Eligibility
Who can apply in Florida
Florida's program is broader than many people expect — full-time residents, seasonal residents, and patients with caregivers can all apply. What no one can do is skip the physician.
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Florida residents
The program is open to Florida residents whose physician determines they have a qualifying condition. For full-time residents, proof of residency is part of the state's registry application — not the physician's evaluation — and the state specifies which documents it accepts. Those requirements belong to the state, which can change them; the official sources on this page carry the current list. What happens at the practice level is simpler: a real evaluation with a Florida qualified physician who reviews your history and decides whether certification is appropriate.
Seasonal residents
You do not need to live in Florida year-round. Seasonal — part-time — residents who reside in the state for at least 31 consecutive days per calendar year may be eligible, subject to the state's documentation requirements. Notice the wording: residency status gets you into the process; it does not certify you. Expect the state to verify evidence of your time in Florida during the registry application, and expect the physician to evaluate your condition the same way as any other patient's. Our seasonal residents guide walks through the practical details.
Adults, minors, and caregivers
Adults apply on their own behalf. Patients under 18 participate only through a caregiver — typically a parent or legal guardian — who is added to the patient's registry application and must hold their own state-issued ID card before purchasing or administering on the patient's behalf. Additional state requirements apply to minors, and those rules are the state's to set. We do not offer legal advice on them; the official sources linked above are the authoritative reference, and our caregivers guide explains the process at a high level.
Qualifying conditions: an overview, not a promise
Florida law enumerates specific qualifying conditions — including cancer, epilepsy, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, PTSD, ALS, Crohn's disease, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, and chronic nonmalignant pain — and also allows physicians to evaluate conditions of the same kind or class as, or comparable to, those listed. Read that the right way: the list defines what a physician may consider, not what gets approved. A listed diagnosis never guarantees qualification. The qualifying conditions page has the full list with per-condition context.
What we cannot decide for you
Three decisions belong to others, and no website form changes that:
- Whether you qualify. Only the evaluating physician decides, after reviewing your history and examining you.
- Whether the state issues your card. The registry application and ID card are the State of Florida's process alone.
- Whether your documents satisfy the state. The state defines acceptable residency and identity documentation.
Our role is to schedule your evaluation, connect you with a qualified physician, and keep the process legible. Nothing on this page — or this site — should be read as a prediction of your outcome. If you want a clear answer about your own situation, the honest route is an evaluation: request one here, or review how the process works first.
Common questions
Not by itself. A diagnosis on Florida's list — or one a physician finds comparable to it — never guarantees qualification. A qualified physician must evaluate you and decide whether certification is appropriate for your situation.
Possibly. Seasonal residents who reside in Florida for at least 31 consecutive days per calendar year may be eligible, subject to state documentation requirements. The state — not the practice — decides which documents it accepts for the registry application.
Minors participate only through a registered caregiver, and additional state requirements apply. We do not provide legal advice on those requirements — confirm them against the official state sources linked on this page and bring your questions to the physician.
No documentation is required to request an appointment. For the visit itself, bring a valid photo ID and whatever the physician asks for — typically records that document your history. The physician, not a checklist, determines eligibility.
The physician alone decides whether to certify you. After any certification, the State of Florida separately reviews the registry application and issues the ID card. This practice cannot decide, predict, or influence either outcome.
Request your evaluation
Tell us how to reach you and we will schedule your physician evaluation. Requesting an evaluation never guarantees certification.
No diagnosis details needed to request an appointment. The state — not this practice — issues registry ID cards.