One Supervision Rule, Three Intern Tracks
The Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling (the Board) licenses three registered-intern tracks: Registered Mental Health Counselor Intern (RMHCI), Registered Marriage and Family Therapy Intern (RMFTI), and Registered Clinical Social Worker Intern (RCSWI). Each track has its own clinical-experience details, covered in our Florida LMHC requirements and Florida LCSW requirements guides, but the supervision rule itself, 64B4-2.002, F.A.C., is one shared rule text that applies to all three (64B4-2.001, -2.002).
That means the hour total, the rate floor, the individual and group definitions, the alternation rule, and the electronic-supervision limits below read the same whether the registered intern is working toward an LMHC, an LMFT, or an LCSW. The one difference between tracks is who qualifies to supervise, covered further down.
A Total and a Rate, Both Required
Supervision is governed by two separate numbers, and both have to clear on their own. The total is at least 100 hours of supervision, accrued in no less than 100 weeks (64B4-2.001(1)(b); 64B4-2.002(1)(a)). The rate is at least 1 hour of supervision every two weeks (64B4-2.002(1)(c)).
| Requirement | Value | Rule Cite |
|---|---|---|
| Supervision total | 100 hours minimum | 64B4-2.002(1)(a) |
| Minimum duration | No less than 100 weeks | 64B4-2.001(1)(b) |
| Supervision rate | At least 1 hour every 2 weeks | 64B4-2.002(1)(c) |
Taken alone, the every-two-weeks rate produces an arithmetic result that falls short of the total: 100 weeks at 1 hour every two weeks works out to 50 hours (100 / 2 = 50), which is well under the separate 100-hour requirement (64B4-2.002(1)(a)). That is arithmetic, not a second rule. To reach 100 hours of supervision across the same 100 weeks, an intern and supervisor need to average close to 1 hour a week, not the every-two-weeks floor.
What Counts as Individual, What Counts as Group
Florida splits supervision into two forms by headcount. Individual supervision is one qualified supervisor working with no more than 2 registered interns. Group supervision is one qualified supervisor working with more than 2 but no more than 6 interns, and every intern in a group session has to be present in person (64B4-2.002(4)). There is no electronic or remote version of the group definition; the in-person requirement attaches to the group itself, separate from the electronic-supervision rules below.
Group Supervision Alternates Hour for Hour, Not by Percentage
Whenever a registered intern uses group supervision, each hour of it has to alternate with an hour of individual supervision (64B4-2.002(4)). That is a 1-for-1 pairing. Florida does not cap group supervision at a percentage of the total the way some other rule sets do; the requirement is the alternation itself, not a ceiling to stay under.
This is a pairing rule, not a percentage cap. There is no maximum share of group supervision written into 64B4-2.002(4). What is required is that a group hour and an individual hour alternate, one for one, whenever group supervision is part of the schedule.
In practice, a supervisor and intern meeting weekly can put the rule into effect directly on the existing calendar. Week one is a group session with the rest of the interns. Week two is an individual session with the same supervisor. Week three returns to group, week four to individual. Across those four weeks, two group hours are matched by two individual hours, on the same once-a-week cadence already in place, without adding sessions beyond it.
The First In-Person Meeting, the 50% Floor, and the Override
Electronic supervision is allowed, but three conditions apply in order. First, the supervisor and intern have to hold at least one in-person meeting before any electronic supervisory method is used (64B4-2.002(3)). Second, once electronic methods are in play, in-person contact still has to make up at least 50 percent of the supervisory interactions the rule requires (64B4-2.002(3)). Third, that 50 percent floor lifts only if the supervisor determines that a fully electronic arrangement, including by telephone, is necessary for health, safety or welfare (64B4-2.002(7)).
The 50 percent floor applies to the whole supervisory relationship, not to any single session. An occasional electronic session is consistent with the rule as long as the overall mix across the relationship stays at least half in-person, unless the health, safety or welfare override applies.
