How long does a Virginia medical license take?

The board says applications that are complete, fully documented, and meet its regulations are processed within 30 business days (6 weeks) of receiving the application and fee, and its FAQ tells applicants to plan for up to two months from filing to license, since the pace depends on documents from other parties. For endorsement applicants from contiguous states, Virginia law also sets a 20-day deadline for a final determination on a completed application, though no board page mentions it. An incomplete application expires 180 days after submission.

How much does a Virginia medical license cost?

$305 by endorsement or reciprocity, and $375 for an MD or $370 for a DO on the traditional application: the $302 application fee, a $3 NPDB self-query, and, on the traditional route, a $70 USMLE or $65 COMLEX-USA transcript. Verification charges from other boards, schools, and training programs come on top, and the license renews for $337 every two years.

Is Virginia in the IMLC?

No. Virginia has not enacted the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact, and the legislature’s records show no compact bill in its 2025 or 2026 sessions; the last one, HB 2073, was left in committee in 2023. Every Virginia license is a direct application, even for physicians whose other licenses came through the compact. In 2016 the board chose not to join and to build licensure by endorsement instead, the Department of Health Professions told the legislature in 2020.

Can I get a Virginia license by endorsement?

Yes, if you hold a current, active license in a US jurisdiction or Canada, practiced actively in two of the last five years, hold current ABMS or Bureau of Osteopathic Specialists certification (or a Canadian certification the rule lists), and have a most recent license in good standing with no disciplinary restrictions on a current license. It costs $305 in fees and asks for your most recent license and your certification instead of your school, exam, and training records; if the board finds a criterion unmet, the application moves to the traditional route.

Can Maryland or DC physicians apply by reciprocity?

Yes. Since March 13, 2023, physicians with a current, unrestricted Maryland or District of Columbia license can apply by reciprocity for $305 in fees, and board staff verify that license electronically instead of asking for primary-source verification of your core credentials. The route is closed to physicians with a restriction on any license, a pending disciplinary matter or investigation, current monitoring in a physician health program, or three or more paid malpractice claims in the last 10 years.

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

Yes, with narrow exceptions. The board’s telemedicine guidance says medicine is practiced where the patient is located and that a new patient relationship requires a Virginia license; Virginia law lets a physician licensed elsewhere continue care by telemedicine for an existing patient examined in person within the last 12 months, and Virginia has no telehealth registration.

Does Virginia require fingerprints or a jurisprudence exam?

No to both. Virginia requires neither for an MD or DO license; the application asks conviction questions instead.

Is FCVS required in Virginia?

No. The board accepts verified documentation from FCVS but does not require it; a first FCVS profile costs $395, transcripts included.

Do MDs and DOs apply differently in Virginia?

Barely. One board licenses both, through the same routes for the same $302 fee; on the traditional route, DOs send COMLEX-USA scores from NBOME, at $65, instead of USMLE scores from FSMB, at $70.

What does staying licensed in Virginia involve?

Renewal every two years in your birth month, $337; 30 Type 1 CME hours a cycle, with none due at the first renewal; Prescription Monitoring Program checks before opioid courses expected to last more than seven consecutive days; and a separate $888 DEA registration for Virginia. Physicians practicing in Virginia also owe a $300 yearly birth-injury assessment unless exempt, and there is no state controlled-substance registration.

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

Virginia licenses MD and DO physicians through one board, the Virginia Board of Medicine, and every license is a direct application: Virginia has not joined the IMLC. Board-certified physicians with two of the last five years in practice can apply by endorsement, and Maryland and DC licensees by reciprocity, each for $305: the $302 application fee plus a $3 NPDB self-query. The traditional application costs $375 for an MD and $370 for a DO, exam transcripts included. The board says complete applications are processed within 30 business days and advises planning for up to two months. The friction is the endorsement test: a file that misses any criterion moves to the traditional route, and an incomplete application expires 180 days after submission.

Virginia at a glance.

