What is the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact?
In an effort to reduce physician shortages, especially in rural and underserved areas, the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact (IMLC) will speed up and streamline the licensing process for physicians to practice in multiple states.
This legislation could increase patient access to care and also relieve the burden of overwhelmed physicians. The Compact could also be a huge development for physicians who provide services through telemedicine and for facilities that need to use these virtual services to improve patient care.
Source: Federation of State Medical Boards
What states are a part of the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact?
While 31 states and 1 territory (Guam) have enacted the compact licensure legislation, there are 28 states and 1 territory in which a doctor can carry their State of Principle Licensure (SPL) which is required to get a license in another compact state. This is due to some issues with all 31 states being able to do FBI background checks. The states and ILMC are working through this so more states can issue SPL’s.
- Alabama
- Arizona
- Colorado
- Delaware
- Georgia
- Guam
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma* (ILMC Member State non-SPL issuing licenses)
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont* (ILMC Member State non-SPL issuing licenses)
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Updated August 2022
How do I apply for a Compact license?
- You must be licensed and living in Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Guam, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming.
- You must be board certified.
- To qualify for an SPL in one of the 31 states and 1 territory, you must hold a full, unrestricted medical license in one of the current SPL states and at least one of the below must apply:
- Your primary residence is in the SPL
- 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
If you qualify using the above criteria there is a simple process to apply online with only a few documents needed. Your SPL state will ask for fingerprints and run a background check. Once completed, if everything is compliant, you will receive a Letter of Qualification.
What happens after I receive my Letter of Qualification?
Once you receive your Letter of Qualification you can apply through the IMLC website for licenses in any of the current compact states with the exception of Pennsylvania.
What is the Cost?
When the initial application is submitted to the IMLC there is a $700 fee. Once you receive the Letter of Qualification you can choose to get a license in as many participating compact states as you wish. The $700 fee is only charged one time, and is not charged for each state you wish to get a license. However, the $700 licensing application fee must be paid again after 365 days if you wish to apply for the Compact license again.
Once the compact states are selected in which you wish to receive a license, the state fee for each state will be paid to the IMLC who will then remit the payment to the state.
If during the first application you do not select all states, your Letter of Qualification is good for 365 days after issuance so you can go back and apply for additional states. This includes states that may get added in that 365 days to the list of compact states. If you apply for additional states after the initial application there is a $100 processing fee.