Do I need a Florida HME license if I only ship diabetic or ostomy supplies?

No, if that is all the location supplies. AHCA's rule says locations supplying only diabetic monitors and disposable supplies such as diabetic, ostomy, urological and wound care supplies do not require an HME license (59A-25.002(2)). Adding equipment that needs setup or instruction changes that.

Do out-of-state suppliers need a Florida license?

Yes, if they offer equipment requiring services to Florida consumers (59A-25.002(1)(d)). The out-of-state location must also submit accreditation, or prove non-provisional accreditation within 120 days, or the application is withdrawn (400.931(2)).

How much is the Florida HME license?

$304.50 per location every two years, plus a $400 inspection fee if an inspection is required, as set by Fla. Admin. Code 59A-25.002(3). Background screening costs are separate.

Are pharmacies exempt from Florida's HME license?

Pharmacies licensed under chapter 465 are exempt unless they run a separate company or division in the business of providing home medical equipment and services (400.93(5)).

Florida's Home Medical Equipment Provider License

Florida requires a home medical equipment provider license from the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) for anyone who provides home medical equipment and services to Florida consumers. "A license issued by the agency is required in order to provide home medical equipment and services in this state," and "A separate license is required of all home medical equipment providers operating on separate premises, even if the providers are operated under the same management" (Fla. Stat. 400.93(3)-(4)). The licensing fee is $304.50 every two years per location, plus a $400 inspection fee if one is required (Fla. Admin. Code 59A-25.002(3)).

What counts as home medical equipment in Florida?

More than most suppliers expect. The statute defines home medical equipment to include "any product as defined by the Food and Drug Administration's Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, any products reimbursed under the Medicare Part B Durable Medical Equipment benefits, or any products reimbursed under the Florida Medicaid durable medical equipment program." It names oxygen and respiratory equipment, motorized scooters, personal transfer systems, specialty beds, and manual, motorized or customized wheelchairs with seating and positioning. It "does not include prosthetics or orthotics or any splints, braces, or aids custom fabricated by a licensed health care practitioner" (400.925(6)).

The license attaches to providers of equipment and services. A home medical equipment provider is anyone who sells or rents, or offers to, "any home medical equipment and services" or "home medical equipment that requires any home medical equipment services" (400.925(7)). Services mean "equipment management and consumer instruction, including selection, delivery, setup, and maintenance" in the consumer's residence (400.925(9)). Licensure also reaches anyone who "holds itself out to the public as providing home medical equipment and services or accepts physician orders" for them (400.93(1)).

Does a diabetic, ostomy or urological supplier need the license?

Not if that is all it supplies. AHCA's rule says "Diabetic monitors and disposable supplies, e.g., diabetic, ostomy, urological and wound care supplies have been identified as equipment and supplies that do not require services as defined in Section 400.925(9), F.S.; therefore, locations that supply these items only will not require a HME license" (59A-25.002(2)). The word "only" carries the weight. Add a CPAP, a wheelchair or a hospital bed to the catalog and the location is back in scope. Medicare still requires whatever license each state requires for the items you furnish, so map the full product list before relying on the carve-out.

Who is exempt?

Section 400.93(5) exempts these, unless they run "a separate company, corporation, or division that is in the business of providing home medical equipment and services for sale or rent to consumers":

providers operated by the Department of Health or the federal government;
nursing homes, assisted living facilities serving their residents, home health agencies, hospices, intermediate care facilities and transitional living facilities licensed under chapter 400 or 429;
hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers;
manufacturers and wholesale distributors "when not selling directly to consumers";
licensed practitioners who use equipment in their practice but do not sell or rent it;
pharmacies licensed under chapter 465;
physicians selling or renting electrostimulation equipment and supplies to their own patients.

Does an out-of-state supplier need a Florida license?

Yes, if it offers equipment requiring services to Florida consumers. AHCA's rule lists the locations that need a license, including "Any location out of state that offers to sell or rent home medical equipment requiring services to consumers in Florida" and any location, in state or out, "with sales representatives working in Florida" (59A-25.002(1)(d)-(e)). A call center that takes Florida orders is a licensable location too (59A-25.002(1)(b)).

An out-of-state location has one extra requirement. An applicant "to operate a licensed home medical equipment provider at a location outside the state must submit documentation of accreditation or an application for accreditation" from an organization AHCA recognizes. If accreditation is pending, the applicant must prove accreditation "that is not conditional or provisional within 120 days after the date the agency receives the application for licensure, or the application shall be withdrawn," and must keep it to stay licensed (400.931(2)). See licensing as an out-of-state DME supplier.

What goes into the application?

AHCA uses the Health Care Licensing Application for home medical equipment providers (AHCA Form 3110-1005) plus the general licensing addendum (59A-25.002(3)). The statute and rule add:

Equipment and service reports. The equipment you provide by category (respiratory, ambulation aids, mobility aids, sickroom setup, disposables) and the services you provide (intake, selection, delivery, setup, training, maintenance, retrieval), each marked as direct or by contract, plus a list of everyone you contract with (400.931(1)).
Liability insurance. Professional and commercial liability coverage of at least $250,000 per claim for each location; a corporation may use a blanket policy that shows each licensed location (400.931(3); 59A-25.002(5)).
Financial ability to operate. Initial and change-of-ownership applicants prove it for each location (59A-25.002(4)).
Zoning and local licenses. Proof of local zoning compliance, all applicable county licenses, and a physical location that "cannot be a post office box" (59A-25.002(6)).
Background screening. AHCA requires level 2 background screening for personnel as chapter 408 specifies (400.953).

Once licensed, the provider notifies AHCA when its general manager changes (400.931(4)) and files a change of name or address on AHCA Form 3110-1020 (59A-25.002(7)).

Will AHCA inspect, and does accreditation help?

AHCA inspects for licensure and investigates complaints, and the inspection fee is up to $400 (400.931(6); 400.933(1)). In place of its own periodic licensure inspections, it accepts "The survey or inspection of an accrediting organization, provided the accreditation ... is not provisional" and the provider authorizes release of the report, or a valid medical oxygen retail establishment permit (400.933(2)). A business with a central service center and distribution centers pays the $304.50 fee for each location but only one $400 inspection fee (59A-25.002(3)).

When choosing an accrediting organization, note that the Board of Certification/Accreditation (BOC) said in January 2026 that its restrictions on new accreditation and reaccreditation of suppliers in Florida, California, New York and Texas continue.

Is there a separate oxygen permit?

For in-state oxygen suppliers, yes. Florida's drug and device law requires "A medical oxygen retail establishment permit ... for an entity that is located in the state and that sells or delivers medical oxygen directly to patients in this state," based on a prescription or practitioner's order, and says a licensed pharmacy does not need one (Fla. Stat. 499.83(2)(c)). That permit is issued under chapter 499, separate from AHCA's license. More in licensing to supply medical oxygen.

What happens without a license?

Florida treats unlicensed activity seriously. A violation of the general unlicensed-activity section "is a deceptive and unfair trade practice," and the person "commits a misdemeanor of the second degree," with each day a separate offense (400.93(6)).

How do we help with a Florida license?

Florida is one of our complex states at $899 (pricing): we build the equipment and service reports, the contract list, insurance and financial documents, coordinate the accreditation proof an out-of-state location needs, and track the biennial renewal. Your owner or an officer signs the AHCA application, and you pay AHCA's fees and the screening costs directly. Any online state account stays in your name. The Florida state page summarizes the rules.