How to Become a CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) in Florida

Checked against Florida Board of Nursing (Florida Department of Health) · Verified 2026-10-10

Exam: Required
Training: Not required
Term: 2 years
State fee: See state office
Certified by: Florida Board of Nursing (Florida Department of Health)

Take the free CNA practice test →

Who can apply

Meet one of these: finish an approved training program, have a high school diploma or equivalent, or be at least 18 years old. All three paths also require passing the exam.
Pass a Level II background screening with electronic (Livescan) fingerprints, using ORI# EDOH0380Z.
Show basic literacy (state law).

Step by step

Complete an approved training program (or qualify to test without training through the diploma or age-18 path).
Get Livescan fingerprints through an FDLE-approved provider.
Send your exam application and fees to Prometric.
Wait for Board approval; Prometric then schedules your exam (usually within 7 to 14 business days) and emails your admission ticket.
Pass the exam. If you finished an approved program within the past six months you take only the written part; otherwise you take written and skills.
Once the Board approves you, you are certified and listed on the registry.

Official application →

Training and exam

Training: Training is optional if you have a high school diploma/equivalent or are 18+, but required if you fail the exam three times. Approved programs must be at least 120 hours (80 classroom hours by rule, plus 40 clinical hours, 20 of them in a licensed nursing home or long-term care facility), above the 75-hour federal minimum.

Exam: Prometric gives the Florida CNA exam: a 90-minute written test of 60 multiple-choice questions (English, Spanish or oral on request) and a skills test of five skills (three assigned by computer, plus Handwashing and Indirect Care on every test), all five of which must be passed. After three failed attempts you must complete an approved training program before retesting.

Practice for the CNA written exam free — physical care skills, safety & infection control, and the nurse aide role →

What it costs in Florida

Fixed amounts are set by the state. Items marked “your quote” are priced by private sellers, so enter what you’re quoted.

Approved training program tuition (optional with a high school diploma/equivalent or age 18+)$
Livescan fingerprinting (set by the Livescan provider)$
Prometric exam (written only $35 if you finished an approved program in the last 6 months; written + skills $155)$35–$155

Estimated total in Florida$35–$155Plus 1 item with no state-set price. Add your quotes above to complete the total.

Cost details from the state

Prometric exam fees: clinical skills + written $155; written only $35; clinical skills only $120; rescheduling $30.
Livescan fingerprinting: paid directly to the provider; amount varies.
Training tuition varies by program. Federal rule: if a nursing home employs you, or has offered you a job, when you start training, you cannot be charged for the training or its books. If a nursing home hires you within 12 months after you finish, the state must arrange for you to be paid back for training costs (42 CFR 483.152(c)).

Pay in Florida

Before you compare job offers, see what a paycheck takes home in Florida after taxes.

Starting out on an entry-level wage? Check the SNAP income limits in Florida by household size.

How long it takes

The Board of Nursing says Florida law requires initial applications to be reviewed within 30 days; once you are approved, Prometric receives your eligibility within 72 hours and schedules your exam within 7 to 14 business days.

What other sites get wrong about Florida

Myth: You must finish a 120-hour training program before you can take the Florida CNA exam.

Fact: Florida lets you test without training if you have a high school diploma or equivalent or are at least 18. Training becomes required only after three failed exam attempts. source

Staying on the registry

Renewal: Renew every two years (by May 31 of your group's year) for $55 before expiration. Complete 24 in-service hours each biennium in required topics, and you must have done paid nursing-related work within the last 24 consecutive months to stay on the registry.

Good to know in Florida

Transferring from another state: Apply online for licensure by mobile endorsement if you hold an active, unencumbered CNA license elsewhere, worked at least two of the last four years, and have no discipline in the last five years. Electronic fingerprints are required.

Late renewal: Renewing after expiration costs $105, and $160 after a 120-day delinquency notice.

Passing only one exam part: If you passed one part of the exam but not the other within two years, or have nursing training outside an approved program, you apply under route E4 and must pass both the skills and written exams within 2 years of your first passed test date.

Null and void: An unrenewed license goes delinquent after expiration and becomes null and void 2 years after the expiration date. Once null and void, it cannot be reactivated.

Sources

General information, not legal advice. Fees and rules change — confirm with Florida Board of Nursing (Florida Department of Health) before you apply.