A caregiver can buy medical marijuana for a patient and help them use it. This guide covers who qualifies, how the Registry process works, what it costs, and how to keep the caregiver card active.
Before You Start
Who can have a caregiver
Every qualified adult patient may designate a caregiver. A patient under 18 is required to have at least one. Florida law lets a minor’s caregiver, and only the caregiver, buy or give them medical marijuana. A minor patient cannot buy it.
The parent or legal guardian must give written consent through the Consent for Minor Patient form, which the physician submits before the minor starts a card application. A second physician must also agree that the benefits likely outweigh the risks.
Caregiver requirements
A caregiver must
- Be a Florida resident, age 21 or older
- Agree in writing to assist the patient
- Complete the caregiver certification course
- Pass a level 2 background screening, unless the patient is a close relative
- Carry the Registry caregiver ID card whenever holding marijuana or a delivery device
A caregiver must not
- Be a qualified physician
- Work for, or have a financial interest in, a medical marijuana treatment center (MMTC) or a certified testing lab
- Be paid for helping, other than actual expenses incurred
One caregiver, one patient
A caregiver can be registered to only one qualified patient. A patient also generally has only one caregiver. Florida law allows these exceptions:
- A parent or legal guardian caring for more than one minor patient
- A parent or legal guardian caring for more than one adult patient who has an intellectual or developmental disability that prevents self-care without assistance or supervision
- A hospice employee, when every patient is in that hospice and has requested that caregiver
- Patients taking part in a research program at a teaching nursing home under section 1004.4351, Florida Statutes
A minor patient may have more than one caregiver only when those caregivers are the minor’s parents or legal guardians.
Step by Step: Getting the Caregiver Card
1The patient asks their physician to add the caregiver
Contact the patient’s qualified physician and ask to add the caregiver to the patient’s Registry profile.
Give the physician an email address the caregiver checks often. The Registry login details are sent there.
2The caregiver finds the Registry login email
Once the physician enters the caregiver, the OMMU emails the caregiver their Registry login credentials. Use them to sign in at mmuregistry.flhealth.gov.
Check the spam and junk folders for an email from the OMMU before asking for it again.
3Clear the screening requirement
What happens next depends on how the caregiver is related to the patient. Florida defines a close relative as a spouse, parent, sibling, grandparent, child, or grandchild, whether related by whole or half blood, by marriage, or by adoption.
Close relative
- Complete the Close Relative Acknowledgment Form
- Submit it in the Registry, by email to [email protected], or by mail to P.O. Box 7618, Tallahassee, FL 32314
- No background screening is required
- After approval, the OMMU emails that you may apply for the card
Not a close relative
- Email the Caregiver Background Screening Acknowledgment and Information form to [email protected]
- Wait until the OMMU has received it before getting fingerprinted
- Go to a Livescan Service Provider and give the ORI number FL924890Z, ATTN: Caregiver
- After passing, the OMMU emails that you may apply for the card
Livescan providers set their own prices. A level 2 screening typically runs $60 to $85, paid by the caregiver. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has a list of Livescan providers.
An arrest awaiting final disposition for, a guilty finding (regardless of adjudication), or a guilty or no contest plea to an offense under Chapter 837, 895, or 896, or section 435.04(2), Florida Statutes.
4Apply for the caregiver ID card online
Sign in to the Registry, open the Your Card page, upload the required documents, sign electronically, and pay the application fee.
- Photo and residency: The Registry checks the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles database. If your profile matches, your driver license photo and Florida residency are added and approved automatically.
- No match? Permanent adult Florida residents upload a copy of a valid Florida driver license or Florida ID card. The name and address must match your application.
You can mail the caregiver application with a passport-style photo, proof of residency, and a $75 check or money order to Office of Medical Marijuana Use, PO Box 31313, Tampa, FL 33631-3313. Cash is not accepted. The OMMU says online applications are processed significantly faster.
5Wait for approval
Online applications take an average of 10 business days to approve when nothing more is needed. Caregivers who are not close relatives take longer because of the background screening. Check the status in the Registry or call the OMMU helpline at 800-808-9580.
Caregiver certification course
Every caregiver must complete a certification course built into the Registry. It is free, and no other course or exam is required. Florida law requires it to be renewed every two years.
The OMMU offers an optional Caregiver Study Guide to prepare. Reading it does not count as completing the course.
Costs and Keeping Your Card Active
What it costs
| Item | Amount | Who pays |
|---|---|---|
| Caregiver ID card application fee | $75.00 | Caregiver |
| Online payment convenience fee | $2.75 | Caregiver |
| Total when paying online | $77.75 | |
| Level 2 background screening (non-close relatives) | $60 to $85 | Caregiver |
| Fingerprint retention fee (non-close relatives), per year after year one | $6.00 | Caregiver |
| Extra fee if a payment is returned or declined | $15.00 | Caregiver |
| Caregiver certification course | Free |
The caregiver must mail a check or money order to the OMMU for the original application fee plus the $15 service fee.
Renewing every year
A caregiver ID card expires one year after approval, and the date is printed on the front. To keep it active, submit a renewal application with the fee. The OMMU accepts renewals only within 45 days before the expiration date, so do not apply earlier.
Caregivers who already hold a card must complete the background screening requirement before renewing. Submit the acknowledgment form and get fingerprinted first, then renew when the OMMU emails that you may.
- Every yearRenew the caregiver ID card, starting 45 days before it expires.
- Every two yearsComplete the caregiver certification course again.
- Each year (non-close relatives)Pay the $6 fingerprint retention fee. There is no fee for the first year. The OMMU emails reminders 180, 90, and 45 days before it is due.
If the $6 fee is not paid by the due date, the caregiver must submit new fingerprints and complete a new background screening to qualify.
Rules to follow once you are a caregiver
- Carry your Registry caregiver ID card at all times while you hold marijuana or a delivery device.
- You may not receive payment for your help beyond actual expenses.
- Keep your Registry profile current. You can update your phone number and email after logging in, and the Manage Patients tab shows your patient.
- Use the Registry’s Change, Replacement or Surrender Request form if your card needs to be changed, replaced, or surrendered. A $15 processing fee may apply.
Medical marijuana is available in Florida but remains illegal under federal law.
Sources
- OMMU: Caregivers
- OMMU: Caregiver FAQ
- OMMU: Registry Identification Cards
- Section 381.986, Florida Statutes
This guide is for general information and is not legal advice. Requirements and fees can change, so confirm current details with the OMMU.
