How long does a New York medical license take?

New York publishes no processing time. On the verified date its review queue was working on documents received 30 days earlier; it asks applicants to wait 6 weeks after a complete file before checking status, and it estimates 8 weeks or more for schools and hospitals to send their verifications.

Is New York in the IMLC?

No. New York has not enacted the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact; four compact bills, S1505, A6362, S5657 and A1983, sit in the Higher Education committees with no votes, so every New York license is a direct application.

Do MDs and DOs apply differently in New York?

Barely. Both receive the same physician license through the same application and the same $735 fee; DOs send COMLEX scores from NBOME instead of USMLE scores from FSMB.

Does New York require fingerprints or a jurisprudence exam?

No to both. New York requires neither for a physician license, though the application asks about criminal and disciplinary history and NYSED reviews misconduct information from other jurisdictions.

Is FCVS required in New York?

Only for graduates of medical schools that are not LCME, AOA, or CACMS accredited or registered by New York. Everyone else may use FCVS or have the school send its form directly.

Can I apply by endorsement with my license from another state?

Not if you passed USMLE or COMLEX. New York treats those exams as meeting its exam requirement, so you file on the standard route; endorsement is only for physicians whose licensing exam New York does not accept.

Do I need a New York license to treat New York patients by telehealth?

Yes. New York’s licensure exemptions cover narrow cases, such as consulting with a New York physician, and none covers ongoing care or telehealth for patients in New York.

Does New York require CME?

Not in hours. New York sets no CME hour requirement for physicians; instead it requires infection control training every four years, a one-time child abuse course, and, for DEA registrants, 3 hours of pain management, palliative care, and addiction training every three years.

Can I hold a New York license without living in New York?

Yes. Of the 119,136 physicians holding a New York license on July 1, 2026, 35,774 listed a mailing address in another US state, according to NYSED’s license statistics.

New York physician license: fees, timeline, requirements, and common delays

Q: How much does a New York medical license cost?

About $805 for an MD and $800 for a DO: $735 to the State Education Department for the license and first two-year registration, plus a $70 USMLE or $65 COMLEX transcript. International graduates, who must use FCVS, pay about $1,275.

New York issues one physician license to MD and DO applicants alike, through the State Education Department’s Office of the Professions, and every application is direct: the state has not joined the IMLC, and its four compact bills sit in committee. Budget about $805 for an MD and $800 for a DO: $735 for the license and first two-year registration, plus a $70 USMLE or $65 COMLEX transcript. New York publishes no processing time, only a review queue that ran 30 days behind on the verified date. There are no fingerprints and no jurisprudence exam. The friction is paperwork: a form from your medical school, one from every residency, and two state-mandated courses.

New York at a glance.

License: Physician license (MD or DO), registered every two years
MD and DO: One license and one application for both
IMLC: Legislation introduced, not a member. Four compact bills in committee, no enacting law
FCVS: Required for graduates of non-accredited schools, optional for others
Uniform Application: Not used
Fingerprints: Not required
Jurisprudence exam: None
Interview: None
Board fee: $735, license plus first registration
Renewal: Every two years, $600
CME: No hour requirement; mandatory courses instead

Which route fits.

New York has one full license for MDs and DOs and no compact route. None of its licensure exemptions covers ongoing care or telehealth for patients in New York, so an out-of-state physician who treats them needs the license.

The New York license.

Who it fits: Every MD or DO who will treat patients in New York, including physicians licensed in other states. If you passed USMLE or COMLEX, this standard route is yours, and New York publishes no exam-attempt limit or completion window.
The trade-off: No compact shortcut and no published processing time, so the file moves as fast as your medical school and each residency program send their forms.

Licensing board: New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions.

Licensure by endorsement.

Who it fits: Only physicians whose licensing exam New York does not accept, such as the Medical Council of Canada exam, with two years of practice in a US state or Canadian province. New York bars applicants who passed USMLE or COMLEX from this route.
The trade-off: The same $735 fee, plus a current license verification and practice verifications that the standard route does not ask for.

The IMLC.

Who it fits: No one, for New York. The state is not a member: four compact bills, S1505, A6362, S5657 and A1983, sit in the Higher Education committees with no votes.
The trade-off: Licenses issued through the compact elsewhere do not reach New York. A New York license is a separate direct application, alongside any compact states in your plan.

What it costs.

