How long does a Pennsylvania medical license take?

Pennsylvania’s permit catalog posts an average of 7 business days to complete an initial MD or DO application, but it does not say when that clock starts, and neither board’s licensure guide gives a processing time. The file also waits on verifications from your school, training programs, and every prior board, and on the FBI fingerprint check. 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 Pennsylvania medical license cost?

About $105 for an MD and $270 for a DO, counting the application fee and a $70 USMLE or $65 COMLEX transcript, plus an FBI fingerprint fee neither board publishes. International MD graduates pay an $85 application fee, so about $155, plus ECFMG’s $70 status report; through the IMLC, compact fees are $735 for an MD or $905 for a DO.

Is Pennsylvania in the IMLC?

Yes. Pennsylvania enacted the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact in 2016 and fully implemented it on July 7, 2025; both boards issue licenses through it, and Pennsylvania can be your state of principal license whether you are an MD or a DO. In IMLCC’s Year 9 (April 2025 to March 2026), the State Board of Medicine issued 864 licenses through the compact and the State Board of Osteopathic Medicine issued 140.

Does the IMLC cost more than applying directly?

Yes, in Pennsylvania: compact fees are $735 for an MD or $905 for a DO, against about $105 or $270 in direct board and transcript fees before fingerprinting. If you already hold a Letter of Qualification within its 365 days, adding Pennsylvania costs $135 or $305, and the compact requires current specialty certification, which a direct application does not.

Do MDs and DOs apply to the same board?

No. MDs apply to the State Board of Medicine and DOs to the State Board of Osteopathic Medicine, under separate laws and fees: $35 to apply as an MD ($85 for international graduates) against $205 as a DO, and $360 against $450 to renew every two years.

Does Pennsylvania require fingerprints or a jurisprudence exam?

Fingerprints, yes; a jurisprudence exam, no. Every new MD and DO applicant needs a fingerprint-based FBI background check through IdentoGO, whose fee neither board publishes, and neither board has a state law exam or a routine interview.

Is FCVS required in Pennsylvania?

No. Both boards accept FCVS verification, but neither requires it, and both say an FCVS profile still needs additional documents.

Can I get a Pennsylvania license by endorsement?

Yes, if you hold a current license in good standing in a jurisdiction whose standards are substantially equivalent to or exceed Pennsylvania’s and have practiced at least 2 of the last 5 years; the fee is the same, and it matters most when you miss a standard requirement. MDs outside the USMLE 7-year window can also ask the board to accept practice history and specialty certification in place of the exam requirement.

What does staying licensed in Pennsylvania involve?

Renewal every two years ($360 for MDs, $450 for DOs), 100 CME hours per cycle with mandatory child abuse hours and, for DEA registrants, opioid hours, prescription monitoring registration and queries for controlled-substance prescribing, and a separate $888 DEA registration for Pennsylvania.

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

Q: Do I need a Pennsylvania license to treat Pennsylvania patients by telehealth?

Yes. The Department of State says practitioners who provide services to people in Pennsylvania need a Pennsylvania license, in person or by telehealth, and the state has no out-of-state telehealth registration.

Pennsylvania licenses MD and DO physicians through two boards, the State Board of Medicine and the State Board of Osteopathic Medicine, and both issue licenses by direct application or through the IMLC. Applying directly costs about $105 for an MD and $270 for a DO in board and transcript fees, plus an FBI fingerprint fee neither board publishes, while compact fees are $735 for an MD or $905 for a DO. Neither board’s licensure guide gives a processing time; the state’s permit catalog posts a 7-business-day average to complete an initial application, without saying when that clock starts. The friction is verification: Pennsylvania wants one from every board that has ever licensed you, training licenses included, whatever the license’s status.

Pennsylvania at a glance.

License: Unrestricted license: Medical Physician and Surgeon (MD), Osteopathic Physician and Surgeon (DO)
MD and DO: Two boards: the State Board of Medicine for MDs, the State Board of Osteopathic Medicine for DOs
IMLC: Member state, issuing licenses. Pennsylvania can be your state of principal license, MD or DO; fully implemented July 7, 2025
FCVS: Accepted by both boards, required by neither
Uniform Application: Not used
Fingerprints: Required: an FBI check through IdentoGO, fee not published
Jurisprudence exam: None
Interview: Not routine; possible on endorsement, or for an MD out of practice over 4 years
Board fee: MD $35 ($85 for international graduates); DO $205
Renewal: Every two years: MD $360, DO $450
CME: 100 hours every two years

Which route fits.

Pennsylvania has no out-of-state telehealth registration: the Department of State says practitioners who provide services to people in Pennsylvania need a Pennsylvania license, in person or by telehealth. MDs are licensed by the State Board of Medicine and DOs by the State Board of Osteopathic Medicine, whether the application comes directly or through the compact.

