How long does a Hawaii medical license take?

The board’s FAQ says its Licensing Branch typically takes 15 to 20 business days from receipt of a complete application that needs no board review, and an application is complete only once the form, every supporting document, and the fees are in. An incomplete file, missing third-party documents, or board review can stretch that, and state law requires a decision within one year of a complete application. On the compact route, IMLCC’s Year 9 averages were 38 days from application to a Letter of Qualification, then 22 days from qualification to issued licenses.

How much does a Hawaii medical license cost?

$465 for an MD license issued by January 31, 2027, plus the AMA Profile charge, and $603 for a DO license issued by June 30, 2027. An MD pays the board’s $392, a $70 FSMB exam transcript, and a $3 NPDB self-query; from February 1, 2027 to January 31, 2028, the board’s fee is $221, for $294 in all. A DO pays $510, a $65 COMLEX-USA transcript, a $25 AOA profile, and the $3 self-query, or $578 as an AOA member, and $477 or $452 for a license issued July 1, 2027 to June 30, 2028. Through the IMLC, an MD pays $1,092; for a DO, IMLCC’s fee table gives $1,084 and the board’s fee rule $1,210.

Is Hawaii in the IMLC?

Yes, but only to issue licenses: Hawaii has issued licenses through the compact since January 1, 2025, and cannot yet be your state of principal license. A 2025 law authorized the criminal history checks of compact applicants that would let Hawaii serve as one, but the board’s December 2025 minutes record that the FBI has not granted Hawaii access to perform them, and its applications page tells compact applicants to establish another state as their SPL. IMLCC’s September 2026 volume report lists the Hawaii Medical Board with 1,715 initial licenses issued in 2025, 1,085 of them, or 63%, through the compact.

Do MDs and DOs apply differently in Hawaii?

Yes, to the same board. The Hawaii Medical Board issues MD and DO licenses as separate license types, with separate applications, fees, and renewal dates: an MD pays $392 for a license issued by January 31, 2027 and renews for $402 by January 31 of even-numbered years, while a DO pays $510 for one issued by June 30, 2027 and renews for $312 by June 30 of even-numbered years. MDs send an AMA Physician Profile and an FSMB exam transcript; DOs send an AOA Physician Profile, COMLEX-USA scores from NBOME, and statements of your competency from two physicians. IMLCC lists separate Hawaii MD and DO fees.

Can I get a Hawaii license by endorsement?

Yes, if you hold a current, unencumbered, active license in a jurisdiction with substantially equivalent requirements, have practiced actively for at least two of the last five years, and have no discipline by a medical licensing authority, nor adverse judgments or settlements that the board finds show a pattern of negligence or incompetence. The board says Hawaii is not reciprocal with any other state, so endorsement still means the full file, at the same fees, and the board may require SPEX or COMVEX-USA. If you miss a condition, you apply without endorsement for the same license, and an MD file then adds an evaluation from every hospital of the last three years.

Do I need a Hawaii license to treat Hawaii patients by telehealth?

Yes, outside narrow exceptions. Hawaii has no telehealth registration: state law lets a physician establish a physician-patient relationship by telehealth only with a Hawaii license, and the board’s FAQ says Hawaii’s telehealth rules follow where the patient is. A physician licensed in another state may consult with a Hawaii physician who keeps control of and responsibility for the patient’s care. Prescribing an opiate takes a physician-patient relationship established in person, except a supply of three days or less by telehealth for a patient a provider in your medical group has seen in person.

Does Hawaii require fingerprints or a jurisprudence exam?

Neither, on a direct application. Hawaii’s medical licensing law, the board’s rules, and its MD and DO applications call for no fingerprints and no criminal history check, though the application asks about convictions, and there is no jurisprudence exam or routine interview. On the compact route, your state of principal license takes your fingerprints for its background check, and IMLCC gives you 60 days to submit them.

Is FCVS required in Hawaii?

No. The board’s rules and applications do not mention FCVS, and FSMB lists Hawaii among the boards that accept it, not those that require it; the board does not say which of its own items a profile would replace. A first profile costs $395, and FSMB says it typically processes one in roughly 35 days.

When is my first Hawaii renewal due?

On the next fixed renewal date, whatever your issue date: an MD license issued by January 31, 2027 renews by January 31, 2028, and a DO license issued by June 30, 2027 renews by June 30, 2028. MD licenses then renew every two years for $402, and DO licenses for $312. Your first renewal needs 20 CME hours if your license issued in the first year of the two-year cycle, and none if it issued in the second.

Is there a temporary license for locum tenens work in Hawaii?

No. The board’s FAQ says there is no limited and temporary license for locum tenens physicians. Hawaii’s limited and temporary licenses cover narrower cases, such as practice in one locality short of physicians, for up to 18 months and not renewable, or employment by the state or a county, renewed by January 31 each year for $171 and never for private patient care for a fee. Both of these are for physicians licensed by written exam in another state, and each costs $164.

