To practice medicine in Pennsylvania, you need a Pennsylvania medical license issued by either the State Board of Medicine (for MDs) or the State Board of Osteopathic Medicine (for DOs). Both boards sit under the Department of State and decide who can be licensed based on your education, exam results, training, background, and character.1Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. State Board of Medicine The rest of this guide walks through what qualifies you, what documents you’ll gather, how to file through the state’s online portal, and how to keep the license active once you have it.
Who Qualifies
Medical School
MD applicants must graduate from a program accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education. International graduates need certification from the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG). DOs must graduate from a college approved by the American Osteopathic Association.2Pennsylvania Department of State. Physician and Surgeon Licensure Snapshot
Examinations
MDs typically satisfy the exam requirement by passing all three steps of the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE). Pennsylvania also recognizes passing scores from older formats, including the National Boards and the Federation Licensing Examination (FLEX), under specific combination rules.2Pennsylvania Department of State. Physician and Surgeon Licensure Snapshot DOs take the Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination (COMLEX-USA).
Graduate Medical Training
How much residency training you need depends on where you went to school. Graduates of accredited medical colleges must complete at least two years of graduate training at the first- and second-year levels. Graduates of unaccredited (typically international) colleges need three years, covering the first, second, and third-year levels.3Pennsylvania Code and Bulletin. Pennsylvania Code 49 Pa. Code 17.1 – License Without Restriction Physicians who started a training program before June 30, 1987 face a lower threshold of one year. Separate character requirements under 49 Pa. Code § 16.12 cover legal age, good moral character, and absence of felony drug convictions.4Legal Information Institute. Pennsylvania Code 49 Pa. Code 16.12 – General Qualifications for Licenses, Registrations and Certificates
International Medical Graduates
If ECFMG verified your medical education when it certified you, you don’t need to separately request transcripts, diplomas, or graduation records from your school. If ECFMG didn’t verify your education at the time, your school must send those documents directly to the Board.5Pennsylvania Department of State. Board of Medicine Licensure Guide International graduates also carry the three-year training requirement rather than two.
Documents and Background Check
Fingerprint-Based FBI Background Check
As of July 7, 2025, every new applicant for a healthcare practitioner license in Pennsylvania must obtain a fingerprint-based FBI background check. You pre-register through IdentoGO and use the service code provided during your application so the Board receives your results.1Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. State Board of Medicine This replaced the older Pennsylvania State Police records check, so ignore older guidance referencing that process.
Education and Training Verification
Your medical school and residency program send official transcripts and training verification directly to the Board. The Board also accepts the Federation Credentials Verification Service (FCVS) from the Federation of State Medical Boards, which builds a permanent, primary-source verified record of your education, postgraduate training, and exam scores.5Pennsylvania Department of State. Board of Medicine Licensure Guide FCVS is worth using if you expect to apply in more than one state, since you verify credentials once instead of repeating the process for each board.6FSMB. FCVS FAQ Start verification requests early. Institutional processing times are where most delays happen.
NPDB Self-Query
You must order a Self-Query from the National Practitioner Data Bank. The report shows whether the NPDB holds any records of malpractice payments, adverse licensure actions, or clinical privilege restrictions under your name.7National Practitioner Data Bank. Self-Query Basics The digital version costs $3; a mailed paper copy adds $13. If you order paper, don’t open the sealed envelope before handing it to the Board.8National Practitioner Data Bank. I Am Applying for Licensure; How Do I Order a Self-Query?
Verification From Other State Boards
If you hold or have ever held a medical license in another state, that board must send Pennsylvania a formal verification of licensure. This is how Pennsylvania sees any disciplinary history elsewhere.
Act 31 Child Abuse Training
All new applicants must complete three hours of approved training on child abuse recognition and reporting under Act 31 of 2014. The training must come from a provider approved by the Department of Human Services. Results are submitted electronically and can take up to seven days to appear in the licensing system.9Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Child Abuse Recognition and Reporting Continuing Education Providers
Filing Through PALS
Applications go through the Pennsylvania Licensing System (PALS), the state’s online portal. Create an account, select the Board of Medicine, and follow the prompts to upload documents, background check results, and training certificates.10Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Apply for or Renew Professional Licensing Review everything before submitting; inconsistencies or missing items will stall the file. You pay by credit or debit card as the last step.
After submission, your application enters the Board’s review queue. If anything is missing, the Board sends a notification through PALS, and responding quickly is the single most effective thing you can do to hold your timeline. The Department of State breaks the process into three phases and publishes estimated timeframes on its processing guides page, though actual turnaround depends on volume and how complete your file is.11Pennsylvania Department of State. Licensure Processing Guides and Timelines Once the Board approves you, your license shows in the state’s public verification database.
