(1) A Florida certified public accountant may request that her or his license be placed in an inactive status by making application to the department. The board may prescribe by rule fees for placing a license on inactive status, renewal of inactive status, and reactivation of an inactive license.

(2) A license that has become inactive under subsection (1) or for failure to complete the requirements in s. 473.312 may be reactivated under s. 473.311 upon application to the department. The board may prescribe by rule continuing education requirements as a condition of reactivating a license. The maximum continuing education requirements for reactivating a license are 120 hours, including at least 30 hours in accounting-related and auditing-related subjects, not more than 30 hours in behavioral subjects, and a minimum of 8 hours in ethics subjects approved by the board, for the reactivation of a license that is inactive or delinquent.

(3) A license that is delinquent for failure to report completion of the requirements in s. 473.312 may be reactivated under s. 473.311 upon application to the department. Reactivation requires the payment of an application fee as determined by the board and certification by the Florida certified public accountant that the applicant satisfactorily completed the continuing education requirements set forth under s. 473.311. If the license is delinquent on January 1 because of failure to report completed continuing education requirements, the applicant must submit a complete application to the board by March 15 immediately after the delinquent period.

(4) Any Florida certified public accountant holding an inactive license may be permitted to reactivate such license in a conditional manner. The conditions of reactivation shall require the payment of fees and the completion of required continuing education.

(5) Notwithstanding the provisions of s. 455.271, the board may, at its discretion, reinstate the license of an individual whose license has become null and void if the individual has made a good faith effort to comply with this section but has failed to comply because of illness or unusual hardship. The individual shall apply to the board for reinstatement in a manner prescribed by rules of the board and shall pay an application fee in an amount determined by rule of the board. The board shall require that the individual meet all continuing education requirements as provided in subsection (2), pay appropriate licensing fees, and otherwise be eligible for renewal of licensure under this chapter.

History.—ss. 12, 25, ch. 79-202; s. 346, ch. 81-259; ss. 17, 18, ch. 81-302; ss. 2, 3, ch. 81-318; s. 3, ch. 83-265; s. 53, ch. 83-329; ss. 7, 10, 11, ch. 85-9; s. 4, ch. 91-429; s. 221, ch. 94-119; s. 348, ch. 97-103; s. 8, ch. 98-340; s. 5, ch. 2001-269; s. 12, ch. 2009-54; s. 4, ch. 2009-69; s. 15, ch. 2009-195; s. 2, ch. 2012-176; s. 4, ch. 2013-167; s. 2, ch. 2014-88; s. 3, ch. 2019-89.