Office of Public and Professional Guardians

A Step-By-Step Guide to the Professional Guardian Registration Process

• Complete the Professional Guardian course. The course is 40 hours in length. You can view current class offerings at CE Broker.
  • FINDING COURSES IN CE BROKER:
    • Under LOCATION select “Florida”
    • Under PROFESSION select “Professional Guardian”
    • Under FILTERS select “Live”
    • Under ALL SUBJECTS select “Initial 40 Hour Course”
    • Leave all the other fields blank to see courses throughout Florida.
• Pass Florida Professional Guardian Examination. Applicants must show competency in guardianship by successfully completing the Florida Professional Guardian Examination. The examination is a comprehensive test consisting of multiple choice questions related to best practices in guardianship of the person and estate.
  • FOR INFORMATION ABOUT SCHEDULED EXAMS visit The MacDonald Research Institute (TMRI) Professional Guardian Examination at this link or call (352) 835-7883 or email at oppgtest.tmri@gmail.com.
• Obtain a copy of your complete credit report. A report from any of the three credit reporting agencies is acceptable. All agencies are required to provide a free report once a year upon request. To order a credit report, visit this link, or call 1-877-322-8228. It must be a complete credit report, not a summary, and show all accounts and payment history.
• Fingerprinting/background check – Applicants must undergo fingerprinting before they can be registered with the OPPG. Fingerprints can be processed locally, go to this link to find a location in your county. A level 2 background screen is required every 5 years.
  • WHEN SCHEDULING APPOINTMENT: Choose “Professional Guardian” as the AGENCY NAME. For the APPLICATION COUNTY, choose the county where the guardian’s primary place of business is located.
• Obtain a $50,000 blanket bond. Contact a bonding company in your area.
• Register with the Office of Public & Professional Guardians. Applicants must complete a registration form available here or call 850-414-2161 to have one mailed. There is a $35.00 registration fee required.
  • We must have your original signature on page 4 of the application, along with the following:
    • Certificate of Completion of the 40-hour Professional Guardian Course
    • Letter indicating passage of the Guardianship Competency Exam
    • $50,000 Blanket Bond
    • Credit History
    • Check for Registration Fee

If you should have any questions regarding OPPG registration, please email: DOEA OPPG Registration at OPPGregistration@elderaffairs.org

Registration Resources

• Professional Guardian Registration Rules 
• Professional Guardian Registration Form (PDF)
• Professional Guardian Training and Continuing Education
• National Guardianship Association and Center for Guardianship Certification Fact Sheet (PDF)

• Chapter 744, Florida Statutes – Florida’s guardianship law 
• Section 393.12, Florida Statutes – Guardian advocacy for persons with developmental disabilities 
• Section 394.4598, Florida Statutes – Guardian advocacy for persons with mental health issues 
• 58M-2 Florida Administrative Code – Regulations and requirements of professional guardians 
• The Florida Probate Rules of Court –Rules governing guardianship proceedings 

• Florida 8-Hour Family Guardianship Course Providers 
• Alternatives to Guardianship 
• What is Guardianship – The Florida Bar 
• Developing Abilities & Restoring Rights – User Guide 
• Developing Abilities – Legal Manual   
• Florida Courts Guardianship web page 
• The Academy of Florida Elder Law Attorneys  
• Guardianship Fraud & Financial Exploitation – 25 Red Flags   
• Lighting the Way to Guardianship and Other Decision-Making Alternatives: A Manual for Individuals and Families 
• Managing Someone Else’s Money: Help for court-appointed guardians of the property in Florida 
• Managing Someone Else’s Money: Help for representative payees and VA fiduciaries in Florida 
• Working Interdisciplinary Network of Guardianship Stakeholders Resource  
• Florida State Guardianship Association 
• Alzheimer’s Disease Initiative 
• Home Care for the Elderly Program under Dept. of Elder Affairs 

Chapter 744, Florida Statutes, requires that the Office of Public and Professional Guardians establish a procedure to review, and if determined legally sufficient, investigate any complaint that a professional guardian has violated the standards of practice established by the Office of Public and Professional Guardians governing the conduct of professional guardians. 

If you would like to submit a complaint via email, please send it to: 

OPPGcomplaints@elderaffairs.org  or by phone, call us at 855-305-3030, or via mail,  

Please send it to: 

Department of Elder Affairs Office of Public and Professional Guardians
Attn: Complaints
4040 Esplanade Way
Tallahassee, FL 32399-7000