Information
For Physicians

Introduction

The Interstate Medical Licensure Compact offers a voluntary, expedited pathway to licensure for qualified physicians who wish to practice in multiple states. The Compact significantly streamlines the licensing process.

Applying for licensure through the Compact eliminates the need to manage multiple applications — including the time and expense of communicating with more than one state medical board.

If you are an eligible physician, you can qualify to practice medicine across state lines within the Compact if you meet the Compact’s agreed-upon eligibility requirements. You may apply through the Compact for licensure in multiple states, receiving separate licenses from each state in which you intend to practice. The states chosen must be participants in the Compact.

These licenses are still issued by the individual states – just as they would be using the standard licensing process – but because the application for licensure in these states is routed through the Compact, the overall process of gaining a license is significantly streamlined. Physicians receive their licenses much faster and with fewer burdens. Approximately 80% of U.S. physicians meet the criteria for licensure through the Compact.

The Compact currently includes 37 states, the District of Columbia and the Territory of Guam. In these jurisdictions, physicians are licensed by 50 different medical and osteopathic boards. The Compact became operational in April 2017.

Physicians apply through the Compact to receive a Letter of Qualification from a State of Principal License (SPL).  Physicians cannot obtain licenses through the compact unless they have an SPL and are issued a Letter of Qualification.

In order to participate in the Compact, states must pass legislation authorizing it.

Do I qualify for Compact licensure?

It is important to determine your eligibility prior to applying to participate in the Compact. There are two types of eligibility requirements: SPL eligibility and general eligibility.

SPL eligibility

In order to receive licensure through the Compact, you must:

In addition, at least ONE of the requirements below must apply:

  • Your primary residence is in the SPL (State of Principal License)
  • At least 25% of your practice of medicine occurs in the SPL
  • Your employer is located in the SPL
  • You use the SPL as your state of residence for U.S. Federal Income Tax purposes

In order to remain active within the Compact, you must maintain your SPL status at all times.  You may re-designate your SPL to another state after you have received your initial qualification – as long as the state is a participant in the Compact.

General Eligibility

In addition to having basic SPL status, there are several General Eligibility requirements. You must:

  • Have graduated from an accredited medical school, or a school listed in the International Medical Education Directory
  • Have successfully completed ACGME- or AOA-accredited graduate medical education (GME)
  • Have passed each component of the USMLE, COMLEX-USA, or equivalent in no more than three attempts for each component  PLEASE NOTE:  Passing the Canadian Licentiate of the Medical Council of Canada, or LMCC, DOES NOT meet this requirement
  • Hold a current specialty certification or time-unlimited certification by an ABMS or AOABOS board

In addition, you must:

  • Not have any history of disciplinary actions toward your medical license
  • Not have any criminal history
  • Not have any history of controlled substance actions toward your medical license
  • Not currently be under investigation

***If you completed your GME outside of the United States, please verify that your program is ACGME or AOA accredited before applying***

Each physician is responsible for making a self-determination of eligibility prior to applying to participate in the Compact, and they must confirm that they understand the Compact rules.

For further clarification, please refer to our FAQs or our Compact Policies, Rules and Laws section.

After issuing a license to a physician holding a letter of qualification, the issuing medical board may ask for additional, ancillary information to fulfill the requirements of their respective medical practice act and their operational requirements.  Examples include passing a juris prudence examination, completing an on-line profile, documenting legal authorization to work in the US, etc.

The license holder is required to comply with these requests, and failure to do so may result in action against the license by the issuing board.

If you meet these requirements you can apply by visiting our application page. Be sure to confirm your eligibility before applying, as the application fee is non-refundable.

How do I apply?

To apply to participate in the Compact, you will need to complete our online application, which can be found by clicking on “Apply” in the “Go” bar at the top of our homepage. (Other functions in the “Go” bar include Renew, LOQ ReApply, Add States and Redesignate. These functions are explained below.)

As you complete any of these functions, please be sure to provide an email address that you monitor closely, as ALL Compact-related notifications will be sent to the email address you provide us.  It is also a good idea to periodically check your spam folder in case Compact-related notifications do not make it to your in-box.

Here is a basic summary of the nine application steps you will complete to become a Compact participant:

