What it takes to become a licensed nursing home administrator in Florida: the four routes, the Administrator-in-Training (AIT) program, the NAB and Florida exams, fees, continuing education, renewal and finding a preceptor. Figures come from the Board, Florida law and NAB, with section numbers.
| Who licenses | Florida Board of Nursing Home Administrators, within the Florida Department of Health (F.S. 468.1665) |
|---|---|
| Education | A bachelor’s degree on every route (F.S. 468.1695(3)) |
| AIT requirement | None after a 650-hour college internship or a year of skilled nursing facility management; otherwise a 1,000-hour or 2,000-hour AIT program, depending on your degree and experience (F.S. 468.1695(3); Rule 64B10-11.002(2)) |
| National exams | NAB Core of Knowledge (CORE) and NHA Line of Service, $480 for the two, paid to NAB (NAB Candidate Handbook; exams approved in Rule 64B10-11.002(1)(a)) |
| State exam | Required for exam and endorsement applicants: the Florida Nursing Home Administrator Laws and Rules Examination, given through NAB (Rule 64B10-11.002(1)(b)); NAB’s Candidate Handbook lists two hours, $260 and Pearson VUE Details ↓ |
| Continuing education | 40 hours every two years after your first renewal, at least 20 of them live, including 2 hours on preventing medical errors; the first renewal needs only 2 hours on medical errors and 1 on HIV/AIDS (Rule 64B10-15.001) |
| Renewal | Every two years (F.S. 468.1715(2)). For the cycle ending in 2026, the Board’s renewals page says licenses expire at midnight Eastern Time on 30 September 2026 |
| Department fees | $755 on the exam route: $250 application, $500 initial license and $5 unlicensed activity fee (Rule 64B10-12.0001(1), (3); F.S. 456.065(3)) |
| Official sources | floridasnursinghomeadmin.gov (the Board) · F.S. Chapter 468, Part II · F.A.C. 64B10 · nabweb.org (national exams) |
Verified against the sources above, September 2026. F.S. is the Florida Statutes; rules are in the Florida Administrative Code (F.A.C.). Requirements change, so confirm with the Board before you apply.
You apply to the Board through the Department of Health’s MQA Services Portal. Every route needs a bachelor’s degree. F.S. 468.1695(3) sets out what goes with it, and Rule 64B10-11.002(2) sets the hours:
| F.S. 468.1695 | Education | Plus | AIT hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| (3)(a) | Bachelor’s majoring in health care administration, health services administration or an equivalent, or with 60 semester hours in the subjects the Board prescribes | A college or university internship in nursing home administration: 650 hours in an approved skilled nursing facility with at least 60 beds (64B10-11.002(2)(b)) | None |
| (3)(a) | The same degree, or the 60 semester hours | The 1,000-hour AIT program | 1,000 hours |
| (3)(b) | Bachelor’s in any field | The 2,000-hour AIT program | 2,000 hours |
| (3)(b) | Bachelor’s in any field | 1 year of management experience (staffing, budgeting, directing resident care, dietary and bookkeeping) in a skilled nursing facility, hospital, hospice, assisted living facility with 60 or more licensed beds, or geriatric residential treatment program | None if the year was in a skilled nursing facility; otherwise 1,000 hours |
The 60 semester hours are listed in Rule 64B10-11.007, from health care facility administration to patient care management. On the experience route, the rule adds that the year be supervised by a licensed nursing home administrator (64B10-11.002(2)(c)2.).
Every applicant also has background screening with Livescan fingerprints (F.S. 468.1695(2); 456.0135). On the exam route, $505 of the $755 Department fee is refunded if the application is denied or withdrawn (form DH-MQA NHA002), and an incomplete application expires after one year (F.S. 456.013(1)(a)).
If your route needs an Administrator-in-Training (AIT) program, it is 1,000 or 2,000 hours, as the table shows. The AIT is a “supervised training program” under “a Board approved Preceptor”, set out in Rule Chapter 64B10-16:
Rule 64B10-16.005(3) and (4) set minimum shares for six domains of practice; “The remaining 25% of the program may be in any domain”:
| Resident Care | 20% |
|---|---|
| Personnel | 15% |
| Finance | 15% |
| Physical Resource Management | 10% |
| Laws, Regulatory Codes and Governing Boards | 10% |
| Marketing | 5% |
| Any domain, aimed at the weaknesses found in your pre-training assessment | 25% |
Rules 64B10-16.001 and 16.002 were amended effective 17 July 2025, and 64B10-16.003 effective 24 June 2026, so confirm these details with the Board before you start.
