Interstate Medical Licensure Compact providing expedited licensure in 39 states in 2023

Last updated February 7, 2023

The Interstate Medical Licensure Compact Commission (IMLC) is now processing applications for expedited licensure in 39 states, the District of Columbia, and the territory of Guam. This makes the process for obtaining a medical license in these states simpler if you already hold your primary license in one of the participating states.

The IMLC creates another pathway for licensure and does not otherwise change a state’s existing Medical Practice Act. The IMLC also adopts a uniform and stringent standard for licensure and affirms that the practice of medicine occurs where the patient is located at the time of the physician-patient encounter. Upon licensure via the IMLC, the physician will be under the jurisdiction of the medical board in the state where the patient is located.

States currently accepting applications for expedited licensure

There are currently 39 states and one territory accepting applications for expedited licensure:

*Connecticut and Vermont are not current “States of Principle Licensure,” which means you are able to get a license issued for these states through the compact if you qualify through another SPL but none of these state qualifies as a SPL for licensing in other states.

**Indiana, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island all have passed IMLC legislation passed, and the implementation is either in process or it’s been delayed.

Other states that have introduced IMLC legislation

States with pending legislation to join the compact include:

• Hawaii
• Massachusetts
• Missouri
• New Mexico
• New York
• North Carolina
• Virginia

Qualification

To qualify to participate in this program, a physician must satisfy the following requirements:

• Possess an active, full, and unrestricted medical license in an SPL state and be a resident, have at least 25 percent of their medical practice, or be employed by an entity in that state
• Be a graduate of a medical school accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation, or a medical school listed in the International Medical Education Directory
• Passed each component of the U.S. Medical Licensing Examination or the Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination within three attempts, or any predecessor examinations accepted by the state medical board in which you hold your primary license
• Successfully completed graduate medical education approved by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education or the American Osteopathic Association
• Hold an active, time-limited specialty certification or a lifetime specialty certificate recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties or the American Osteopathic Association
• Never been convicted, received adjudication, deferred adjudication, community supervision, or deferred disposition for a felony, gross misdemeanor, or crime of moral turpitude
• Never held a medical license subjected to discipline by a licensing agency in any state, federal, or foreign jurisdiction, excluding any action related to non-payment of fees related to a medical license
• Never had a controlled substance license or permit suspended or revoked by a state or the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration
• Not be under active investigation by a licensing agency or law enforcement authority in any state, federal, or foreign jurisdiction

For more information on the compact, visit imlcc.org or call Weatherby Healthcare’s licensing department at 866.831.3727 or view today’s locum tenens jobs in ILMC member states.