The MD license.

Who it fits: MDs who will treat patients in Pennsylvania, in person or by telehealth, with 2 years of ACGME-accredited residency. Board certification is not required, and international graduates qualify with ECFMG certification and the same 2 years.
The trade-off: About $105 in fees ($155 for international graduates) plus fingerprinting, but the board wants verifications from your school, each residency program, and every board that has ever licensed you.

Licensing board: Pennsylvania State Board of Medicine.

The DO license.

Who it fits: DOs who will treat patients in Pennsylvania, in person or by telehealth, with COMLEX-USA and an approved internship or residency. Under the board’s current rules, a completed ACGME-accredited residency qualifies.
The trade-off: About $270 in fees plus fingerprinting, the same verifications as an MD file, and a CV that accounts for every month since medical school.

Licensing board: Pennsylvania State Board of Osteopathic Medicine.

The IMLC.

Who it fits: Physicians with a full license in another compact state that can be their state of principal license, and the current specialty certification the compact requires. Pennsylvania can also be your state of principal license, through either board.
The trade-off: Compact fees of $735 for an MD or $905 for a DO, most of it the $700 IMLCC fee, against about $105 or $270 to apply directly. Adding Pennsylvania to a Letter of Qualification within its 365 days costs $135 or $305, and Pennsylvania still requires its 3-hour child abuse course before it issues the license.

Licensure by endorsement.

Who it fits: Physicians with a current license in good standing in a jurisdiction whose standards are substantially equivalent to or exceed Pennsylvania’s, and at least 2 of the last 5 years in licensed practice, who miss a standard requirement. For MDs outside the USMLE 7-year window, the board may also accept practice history and specialty certification in place of the exam requirement.
The trade-off: The same application fee, but the board must find your jurisdiction’s standards substantially equivalent, and it may require a personal interview.

What it costs.

MD license, US or Canadian graduate
Application fee	$35
USMLE transcript (FSMB)	$70
All-in	$105 plus fingerprinting
Our service fee	Quoted with your plan

MD license, international graduate
Application fee	$85
USMLE transcript (FSMB)	$70
All-in	$155 plus fingerprinting
Our service fee	Quoted with your plan

DO license
Application fee	$205
COMLEX-USA transcript (NBOME)	$65
All-in	$270 plus fingerprinting
Our service fee	Quoted with your plan

The IMLC route, MD or DO
IMLCC fee	$700
Pennsylvania license fee	$35 (MD) or $205 (DO)
All-in	$735 (MD) or $905 (DO)
Our service fee	Quoted with your plan

Application fees go to the Commonwealth, and both boards’ application materials call them nonrefundable. Transcript fees go to FSMB or NBOME, and an FCVS profile already includes your transcripts. On the IMLC route the $700 goes to IMLCC, which calls every compact fee nonrefundable; adding Pennsylvania to a Letter of Qualification still within its 365 days costs a $100 handling fee plus the state fee, $135 for an MD or $305 for a DO.

Left out of every total: the FBI fingerprint check through IdentoGO, which every new applicant needs and whose fee neither board publishes; verifications from every other board that has licensed you, at each board’s own fee; ECFMG’s $70 status report, which international graduates need; FCVS if you choose it ($395); the child abuse and opioid courses, priced by their providers; and malpractice insurance with the MCARE Fund assessment, if you practice in Pennsylvania. On the IMLC route, fingerprints and verifications run through your state of principal license, at its fees.

Fees change; verified October 25, 2026.

How long it takes.

7 business daysState permit catalog, initial MD or DO licenseThe catalog’s average number of business days it takes the agency to complete an application, posted for initial MD and DO licenses alike, with no stated start point or averaging period.Board-published
Up to 7 daysChild abuse training report to the boardThe Department of State’s published time for an approved provider to report completed child abuse training to the board electronically.Board-published
38 daysIMLC, application to Letter of QualificationIMLCC’s Year 9 average, April 2025 to March 2026, from application received to Letter of Qualification issued, across 10,837 completed applications; 55% took 30 days or less.IMLCC average
22 daysIMLC, qualification to licenses issuedIMLCC’s Year 9 average from qualification to issuance of the requested state licenses; 47% were issued in 7 days or less.IMLCC average

Neither board’s licensure guide gives a processing time, and Pennsylvania sets no statutory deadline for either board to act on an application. Both boards review files in the order received. A file moves as fast as your school, each training program, every prior board, and the FBI check report back, and one that needs action by the full board waits for its next meeting. No board guarantees a date.

What the file involves.

An MD file moves between 7 parties besides you and 7 core document types. A DO file has 7 parties too, with NBOME sending your COMLEX scores, and adds a CV that accounts for every month since medical school. International graduates add ECFMG. On the IMLC route, the Pennsylvania file involves 4 parties: IMLCC, your state of principal license, the child abuse course provider, and the Pennsylvania board.

