Inactive status.

(1) A license which has become voluntarily inactive may be renewed pursuant to s. 475.182 upon application to the department. The commission shall prescribe by rule continuing education requirements, not to exceed 12 classroom hours for each year the license was inactive, as a condition of renewing a voluntarily inactive license. The commission shall substitute for such continuing education requirements, on a classroom-hour-for-classroom-hour basis, any satisfactorily completed education course approved in the manner specified in s. 475.182(1). A person whose license is voluntarily inactive and who renews the license may elect to continue her or his voluntarily inactive status.

(2)(a) A licensee may reactivate a license that has been involuntarily inactive for 12 months or less by satisfactorily completing at least 14 hours of a commission-prescribed continuing education course. Notwithstanding the provisions of s. 455.271, a licensee may reactivate a license that has been involuntarily inactive for more than 12 months but fewer than 24 months by satisfactorily completing 28 hours of a commission-prescribed education course.

(b) Any license that has been involuntarily inactive for more than 2 years shall automatically expire. Once a license expires, it becomes null and void without any further action by the commission or department. Ninety days prior to expiration of the license, the department shall give notice to the licensee. The commission shall prescribe by rule a fee not to exceed $100 for the late renewal of an involuntarily inactive license. The department shall collect the current renewal fee for each renewal period in which the license was involuntarily inactive in addition to any applicable late renewal fee.

(3) The commission shall adopt rules relating to voluntarily inactive and involuntarily inactive licenses, and for the renewal of such licenses.

(4) The commission may reinstate the license of an individual whose license has become void if the commission determines that the individual failed to comply because of illness or economic hardship, as defined by rule. The individual must apply to the commission for reinstatement within 6 months after the date that the license becomes void. Such individual must meet all continuing education requirements prescribed by law, pay appropriate licensing fees, and otherwise be eligible for renewal of licensure under this section.