Florida does not issue a mediator "license," but mediators who handle court-referred cases must hold Florida Supreme Court certification through the Florida Dispute Resolution Center (DRC). 

Without that certification, a mediator cannot conduct court-ordered mediation in any of Florida's 20 judicial circuits.

Private mediators operating outside the court system face no state licensure requirement, though certification remains the professional standard clients and attorneys expect.

Key Takeaways

• Florida uses a certification system, not a license, but court-ordered mediation is legally restricted to Florida Supreme Court-certified mediators under Florida Rules for Certified and Court-Appointed Mediators.
• Five certification tracks exist: County Court, Circuit Court, Family, Dependency, and Appellate — each with distinct training hours and point requirements.
• County court certification requires a high school diploma, 24–30 hours of approved training, and 100 points under the DRC point system.
• Circuit, family, and dependency certification require a minimum of a bachelor's degree, 40+ training hours, mentorship under 2 certified mediators, and 100 total points.

Florida mediators who want access to court-referred caseloads — and the income that comes with it — start by understanding what legally trained mediation specialists must demonstrate before a Florida court will assign them cases.

Is There a Mediator License in Florida?

Florida does not license mediators the way it licenses attorneys or physicians. Any person may call themselves a mediator and offer private dispute resolution services without state approval. 

The distinction that matters legally is certification: only mediators certified by the Florida Supreme Court may conduct court-ordered mediation under Florida Rules of Civil Procedure Rule 1.700 and the Florida Rules for Certified and Court-Appointed Mediators.

The Florida Dispute Resolution Center, housed within the Office of the State Courts Administrator, administers the certification system. 

Applicants must be at least 21 years old, demonstrate good moral character, complete a Florida Supreme Court-approved training program, and accumulate the required points under the DRC's points-based qualification system. 

Lawyers evaluating factors before choosing a mediator consistently rank Florida Supreme Court certification as a primary selection criterion — and understanding what alternative dispute resolution requires at the court level clarifies why that credential carries real legal weight.

What Are the 5 Florida Mediator Certification Tracks?

Florida Supreme Court certification covers five distinct tracks, each tied to a specific court level or case type. Requirements escalate significantly from county court to circuit, family, and dependency certification — all governed by the Florida Rules for Certified and Court-Appointed Mediators. 

County court mediators handle civil disputes up to $50,000 — including landlord-tenant conflicts, small claims cases, and contract disputes — and do not need a law degree or professional license to qualify. Circuit, family, and dependency tracks require substantially more preparation and carry broader caseload authority. 

Practitioners who understand the types of mediation — evaluative, facilitative, and transformative — position themselves for the certification track that matches their practice goals.

What Are the Requirements for County Court Certification?

County court certification is the entry point for most Florida mediators. An applicant must hold at least a high school diploma or GED, be at least 21 years old, and complete a Florida Supreme Court-certified county mediation training program — 24 hours of classroom instruction per the Florida Supreme Court's current standard as of 2026. 

The Mediation Center of Central Florida's 3-day county certification course satisfies that requirement and runs $500 per registrant.

The 100-Point Threshold

All Florida mediator certification tracks — except appellate — require a total of 100 points under the DRC point system. Points are awarded across four categories: education (a high school diploma earns baseline points; a bachelor's degree earns 20 points), mediation training completion, observed mediations, and co-mediated sessions. 

County court applicants must accumulate all 100 points before the DRC processes their application. Mediators who also pursue online dispute resolution cases after certification should confirm their platform meets the Florida Supreme Court standards for remote sessions.

What You Do Not Need

County court certification in Florida does not require a law license, a college degree, or any specific prior professional credential. An applicant with a GED, the required training hours, and observed sessions can qualify. 

As of January 1, 2025, circuit, family, and dependency certified mediators no longer need to complete county court training separately — their existing certification automatically satisfies that requirement.

What Do Circuit and Family Certification Require?

Circuit court and family mediation certification share the same core requirements and represent the highest-volume certification tracks for full-time Florida mediators. 

Circuit court and family certification both require a minimum of a bachelor's degree (worth 20 points toward the 100-point total), completion of a 40-hour Florida Supreme Court-approved training program, and a mentorship period working under at least 2 different certified mediators in the certification area sought. 

Mediators handling divorce mediation cases will typically pursue family certification as their primary track.