Under Rule 64B10-16.002(4), as amended in July 2025, a preceptor has actively practiced as a nursing home administrator for 3 of the last 4 years, at least 1 of them in Florida, with no discipline in that time. The Board’s preceptor page is out of date here: it still says 3 of the last 5. The preceptor is “the administrator of record” of the training facility (16.002(6)). The preceptor completes a 6-hour Board-approved preceptor training seminar within the 3 years before applying, then a 2-hour refresher every biennium; missing a refresher ends the certification but does not affect the license (16.002(5); 16.0025). Approval follows an oral review by the Board Chair or a designee (16.002(2)) and costs $100 (64B10-12.0001(8)). A preceptor may not train an immediate family member (16.002(7)).
Other states: AIT Hours by State.
The free AIT Planner turns your AIT hours into a plan across facility departments. That split is our planning aid, not the Florida rule: map it onto the six domains above and agree it with your preceptor. No account needed.
Open the free AIT PlannerRule 64B10-11.002(1)(a) approves two exams from NAB, the National Association of Long Term Care Administrator Boards: “The Nursing Home Administration (NHA) examination” and “The Core of General Knowledge (CORE) examination”. After the Board approves you, you apply to NAB online (NAB’s September 2026 handbook names its NABVerify site; the Board’s April 2025 form says Clarus) and test at a Pearson VUE center. Figures from NAB’s Candidate Handbook (September 2026):
| Core of Knowledge | 125 questions (100 scored, 25 pretest), 2 hours 30 minutes in all, of which 2 hours 10 minutes are for answering questions |
|---|---|
| NHA Line of Service | 75 questions (60 scored, 15 pretest), 1 hour 30 minutes in all, of which 1 hour 10 minutes are for answering questions |
| Fee | $480 for the two from 1 February 2026, up from $455 |
| Attempts | Since 1 January 2026, up to 4 per cycle (1 July to 30 June) |
More in NAB Exam Format and The Core Domains Explained.
The Board calls it the Florida Nursing Home Administrator Laws and Rules Examination. Rule 64B10-11.002(1)(b) requires “an examination on the laws and regulations of the State of Florida” of exam and endorsement applicants, and temporary license holders take it too (F.S. 468.1705(3)).
| Who writes it | The exam is “developed by the Florida Department of Health and administered by the contracted vendor” (exam application, revised April 2025). That vendor is NAB’s state exam program: NAB’s handbook lists it as Florida NHA-FL |
|---|---|
| How you take it | After the Board approves you, apply through NAB online; NAB’s handbook says you test at Pearson VUE, as for the NAB exams |
| Time and fee | Two hours: “All state exams have a two-hour time limit.” $260, paid to NAB (NAB Candidate Handbook, September 2026). Department application fees are separate |
| Questions and passing score | Neither the Board nor NAB’s handbook publishes a current question count or passing score. The handbook says state exams “do not have a consistent passing scaled score”, and it issues no diagnostic report for them |
| If you fail | Wait 30 days after each failure, with at most 4 retakes within 12 months of your first application (reexam form DH-MQA 1129) |
| Deadline | Pass the NAB exams and the state exam within 1 year of your application date, or reapply under the requirements then in force (Rule 64B10-11.003(1), (3)) |
The Board’s exam services page points to its study list, which names ten sources without ranking them, including:
The list also names F.S. Chapters 456 (health professions generally), 415 (adult protective services), 765 (advance directives) and 120 (administrative procedure), and F.A.C. Chapters 64E-11 (food hygiene) and 64E-16 (biomedical waste). The only content outline the Board publishes is its Candidate Information Booklet dated January 2014, written for Prometric, the previous testing vendor. Its 2014 weights were Chapter 400 Part II 32%, 59A-4 25%, 64E-11 15%, Chapter 765 8%, and 5% each for 64E-16, Chapter 468 Part II, 64B10 and Chapter 415. Its format details are out of date.
