How to Become a Certified Mediator in Florida: The 100-Point Path

To become a certified mediator in Florida, you choose one of five certification types, earn 100 points across education, a court-approved training program, and supervised mentorship, pass a criminal background check, and submit your application to the Florida Supreme Court’s Dispute Resolution Center (DRC). Every applicant must be at least 21 years old and show good moral character.¹

Pick Your Certification Type First

The type of certification you pursue drives everything else: the degree you need, the training program you enroll in, how many mentorship hours you log, and the fees you pay. Florida offers five:

County court. Civil disputes within county court jurisdiction, including cases up to $50,000. Only a high school diploma or GED is required, which makes it the most accessible entry point.²
Circuit court. General civil disputes in circuit court, including complex litigation and tort claims. Requires at least a bachelor’s degree.
Family. Custody, parental responsibility, and dissolution of marriage. Bachelor’s degree minimum.³
Dependency. Child welfare matters. Bachelor’s degree minimum.
Appellate. Cases already on appeal. You must already hold a circuit, family, or dependency certification before applying, and you must complete a separate appellate training program.¹

If you already hold a circuit, family, or dependency certification, you can add county court certification without completing another training program. The DRC has a streamlined application for that.⁴

How the 100-Point System Works

Every certification requires 100 total points, divided across three components with different minimums depending on the type you choose.⁵

For county court certification, the minimums are 10 points of education, 30 points of training, and 60 points of mentorship. For family, circuit, and dependency certification, the minimums are 25 points of education, 30 points of training, and 40 points of mentorship.

A bachelor’s degree alone is worth 20 education points, which falls short of the 25-point minimum for family, circuit, and dependency. If you only hold a bachelor’s, you’ll need to close the five-point gap with either documented mediation experience or a graduate certificate in conflict resolution.

What Your Education Is Worth

The DRC assigns fixed point values to each degree level:⁵

Bachelor’s degree: 20 points
Master’s degree: 25 points
Master’s in conflict resolution: 30 points
Doctorate (J.D., Ph.D., M.D., Ed.D., LL.M.): 30 points
Ph.D. from an accredited conflict resolution program: 40 points

You document your education with an official transcript from the issuing institution. Florida Bar members in good standing can submit bar membership verification instead.

Completing a Court-Approved Training Program

Training is worth 30 points and must come from a program specifically certified by the Florida Supreme Court for your chosen certification type. Programs cover conflict resolution techniques, negotiation strategy, and the ethical standards that govern Florida mediators.¹

Programs run at least 30 hours, though many providers offer 40-hour courses for family, circuit, and dependency certification. The DRC maintains a current list of approved providers on its website, organized by certification type.⁶ As of 2025, roughly a dozen approved county and circuit providers operate across the state, but only two approved dependency programs and one approved appellate program. Expect to pay somewhere between $1,300 and $4,000 depending on the provider and certification type.

Submit your full certification application reasonably soon after finishing training. The DRC’s guide recommends applying promptly so your training credentials stay current during review.

The Mentorship Requirement

Mentorship is where most applicants spend the bulk of their post-training time. You earn points two ways:⁵

Observing a mediation session: 10 points per session
Conducting a supervised mediation: 15 points per completed mediation

County court certification demands 60 mentorship points. For example, two observations (20 points) plus two or three supervised mediations (30–45 points) will clear the threshold. Family, circuit, and dependency each require 40 mentorship points.

Several rules shape how you complete this component. You must work with at least two different certified mediators. Every session you observe or conduct must be the same type as the certification you’re seeking, so a family mediation does not count toward circuit certification. When you conduct a supervised mediation, you handle a complete case from start to finish while your supervising mediator observes. Co-mediating with a certified mediator counts only if your supervisor confirms you had a meaningful impact on the process.

Finding mentors is built into the system. Every certified mediator in Florida must allow at least two mentorship observations or supervised sessions per year upon request. Your local court mediation program is usually the easiest place to start.

Background Check and Good Moral Character

Every applicant must pass a criminal background screening. You’ll be fingerprinted electronically through a Livescan provider approved by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, bringing two forms of identification including one with your photo and signature. Results typically come back within three to five business days.¹

The screening verifies good moral character under Rule 10.100. A criminal record is not an automatic bar. The DRC weighs the nature and severity of any offenses, how long ago they occurred, and whether they relate to a mediator’s responsibilities, with particular attention to honesty-related offenses. If you have a conviction that concerns you, contact the DRC before investing in training.

Submit your application promptly after fingerprinting. Background check results expire, and if yours lapse before the DRC processes your application, you’ll pay to be fingerprinted again.

Submitting the Application

Once your training certificate, education documentation, mentorship forms, and fingerprint results are in hand, you compile the full packet and submit it to the DRC.⁴ The packet contains:

The completed application form
An official transcript or Florida Bar membership verification
Your certificate of completion from the approved training program
Signed mentorship forms from each supervising mediator
Fingerprint submission confirmation
Payment of the application and certification fees

Questions during the process can go to the DRC’s Office of Alternative Dispute Resolution at DRCmail@flcourts.gov. The office publishes a continuously updated guide for applicants.

What It Costs

Training is by far the largest line item, running $1,300 to $4,000. Livescan fingerprinting is generally under $100. The DRC charges application and certification fees that vary by category.

Renewal fees give you a sense of what the DRC charges by category, since you’ll pay them every two years for as long as you practice:⁷

County court: $40
Dependency: $100
Family: $150
Circuit court: $150

Appellate is not available as a standalone certification. If you hold multiple certifications, the fees combine. Family and circuit together, for instance, cost $275 per cycle, and all available categories together cost $490. Volunteer county mediators may qualify for a fee waiver through their local mediation program.

Florida does not require mediators to carry professional liability insurance, so that is a business decision rather than a certification requirement.

Keeping Your Certification: Renewal and CME

Every certified mediator must complete 16 hours of continuing mediator education (CME) during each two-year renewal cycle.⁸ Those hours must include training in mediator ethics, diversity and cultural awareness, and domestic violence awareness. Family and dependency mediators face higher domestic violence education minimums than county and circuit mediators.

Fall short at renewal, and the DRC sends written notice giving you a 90-day grace period to finish the hours. Miss that window and your certification lapses.⁸ A lapse of more than 30 days triggers a late penalty of $100 for county mediators or $250 for other categories, on top of the regular renewal fee. You have up to five years to renew a lapsed certification before you lose it permanently.⁷

1
Florida Dispute Resolution Center. How to Become a Certified Mediator in Florida
2
Florida Senate. Florida Statutes Chapter 34 Section 01
3
The Florida Senate. Florida Statutes 44.102 – Court-Ordered Mediation
4
Florida Courts. Mediator Certification Qualifications and Resources
5
Florida Courts. Step by Step Guide – How to Become a Florida Supreme Court Certified Mediator
6
Florida Courts. Certified Mediation Training Providers
7
Florida Courts. Renewal Fee(s) Chart
8
Florida Courts. Mediator Renewal and CME Information