Hawaii physician license: fees, timeline, requirements, and common delays

Hawaii licenses MD and DO physicians through one board, the Hawaii Medical Board, as separate license types, directly or through the IMLC, but cannot yet be your state of principal license. A direct MD license costs $465 in board, transcript, and NPDB fees, plus the AMA Profile charge, if issued by January 31, 2027; a DO license costs $603 if issued by June 30, 2027. Compact fees are $1,092 for an MD; for a DO, IMLCC’s table gives $1,084 and the board’s fee rule $1,210. The board says a complete application needing no board review typically takes 15 to 20 business days. The friction is completeness: the clock waits for every board that has licensed you, residency and locum licenses included, to verify directly.

Hawaii at a glance.

License: Physician (MD) or osteopathic physician and surgeon (DO) license, renewed every two years
MD and DO: One board; separate MD and DO license types, applications, fees, and renewal dates
IMLC: Member state, issuing licenses only (cannot be the SPL). In effect since January 1, 2025; your SPL must be another member state
FCVS: Not required; FSMB lists Hawaii among the boards that accept it
Uniform Application: Not used; the board takes its own MD and DO applications
Fingerprints: None on a direct application; on the IMLC route, your SPL takes them
Jurisprudence exam: None
Interview: Not routine; no rule requires one
Board fee: MD $392 if issued by January 31, 2027, then $221; DO $510 if issued by June 30, 2027, then $384
Renewal: Every two years: MD $402 by January 31, DO $312 by June 30, of even-numbered years
CME: 40 Category 1 or 1A hours every two years; 20 or none before a first renewal

Which route fits.

One board, the Hawaii Medical Board, administered by the state’s Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, licenses MDs and DOs as separate license types, each with its own applications, fees, rules, and renewal date. The IMLC is a second way to a Hawaii license, as long as your state of principal license is another member state. Hawaii has no telehealth registration, and the board says Hawaii is not reciprocal with any other state: outside narrow exceptions, such as a consultation with a Hawaii physician who keeps control of and responsibility for the patient’s care, treating a patient located in Hawaii, by telehealth included, takes a Hawaii license.

Licensure by endorsement.

Who it fits: MDs and DOs licensed in another state who hold a current, unencumbered, active license in a jurisdiction whose requirements are substantially equivalent to or greater than Hawaii’s, have practiced actively for at least two of the last five years, and have no discipline by a medical licensing authority. Physicians who miss a condition, such as the two years of practice, apply without endorsement for the same license at the same fees; on an MD file, that adds an evaluation from every hospital where you trained, or held or sought privileges, appointments, or locum tenens positions, in the last three years.
The trade-off: $465 for an MD license issued by January 31, 2027, plus the AMA Profile charge, or $603 for a DO license issued by June 30, 2027 ($578 for AOA members), and a file in which every board that has licensed you, residency and locum licenses included, verifies directly, alongside your NPDB self-query, your AMA or AOA profile, and your exam transcript. The board may require SPEX or COMVEX-USA, and its FAQ says the Licensing Branch typically takes 15 to 20 business days from a complete application that needs no board review.

Licensing board: Hawaii Medical Board.

The IMLC.

Who it fits: Physicians whose state of principal license is another member state and who meet the compact’s terms, which include specialty certification and passing each licensing exam component within three attempts. Hawaii has issued licenses through the compact since January 1, 2025, but cannot yet be your state of principal license: the board’s December 2025 minutes record that the FBI has not granted Hawaii access to perform the required background checks.
The trade-off: It costs more: $700 to IMLCC plus $392 for an MD, $1,092, against $465 and the AMA Profile charge to apply directly for a license issued by January 31, 2027. For a DO, IMLCC’s fee table lists $384 for Hawaii, while the board’s fee rule sets $510 for a DO license issued July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027: $1,084 or $1,210 in all, against $603 directly. Your state of principal license runs the fingerprints and verifications, and the license renews through IMLCC.

What it costs.

