Florida Certified Addiction Professional (CAP) and Master’s Level Addiction Professional (MCAP) Initial Certification (350 hours)

Florida’s substance use credentials are overseen by the Florida Certification Board (FCB). The CAC (Certified Addiction Counselor) is the foundational credential: 300 training hours, work experience scaled to your degree (6,000 hours with a high school diploma down to 2,000 hours with a related master’s), and a passing IC&RC ADC exam. The CAP (Certified Addiction Professional) and MCAP (Master’s-Level CAP) are advanced credentials that build on a bachelor’s or master’s degree.

The CAC is Florida’s entry credential — open to high school graduates and using the IC&RC ADC exam. The CAP requires a related bachelor’s degree, 4,000 work hours at the Tier II level, and a passing CAP exam. The MCAP requires a master’s degree in counseling, psychology, or social work, 4,000 work hours, and a passing MCAP exam. CAP and MCAP are FCB-specific credentials, not IC&RC reciprocal.

The CAC requires a passing score on the IC&RC Alcohol and Drug Counselor (ADC) examination — a 150-question, 3-hour computer-based exam covering four performance domains (screening/assessment, treatment planning, counseling, professional ethics). It is portable across IC&RC member states. The CAP requires the CAP examination — an FCB-developed exam covering Florida’s nine training domains. The MCAP requires the MCAP examination, also FCB-developed and aligned with master’s-level performance domains.

Florida’s CAC requires 300 hours of FCB-approved training across four performance domains: scientific principles of substance use, evidence-based screening and assessment, evidence-based treatment and counseling, and professional/ethical/legal responsibilities. Supervised work experience scales with education — 300 supervised hours and 6,000 work hours for a high school diploma, down to 100 supervised hours and 2,000 work hours for a related master’s. A minimum of 10 supervised hours per performance domain is required, plus a passing IC&RC ADC exam. CEU Matrix’s FCB-approved 300-hour CAC package covers all four performance domains in full.

The CAP (Certified Addiction Professional) is an FCB-issued credential with two tiers, each requiring 250 total hours of approved education across nine FCB performance domains. Tier I requires a bachelor’s degree in a counseling-related field (Counseling, Psychology, Social Work, or Behavioral Health), 2,000 hours of relevant work experience, 250 hours of direct on-the-job supervision (within 10 years prior to application, capped at 3 hours per week), and a passing CAP exam. Tier II requires a bachelor’s degree in any health and human services field, 4,000 hours in addiction services (up to 2,000 of which may be credited from CAC or case-management work), 250 hours of supervision, and a passing CAP exam. CEU Matrix offers two FCB-approved CAP packages: a Tier I package covering 150 of the 250 required hours (the remaining 100 hours must come from another FCB-approved provider) and a Tier II package covering all 250 required hours.

Training is self-paced — 300 hours across four performance domains. The longest factor is supervised work experience, which scales with your degree: 6,000 hours with a high school diploma (about three years full-time), 4,000 hours with a related bachelor’s, or 2,000 hours with a related master’s.

Florida certification renewal cycles vary by credential. The CAC renews every two years and requires 40 CE hours including 6 hours of ethics. The CAP and MCAP renew annually on June 30 and require 20 CE hours per year, relevant to at least one performance domain. Continuing education credits must come from FCB-approved providers. CEU Matrix offers FCB-approved CE courses that count toward CAC, CAP, and MCAP renewal — including the required ethics hours.

Yes for the CAC. The Florida CAC requires the IC&RC Alcohol and Drug Counselor (ADC) exam, which is portable across IC&RC member boards in other states. The Florida CAP and MCAP are FCB-specific credentials — they require FCB-developed examinations and are not part of the IC&RC reciprocity system.

Counselors holding an IC&RC ADC-equivalent credential from another IC&RC member state can transfer to the Florida CAC through reciprocity, provided their issuing board is in good standing with IC&RC. Transfers to the Florida CAP or MCAP are not handled through IC&RC reciprocity — applicants must apply directly to the Florida Certification Board, meet the relevant degree and work-experience requirements, and pass the FCB CAP or MCAP examination.

Yes. CEU Matrix is an FCB-approved continuing education provider. Florida’s CAC, CAP Tier I, CAP Tier II, and MCAP packages cover the full performance-domain distribution required by the Florida Certification Board — every required topic from Understanding Addiction/Treatment Knowledge to Professional Responsibilities (including the required 6 hours of ethics) is included.

All courses become available in your CEU Matrix Student Center the moment payment clears, with no enrollment delay. Coursework is fully self-paced — there is no fixed completion deadline. Your progress, exam scores, and earned certificates are tracked automatically and stored under “My Courses,” giving you a single consolidated view of your Florida credential progress and total hours earned.