License: Full license (MD or DO), renewed every two years
MD and DO: One board, one fee and the same three routes for both
IMLC: Not a member. No compact law, and no compact bill in the 2025 or 2026 sessions
FCVS: Accepted, not required
Uniform Application: Not used
Fingerprints: Not required
Jurisprudence exam: None
Interview: Not routine; staff refer files that raise questions to the Credentials Committee
Board fee: $302 application fee, nonrefundable, on every route
Renewal: Every two years, in your birth month in even-numbered years: $337
CME: 30 Type 1 hours every two years, none at the first renewal

Which route fits.

MDs and DOs apply to the Virginia Board of Medicine for the same full license and the same $302 fee, by endorsement, by reciprocity if you hold a Maryland or DC license, or by the traditional application. Virginia has no compact route and no telehealth registration. The board’s telemedicine guidance says medicine is practiced where the patient is, so treating patients in Virginia, in person or by telehealth, takes a Virginia license; Virginia law makes narrow exceptions, such as continuing telemedicine care for an existing patient you examined in person within the last 12 months.

Licensure by endorsement.

Who it fits: Physicians with a current, active license in a US jurisdiction or Canada, active practice in two of the last five years, not necessarily consecutive, and current ABMS or Bureau of Osteopathic Specialists certification, or one of the Canadian certifications the rule lists. Your most recent license must be in good standing, with no disciplinary restrictions on a current license.
The trade-off: A lighter file for $305 in fees: one verification of your most recent license and one of your certification take the place of your school transcript, exam scores, and training verifications, alongside an NPDB self-query and a five-year work history. If the board finds any criterion unmet, it routes the application to the traditional pathway instead.

Licensing board: Virginia Board of Medicine.

Licensure by reciprocity.

Who it fits: Physicians with a current, unrestricted license in Maryland or the District of Columbia, under a reciprocal agreement in place since March 13, 2023. No license you hold may carry a restriction, and the route is closed to anyone with a pending disciplinary matter or investigation, current monitoring in a physician health program, or three or more paid malpractice claims in the last 10 years.
The trade-off: The lightest Virginia file: board staff verify your Maryland or DC license electronically, so you skip primary-source verification of your core credentials and send one outside document, your NPDB self-query, for $305 in fees. It helps only physicians already licensed in Maryland or DC.

The traditional application.

Who it fits: Any MD or DO, including physicians without current specialty certification or without two of the last five years in practice. If you took USMLE or COMLEX-USA, you must have passed every step within 10 years unless you are certified by an ABMS board or the Bureau of Osteopathic Specialists; Virginia sets no attempt limit.
The trade-off: The full file: your medical school, FSMB or NBOME, each training program from the past five years, and the board or boards that licensed you all verify directly, for $375 (MD) or $370 (DO) in fees. The board says the pace depends on how quickly those documents reach it.

The IMLC.

Who it fits: No one, for Virginia. The state has not enacted the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact, and the legislature’s records show no compact bill in its 2025 or 2026 sessions, although every state bordering Virginia, and DC, issues licenses through it.
The trade-off: Licenses issued through the compact elsewhere do not reach Virginia, and a Virginia license cannot be your state of principal license for adding member states. If your other licenses came through the compact, Virginia is a separate direct application, by endorsement where you meet its test.

A 90-day temporary authorization.

Who it fits: Physicians with an active, unencumbered license in another state or DC who are hired or contracted by a Virginia hospital, nursing home, assisted living facility, or dialysis facility, or by the Virginia Department of Health or a local health department. It rests on your employer’s notice to the board, and neither the statute nor the board’s form sets a fee.
The trade-off: It is one 90-day period, extendable by 60 days while your Virginia license application is pending, and Virginia law tells the board to expedite that application. You still need the full license.

What it costs.