Five places where Florida’s nursing home statute adds to, or sets a different number, clock or credential from, 42 CFR Part 483:
| Topic | Federal rule (42 CFR 483) | Florida rule | F.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nurse staffing hours | Sufficient nursing staff, 24 hours a day, to meet residents’ care plans (483.35(a)); no hours-per-resident-day minimum. CMS repealed the 2024 minimum staffing standards, which were never enforced, by interim final rule (90 FR 55687, 3 December 2025, effective 2 February 2026). A registered nurse “for at least 8 consecutive hours a day, 7 days a week” and a full-time director of nursing (483.35(b)) | A minimum weekly average of 3.6 hours of care by direct care staff per resident per day, plus minimums of 2.0 hours of care by certified nursing assistants (CNAs) and 1.0 hour by licensed nurses per resident per day | 400.23(3)(b)1. |
| Staffing records | Post daily, at the start of each shift, the number and actual hours worked of RNs, LPNs and CNAs per shift, and keep the posted data “for a minimum of 18 months, or as required by State law, whichever is greater” (483.35(g)) | Post the names of the licensed nurses and CNAs on duty every day, and keep staffing compliance records for 5 years | 400.23(3)(b)4. |
| Quality and risk committee | A quality assessment and assurance (QAA) committee that must “Meet at least quarterly” (483.75(g)(2)(i)) | An internal risk management and quality assurance program with a designated risk manager; the committee “shall meet at least monthly” | 400.147(1)(a), (b) |
| Adverse incident reports | Alleged abuse and similar events go to the administrator and the State Survey Agency “immediately, but not later than 2 hours” if they involve abuse or serious bodily injury, otherwise within 24 hours, with results within 5 working days (483.12(c)(1), (4)). Suspected crimes also go to the State Survey Agency and law enforcement (483.12(b)(5); Social Security Act § 1150B) | A second, separate process through the risk manager: the investigation starts within 1 business day of the risk manager receiving the report, and a report goes to AHCA “within 15 calendar days after the adverse incident occurred”. The risk manager investigates every allegation of sexual misconduct at the facility by staff with direct patient contact, reports it to the administrator and notifies the victim’s representative or guardian | 400.147(6), (7) |
| Medical director | “The facility must designate a physician to serve as medical director”, with no certification required beyond being a physician (483.70(g)(1)) | Since 1 January 2026 the medical director, a physician licensed under chapter 458 or 459, must be an AMDA certified medical director, hold a similar credential from an organization AHCA recognizes, or be seeking one under AHCA rule; AHCA publishes the name on the facility’s provider profile | 400.141(1)(b) |
Florida: 2026 Florida Statutes, Chapter 400 Part II. Federal: 42 CFR Part 483, September 2026.
More in State NHA Exams Explained.
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There are no standing AIT programs to join. The Board approves each AIT on its own: trainee, preceptor, facility and plan (Rules 64B10-16.001 to 16.005). You are looking for a certified preceptor who is administrator of record at a facility willing to train you.
The Board’s preceptor list. The Board’s Resources page links a “Preceptor List for AIT Program” (PDF, dated 25 March 2025). It is a raw licensee export of about 49 pages, not a list of programs, and some entries are marked “NOT PRACTICING”. Use it for names, then confirm certification with the Board.
Seminar providers and associations. The Board’s preceptor page lists three approved providers of the 6-hour preceptor seminar: the Florida Health Care Association (FHCA), LeadingAge Southeast and Management Consulting Services, LLC. They run the preceptor seminar, so they are a sensible place to ask about preceptors.
For the full step-by-step on approaching facilities and preceptors, see How to Find an AIT Preceptor and an Approved Program.
| Exam application | $250 to the Department of Health (Rule 64B10-12.0001(1)) |
|---|---|
| Initial license | $500 (64B10-12.0001(3)), plus a $5 unlicensed activity fee |
| NAB CORE and NHA exams | $480 for the two from 1 February 2026 (was $455), paid to NAB |
| Florida state exam | $260 per NAB’s Candidate Handbook, paid to NAB |
| Reexamination | $250 in the rule (64B10-12.0001(2)); the reexam form lists $250 plus a $190 laws and rules fee |
| AIT application | $255 for the 1,000-hour program, $355 for the 2,000-hour, each including the $5 fee |
| Renewal, every two years | $325 in the rule plus the $5 unlicensed activity fee; the renewals page lists $330 |
| Late renewal | $655 after expiry; $985 once the license is “120 day Notified Delinquent” |
Our estimate with no AIT, using NAB’s handbook figure for the Florida exam: $755 + $480 + $260 = $1,495, plus fingerprinting and coursework. The reexam form adds a $190 laws and rules fee that the rule does not list, and NAB’s handbook gives $260 for the Florida exam, so check the current form. A change to the fee rule was proposed on 10 August 2026 and is not yet in effect.
