40-Hour Professional Guardian Course
The Guardianship Program of Dade County has been a leading provider of the 40 Hour Professional Course for over 10 years
A Professional Guardian is any guardian who has at any time rendered services to three or more non-relative wards as their guardian. The court may not appoint a professional guardian who is not registered by the Office of Public and Professional Guardians pursuant to Section 744.2003(9), Fla. Statute.
This 40 Hour Professional Guardian Course meets the requirements for becoming a Professional Guardian in the State of Florida and provides the state authorized instruction and training as required under Florida Statute s. 744.2003. This class is a pre-requisite for taking the state examination.
This is a Live interactive class through the convenience of Zoom. In order to provide the upmost direct access to the years of experience offered by our instructors, we only allow approximately 22 students per class. To be added to our ‘call back’ list and be advised of future class offerings, please email us at guardiancourses@gpdc.org or visit our contact us page.
This Course runs for 5 consecutive Saturdays from 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM. No absences are allowed. Students must pass the in-course exam with a 70% or higher. Course instructors are attorneys David Mangiero and Chris Papa, and Professional Guardian Barbara Reiser. An additional voluntary course review will be provided to those who pass the course to prepare for the state exam. Once you complete and pass both the 40 hour Professsional Course and pass the state exam you qualify for a one of a kind mentoring prgram offered by the Florida Guardianship Foundation.
Cost for Course: $450.00 [Registration fee refundable only if cancelled in writing 14-days before start date.]
Course Manual to be used is the newly released July 2025 Edition (manual fee is $80). Additional information and access to the Course Manual will be sent 1-week prior to the start of the Course.
The Zoom registration details for the Zoom link needed to attend will be sent a week before the class start date. Please make sure you input your correct information when registering including your mailing address. The name you register with will also be used for the certificate of completion upon passage of the course.
Spring 2026 Course dates are February 14th, 2026, through March 14th, 2026 from 9AM to 5PM.
Registration opens Dec 10th, 2025
Please ensure you have reviewed the Department of Elder Affairs (DOEA/OPPG) website prior to registering to make sure becoming a Professional Guardian is right for you.
Important links and resources to review:
Steps on how to register as a Professional Guardian: Dept of Eler Affairs/ OPPG
For Florida State Exam Dates, go to: The MacDonald Research Institute/ TMRI
2025 Florida Guardian Statute: https://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0700-0799/0744/0744ContentsIndex.html