MD or DO license, endorsement or reciprocity
Application fee	$302
NPDB self-query, annual subscription	$3
All-in	$305
Our service fee	Quoted with your plan

MD license, traditional application
Application fee	$302
USMLE transcript (FSMB)	$70
NPDB self-query, annual subscription	$3
All-in	$375
Our service fee	Quoted with your plan

DO license, traditional application
Application fee	$302
COMLEX-USA transcript (NBOME)	$65
NPDB self-query, annual subscription	$3
All-in	$370
Our service fee	Quoted with your plan

The $302 goes to the Board of Medicine with the application; Virginia’s fee rules make it nonrefundable, and the board does not process an application until it is paid. MDs and DOs pay the same fee on all three routes. The NPDB self-query is the data bank’s $3 annual subscription, which every route asks for, and transcript fees go to FSMB or NBOME.

Left out of every total: what other boards charge to verify your license, which Virginia does not publish (endorsement needs only your most recent license); any charge your specialty board makes to verify your certification on endorsement; school and training-program charges for their verifications on the traditional route; $13 more for a mailed paper copy of the NPDB report; FCVS, which is optional ($395, transcripts included); and, for international graduates, ECFMG’s $70 certification status report ($5 more on paper). After licensure come the $337 renewal every two years and, unless you are exempt, a $300 yearly birth-injury assessment.

Fees change; verified November 11, 2026.

How long it takes.

30 business days (6 weeks)Board processing of a complete applicationThe board’s published target for applications that are complete, fully documented, and meet its regulations, counted from receipt of the application and fee.Board-published
Up to 2 monthsFiling to license, the board’s planning estimateThe board’s FAQ tells applicants to plan for up to two months from filing to license, because the pace depends on documents from parties outside the board’s control.Board-published
20 daysEndorsement decision for applicants from bordering statesVirginia law tells the board to prioritize MDs and DOs applying by endorsement from contiguous states and to make a final determination on their qualification within 20 days of receiving a completed application. It is a deadline in the statute, not a published processing time: no board page mentions it or says how the board applies it.Statutory deadline
180 daysLife of an incomplete applicationThe board’s instructions say an application not completed within 180 days of submission expires, and starting over takes a new application and another $302 fee.Board-published

Virginia sets no other deadline for deciding a physician application. NPDB self-query reports expire six months after the board receives them, so a file that runs long needs a fresh one, and the board’s application status page still describes a one-year limit that its current instructions cut to 180 days. No board guarantees a date.

What the file involves.

An endorsement file moves between 4 parties and 5 core document types: the parties are the board, the board that issued your most recent license, your specialty certifying board, and the NPDB, and the documents include a five-year work history. Reciprocity takes 2 parties and 2 document types, because board staff verify your Maryland or DC license themselves. The traditional route takes 6 parties and 7 core document types, or 5 parties when all your training ended more than five years ago, and its activity history covers the last 10 years, or the time since graduation if shorter, accounting for every gap over 30 days. International graduates add ECFMG. No route involves fingerprints or a jurisprudence exam.

The Virginia Board of MedicineReviews every file, refers any that staff are not fully satisfied with to its Credentials Committee, and issues the license.
The National Practitioner Data BankIssues the self-query report every route requires, which the board counts as current for six months after receipt.
The board that issued your most recent license (endorsement)Verifies that license directly to the Virginia board; training licenses need no verification.
Your specialty certifying board (endorsement)Verifies your current certification directly to the Virginia board.
Your medical school (traditional route)Sends your official transcript directly, under the school’s seal.
FSMB or NBOME (traditional route)Sends your USMLE or COMLEX-USA scores directly to the Virginia board.
Each training program from the past five years (traditional route)Sends its certificate or program director’s letter of completion directly; for older training, you supply a copy.
The board or boards that licensed you (traditional route)Verify your license directly to the Virginia board.