At your first renewal you need only 2 hours on preventing medical errors and 1 hour on HIV/AIDS (15.001(1); 64B10-11.0011(1)). From your second renewal you need 40 contact hours every biennium (Rule 64B10-15.001(2); F.S. 468.1715(3)):
You also need a one-time, 1-hour human trafficking course (F.S. 456.0341; listed for administrators on the Department’s flhealthsource.gov). Courses come from Board-approved providers (Rule 64B10-15.0021); hours are tracked in CE Broker. The CE rule contains no carryover provision. Domestic violence CE (F.S. 456.031) does not apply to administrators.
Renewal is every two years (F.S. 468.1715(2)). For the cycle ending in 2026, the Board’s renewals page says licenses expire at midnight Eastern Time on 30 September 2026, and lists $330 to renew an active license on time. A license not renewed becomes delinquent, and a delinquent license not renewed by the end of that cycle becomes null and void. If your license is inactive for more than two consecutive biennial cycles, you “may be required to demonstrate the competency to resume active practice”.
Endorsement. Administrators licensed in another state apply through MOBILE, F.S. 456.0145, which 468.1705(1) cross-references. Among the criteria: an active license, a passed national exam or recognized certification, active practice for “at least 2 years during the 4-year period” before applying, and no discipline in the last 5 years (456.0145(2)(a)). You must also pass the Florida laws and rules exam (456.0145(3); Rule 64B10-11.002(3)(a)). The fee is $500 plus $5.
Temporary license. A one-time license while an endorsement application is pending, if you have paid for the next laws and rules exam and worked as a fully licensed administrator for 2 of the last 5 years. It is valid only at the facility named and ends when your exam results are certified (F.S. 468.1705(3); Rule 64B10-11.013).
Provisional license. F.S. 468.1735 allows one for up to 6 months after a sudden vacancy, “as provided by rule”, but the implementing rule, 64B10-11.011, was repealed in May 2010, so ask the Board.
Military. F.S. 456.024 keeps licensees in good standing without fees while on active duty and for 6 months after discharge, if they are not practicing for profit in the private sector; waives the initial application, licensing and unlicensed activity fees for honorably discharged veterans and their spouses (the waiver can be requested up to 6 months before discharge); and expedites licenses for active-duty spouses.
The legal sources for administrator licensure in Florida, the facility law the state exam draws on, and the other sources cited above.
Citations verified September 2026. flrules.org publishes rule text as Word files, so readable copies on Cornell LII are linked and labeled as mirrors. Provided for reference, not legal advice; the current official text governs.
It depends on your route (F.S. 468.1695(3)). With a health care administration degree or the 60 prescribed semester hours, you need either a 650-hour college internship and no AIT, or a 1,000-hour AIT. With a bachelor’s in any field, you need either a 2,000-hour AIT or a year of management experience, which needs no AIT if it was in a skilled nursing facility and 1,000 hours if not.
The NAB Core of Knowledge and NHA Line of Service exams ($480 for the two) and the Florida Nursing Home Administrator Laws and Rules Examination, all scheduled through NAB after Board approval (Rule 64B10-11.002(1)). NAB’s Candidate Handbook lists the state exam at two hours and $260, taken at Pearson VUE.
The Board’s study list names F.S. Chapter 400 Part II and F.A.C. 59A-4 (nursing homes), F.S. Chapter 468 Part II and F.A.C. 64B10 (administrator licensing) and six other chapters; the 2014 outline weighted Chapter 400 Part II and 59A-4 most heavily.
From your second renewal, 40 contact hours every two years, at least 20 of them live, including 2 hours on preventing medical errors. Your first renewal needs only 2 hours on medical errors and 1 hour of HIV/AIDS, and a one-time 1-hour human trafficking course is required (Rule 64B10-15.001; F.S. 456.0341).
Florida has no standing AIT programs: the Board approves each AIT individually, under a certified preceptor who is administrator of record at the training facility. Confirm any name from the Board’s preceptor PDF with the Board.
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