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Thank you for your interest in School Counseling and supporting Florida students. To review the description of FL DOE Certification Plans that lead to acquiring a FL DOE School Counseling certification, click,
FL CERTIFICATION PLAN ONE AND TWO FL CERTIFICATION PLAN THREE
NOTE: For information to be a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Florida one should direct all questions to the Florida Department of Health: Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage & Family and Mental Health Counseling. This includes questions about a requirement for graduation from a CACREP accreditation.
HOW TO APPLY
Whether in-state or relocation to Florida, you can access the application at Florida Department of Education (DOE), Office of Certification at http://fldoe.org/teaching/certification.
The Florida DOE certification has an application fee.
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
- An official transcript(s) from a 4-year accredited university (showing the conferral of at least a bachelor’s degree);
- An official transcript showing your master’s degree or higher and coursework in Counseling; and,
- If you hold a valid out-of-state professional certification in School Counseling (in some states titled, licensure) send the front and back copy.
NEXT STEPS
Once applied to the Florida Department Certification Office, your application is evaluated and processed, and a Statement of Status of Eligibility (SOE) is sent to you. The SOE letter received after application will indicate requirements for certification.
EXAMS FOR CERTIFICATION
As of July 1, 2026, the required exam for school counseling certification is the Subject Exam in School Counseling.. DOE School Counseling Exam Information
FSCA does not review or certify materials to award a Florida Department of Education School Counseling certification. All specific questions will need to be answered by the Florida Department of Education (DOE), Office of Certification.
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READING REQUIREMENT FOR CERTIFICATION
A person seeking certification meets the requirements of one of the three plans described in 6A-4.0181 and passes the Subject exam, they fulfill requirements for certification; and, for recertification for school counseling, as long as they complete the 120 professional learning points within five years, they are recertified.
The only requirements are 6 semester hours to include 1 hour of SWD (or 120 In-service points to include 20 SWD points). SWD is student with disability.
On an initial application for school counseling under plan one or two, reading is not a requirement. For an applicant who is under plan three, they are a current teacher and if they have coverage in one of these areas Elementary Education (K-6), Prekindergarten/Primary Education (age 3 through grade 3), Elementary Education (grades 1-6), Primary Education (grades K-3), English (grades 1-6), Middle Grades English (grades 5-9), Middle Grades Integrated Curriculum (grades 5-9), English (6-12), Exceptional Student Education (grades K-12) (renewal beginning with a validity date of July 1, 2025), Reading (K-12), Reading (Endorsement), and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) (grades K-12). They will need reading coureswork/Inservice for renewal. Unless they remove it from their certificate.
