Florida

General Information on Florida Professional Geologist Licenses

Does state provide a license: Yes

Current Active Licensees

Title Licensees
Geologist 2187

License: Professional Geologist

Exam Entity: ASBOG

Licensing Board: Florida Board of Professional Geologists

Licensing Board Website: http://www.myfloridalicense.com/DBPR/geologists/

Continuing Education and Experience

Degree required:

Minimum degree level required to licensure as specified by the state regulations. ‘Other’ indicates that minimum education requirements must be met that are considered equivalent to a college degree, or minimum experience requirements must be met. See notes and applicable state laws and regulations for complete information.

  • Bachelor’s Degree

Majors accepted:

Majors defined in the state regulations as acceptable to obtain a professional geologist or geoscientist license, or for the specified environmental professional license in states without a PG license.

  • Geology
  • Related Geological Sciences

Courses required:

  • Not specified

Courses accepted:

  • Paleontology
  • Other
  • Structural Geology
  • Economic Geology
  • Petrology
  • Geochemistry
  • Sedimentology
  • Stratigraphy
  • Hydrogeology
  • Historical Geology
  • Optical Mineralogy
  • Mineralogy
  • Geophysics
  • Physical Geology

Geology credits required: 30

Minimum number of semester hours in relevant course work required for licensure. Thirty (30) semester hours = forty-five (45) quarter hours; twenty-four (24) semester hours = thirty-six (36) quarter hours.

Credit information: Satisfactory completion of at least 30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours of geological coursework are required. A typical listing would include most of the subject areas in the accepted courses category. See state regulations for specific guidance.

Education Notes: See the state regulations for a complete explanation of the education requirements for licensure. Other specialized courses may be used to complete the total, but may not be used in abundance to substitute for the basic listing as described above. Where some question concerning a course submitted as qualifying as a geology course exists, the Board will utilize the contents of similar courses offered within the Florida State University System for evaluation. It is the applicant’s responsibility to submit documentation, including a course syllabus, university catalog copy, or evaluation by a qualified geologist familiar with the course, for any course offered as a geology equivalent that needs additional explanation.

Years of experience required: 5

Experience credits needed: 0

Experience information: The applicant must have at least 5 years of verified professional geological work experience, which includes a minimum of 3 years of professional geological work under the supervision of a licensed or qualified geologist or professional engineer registered under chapter 471 as qualified in the field or discipline of professional engineering work performed; or has a minimum of 5 accumulative years of verified geological work experience in responsible charge of geological work as determined by the board.

Continuing education requirements: No

Geologist in Training license available: Yes

Can take Fundamentals of Geology test before graduation: Yes

Fundamentals of Geology test details: FG exam may be taken in senior year. If FG exam is taken in senior year, applicant must have completed at least 30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours of geological coursework, and must submit a Letter of Good Standing to college or university. If claiming credit for a course that does not contain the word “Geology” in the title, submit a syllabus, catalog or other material from the university that indicates the course’s relation to Geology.

Legal Code Reference for GIT, FG: The Florida Statutes 492.1051 and Application

Sunset and Audit Legislation Information

Most registration and licensure systems include structural approaches to review both the need and operational effectiveness of the process.

Some states provide formal sunset evaluation processes for their licensure programs. Many also include a periodic audit process of the licensure program/agency, which can range from cursory financial reviews to comprehensive evaluation of program effectiveness.

The audit process is often leveraged when political pressure is applied to eliminate geologist licensure, so awareness of the history and codes for audits and sunset evaluations is critical to montioring the health of the licensure within the state.

Current modes for sunsetting evaluation: Audit

License subject to sunset review: No

License subject to audit review: No

Current law to establish new licensure board: Yes

Sunset regulation name: None identified

Sunset statute: Executive Order 11-211

Sunset statute reference: https://www.floridahasarighttoknow.myflorida.com/content/download/132350/823571/EO_11_211_October_2011.pdf

Sunset committee: Office of Fiscal Accountability and Regulatory Reform (OFARR)

Composition of sunset committee: See audit and sunset history

Sunset committee website: https://www.floridahasarighttoknow.myflorida.com/regulation_rulemaking

Sunset duration: See audit and sunset history

Other sunset references: The Florida Legislature’s Office of Program Policy Analysis & Government Accountability (OPPAGA) (2006-2011, disbanded)

Other sunset references website: http://www.oppaga.state.fl.us/shell.aspx?pagepath=sunset.htm

Auditor name: Florida Auditor General

Auditor website: https://flauditor.gov/

Audit statute: Florida Statutes, Title III. Legislative Branch; Commissions, Chapter 11. Legislative Organization, Procedures, and Staffing, Section 11.45 Definitions; duties; authorities; reportes; rules.

Audit Statute abbreviation: Florida Statutes, Title III. Legislative Branch; Commissions, Chapter 11. Legislative Organization, Procedures, and Staffing, Section 11.45 Definitions; duties; authorities; reportes; rules. Section 41-5A-1

Audit statute link: http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0000-0099/0011/Sections/0011.45.html

Audit legislation committee: Office of Fiscal Accountability and Regulatory Reform (OFARR)

Audit legislation committee website: https://www.floridahasarighttoknow.myflorida.com/regulation_rulemaking

Audit notes: OFARR reviews proposed and existing rules to ensure they do not: unnecessarily restrict entry into a profession or occupation; Adversely affects job creation or job retention; Place unreasonable restrictions on individuals attempting to find employment; Impose unjustified costs on business; Impose unjustified overall cost or economic impact to consumers; or Contravene statutory rulemaking directives.

Audit reference: Guide to Audits

Audit reference website: https://flauditor.gov/pages/pdf_files/audit%20guide%20pamphlet.pdf

Sunset and Audit Legislation History

Year Action Notes
1976 Sunset law created The Regulatory Reform Act was created by Chapter 76-168 and SB 1238 of 1977.
1979 Sunset law amended The sunset reviews under the Regulatory Reform Act were delayed until process issues were resolved.
1982 Sunset law repealed The Regulatory Reform Act underwent several court challenges and was repealed.
1988 Practice regulation Florida began to administer licensing for Professional Geologists.
1999 ASBOG The first ASBOG exam was administered.
2006 Sunset law created The Government Accountability Act was created by Ch. 2006-146, Laws of Florida.
2007 Sunset law amended The Government Accountability Act was modified by 2007-161.
2011 Sunset law repealed The Government Accountability Act was repealed.
2011 Executive order Executive Order (EO) 11-01, EO 11-72 and EO-211 were administered. The executive orders created the Office of Fiscal Accountability and Regulatory Reform (OFARR).
2017 Legislative bill In March 2017 house bill (HB) 7047 was filed, titled “Deregulation of Professions and Occupations.” Professional Geologists were included in the bill.
2017 Legislative bill In May 2017 HB 7047 was indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration.
2017 Legislative bill In September 2017 HB 15 was filed, titled “Deregulation of Professions and Occupations.” Professional Geologists were included in the bill.
2018 Legislative bill In March HB 15 was indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration.