Florida Considers Personal Trainer Licensing

On November 11, 2011, a new bill that would require personal trainers to become licensed was submitted to the Florida Senate.

To obtain licensure, Florida’s personal trainers would need to possess a current personal trainer certification from an organization accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies or the Distance Education and Training Council; would need to be CPR and AED certified; and would have to pass an examination administered by the Florida Association of Fitness Examiners. Candidates would then be required to apply and be approved for licensure by the state in order to work legally as personal trainers. Those working without a current license could face first-degree misdemeanor charges, and a business owner who knowingly employed an unlicensed personal trainer could also face charges. If passed, the bill was scheduled to go into effect December 31, 2012.

In December 2011, the act was referred to Regulated Industries; Governmental Oversight and Accountability; and Budget-SJ 82. According to the Florida Senate website, the bill “died in Regulated Industries” on March 9. “This does not mean that the issue is closed,” advises IDEA author Shirley Archer, JD, MA. “That legislator can rewrite the bill and reintroduce it, or another legislator can introduce a different version.”