Application Fees
The initial application fee for an MD who graduated from an accredited school is $35. Graduates of unaccredited schools (most international graduates) pay $85.2Pennsylvania Department of State. Physician and Surgeon Licensure Snapshot DOs apply through the State Board of Osteopathic Medicine and may see different amounts. These fees don’t include FCVS verification, IdentoGO fingerprinting, or the NPDB Self-Query, all of which are billed separately.
Training Licenses for Residents
If you’re starting a graduate medical training program in Pennsylvania before you meet every requirement for an unrestricted license, you need a training license. Osteopathic graduates must hold a temporary graduate training license under 49 Pa. Code § 25.244 to participate in an approved residency in the Commonwealth.12Legal Information Institute. Pennsylvania Code 49 Pa. Code 25.244 – Temporary Graduate Training License A parallel training license exists for MD graduates. These licenses last one year, renew annually, and restrict your practice to the hospital complex and its affiliates where you train. Act 31 training and a separate application fee still apply.
Renewing Your License
Deadlines and Fees
Pennsylvania medical licenses renew every two years. MD licenses expire December 31 of even-numbered years.13Pennsylvania Department of State. Renewal Information for the State Board of Medicine DO licenses expire October 31 of even-numbered years.14Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. State Board of Osteopathic Medicine Renewal Information The biennial renewal fee is $360 for MDs and $450 for DOs.2Pennsylvania Department of State. Physician and Surgeon Licensure Snapshot Miss the deadline and your license expires immediately; you can’t see patients until it’s reinstated.
Continuing Medical Education
MDs complete 100 credit hours of continuing medical education (CME) per two-year cycle. At least 20 hours must be AMA PRA Category 1 activities, and at least 12 must cover patient safety or risk management.15Pennsylvania Department of State. State Board of Medicine Continuing Medical Education Requirements for MD
Physicians who prescribe or dispense controlled substances must also complete at least two hours of education in pain management, addiction identification, or opioid prescribing. This comes from the Achieving Better Care by Monitoring All Prescriptions (ABC-MAP) Act, and the hours count toward the 100-hour total.16Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Clarification of Opioid Continuing Education Requirement Under ABC-MAP
Separately, the federal Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act requires DEA-registered practitioners to complete a one-time, eight-hour training on treating patients with opioid or other substance use disorders. You attest to completing it when you register or renew with the DEA. Previous training covering the same subject matter can count toward the eight hours.
The Board audits practitioners for CME compliance. A deficiency can lead to a formal hearing and possible suspension, so keep certificates for the entire renewal cycle.
Interstate Medical Licensure Compact
Pennsylvania fully implemented the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact on July 7, 2025, offering a faster path for physicians already licensed elsewhere.17Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Interstate Medical Licensure Compact (IMLC) The Compact now covers more than 40 states, the District of Columbia, and Guam.18Interstate Medical Licensure Compact. Information for Physicians
To qualify, you must hold a full, unrestricted license in a Compact member state that serves as your State of Principal License (SPL). You also need to meet the SPL’s connection requirement: primary residence there, at least 25% of your practice there, employer located there, or claiming it as residence for federal income tax purposes. Additional criteria include graduation from an accredited school (or one in the International Medical Education Directory), ACGME- or AOA-accredited residency, passing every exam component in no more than three attempts each, and current ABMS or AOABOS board certification. Any history of license discipline, controlled substance actions, criminal convictions, or an active investigation disqualifies you.18Interstate Medical Licensure Compact. Information for Physicians The Compact fee is $700, non-refundable, plus each state’s own license fee, and you must complete fingerprinting within 60 days of receiving instructions from your SPL.19Interstate Medical Licensure Compact. Application Cost
Federal Registrations You’ll Need Next
A Pennsylvania license lets you practice in the state, but a few federal registrations sit on top of it.
- National Provider Identifier (NPI). Every healthcare provider registers for one through the National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), run by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. You need your state license number and at least one healthcare taxonomy code. The NPI is required to bill any insurance, not just Medicare.20Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. NPPES NPI Application Help
- DEA registration. Prescribing controlled substances requires a separate registration from the Drug Enforcement Administration. The DEA sends electronic reminders starting 60 days before expiration. If your registration lapses for more than one calendar month, you must apply for an entirely new one rather than renew.21Drug Enforcement Administration. Registration
- Medicare enrollment. To treat Medicare patients, enroll through the Provider Enrollment, Chain, and Ownership System (PECOS). Your NPI must be in place first.22Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Welcome to the Medicare Provider Enrollment, Chain, and Ownership System (PECOS)
Practicing Without a Valid License
Pennsylvania’s Medical Practice Act lets the Board refuse, revoke, or suspend a license for practicing beyond its scope, fraudulent representations, felony convictions, substance impairment, and unprofessional conduct. Practicing medicine in Pennsylvania without a valid license carries criminal penalties under that same act. A malpractice insurer will also deny coverage for care given without a valid license, leaving you personally liable. The Board can compel a physician to undergo a mental or physical examination when there is probable cause to believe the physician cannot practice safely, and refusing that examination is treated as an admission of the allegations.