DBPR to Veterans: Apply for Licensure Fee Waiver
~ New law waiving fees goes into effect July 1, 2012 ~
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (June 29, 2012) – The Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) today encouraged military veterans who have been honorably discharged within the past 24 months to apply for a new licensure fee waiver available through the Department. As of July 1, 2012, the Department will have the ability to waive initial licensure fees for military veterans under a new law that passed during the 2012 Legislative Session. The waivers could save veterans anywhere from a few hundred dollars to more than a thousand dollars, depending on the license type.
“We want to encourage veterans who may be thinking about starting a business or getting a professional license in Florida to apply for this waiver,” said Secretary Ken Lawson. “This is our way of saying ‘thank you’ to the veterans who have already sacrificed so much to protect and defend our nation.”
Through HB 517, 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 law will apply to new licenses granted after July 1, 2012 for more than 20 professions under DBPR’s jurisdiction, including construction, real estate, certified public accountants and cosmetologists. The waiver can be downloaded from the Department’s military services webpage at http://www.myfloridalicense.com/dbpr/dbprmilitary.html and should be included in applications for professional licensure.
The new law becomes one of Florida”s military-friendly licensure laws that serve as a model for other states. This year, Florida was acknowledged as one of only a handful of states that have a state license program specifically for spouses of military veterans.
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.
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