1.4 Maintaining Active Status

Certification Is A Two-Year Cycle

Getting on the registry is the start, not the finish. Florida CNA certification operates on a biennial cycle handled by the Board of Nursing, and the exam tests whether you know what keeps a listing active. Certificates expire at midnight EST on May 31 — Florida splits aides into two renewal groups so the whole state does not renew at once: Group 1 expires in odd-numbered years and Group 2 expires in even-numbered years. You can renew up to 90 days before your expiration date.

The Two Renewal Conditions

Both conditions matter. The 24 in-service hours keep skills and knowledge current. The work-activity requirement confirms the aide is actually practicing — at renewal you complete a form documenting that you worked for pay performing nursing-related services during the certification period. The policy intent is that the registry reflects aides who are practicing, so resident-safety knowledge stays fresh through real work and not only classroom hours.

Where And How To Renew

Renewal is filed online through the MQA Online Services portal (or by mail). There is a renewal fee, the in-service documentation, and the work attestation. Because Florida mails reminders to your address of record, you must keep your address and name current with the Registry — there is no charge to update contact information, though a $25 fee applies to be issued a new certificate showing a legal name change.

Delinquency, Lapse, And Reactivation

If you do not renew before the May 31 expiration, the certificate becomes delinquent, and you may not work as a Florida CNA on a delinquent certificate — the same registry rule from Section 1.1 applies in reverse. Working on a delinquent or inactive certificate is a compliance problem for both the aide and the employer, who is required to verify active status.

Reactivating A Lapsed Certificate

Reactivation is controlled by the Board of Nursing, and the required steps generally scale with how long the certificate has been lapsed:

• Short lapse / delinquent: the aide may be able to satisfy outstanding in-service hours, pay applicable fees, complete the work documentation, and request reinstatement.
• Longer lapse: the Board may require additional steps, which can include repeating an approved training program and/or re-passing the Prometric competency exam.

Because the exact path depends on the length of the lapse and current Board policy, the safe exam answer is that the Board decides the reactivation requirements — the aide cannot simply resume working on an expired listing.

Practical Takeaway

• Track your May 31 expiration (odd or even year, by group) like an exam date.
• Complete the 24 in-service hours before filing, not after.
• Keep proof of qualifying paid work for the attestation.
• File through MQA Online Services up to 90 days early; verify active status on flhealthsource.com before assuming you are current.

Letting the certificate lapse is far more expensive — in fees, time, and possibly retraining — than maintaining it on schedule.

In-Service Hours: What Counts And Why

The 24 in-service hours are not a single test or a one-time class — they are continuing education accumulated across the two-year biennium, typically delivered by your employer or a Board-approved provider. Long-term care facilities are independently required by federal OBRA rules to provide ongoing in-service education (no fewer than 12 hours per year for the aides they employ), so a working CNA often earns the renewal hours naturally on the job. Common in-service topics mirror the exam blueprint and resident-safety priorities:

• Infection control and standard precautions
• Resident rights, abuse/neglect recognition and mandatory reporting
• Safety, fall prevention, and emergency procedures
• Care of residents with dementia or cognitive impairment
• Restorative and end-of-life care

Keep your certificates of completion — you attest to the hours at renewal, and the Board can audit.

Putting The Cycle Together

Think of active status as a recurring checklist tied to your May 31 date:

1. Confirm your renewal group (odd-year vs. even-year expiration).
2. Accumulate 24 in-service hours across the biennium — front-load them so you are not scrambling in May.
3. Keep documentation of paid nursing-related work during the period for the attestation.
4. File through MQA Online Services up to 90 days early, pay the renewal fee, and update any address/name change.
5. Verify your active status on flhealthsource.com before accepting an assignment.

Miss the date and the certificate goes delinquent — you cannot work, and the Board (not the employer or Prometric) sets what it takes to reactivate, up to retraining and retesting after a long lapse.

Address Changes And Verification

Because the Board mails renewal notices and the certificate to your address of record, an out-of-date address is a quiet way to miss a deadline. Update your address and name with the Registry whenever they change — there is no fee to update contact information, though a $25 fee applies if you want a new certificate reissued showing a legal name change. com) before each assignment, so a clean, current record is your real credential. If you ever see your status listed as anything other than active, treat it as urgent: you cannot lawfully accept CNA assignments until the Board restores active status.