Your medical schoolVerifies your medical education directly to the board.
Each training programVerifies your postgraduate training: the PGY1 and PGY2 years for an MD, the internship or residency for a DO.
FSMB or NBOMESends your USMLE or COMLEX-USA scores directly to the board.
Every board that has licensed youVerifies each license you hold or have held, training licenses included, whatever its current status.
IdentoGOTakes your fingerprints for the FBI background check, whose results go to the board.
An approved child abuse course providerReports your completed 3-hour child abuse recognition and reporting course to the board.
Your Pennsylvania boardReviews the complete file, checks your record with FSMB, and issues the license.

Postgraduate training, MD: 2 years of ACGME-accredited residency, PGY1 and PGY2, for US and Canadian graduates. International graduates need the same 2 years under the Medical Practice Act as amended in 2022, plus ECFMG certification.
Postgraduate training, DO: An approved internship or residency. Under the board’s current rules, a completed ACGME-accredited residency qualifies.
Exams, MD: USMLE Steps 1 to 3, completed within 7 years under the board’s rule. The board’s guide does not mention the window and a proposed rule would remove it; MDs outside it can seek endorsement instead.
Exams, DO: COMLEX-USA, with retakes under NBOME’s rules and no Pennsylvania attempt or time limit. Pennsylvania no longer requires a practical OMT exam.
Time out of practice, MD: The board says MD applicants out of clinical practice more than 4 years go through an interview or evaluation by a board-approved re-entry program, which can lead to retraining; it puts the evaluation at about $9,000 to $16,000.
Required courses: 3 hours of approved child abuse recognition and reporting training before licensure, on every route. DEA registrants, and physicians who use another’s DEA number, also owe 4 hours of pain management and opioid education within 12 months of licensure.

We run the Pennsylvania file.

We do

Confirm whether the IMLC or a direct application fits your licenses, and whether endorsement applies, before anything is filed.
Prepare the application for the right board and check every answer against its current rules.
Request and chase every verification: your school, each training program, your exam scores, and every board that has licensed you, training licenses included.
Line up your IdentoGO fingerprint appointment and the child abuse course, so both results reach the right board.
Answer every board request and follow the file 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.
Attend your fingerprint appointment in person.
Take the 3-hour child abuse course before licensure and, if you hold a DEA registration, the 4-hour opioid course within 12 months after.

Get My Licensing Plan

Staying licensed.

Renewal cycle: Every two years. MD licenses expire December 31 of even-numbered years and renew for $360; DO licenses expire October 31 of even-numbered years and renew for $450. Licenses issued through the compact add a $25 IMLC renewal fee, and neither board allows a grace period.
CME: 100 hours every two years at both boards, including at least 20 in AMA PRA Category 1 (MD) or AOA Category 1-A (DO), at least 12 in patient safety or risk management, 2 in child abuse recognition and reporting, and, for DEA registrants, 2 in pain management, identifying addiction, or opioid prescribing. New licensees also owe a one-time 2 hours on organ and tissue donation within 5 years of licensure. Your first renewal is exempt from the 100 hours, though not from the child abuse hours.
State controlled-substance registration: None. Pennsylvania’s Department of Health issues no controlled-substance license to individual practitioners; your license and DEA registration carry prescribing authority.
Prescription monitoring: Register with the state’s prescription drug monitoring program if you are authorized to prescribe controlled substances, even if you hold a Pennsylvania license without practicing there. Query it for a patient’s first controlled-substance prescription from you, whenever you suspect abuse or diversion, and every time you prescribe an opioid or a benzodiazepine, with exceptions for emergency department care and for admitted or observation patients after the first query.
DEA registration: $888 for three years, with a separate registration for Pennsylvania.
E-prescribing: Required for Schedule II to V controlled substances since October 24, 2019, with limited exceptions.
Malpractice coverage: Physicians practicing in Pennsylvania must carry professional liability insurance and pay the MCARE Fund assessment; a physician who provides no medical services in the state is exempt on a notarized statement.
Self-reporting: Tell the board within 30 days about discipline by another jurisdiction or any felony or misdemeanor finding of guilt, plea, or accelerated rehabilitative disposition (ARD), and within 60 days about a malpractice complaint served on you or an arrest for certain offenses.

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

Frequently asked questions

Ready to add Pennsylvania?

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

Step 1 of 6: Service

Also licensing in these states?

New York One license for MDs and DOs, filed directly: New York is not in the IMLC.
Ohio One board licenses MDs and DOs, by traditional application, by reciprocity, or through the IMLC, and Ohio 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
How the IMLC works
All physician state guides