Utah Physician License: DOPL Application, Exams, and Renewal

To meet Utah physician license requirements, you need a medical degree from an accredited school, at least 24 months of approved residency training, passing scores on the USMLE (for M.D.s) or COMLEX-USA (for D.O.s), a clean criminal background check, and a completed application submitted to the Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) with a $200 fee.¹ Physicians already licensed elsewhere can apply by endorsement, and Utah participates in the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact for doctors who need to practice in several states.

Medical School and Residency

Allopathic applicants must graduate from a school accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education. Osteopathic applicants must graduate from a school accredited by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation. Graduates of medical schools outside the United States must obtain certification from the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) before applying.²

The standard postgraduate training requirement is 24 months of progressive residency in a program approved by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) or, for D.O.s, the American Osteopathic Association (AOA). Programs approved by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada or the College of Family Physicians of Canada also qualify.²

There is a narrower path for residents still in training. If you have completed 12 months of residency and are currently in your second or third year of a Utah-based ACGME or AOA program, you can apply for licensure now, provided you agree to surrender the license if you leave the program before finishing.³

Foreign medical graduates face extra conditions beyond ECFMG certification. Under Utah Code 58-67-302.5, you must have completed at least one calendar year of supervised clinical training in a U.S. medical education setting accredited by ACGME, finished the full 24-month postgraduate requirement, and passed the required licensing examination.⁴

Licensing Examinations

M.D. applicants must pass all three steps of the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE). D.O. applicants must pass the Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination (COMLEX-USA). Utah’s statute does not set its own attempt cap, but the USMLE itself limits each step to four total attempts, including incomplete sittings.⁵ If you plan to use the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact later, the compact enforces a stricter three-attempt limit per component.

USMLE fees for 2026, for graduates of U.S. LCME-accredited schools, are:

Step 1: $695
Step 2 CK: $695
Step 3: $955

International medical graduates pay higher fees and may face regional surcharges for testing outside the United States.⁶ COMLEX-USA fees run $745 each for Level 1 and Level 2-CE; Level 3 fees are set separately by the NBOME.

How to Apply Through DOPL

All applications go through DOPL’s online portal. You will enter your full legal name, Social Security number, contact information, and the full history of your education, training, and examinations. The portal lets you upload supporting documents, though some items must be sent directly from the issuing authority rather than from you.⁷ Incomplete applications sit idle until the missing pieces arrive, so it pays to track what has been sent and what DOPL is still waiting on.

Documents You’ll Need

DOPL requires official medical school transcripts, a certificate of completion from an ACGME- or AOA-accredited residency, and ECFMG certification for international graduates, each sent directly from the issuing institution. You must also disclose any malpractice claims, settlements, and criminal history on the application.²

If you have ever held a medical license in another jurisdiction, that state’s board must send verification directly to DOPL confirming the license is in good standing and listing any disciplinary actions, suspensions, or revocations. Malpractice litigation calls for court records or settlement agreements. Many physicians simplify multi-state paperwork by using the Federation Credentials Verification Service (FCVS), which builds a permanent verified portfolio you can forward to any state board. It is not required in Utah.

Fees

The initial application fee is $200, paid online by credit or debit card and non-refundable regardless of outcome. Physicians who need to prescribe controlled substances pay an additional $100 for a separate Controlled Substance License.¹ Fingerprinting is billed separately by the provider you use.

Criminal Background Check

Every applicant must consent to a background check that runs through the Utah Bureau of Criminal Identification and the FBI.² You submit fingerprints through an approved provider; electronic Live Scan is faster than ink cards, though both are accepted.

A criminal record does not automatically end an application, but it triggers additional scrutiny. DOPL will ask for court records, personal statements, and evidence of rehabilitation. Fraud, drug distribution, and violent offenses carry the heaviest weight. Older or minor infractions tend to receive more lenient consideration when you can show sustained professional competence since the offense.

If You’re Already Licensed in Another State

Utah does not grant automatic reciprocity, but it offers endorsement for physicians already licensed elsewhere. You must hold a full, unrestricted license in good standing in another U.S. state, territory, or Canada, and you must have practiced at least 6,000 hours during the five years immediately before applying.² That works out to roughly 23 hours per week, a threshold designed to confirm active practice rather than a license held on paper.

