rescinds DBPR Amended Emergency Order 2020-09, effective on Monday, September 14, 2020.  Beginning Monday, September 14, 2020, bars and other alcoholic beverage vendors may resume sales and service of alcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises in accordance with the operating parameters for Phase 2 of Florida’s Safe. Smart. Step-by-Step Plan for Recovery as established in Executive Order 20-139.

DBPR Amended Emergency Order 2020-09 – Issued July 1, 2020
DBPR Amended Emergency Order 2020-09 amends the provisions of DBPR Emergency Order 2020-09, as issued on Friday, June 26, 2020, to effectively order the following:

  • vendors licensed to sell alcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises, but not licensed to offer food service, shall suspend sales of alcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises, provided that these vendors may continue to sell alcoholic beverages for consumption off the premises; and
  • vendors licensed to sell alcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises, and also licensed to offer food service, may continue to operate as restaurants at 50% of seating occupancy for the service of food and beverages to customers seated at tables or bar counters with appropriate social distancing.

DBPR Emergency Order 2020-09 – Issued June 26, 2020
DBPR Emergency Order 2020-09 suspends the sale of alcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises for all vendors licensed to sell alcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises who derive more than 50% of gross revenue from the sale of alcoholic beverages.  Such vendors may continue to sell alcoholic beverages in sealed containers for consumption off the premises in accordance with Executive Order 20-71, Sections 1 and 2.  Licensed restaurants may continue to operate for on-premises consumption of food and beverages at tables pursuant to the restrictions in Executive Order 20-139, so long as these vendors derive 50% or less of gross revenue from the sale of alcoholic beverages for on-premises consumption.  DBPR Emergency Order 2020-09 takes effect on the date of filing, June 26, 2020.

DBPR Emergency Order 2020-08 – Issued June 9, 2020
DBPR Emergency Order 2020-08 extends deadlines for examination eligibility and licensure eligibility through December 31, 2020, for professional licenses regulated pursuant to Chapter 455, Florida Statutes, and the related professional practice acts.  The Order supersedes section 4 of DBPR Emergency Order 2020-03, which had previously extended these deadlines through May 31, 2020.

DBPR Emergency Order 2020-07  – Issued May 31, 2020
DBPR Emergency Order 2020-07 suspends the existing renewal deadline of any license issued by the Florida Real Estate Commission to December 31, 2020, for real estate licenses with an existing renewal deadline between June 1, 2020, and December 31, 2020. Late fees will not be assessed on eligible license renewals during this extended time period. This order also extends the deadline for any continuing education hours that are an existing condition of renewal to December 31, 2020.  DBPR Emergency Order 2020-07 implements an extension of renewal deadlines that is necessary to accommodate the universal hardship exemption for end-of-course examinations as adopted by the Florida Real Estate Commission on May 19, 2020, in its Order Establishing Hardship Exemption and Extending Deadline for End of Course Examinations.

DBPR Emergency Order 2020-06  – Issued May 20, 2020
DBPR Emergency Order 2020-06 establishes an expiration for certain provisions of DBPR Emergency Order 2020-04, including sections 1-5 related to the emergency powers of a board of a condominium, cooperative, or homeowners’ association and sections 6-9 related to the tolling of time requirements for the filing of certain financial statements of condominium associations, cooperative associations, and timeshare plans.   As of June 1, 2020, sections 1-9 of DBPR Emergency Order 2020-04 shall cease to be operational.  The order also extends the waiver of the assessment of harbor pilots in section 10 of DBPR Emergency Order 2020-04 for May, June, and July 2020.

DBPR Emergency Order 2020-05 – Issued April 30, 2020
DBPR Emergency Order 2020-05 supersedes DBPR Emergency Order 2020-01 and suspends the renewal deadline until June 1, 2020, for any license, permit, registration, or certificate issued by DBPR that has an existing renewal deadline in March, April, or May 2020.  The order also suspends the deadlines related to continuing education conditions of renewal for these license holders through June 1, 2020.

DBPR Emergency Order 2020-03 – Issued March 23, 2020
DBPR Emergency Order 2020-03 suspends and tolls through May 31, 2020, the following: all time requirements, notice requirements, and deadlines for final agency action on applications for permits, licenses, rates, and other approvals under any statutes or rules for which such applications are deemed approved unless disapproved in writing by specified deadlines; all final orders reflecting final agency action; all time requirements, notice requirements and deadlines for filing responses to notices of intended agency action pursuant to s. 120.569, Florida Statutes; and all deadlines for licensure eligibility and examination eligibility.

DBPR Emergency Order 2020-01 – Issued March 16, 2020
DBPR Emergency Order 2020-01 suspends the license renewal deadline for a period of 30 days following the existing renewal deadline for any license, permit, registration, or certificate with an expiration occurring in March or April.  The order also provides that license renewal requirements for completion of continuing education, if applicable, are also suspended for the same time period.

LICENSING EXAMS AND TESTING UPDATES AND SCHEDULE CHANGES

National Council of Architectural Registration Boards – Testing Center Reopens for Architectural Registration Exam
Candidates can schedule Architectural Registration Exam appointments at Prometric test centers in North America that offer “All Programs” or “Essential Only” services. For additional information regarding the status of Prometric test centers or rescheduling of an exam, please see the NCARB Update Page or the Prometric Update Page.

Licensure and Exam Eligibility Deadlines Extended by DBPR Emergency Order 2020-08
By effect of DBPR Emergency Order 2020-08, issued June 9, 2020, all deadlines for licensure eligibility and examination eligibility were suspended and tolled through December 31, 2020, unless extended by subsequent order.

Licensing Examinations Now Available Through Pearson VUE Professional Centers
Candidates may schedule exams at the following Pearson VUE testing locations: Boynton Beach, Doral,  Ft Lauderdale (2), Fort Myers (2), Gainesville, Hollywood, Jacksonville, Lake Mary, Lakeland, Melbourne, Miami, Orlando, Ormond Beach, Pensacola, Sarasota, St. Petersburg, Tallahassee, and Tampa. In addition, the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) in coordination with DBPR’s license examination provider, Pearson VUE, added online proctored testing options for the following professional license examinations.

  • Asbestos Contractor
  • Asbestos Consultant
  • Auctioneer
  • Barbers
  • Restricted Barbers
  • Cosmetology – Theory
  • Cosmetology – Clinical
  • Certified Drug Representative
  • Community Association Manager
  • Landscape Architect Florida Section
  • Veterinary Medicine Laws & Rules
  • Real Estate: Sales Associate; Broker Associate; Instructor; Laws & Rules; and

For additional information regarding testing centers, scheduling or rescheduling of exam appointments and online proctored testing, please see the Pearson VUE FAQs and Pearson VUE Resources for Test-Takers.

OTHER EMERGENCY RESOURCES FOR BUSINESSES

For Florida disaster recovery information for businesses, visit: https://floridadisaster.biz/
Including:

  • Business Damage Assessment Survey
  • Cares Act and Business Resources
  • Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan
  • Florida SBDC Network

Quick Links

Need Help?

All requests for publications, documents, forms, applications for licenses, permits and other similar certifications can be obtained by contacting the Customer Contact Center.

Department of Business and Professional Regulation
2601 Blair Stone Road
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-2202

Telephone: 850.487.1395
Facsimile: 850.488.5761

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