How to get a medical marijuana card in Florida

What are the steps to get a medical marijuana card in Florida?

There are six steps. The physician visit is one day, and the state's review of your card application usually takes the longest.

• Check that you are a Florida resident and have the right proof.
• Find out whether your condition may qualify under Florida law.
• Book an in-person exam with a qualified physician.
• If you qualify, the physician enters your certification in the state Registry.
• Apply online for your state ID card and pay the state fee.
• Keep your certification and your card current with renewals.

Do I need to be a Florida resident?

Yes. Florida's program is for Florida residents, including seasonal residents, and you prove it when you apply. Adults prove Florida residency with a valid Florida driver license or Florida ID card. Seasonal residents without one may submit two proof-of-address documents (such as a lease, deed, recent utility bill, or recent government or bank mail). Minors submit a birth certificate or Florida K-12 school record plus a parent or guardian's Florida license or ID.

Bring your Florida driver license or Florida ID card to your first visit. If you are a seasonal resident without one, bring the two proof-of-address documents instead. The rule is in section 381.986(5)(b) of the Florida Statutes.

Which conditions qualify?

Florida law names specific conditions, and a physician decides whether yours fits. Florida law lists: cancer; epilepsy; glaucoma; positive HIV status; AIDS; post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); ALS; Crohn's disease; Parkinson's disease; multiple sclerosis; conditions of the same kind or class as or comparable to those; a terminal condition diagnosed by a physician other than the certifying physician; and chronic nonmalignant pain.

A condition not named in the law can qualify if the physician judges it to be of the same kind or class as, or comparable to, the listed conditions. The physician must send supporting documentation to the state medical board within 14 days. This is a medical judgment, made at your exam, not a box you tick online.

Our qualifying conditions page lists each one with links to what the law says. Bring records if you have them, but you can still book without them.

What happens at the in-person exam?

Your first certification visit must be a physical exam in the same room as the physician. Before an initial certification, the physician must do an in-person physical exam, meaning the physician is physically in the same room as the patient.

At Horizon Releaf, that exam is with a licensed physician at our office at 5340 E 131st Ave, Suite 106, in Temple Terrace. Before the visit, you complete a short medical history and the Florida consent form online.

During the exam, the physician reviews your history, examines you, and talks through the risks and benefits of medical marijuana for your situation, including your other medications. If you do not qualify, the physician tells you why.

• Your Florida driver license or Florida ID card
• Records that describe your diagnosis, if you have them
• A list of your current medications
• Any questions you want answered

Who is allowed to certify me?

Only a qualified physician can certify you, meaning a Florida-licensed physician who has completed the state-required course. Before becoming a qualified physician, and before each medical license renewal, the physician must complete a 2-hour course and exam from the Florida Medical Association or Florida Osteopathic Medical Association.

The law also keeps physicians independent of the businesses that sell marijuana. A qualified physician may not be employed by, or have any direct or indirect economic interest in, a medical marijuana treatment center or testing lab. A patient may have an active certification from only one qualified physician at a time; the physician checks the Registry before certifying.

What is the Medical Marijuana Use Registry?

The Registry is the state's database of certified patients, caregivers and their physicians' orders. Its full name is the Medical Marijuana Use Registry (MMUR), run by the Florida Department of Health, Office of Medical Marijuana Use.

If you qualify, the physician enters your certification in the Registry. That entry is what makes you eligible to apply for your ID card, and it is what treatment centers check when you buy.

Your personal identifying information in the Registry is confidential and exempt from Florida's public records law under section 381.987 of the Florida Statutes. Access is limited to specific groups named in that law, such as treatment centers verifying a certification and physicians treating you.

How do I apply for the state ID card?

You apply for the card yourself, online in the Registry, after your physician enters you. After the physician enters you in the Registry, you apply online in the Medical Marijuana Use Registry (or by mail) with a photo, proof of Florida residency, an e-signature, and the $75 fee. Online applications average about 10 business days to approve. Since July 27, 2026, you can only apply or renew if you have a current or scheduled certification with open orders in the Registry.

The state fee is paid to the Florida Department of Health, not to Horizon Releaf: $75, paid to the Florida Department of Health (plus a $2.75 convenience fee when paying online). You pay it only if you qualify and apply.

Use a clear, recent photo and check that your name and address match your proof of residency before you submit.

What happens after my card is approved?

Once your card application is approved, you can buy from a licensed medical marijuana treatment center, within the orders your physician entered. We do not recommend or refer to any particular treatment center.

Your certification sets limits on type, amount and time. One certification may cover no more than three 70-day supply limits (about 210 days), or six 35-day supply limits for marijuana in a form for smoking. Keep your card information handy when you visit a treatment center.

How do renewals work?

There are two separate renewals: your physician's re-evaluation and your yearly state card renewal. The re-evaluation is required on a set schedule: at least once every 30 weeks.

One year. The state ID card must be renewed every year; the renewal application can be sent starting 45 days before the card expires. Since the state now only accepts card applications from patients with an active certification that has open orders, keep your re-evaluation current first.

Renewals can be easier than the first visit. Telehealth is allowed only for renewals: a physician who already certified the patient after an in-person physical exam may do that patient's later exams and re-evaluations by telehealth. At Horizon Releaf, existing patients can renew by telehealth.

Can a minor get a medical marijuana card in Florida?

Yes, but with extra safeguards. Patients under 18 can qualify, but a second physician must agree that the benefits likely outweigh the risks, a parent or guardian must give written consent, and only a registered caregiver may buy or give the marijuana.

Smokable forms have a stricter rule for minors. Smokable marijuana cannot be certified for a patient under 18 unless the patient has a terminal condition, the physician finds smoking the most effective route, and a second physician who is a board-certified pediatrician agrees, with the parent or guardian's written informed consent.

If you are asking for a child, tell us when you book so we can explain what the law requires before the visit.

How does a caregiver get registered?

A caregiver is an adult who is registered to help a patient buy and use medical marijuana. A caregiver must be a Florida resident age 21 or older, agree in writing to help, complete a state caregiver course (renewed every two years), pass a background screening unless a close relative of the patient, hold a caregiver ID card, and generally assist only one patient. A caregiver cannot be a qualified physician or have ties to a dispensary, and may not be paid beyond actual expenses.

The caregiver must be added to the Registry and then submit their own caregiver application for a caregiver ID card. A registered caregiver is required for patients under 18.

Are there other rules to know before the visit?

Yes, a few. A physician may not certify marijuana, other than low-THC cannabis, for a patient who is pregnant. Health insurers and government agencies are not required to reimburse any expenses for the medical use of marijuana, and marijuana is not reimbursable under Florida workers' compensation.

Travel is the other common question. Florida does not accept out-of-state medical marijuana cards. Other states set their own rules for visitors, so check with any state you plan to visit.

How much does the whole process cost?

At Horizon Releaf, the initial in-person evaluation is $85, down from $130. The state card fee is separate: $75, paid to the Florida Department of Health (plus a $2.75 convenience fee when paying online).

Renewal visits are $85, and returning-patient discounts apply from your second visit with proof of eligibility. See our cost page for a full first-year breakdown.