Recent practice: Endorsement needs active practice in two of the last five years, not necessarily consecutive. The traditional route has no recency test, though its activity history must account for every gap over 30 days.
Board certification: Required for endorsement, from an ABMS board, the Bureau of Osteopathic Specialists, or a Canadian body the rule lists. Reciprocity and the traditional route do not require it, but on the traditional route it lifts the 10-year exam window.
Postgraduate training: 12 months of satisfactory postgraduate training in one accredited program or institution, for graduates of accredited US and Canadian schools, MD or DO. International graduates need a year that includes 12 months in one accredited program or in a clinical fellowship the board accepts.
Exams: USMLE, COMLEX-USA, FLEX, NBME, NBOME, or the Medical Council of Canada’s LMCC. Every USMLE or COMLEX-USA step must be passed within 10 years unless you are board certified, Virginia sets no attempt limit, and endorsement and reciprocity applicants send no scores.
International graduates: The board’s checklist asks every international graduate for an ECFMG certification status report, although its rule lets the board accept licensure in another state or a Canadian province in place of ECFMG certification. The rule also requires two consecutive years at your school’s principal site.

We run the Virginia file.

We do

Confirm the route your record fits before the nonrefundable $302 is paid: endorsement, reciprocity, or the traditional application.
Prepare the Virginia application and check every answer against the board’s current rules and instructions before it goes in.
Request and chase every verification your route needs: your license and certification on endorsement; your school, exam scores, training, and licenses on the traditional route.
Time your NPDB self-query so it is current when the file completes, and track the application against its 180-day life.
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.
Order your NPDB self-query when we ask.
If you will sign death certificates, view the Department of Health’s online Electronic Death Registration System tutorial, which a 2026 law requires the application to confirm.

Get My Licensing Plan

Staying licensed.

Renewal cycle: Every two years, in your birth month in even-numbered years: $337 for an active license. Renewing late, within one renewal cycle, adds $115; a license expired two years or more needs reinstatement, $497 with the late fee. Virginia law treats practicing on a lapsed license as illegal practice.
CME: 30 hours of Type 1 continuing learning every two years, from accredited sponsors or organizations the profession sanctions, with none due at your first renewal and no carryover of extra hours. The board can require up to 2 Type 1 hours on a designated topic, as it did with 1 hour on human trafficking for the 2024 and 2025 renewals, and a 2026 law requires bias reduction training at every renewal, with its hours still to be set in the board’s rules.
State controlled-substance registration: None. Virginia law exempts licensed physicians from the controlled substances registration the Board of Pharmacy issues each year, so your license and DEA registration carry prescribing authority.
Prescription monitoring: The Department of Health Professions registers every Virginia-licensed prescriber of covered substances with the Prescription Monitoring Program. Under the version of the law in effect until July 1, 2027, query it when starting a new course of opioids expected to last more than seven consecutive days, and before or with a treatment agreement for opioid addiction therapy, with exceptions such as hospice and palliative care and inpatient admission or discharge. For chronic pain, board rules require a check at least every three months.
DEA registration: $888 for three years, with a separate registration for Virginia.
E-prescribing: Required for every prescription of a controlled substance containing an opioid, with exceptions that include direct dispensing; residents of hospitals, assisted living facilities, and nursing homes; hospice and dialysis patients; technology failures; and waivers of up to one year.
Telemedicine prescribing: Prescribing a Schedule II to V drug by telemedicine requires compliance with federal telemedicine rules and either a practice location in Virginia or the ability to refer the patient to a practitioner in Virginia for an in-person exam when the standard of care calls for one.
Birth-injury assessment: $300 a year to the Virginia Birth-Related Neurological Injury Compensation Program, which state law charges licensed physicians practicing in Virginia who do not participate in the program, unless an exemption applies; the program’s exemptions include physicians who provide no care or telemedicine to patients in Virginia. The board says every physician it licenses must respond to the assessment each year.
Reporting duties: Update your practitioner profile within 30 days of a change or of the board’s request, and report any malpractice judgment or settlement over $10,000 within 30 days of the first payment.

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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Also licensing in these states?

North Carolina One board licenses MDs and DOs, directly or through the IMLC, which North Carolina joined on January 1, 2026.
Tennessee Separate boards for MDs and DOs, each licensing directly or through the IMLC, plus locum tenens licenses for physicians living outside Tennessee and a telemedicine license for DOs.
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.
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