  1. Confirm you are eligible. We ask that you begin the process by confirming that you are eligible to participate in IMLC. This is important, as Compact fees are non-refundable. If you are not sure of your eligibility, visit our Compact eligibility requirements.
  2. Start the application process. After you have confirmed that you are eligible, you will click on the Apply tab in the “Go” bar on our homepage to begin the process.
  3. Choose an SPL. As a first step, you will be asked to select your State of Principal License (SPL). The SPL must be a state participating in the Compact. The SPL will process your initial application.
  4. Complete the application form. You will then complete a short application to participate in the Compact.
  5. Pay the application fee. At the end of the application process you will be required to pay by credit card a non-refundable application fee of $700.00.  You will receive an email receipt for your payment.
  6. Complete mandatory fingerprinting. After your designated SPL receives your application, it will contact you with instructions on obtaining fingerprints in order to complete a national criminal background check.  You will have 60 days to obtain and submit your fingerprints. Along with reviewing your training and other qualifications, the Compact verification process involves querying data banks and completing the criminal background check. As a result, it may take several weeks for your selected SPL to complete this step.
    • At this point, if you do not qualify for participation in the Compact, you will be notified by email.  You may contact the SPL to discuss why you were found to be ineligible.
    • If you do qualify, you will receive an email with a link to download a Letter of Qualification (LOQ) and you will be able to select which state licenses you would like to obtain. Remember that you will only be able to receive licenses from states participating in the Compact.
  1. Pay state-license fees. When you select the Compact member states where you wish to be licensed, you will be required to pay an additional state-fee for each license. You can see fee structures for each participating state at our How Much Does It Cost page.
  2. Receive your licenses. The medical boards of the Compact states you selected will issue your licenses. The process of issuing licenses from Compact member states usually takes only a few days.
  3. Provide any additional information requested. After issuing a license to a physician holding an LOQ, the issuing state medical board may ask for additional, ancillary information to fulfill the requirements of the state’s respective medical practice act and operational requirements. The license holder is required to comply with these requests, and failure to do so may result in action against the license by the issuing board.

What does it cost to participate?

The cost to participate in the Compact is $700.00 PLUS the cost of a license(s) in any Compact state where you want to practice. All fees are non-refundable. You can compare the fee structures for each participating state at our How Much Does It Cost page.

Check your eligibility BEFORE applying.  If you are found to be ineligible after you have started the application process, your application fee will not be refunded.

How do I renew?

As a participating Compact physician, you will receive a separate notice from each state where you are licensed when it is time to renew that license.  However, you are ultimately responsible for knowing your renewal dates and fees.

You must renew licenses obtained through the Compact by using the Compact website. Click on the Renew tab in the “Go” bar at the top of the Compact homepage.

You will be asked to complete a short form at the Renew page and pay your renewal fee.

Upon completion of the renewal process, an email will be sent to the renewing state to verify that you have complied with all renewal requirements. After verification, the renewing state will communicate with you directly to confirm your licensure.

How do I redesignate a State of Principal License?

In order to participate in the Compact, you must maintain a current State of Principal License (SPL). If you no longer meet the requirements for designating an SPL, ALL licenses issued through the Compact will be terminated.

You may change – or “redesignate” -- the Compact member state you choose to be your SPL at any time, as long as you meet the SPL requirements for that state. Be sure to check the SPL eligibility requirements.

To redesignate your SPL, click on the Redesignate tab in the “Go” bar at the top of the Compact homepage. You will need to complete a short form. Upon receipt of the form, the state medical boards of the new SPL and the existing SPL will be notified of the change. Information collected during the redesignation process will be distributed to all Compact member boards.

The redesignated SPL will be responsible for ensuring that you meet the requirements at the time of the application for redesignation and will notify the Compact of its findings.

There is no charge for this service.

How do I request additional licenses?

After receiving your initial licenses through the Compact, you may select more states as long as your Letter of Qualification (LOQ) has not expired. LOQs are valid for one year.

To request additional licenses, click on the Add States tab in the “Go” bar at the top of the Compact homepage.

You will be asked to select additional states where you would like to practice. A non-refundable handling fee of $100.00 is required. Payment can be made by credit card.

The Compact will verify that your LOQ has not expired and you are eligible to select more states.  If eligible, you will receive an email request to pay the additional license fees for the states you have selected. You can see fee structures for each participating state at our How Much Does It Cost page.

The state medical boards of the Compact states you selected will issue the licenses. The process of issuing licenses in IMLC Member States usually takes only a few days.

After issuing a license to a physician holding an LOQ, the issuing medical board may ask for additional, ancillary information to fulfill the requirements of their respective medical practice act and their operational requirements.  The license holder is required to comply with these requests, and failure to do so may result in action against the license by the issuing board.

How do I obtain a new Letter of Qualification?

If you need to obtain a new Letter of Qualification, you should first confirm that you are eligible to participate in Compact.  If you are not sure, read Do I Qualify for Compact Licensure?

After you have confirmed that you are eligible, you will click on the Apply tab in the “Go” bar on our homepage to begin the process.

You will be asked to select your State of Principal License (SPL). The SPL must be a state participating in the Compact. To see a map of participating states, click here. The SPL will process your initial application.

You will then be required to submit a non-refundable application fee of $700.00.  You will receive an email receipt for your payment. The Compact fee is payable by credit card.

You will complete a short application to receive a new LOQ and participate in the Compact.

After your designated SPL receives your application, it will contact you with instructions on obtaining fingerprints in order to complete a national criminal background check.  You will have 60 days to obtain and submit your fingerprints. Along with reviewing your training and other qualifications, the Compact verification process involves querying data banks and completing the criminal background check. As a result, it may take several weeks for your selected SPL to complete this step.

At this point, if you do not qualify for participation in the Compact, your SPL will notify you by email.  You may contact the SPL to discuss why you were found to be ineligible.

If you are found to be eligible, you will receive an email with a link to download your Letter of Qualification (LOQ) and you will be able to select which state licenses you would like to obtain. Remember that you will only be able to receive licenses from states participating in the Compact.