MD license, direct application
Application and license fees, first or second year of the two-year cycle	$392 or $221
FSMB exam transcript (USMLE)	$70
NPDB self-query	$3
All-in	$465 (license issued by January 31, 2027) or $294 (February 1, 2027 to January 31, 2028), plus the AMA Profile charge
Our service fee	Quoted with your plan

DO license, direct application
Application and license fees, first or second year of the two-year cycle	$510 or $384
COMLEX-USA transcript (NBOME)	$65
AOA Physician Profile	$25, or free for AOA members
NPDB self-query	$3
All-in	$603, or $578 for AOA members (license issued by June 30, 2027); $477 or $452 (July 1, 2027 to June 30, 2028)
Our service fee	Quoted with your plan

MD or DO license through the IMLC
IMLCC fee	$700
Hawaii MD license fee, from the IMLCC fee table	$392
Hawaii DO license fee: the IMLCC fee table, or the board’s fee rule for a license issued July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027	$384 or $510
All-in	$1,092 (MD); $1,084 or $1,210 (DO)
Our service fee	Quoted with your plan

Board fees go to the state’s Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, and the $50 application fee inside each amount is not refundable. The amount follows the date your license issues, not the date you apply, and every license expires on a fixed date: an MD license issued from February 1, 2026 to January 31, 2027 costs $392 and one issued from February 1, 2027 to January 31, 2028 costs $221, both expiring January 31, 2028; a DO license issued from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027 costs $510 and one issued from July 1, 2027 to June 30, 2028 costs $384, both expiring June 30, 2028. The first-year amount adds half the renewal fee and the two-year compliance resolution fund fee, $148 against $74. A DO who took the USMLE sends FSMB’s $70 transcript instead of NBOME’s, for $608, or $583 for AOA members. Transcript fees go to FSMB or NBOME, the profile fee to the AOA, and the self-query, a $3 annual subscription, to the NPDB. On the IMLC route, the $700 goes to IMLCC, which calls all fees non-refundable; adding Hawaii to a Letter of Qualification still within its 365 days costs a $100 handling fee plus the Hawaii fee, $492 for an MD, or $484 or $610 for a DO.

Left out of every total: the AMA Physician Profile every MD file needs, at the AMA’s price, which the board’s pages do not list; verifications from every board that has licensed you, at each board’s own fee; any charges your school, training programs, or hospitals set; for international graduates, ECFMG’s $70 certification verification report; SPEX, $1,400, where the board requires it; an optional FCVS profile, $395, though the board does not say which of its own items a profile replaces; translations of documents not in English; and, to prescribe controlled substances, the $115 a year that the Narcotics Enforcement Division’s instructions list for its registration and the $888 DEA registration for three years. On the IMLC route, your state of principal license runs the fingerprints and verifications at its own fees.

Fees change; verified November 11, 2026.

How long it takes.

15 to 20 business daysLicensing Branch processing, complete application with no board reviewThe board’s general FAQ (September 2026) says the central Licensing Branch typically takes this long from receipt of a completed application, meaning the form, every supporting document, and the fees, when the file needs no board review.Board-published
1 yearDecision on a complete application, state deadlineHawaii’s professional licensing law requires the board to notify you in writing of its decision within one year after you file a complete application, unless another law provides otherwise.Statutory deadline
38 daysIMLC application to Letter of QualificationIMLCC’s Year 9 average across the compact, April 2025 to March 2026, over 10,837 completed applications; 55% received the letter in 30 days or less. Your state of principal license issues the letter, since Hawaii cannot.IMLCC average
22 daysIMLC qualification to licenses issuedIMLCC’s Year 9 average for the next stage, from qualification to the requested state licenses; 47% received them in 7 days or less. The two stages are separate averages, not a total.IMLCC average

The board’s FAQ says an incomplete file, documents still due from third parties, a request for more information, or board review can stretch the Licensing Branch’s time, and that a file with questionable circumstances, derogatory information, or discipline may need review by the board, which meets about every one to two months. The licensing division’s application status page, which covers every profession the division licenses and carries no date, says processing generally takes 45 to 60 business days from a complete application. No board guarantees a date.

What the file involves.

An MD file by endorsement moves between 7 core parties, the board included, and 8 core document types: the application with its signed certification, evidence of your degree and of your residency, a CV or summary of your practice since residency, a verification from every board that has licensed you, your NPDB self-query, your AMA Physician Profile, and FSMB’s exam transcript. Without endorsement, an MD file adds an evaluation from every hospital of the last three years; the board’s rule lists those evaluations for endorsement files too, though its endorsement application does not ask for them. A DO file moves between 9 core parties and 8 core document types, with an AOA Physician Profile, COMLEX-USA scores, and statements of your competency from two physicians. On the IMLC route, Hawaii’s part involves 3 parties to issuance: IMLCC, your state of principal license, and the board.

Every board that has licensed youVerifies each license directly to the board, licenses held for residency training or locum tenens work included.
FSMB, or NBOME for DOsFSMB sends your exam transcript, with your USMLE scores and any board actions reported to it; NBOME sends a DO’s COMLEX-USA scores.
The National Practitioner Data BankReports on you through the self-query you order, and sends it to you, not to the board.
The AMA, or the AOA for DOsSupplies the physician profile a direct application needs: the AMA’s for MDs, the AOA’s for DOs.
Your medical schoolConfirms your medical degree.
Your residency programConfirms your postgraduate training.
Two physicians (DO files)Each attests to your competency directly to the board.
Each hospital of the last three years (MD files without endorsement)Sends the board an evaluation of you.
The Hawaii Medical BoardProcesses the file through the licensing division’s Licensing Branch; a file with questionable circumstances, derogatory information, or discipline may need review by the board itself.