The 25-Intern Cap, and No Stated Cap the Other Way
One qualified supervisor cannot take on more than 25 registered interns at the same time (64B4-2.002(5)). Florida states no cap on the other side of the relationship: nothing in Rule 64B4-2.002 limits how many supervisors a registered intern may have at once.
Who Cannot Be a Registered Intern's Supervisor
Rule 64B4-2.003 rules out supervision by the applicant's current or former therapist, parents, current or former spouse, siblings, children, current or former employees, anyone in the applicant's household, and anyone in a current or former romantic, sexual, domestic or familial relationship with the applicant.
The direction matters: it is the applicant's own employees who are barred from supervising, not the applicant's employer. Being supervised by the person who employs you is not, on its own, a prohibited relationship. A supervisor is also not treated as the applicant's employee if the only compensation that supervisor receives is payment for the actual supervisory hours (64B4-2.003).
What a Qualified Supervisor Has to Document and Report
Rule 64B4-2.0025(5) puts a set of recordkeeping and reporting duties on the qualified supervisor. Supervision has to be documented on Form DH-MQA 5078, the Supervision Log (5/2023), with the intern given access to a copy. If either party acts outside the scope of practice or violates a standard of care, the supervisor has to report it to the Board within 7 days.
When a supervision relationship ends, the supervisor completes and submits the DH-MQA 1181 verification form to the Board within 7 days after that relationship ends (64B4-2.0025(5)(g); adopted by 64B4-3.0015), and separately notifies the Board that the relationship has ended, also within 7 days (64B4-2.0025(5)(j)).
Who Qualifies as a Supervisor, by Track
The experience a supervisor needs is the one place the three tracks diverge, and the LCSW track sets a shorter bar than the other two.
| Track | Supervisor Credential | Experience Required | Rule Cite |
|---|---|---|---|
| LMHC (RMHCI) | LMHC, or equivalent | 5 years, up to 2 during the supervisor's own internship, at least 3 post-licensure | 64B4-31.007 |
| LMFT (RMFTI) | LMFT, or equivalent | 5 years, up to 2 during the supervisor's own internship, at least 3 post-licensure | 64B4-21.007 |
| LCSW (RCSWI) | LCSW, or equivalent | 4 years, up to 2 during the supervisor's own internship, at least 2 post-licensure | 64B4-11.007 |
For the LMHC track only, a licensed psychologist can also qualify as a supervisor through an alternate path: 3 years of psychotherapy experience and at least 750 hours a year of direct client contact (64B4-31.007(1)(d)).
Supervision Continues Until the License Arrives
A registered intern has to remain under supervision until a license to practice the profession arrives, or until a letter from the Department confirms licensure, whichever comes first (64B4-3.008(1); s. 491.0045(3), F.S. separately requires supervision throughout registered intern status). Passing the national exam or finishing the hour count does not, by itself, end the supervision requirement.
Registration itself runs on a fixed term, separate from the supervision rules above. For what happens if the hours are not finished by then, see the 60-month registered intern limit. For the paperwork that starts a registration in the first place, see the registered intern application.
Common Mistakes on the Supervision Requirement
These errors show up across all three intern tracks, since they all read the same supervision rule.
Treating the every-two-weeks rate as the whole requirement
The rate is a floor, not a total. A schedule that only meets the minimum frequency lands at 50 hours over 100 weeks, well short of the separate 100-hour total.
Logging group hours without a matching individual hour
Group supervision has to alternate hour for hour with individual supervision. It is not a percentage cap, and there is no maximum group share to stay under instead.
Assuming the 50% in-person floor applies to each session
The floor applies to the whole supervisory relationship, not to any single meeting. An occasional electronic session is fine as long as the overall mix stays at least half in-person.
Writing the employer's name where the employee restriction applies
The prohibited relationship runs one direction: an applicant's own employees cannot supervise them. Being supervised by the person who employs you is not, on its own, barred.
