How to Get a Florida Medical Marijuana Card via Telehealth

You can get a Florida medical marijuana card through telehealth only for renewals, not for your first certification. The initial evaluation has to happen face to face with a qualified physician; every re-evaluation after that can be done by video. House Bill 387, signed in 2023, amended Section 381.986 of the Florida Statutes to allow video renewals once your physician has examined you in person and entered your certification into the state registry.¹

The First Visit Has to Be In Person

The statute is specific about what “in-person physical examination” means: your physician has to be physically present in the same room as you, not on a screen.¹ There is no exception for patients who held a medical marijuana card in another state, and no workaround for your first certification.

Once that initial exam is done and your physician has entered you into the Medical Marijuana Use Registry, the in-person requirement is behind you. From that point on, telehealth is on the table.

How Telehealth Renewals Work

Follow-up evaluations can happen through telehealth as defined under Florida’s telehealth statute, Section 456.47.¹ In practice, that’s a secure video call where your physician reviews your symptoms, adjusts your approved forms or dosage if needed, and issues a new certification in the registry. The clinical standards are the same as an office visit.

Your physician must re-evaluate you at least once every 30 weeks before issuing a new certification.² That works out to about seven months. Miss that window and your certification lapses, which means no dispensary access until you’re evaluated again. Note the date of your last certification and book your telehealth renewal before the 30 weeks run out.

Whether You Qualify

Florida law lists the conditions that qualify a patient for medical marijuana:³

Cancer
Epilepsy
Glaucoma
HIV/AIDS
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
Crohn’s disease
Parkinson’s disease
Multiple sclerosis
A terminal condition diagnosed by a physician other than the one issuing your certification

The statute also includes a catch-all for conditions “of the same kind or class” as those named, which gives your physician room to certify you for other chronic or debilitating conditions if they document the reasoning.³ Chronic pain, anxiety, and migraines are commonly certified under this provision.

If you are pregnant, a physician cannot certify you for anything other than low-THC cannabis, and they are required to determine and document your pregnancy status before issuing any certification.¹

What to Have Ready for the Evaluation

The paperwork is the same whether the visit is in person or over video. You need proof of Florida residency. A Florida driver license or state ID is the easiest. Seasonal residents without a Florida ID must submit two supporting documents, such as a utility bill, lease, or bank statement.⁴

You also need medical records from a primary care provider or specialist documenting your qualifying condition. The physician cannot certify you on your self-report alone. They are required to review your controlled substance prescription history through Florida’s prescription drug monitoring database and confirm you don’t already have an active certification from another physician.¹ Showing up without your records is the fastest way to waste the appointment fee.

Most clinics send digital intake forms ahead of the appointment. Fill them out completely and check that dates and provider names match your records; administrative errors during intake are a common reason for delays.

What It Costs

The state charges a $75 application fee for your Medical Marijuana Use Registry identification card.⁵ Paying online adds a $2.75 convenience fee. A declined or returned payment triggers an extra $15 service fee, and you’ll have to resubmit by mail.⁴

Separately, you pay the physician for the evaluation. Initial visits typically run $75 to $150, and telehealth renewals are usually less. These fees are not set by the state and vary by clinic, so it’s worth comparing. All in, first-time patients usually spend $150 to $225 combining the physician fee and the state card fee. Insurance does not cover medical marijuana evaluations.

Finishing the Application in the Registry

After your physician enters your certification, you finish the application yourself through the state portal at MMURegistry.FLHealth.gov.⁶ The steps:

Confirm the personal information your physician entered is accurate.
Provide a photo. Pulling your existing photo from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles is fastest. Uploading your own passport-style photo takes longer, and one that doesn’t meet the format requirements will bounce the application back.
Verify residency, either by letting the system pull data from FLHSMV or by uploading proof.
Electronically sign the disclosures and submit.
Pay the $75 fee by credit card, debit card, eCheck, or mail-in check or money order. Cash is not accepted.⁴

Online applications average 10 business days for approval; paper applications take longer.⁴ Once you’re approved, the state emails a temporary verification you can print and use with a photo ID at a licensed dispensary while the physical card is in the mail.⁵

Two Renewal Cycles to Track

Florida’s program runs on two separate renewal clocks, and patients regularly confuse them. Your physician certification expires after 30 weeks and is renewed through a re-evaluation, which can happen by telehealth.² Your registry identification card expires annually and requires its own renewal application with another $75 fee.

You can file the card renewal up to 45 days before it expires, online through the registry or by mail. On a paper application, check the “Renewal Application” box.⁴ If either the certification or the card lapses, you lose dispensary access until you’re current again. Set calendar reminders for both dates the moment your initial approval comes through.

1
Florida Senate. Florida Statutes 381.986 – Medical Use of Marijuana
2
Online Sunshine. The 2025 Florida Statutes – Section 381.986
3
Office of Medical Marijuana Use. Patients
4
Office of Medical Marijuana Use. Registry Identification Cards
5
Legal Information Institute. Florida Administrative Code R. 64-4.011 – Medical Marijuana Use Registry Identification Cards
6
Office of Medical Marijuana Use. Patient Application Instructions