Postgraduate training: At least one year of residency accredited by the ACGME or the AOA, or by the RCPSC or CFPC in Canada, for US and Canadian graduates. International graduates need at least two years of accredited residency in the US or Canada and ECFMG certification, a Fifth Pathway certificate, or, after Canadian residency, the MCCEE, unless they qualify under one of the alternative pathways in state law, which a 2025 law updated.
Exams: USMLE, NBME, FLEX, COMLEX-USA, NBOME, or MCCQE, or a combination the board approves; a physician licensed elsewhere through a state-produced exam also needs SPEX or COMVEX-USA. The board’s rules set no time or attempt limit for passing them, while the IMLC allows three attempts per component.
Endorsement: A current, unencumbered, active license in a jurisdiction whose requirements are substantially equivalent to or greater than Hawaii’s; active practice for at least two of the immediately preceding five years; no discipline by any medical licensing authority; and no adverse judgments or settlements that the board finds show a pattern of negligence or incompetence. The board may also require SPEX or COMVEX-USA. Miss a condition and you apply without endorsement.
Time out of practice: Endorsement needs active practice in two of the last five years. For other applicants, Hawaii law and the board’s rules set no re-entry program or competency assessment, though the board may ask for letters of evaluation from, and interviews with, chiefs of service or attending physicians who have worked with you.
Board certification: Not required for a direct license; the IMLC requires it.

We run the Hawaii file.

We do

Check your IMLC eligibility, including whether another member state can serve as your state of principal license, and weigh it against endorsement before any fee is paid, since the application fee is not refundable.
Prepare your MD or DO application and documents, checked against Hawaii’s current law and the board’s rules.
Request and chase every verification at its source: every board that has licensed you, residency and locum licenses included, your exam transcript, your AMA or AOA profile, and, on a DO file, both competency statements.
Tell you up front which board fee applies and how many CME hours your first renewal needs, since both turn on the date your license issues.
Keep the timeline, tracking every item the file still needs until the license issues.

You do

Share your credentials and license history once, in our secure portal.
Approve your application answers and sign the application.
Order your NPDB self-query, which the data bank sends only to you.
On a DO file, ask two physicians to attest to your competency.

Get My Licensing Plan

Staying licensed.

Renewal cycle: Every two years, on a fixed date whatever the issue date: MD licenses renew by January 31 of each even-numbered year, for $402, and DO licenses by June 30 of each even-numbered year, for $312, so a license issued late in a cycle runs a short first term. A license issued through the compact renews through IMLCC. A license not renewed by its expiration date is forfeited; you can restore it within 2 years, for $408 (MD) or $392 (DO) with proof of your CME for the last cycle, and after that it is terminated and you must apply again.
CME: The board’s audit letters require 40 hours of Category 1 or 1A CME every two-year cycle, or 20 for a first renewal when your license issued in the cycle’s first year; the board’s rule requires none when it issued in the second year. No topic is mandatory. You send documentation only if the board audits you at random, within 60 days of its notice, and an audited licensee may not renew online. A residency or fellowship, a full academic year toward an advanced degree, or a current AMA Physician Recognition Award also meets the requirement; passing a specialty board exam does not.
State controlled-substance registration: Yes: a Hawaii controlled substance registration from the Department of Law Enforcement’s Narcotics Enforcement Division (NED), required to prescribe, administer, or dispense controlled substances in Hawaii and renewed every year; NED’s instructions list a $115 fee, not refundable. It needs your active Hawaii license, registration with the state’s prescription monitoring program, and a physical street address in Hawaii that is your primary practice location and an actual place where controlled substance activities take place. NED says it processes applications within 10 business days of receipt, only once your Hawaii license is final, and every year before you renew, you complete its prescriber education attestation.
Prescription monitoring: Register with the Hawaii Prescription Drug Monitoring Program, which state law makes part of the controlled substance registration and NED requires before a new or renewed registration. No law now requires you to check it before prescribing: a 2018 law that required checks before certain prescriptions was repealed on June 30, 2023, and no later law restored the duty.
DEA registration: $888 for three years, with a separate registration for Hawaii; NED says to apply after you receive your Hawaii registration, at the same practice address.
E-prescribing: Not required: Hawaii law sets no electronic-only rule for prescriptions, controlled substances included.
Opiates by telehealth: State law requires an in-person consultation to establish the physician-patient relationship before you prescribe an opiate, except a supply of three days or less by telehealth for a patient a provider in your medical group has seen in person.
Address changes: Report a change of address to the board within 30 days.