Endorsement applicants still must meet Utah’s education and training standards, have passed an equivalent licensing examination, and clear a background check. DOPL also checks for pending investigations, prior discipline, or surrendered licenses. A past disciplinary matter does not automatically disqualify you; DOPL can still grant the license if it determines the issue has been corrected and resolved.²

Temporary License While You Wait

If you need to start practicing before DOPL finishes processing your endorsement application, Utah offers a temporary license that lasts up to one year. You must submit a complete application and provide a written invitation from either a licensed Utah healthcare facility where you will practice under the general supervision of an on-site physician, or from two Utah-licensed physicians in good standing who will supervise you at their clinical location. The temporary license expires immediately if DOPL denies the underlying endorsement application.²

Interstate Medical Licensure Compact

Utah belongs to the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact (IMLC), an expedited pathway for physicians seeking licenses in multiple participating states through a single application. You still receive a separate license from each state; what the compact streamlines is verification and credentialing. Eligibility is stricter than standard Utah licensure:

Designate one participating state as your State of Principal License, where you have your primary residence, practice at least 25% of the time, or are employed.
Clean record, with no criminal history, no disciplinary actions, and no pending investigations against any medical license.
Current or time-unlimited specialty certification from an ABMS or AOABOS board.
Passed each USMLE or COMLEX-USA component in no more than three attempts.

The IMLC administrative fee is $700, non-refundable, and does not include the individual state licensing fees you pay in each state where you want a license.⁸ Not every state participates; California, New York, and Oregon are among the holdouts.

Prescribing Controlled Substances

A Utah medical license alone does not authorize you to prescribe controlled substances. You need both the state Controlled Substance License from DOPL ($100) and a federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registration. Since June 2023, every physician applying for or renewing DEA registration must attest to completing at least eight hours of training on treating and managing patients with opioid and other substance use disorders. The requirement, established by the Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act, is a one-time obligation: complete it once, then check the attestation box on DEA Form 224 or 224a.⁹

Board certification in addiction medicine or addiction psychiatry from the ABMS, ABAM, or AOA satisfies the training requirement automatically. Recent medical school graduates whose curriculum (within the past five years) included at least eight hours of substance use disorder training also qualify without additional coursework. Everyone else completes the training through an approved provider and keeps proof on file; the DEA does not require you to submit documentation at the time of registration.⁹

Keeping the License: Renewal and CME

Utah physician licenses renew on a two-year cycle, with renewal dates fixed by license classification rather than tied to your birth month.¹⁰ The renewal fee is $193 for both allopathic and osteopathic physicians.¹ Practicing with an expired license exposes you to disciplinary action.

Each cycle requires 40 hours of continuing medical education. At least 34 hours must be Category 1 offerings accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME). The remaining hours can come from other approved activities, including up to 15% of the total from documented volunteer healthcare services, counted at one CME hour for every four hours of volunteering. Physicians currently enrolled in an ACGME- or AOA-approved residency receive pro-rata CME credit for the time spent in training.¹¹

Utah also requires at least one approved online suicide prevention training before each renewal. DOPL’s renewal page lists three qualifying courses, each worth half a credit hour, covering safety planning, patient conversations about suicide, and counseling on access to lethal means. These count toward the 40-hour total.¹² Physicians who hold a Controlled Substance License have separate continuing education obligations under Utah Code 58-37-6.5 for that license.

What Can Get an Application Denied

DOPL can deny an application, or discipline an existing licensee, for unprofessional conduct, unlawful conduct, a court determination of mental incompetence, or inability to practice safely because of substance use, illness, or a physical or mental condition that threatens public welfare.¹³ Violations of the Medical Practice Act’s unlawful conduct provisions are a third-degree felony and carry criminal penalties separate from licensing consequences.¹⁴ Prescribing Schedule II or III drugs to yourself, prescribing controlled substances to a drug-dependent person outside a legitimate diagnosis, sexual boundary violations with patients, and fraudulent billing are the categories that most consistently lead to denial, suspension, or revocation.¹⁵

1
Utah Department of Commerce. Division of Professional Licensing Fees Fiscal Year July 1, 2025 Through June 30, 2026
2
Utah Legislature. Utah Code 58-67-302 – Qualifications for Licensure
3
Utah Legislature. Utah Code 58-68-302 – Qualifications for Licensure
4
Utah Legislature. Utah Code 58-67-302.5 – Licensing of Graduates of Foreign Medical Schools
5
ECFMG. Reminder – USMLE Attempt Limit Changing Soon
6
NBME. Taking the United States Medical Licensing Examination
7
Utah Division of Professional Licensing. Physician and Surgeon – Apply for a License
8
Interstate Medical Licensure Compact. What Does It Cost
9
DEA Diversion Control Division. Opioid Use Disorder – MATE Act Q and A
10
Utah Division of Professional Licensing. Renewal Cycle Schedule and Fees
11
Utah Office of Administrative Rules. R156-67-304 – Qualified Continuing Professional Education
12
Utah Division of Professional Licensing. Renew a Physician and Surgeon License
13
Utah Legislature. Utah Code 58-67-401 – Grounds for Denial of License – Disciplinary Proceedings
14
Utah Legislature. Utah Code 58-67-503 – Penalty for Unlawful Conduct
15
Legal Information Institute. Utah Admin Code R156-67-502 – Unprofessional Conduct