The ABOCPCP has provisions for persons that are in the military or military spouses. Although the military does not provide military training or award a military occupational specialty license in clinical mental health counseling, if an applicant is a member of the military or military spouse, they may apply for licensure under the following requirements:

A member of the military who is seeking to become licensed as a clinical mental health counselor in Florida shall meet the following criteria:

(1) Has been awarded a military occupational specialty and has done all of the following at a level that is substantially equivalent to or exceeds the requirements for licensure, certification, or registration of the occupational licensing board from which the applicant is seeking licensure, certification, or registration in this State: completed a military program of training, completed testing or equivalent training and experience, and performed in the occupational specialty.

(2) Has engaged in the active practice of the occupation for which the person is seeking a license, certification, or permit from the occupational licensing board in this State for at least two of the five years preceding the date of the application under this section.

(3) Has not committed any act in any jurisdiction that would have constituted grounds for refusal, suspension, or revocation of a license to practice that occupation in this State at the time the act was committed and has no pending complaints.

(4) Repealed by Session Laws 2017-28, s. 3, effective July 1, 2017, and applicable to applications submitted on or after that date.

No later than 30 days following receipt of an application, an occupational licensing board shall notify an applicant when the applicant’s military training or experience does not satisfy the requirements for licensure, certification, or registration and shall specify the criteria or requirements that the board determined that the applicant failed to meet and the basis for that determination.

An occupational licensing board, as defined in G.S. 93B-1, shall issue a license, certification, or registration to a military-trained applicant to allow the applicant to lawfully practice the applicant’s occupation in this State if the military-trained applicant, upon application to the occupational licensing board.