Licensure Process

The State of Arizona does have a Universal Licensing Recognition policy. Please review Substantive Policy Statement #20-01. The Board currently does not have reciprocity recognized in other states. The Board does participate in the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact Commission (IMLCC). Please contact the IMLCC with questions regarding this process.

Yes. Please see IMLCC’s website for requirements and application procedures at www.imlcc.org.

Yes. You may apply for a Temporary License if you have applied for a full license and the application is in process; if you hold an active, unrestricted license to practice medicine in another state, territory or possession of the U.S.; have never had a license revoked or suspended or surrendered a license for disciplinary reasons; and you are not the subject of an unresolved complaint in any jurisdiction.

The Temporary License application is available for download at Applications.

Yes. From the Board’s perspective, an Active temporary license has all the same privileges as a full license. However, you will need to contact other entities such as your employer or the DEA for any restrictions they may have for you.

Yes. A temporary Postgraduate Training Permit is available for osteopathic physicians who are enrolled in an ACGME or AOA accredited internship, residency or fellowship program. Contact your residency coordinator for a copy of the form and instructions. Your program’s coordinator is an important part of the process. You will submit your completed application and supporting documents to him/her rather than directly to the Board’s licensing division. Your coordinator will forward your application packet to the Board.

Yes, For physicians who will be temporarily assisting or substituting for an Arizona licensed MD or DO, Arizona has a Locum Tenens Registration that is good for 90 days. The combined application and issuance fee is $300. This registration may be extended once for an additional and contiguous 90 days upon written request and payment of an additional $300 fee. Please see the application and instructions on our website at For DOs > Applications for more information about a Locum Tenens Registration.

We have a Pro Bono Registration, which is not a license. This registration allows an osteopathic physician who is not a licensee to practice in this state for a total of 60 days each calendar year (cumulatively or consecutively) if the physician meets all of the following requirements:

1. Holds an active and unrestricted license to practice medicine in a state, territory or possession of the United States,
2. Has never had a license revoked or suspended by a health profession regulatory board of another jurisdiction,
3. Is not the subject of an unresolved complaint, and
4. Agrees to render all medical services without accepting a fee or salary or performs only initial or follow-up examinations at no cost to the patient and the patient’s family through a charitable organization.

To apply for a Pro Bono Registration, use the application on our website at Licensure / Licensing / Pro Bono Registration.. There is no fee for this registration.

You need either a full license or a Teaching License. The Teaching License application may be downloaded from our website Teaching License Application.. You cannot practice clinical medicine outside of your teaching duties with a Teaching license.

No, the Board does not have an administrative license. Physicians who wish to practice administrative medicine will need a full license. Use the Initial License Application to apply for a full license.

• Initial License
• Teaching License
• Locum Tenens Registration

Any application that does NOT require notarization may be sent by fax, or email. All other applications must be sent by email, delivery service or hand delivered.

An applicant who is applying for an Initial license, a locum tenens registration, or a teaching license must submit a fingerprint card.

Yes, you must submit a standard FD-258 (REV.3-1-10) Card or a digitally printed fingerprint card on Form FD-258 is also acceptable. The ORI, OCA, Employer and Address, and Reason Fingerprinted must be left blank. Please refer to the Board’s instruction sheet on Fingerprint for your use and submission. The Instruction sheet can be found under Licensure Process > Forms> Fingerprinting Information.

Local police departments, sheriff’s office and some private agencies offer this service. The agency you use will need to supply you with a fingerprint card. It is the responsibility of the applicant to make sure the fingerprint technician follows all the instructions on the Fingerprint Verification Form. Fingerprint Cards and Fingerprint Verification forms must be submitted correctly or they will not be accepted.

Fingerprinting can be done at a local law enforcement agency, mobile fingerprinting service or a business that provides fingerprinting service. Please contact the agency that provides the fingerprint service to confirm availability and payment requirements.

No. Your fingerprint card will be rejected if you submit your fingerprint card before you submit your application.

Yes, $50 as specified by A.A.C. R4-22-102(B)(3).

Yes, the fingerprint packet includes specific instructions for you and the fingerprint technician to follow.

Yes, you are required to submit a new fingerprint card to the Board for licensure.

Once the application, appropriate fees and fingerprint card is received and processed, the fingerprint card is forwarded to the Department of Public Safety and the FBI for completion of the background check. The report is processed and returned to the Board for review. The fingerprint card may take 3-6 weeks on average from the date it was received by the Board; however, the FBI has 120 days to complete their portion of the background check. This process cannot be expedited for any reason. The Board will not consider your application for licensure until your application is complete including your background report being received.

The Board sent you a second fingerprint packet when notified that your first set of fingerprints was rejected. The enclosed letter provides an explanation for the first set’s rejection. The best way to ensure that your fingerprints do not have to be re-done is to make sure that you and the fingerprint technician follow the instructions provided in the packet. If the fingerprint patterns captured on the fingerprint card were not discernible for accurate identification, they will be rejected and you will be required to submit a new set of fingerprints. This may cause a delay in the processing of your application. To get good, readable prints, you may wish to consider the following:

• Do not use hand lotion before being fingerprinted.
• Wash your hands with hot water and an abrasive soap, like “Lava”, just before being printed.