The Mentorship Requirement

The mentorship component requires candidates to observe a set number of live mediations and co-mediate under supervision before applying. 

Observations and co-mediations must be of the type for which certification is sought — family mediations count toward family certification, circuit civil sessions toward circuit certification. 

Mentorship sessions with a single mediator do not satisfy the requirement; candidates must work with at least 2 different certified mediators.

Professional License Bonus Points

Applicants currently licensed in psychology, accounting, social work, mental health, healthcare, education, or law in any U.S. jurisdiction receive 5 bonus points toward their 100-point total. 

This bonus applies once, regardless of the number of licenses held. Foreign language proficiency verified by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages Oral Proficiency Test earns an additional 5 points — a meaningful advantage in South Florida's multilingual legal market. 

Mediators handling construction disputes or cross-cultural cases find that language proficiency meaningfully compounds the professional credential bonus.

What Is the Continuing Education Requirement for Florida Mediators?

Florida Supreme Court-certified mediators must complete 16 hours of continuing mediator education (CME) every 2 years to maintain active certification. The requirement applies across all certification tracks, with mandatory components in each renewal period under the DRC Operating Procedures effective November 1, 2021.

County court and circuit court mediators must complete 4 hours of mediator ethics, 2 hours of domestic violence training, and 1 hour of diversity and cultural awareness within every 2-year CME cycle. 

Family and dependency mediators carry a higher domestic violence requirement — 4 hours instead of 2 — reflecting the nature of cases that those tracks handle. 

Appellate mediators follow the CME requirements applicable to their underlying circuit or family certification. Mediators who handle HOA disputes or elder care cases often satisfy diversity and cultural awareness CME hours through those specialized practice areas.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you need a license to be a mediator in Florida? 

Florida does not issue mediator licenses. Any person may offer private mediation services without state approval. Mediators who conduct court-ordered mediation must hold Florida Supreme Court certification through the Dispute Resolution Center — without it, they cannot legally handle cases referred by Florida courts.

What is the difference between a Florida mediator license and certification? 

No mediator license exists in Florida. Certification from the Florida Supreme Court is the operative credential — it authorizes mediators to handle court-referred cases under the Florida Rules for Certified and Court-Appointed Mediators. Private mediators without certification can still practice, but cannot accept court-ordered referrals.

How many hours of training does a Florida mediator need? 

County court certification requires 24–30 hours of Florida Supreme Court-approved training. Circuit court, family, and dependency certification each require 40 hours. Appellate certification requires 7 hours, but only mediators already certified at the circuit or family level may apply.

Do you need a law degree to be a mediator in Florida? 

No. County court mediators need only a high school diploma or GED. Circuit court and family mediators need a bachelor's degree — not a law degree. Attorneys receive 5 bonus points toward the 100-point certification total but hold no exclusive right to any Florida mediator certification track.

What is the Florida DRC point system for mediator certification? 

The Florida Dispute Resolution Center awards points for education, training completion, observed mediations, and co-mediated sessions. County, circuit, family, and dependency certifications all require 100 total points. Professional licenses in law, psychology, accounting, or social work add 5 bonus points once, regardless of credentials held.

How often must Florida-certified mediators complete continuing education? 

Florida Supreme Court-certified mediators must complete 16 hours of continuing mediator education every 2 years. Requirements include 4 hours of ethics, 2 hours of domestic violence training (for county and circuit), 4 hours of domestic violence training (for family and dependency), and 1 hour of diversity and cultural awareness per renewal cycle.

Can a non-attorney become a certified mediator in Florida? 

Yes. Non-attorneys qualify for certification in county, circuit, family, dependency, and appellate courts in Florida. The county court track requires only a high school diploma. Circuit and family tracks require a bachelor's degree in any field. Law licensure earns 5 bonus points but is not a prerequisite for any Florida mediator certification category.

What happens if a Florida mediator's certification lapses? 

A mediator whose certification lapses cannot legally conduct court-ordered mediation in Florida until recertified. If a professional license underlying a family or circuit certification is suspended or revoked, the matter is referred to the Mediator Qualifications Board under the Florida Rules for Certified and Court-Appointed Mediators.

Florida's certification system creates a clear entry path for practitioners with varying levels of background, from a GED holder handling small-claims disputes to a licensed attorney managing complex circuit civil cases.