Letting a supervisor sit on the DH-MQA 1181 past the 7-day deadline
The form is due within 7 days after that supervision relationship ends. A late filing can hold up an otherwise-complete licensure file.
Assuming no cap exists on a supervisor's caseload
A qualified supervisor is capped at 25 registered interns at once, even though there is no stated cap on how many supervisors a single intern may have.
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Related Florida Registered Intern Guides
What Is an RMHCI in Florida
The registration itself: title, scope, and how it leads to the LMHC.
Florida LMHC Requirements
The full RMHCI experience and exam requirements, hour by hour.
Florida LCSW Requirements
The full RCSWI experience, coursework, and exam requirements.
The Registered Intern Application
Filing DH-MQA 1175 for any of the Board's three intern tracks.
The 60-Month Registered Intern Limit
What happens at expiration, and the paths out.
DH-MQA 1181 Verification of Clinical Experience
What the form collects, section by section, and who files it.
FAQ: Florida Registered Intern Supervision Requirements
How many supervision hours does a Florida registered intern need?▾
At least 100 hours, accrued in no less than 100 weeks (64B4-2.001(1)(b); 64B4-2.002(1)(a)). That total works the same way for RMHCI, RMFTI and RCSWI interns, since all three tracks share the same supervision rule. Alongside the total, Florida sets a rate floor of at least 1 hour of supervision every two weeks (64B4-2.002(1)(c)). Meeting the rate alone, without tracking toward the 100-hour total, will not satisfy the requirement on its own.
What counts as individual versus group supervision in Florida?▾
Individual supervision is one qualified supervisor working with no more than 2 registered interns. Group supervision is one qualified supervisor working with more than 2 but no more than 6 interns, and everyone in a group session has to be present in person (64B4-2.002(4)). There is no remote group supervision under this definition; the in-person requirement applies to the group itself.
Does group supervision have to alternate with individual supervision in Florida?▾
Yes. Whenever a registered intern uses group supervision, each hour of it has to alternate with an hour of individual supervision (64B4-2.002(4)). That is a 1-for-1 pairing, not a percentage cap. An intern logging group hours without matching individual hours has not met the rule, no matter how small the group share looks on paper.
Can Florida registered intern supervision happen electronically?▾
Partly. The supervisor and intern have to hold at least one in-person meeting before using any electronic supervisory method (64B4-2.002(3)). After that first meeting, in-person contact still has to account for at least 50 percent of the supervisory interactions the rule requires, unless the supervisor determines that a fully electronic arrangement, including by telephone, is necessary for health, safety or welfare (64B4-2.002(7)).
Who can be a qualified supervisor for a Florida LMHC intern?▾
An LMHC in good standing, or the equivalent, qualifies after 5 years of clinical experience, up to 2 of which may fall during the supervisor's own post-master's internship, with at least 3 years earned post-licensure (64B4-31.007). A licensed psychologist can also supervise an RMHCI through an alternate path: 3 years of psychotherapy experience and at least 750 hours a year of direct client contact (64B4-31.007(1)(d)).
Who can be a qualified supervisor for a Florida LCSW intern?▾
An LCSW in good standing, or the equivalent, qualifies after 4 years of clinical social work experience, up to 2 of which may fall during the supervisor's own internship, with at least 2 years earned post-licensure (64B4-11.007). That is a shorter experience requirement than the 5 years required of LMHC and LMFT supervisors.
How many interns can one supervisor in Florida have at once?▾
A qualified supervisor cannot take on more than 25 registered interns at the same time (64B4-2.002(5)). Florida does not state a cap on the other side of that relationship: nothing in the rule limits how many supervisors a registered intern may have at once.
More Florida guides
For the Board's other guides and the rest of the cluster, see all Florida guides.
Requirements verified against Chapter 491, F.S. and Rule Chapter 64B4, F.A.C., as adopted by the Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling and current as of September 2026. Statutes and rules can change. Always confirm current requirements at floridasmentalhealthprofessions.gov before making decisions about your licensure path. This guide is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or professional advice.