MD license, standard route
License application fee	$135
First two-year registration	$600
USMLE transcript (FSMB)	$70
All-in	$805
Our service fee	Quoted with your plan

DO license, standard route
License application fee	$135
First two-year registration	$600
COMLEX-USA transcript (NBOME)	$65
All-in	$800
Our service fee	Quoted with your plan

International graduate, first FCVS profile
License application and first registration	$735
FCVS profile, required, USMLE transcripts included	$395
ECFMG medical education verification	$75
ECFMG certification status report	$70
All-in	$1,275
Our service fee	Quoted with your plan

The $735 goes to the State Education Department with the application; withdrawing before a decision can earn back at most half of the $135 application fee. Transcript fees go to FSMB or NBOME, and an FCVS profile already includes your USMLE transcripts.

Left out of every total: the two mandatory courses, child abuse identification and infection control, whose fees vary by provider; any extra school or residency verification fees; and an optional FCVS profile for US and Canadian graduates ($395).

Fees change; verified October 25, 2026.

How long it takes.

30 daysHow far behind NYSED’s review queue runsNYSED posts the receipt date of the documents it is reviewing now; on the verified date that date was 30 days back. It is a queue marker, not a processing time.Board-published
6 weeksWait before a status requestNYSED asks applicants to allow 6 weeks after all documents are in before requesting a status update.Board-published
8 weeks or moreVerifications from schools and hospitalsNYSED’s published estimate for verifying organizations to send their forms directly.Board-published
About 8 weeksA first FCVS profileNYSED’s published average for FCVS to assemble and forward a first profile, 2 to 3 weeks longer for graduates of schools outside the US.Board-published
2 working daysLicense paperwork after licensureThe license and registration certificate are mailed within two working days, and the online license lookup shows the license as soon as its number issues.Board-published

New York sets no deadline for acting on a complete application and publishes no average days to license. Files with education from outside the US usually need a longer review, NYSED says, and no board guarantees a date.

What the file involves.

A standard New York file moves between 6 parties and 6 document types: NYSED, your medical school, each residency program, FSMB or NBOME for your scores, and the two course providers New York requires. On this route New York asks for no fingerprints and no verifications from other state boards.

NYSED, Office of the ProfessionsReceives the application and fee, and issues the license with its first registration.
Your medical schoolCertifies your medical education directly, one form for each school you attended.
Each residency programVerifies each residency you completed on its own form.
FSMB or NBOMECertifies your USMLE or COMLEX scores directly to NYSED.
A child abuse coursework providerCertifies the two-hour course New York requires, unless you hold an exemption.
An infection control coursework providerCertifies the infection control and barrier precautions course.

Postgraduate training: One year of ACGME, AOA, or RCPSC residency for graduates of accredited medical schools; three years for graduates of non-accredited schools.
Exams: USMLE Steps 1 to 3 or COMLEX-USA Levels 1 to 3, or an accepted older combination. New York publishes no attempt limit and no completion window.
International graduates: ECFMG certification, an FCVS profile, and a medical curriculum of at least 32 months with the final year at the school that awarded the degree.

We run the New York file.

We do

Prepare the New York application and check it against NYSED’s current requirements before it goes in.
Request and chase every verification: your school, each residency, and your exam scores, through FCVS where you use it.
Line up the two mandatory courses and their certificates, so neither holds up the license.
Follow the file through NYSED’s queue and answer every request until the license issues.

You do

Share your credentials and license history once, in our secure portal.
Approve your application answers and sign the attestations.
Complete the child abuse and infection control courses, which New York requires of you personally.

Get My Licensing Plan

Staying licensed.

Renewal cycle: Every two years, $600. Your second registration is a shorter, prorated transitional period that moves the cycle to your birth month.
CME: No CME hour requirement. Instead, New York requires infection control training every four years, a one-time two-hour child abuse course, and, for DEA registrants, 3 hours of pain management, palliative care, and addiction training every three years.
State controlled-substance registration: None. New York requires only the physician license and a DEA registration to prescribe controlled substances.
Prescription monitoring: Consult the I-STOP registry before prescribing any Schedule II, III, or IV drug, with limited exceptions, through an individual Health Commerce System account.
DEA registration: $888 for three years, with a separate registration for New York.
E-prescribing: Required for controlled and non-controlled prescriptions since March 27, 2016, with limited exceptions and waivers.
Physician profile: Re-registration requires an update to your Department of Health physician profile within the prior six months.

Renewals, CME tracking, and DEA registrations are managed where included in your plan: physician licensing at NP Licensing.

Frequently asked questions

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Your licenses, your deadline. We come back with the New York plan.

Step 1 of 6: Service

Also licensing in these states?

Pennsylvania Separate boards for MDs and DOs, and both issue licenses directly or through the IMLC.
New Jersey One board licenses MDs and DOs, by direct application or through the IMLC, and New Jersey can be your state of principal license.
California Two boards and no IMLC route: every California license is a direct application.
Texas One board licenses MDs and DOs, by direct application or through the IMLC.
Physician licensing at NP Licensing
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