I have a criminal offense record. Will that delay the issuance of my certificate?
Before any certificate is issued by the Bureau of Educator Certification, your fingerprints must be processed by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). If the results of that processing reflect a criminal offense record, the records must be reviewed by Professional Practices Services. Issuance of the certificate is contingent upon the results of that review. Therefore, applicants with a criminal history do have a longer processing time.