APPLY EARLY! - License Application Processing Times
Applying for a Physician’s and Surgeon’s License
All allopathic physicians must receive a license from the Board prior to practicing medicine in California.
Osteopathic physicians and surgeons are licensed and regulated by the Osteopathic Medical Board of California.
A United States, Canadian, or international graduate from a Board-approved medical school who has not already received 12 months of credit (U.S. or Canadian medical school graduates) or 24 months of credit (international medical school graduates) of Board-approved postgraduate training, does not hold a physician’s and surgeon’s license, passed all required examinations, and is accepted in an Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) accredited postgraduate training program in California must obtain a Postgraduate Training License (PTL) within 180 days of enrollment.
Licensee is a U.S., Canadian or international medical school graduate whose pathway to licensure is based on one of the following:
- USMLE, LMCC, or FLEX written examination and either does not hold a license in another state or Canadian province or has been licensed less than four years in another state or Canadian province(s).
- Licensure in another state or Canadian province(s) for four or more years.
- U.S. or Canadian medical school graduate whose pathway to licensure is based on the NBME examination.
License Types
Physician's and Surgeon's License
Type A — Licensee is a U.S., Canadian or international medical school graduate whose pathway to licensure is based on: the USMLE, LMCC, or FLEX written examination and either does not hold a license in another state or Canadian province or has been licensed less than four years in another state or Canadian province(s).
Type C — Licensee is a U.S., Canadian, or international medical school graduate whose pathway to licensure was based on licensure in another state or Canadian province(s) for four or more years.
Type G — Licensee is a U.S. or Canadian medical school graduate whose pathway to licensure is based on the NBME examination.
Learn More about Physician and surgeon licensePostgraduate Training License
If you graduated from a Board-approved medical school, passed all required examinations, have not received 12 months of credit (for U.S. or Canadian medical school graduates) or 24 months of credit (international medical school graduates) of Board-approved postgraduate training, and are enrolled in a California postgraduate training program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) training, you are eligible for a Postgraduate Training License.
Learn More about Physician and Surgeon Postgraduate Training LicenseTransition from a Postgraduate Training License to a Physician's and Surgeon's License
You can complete the transition application process if you currently hold a Postgraduate Training License (PTL) and are transitioning to a Physician’s and Surgeon’s (P&S) license.
Learn More about Physician and Surgeon Transition LicenseTemporary License
If you are eligible for a Physician’s and Surgeon’s License and are married to, or in a domestic partnership, or other legal union with, an active-duty member of the United States Armed Forces who is assigned to a duty station in California under official active-duty military orders may be eligible for a Temporary License pursuant to Business and Professions Code section 115.6.
Learn More about Physician and Surgeon Temporary LicenseLimited Practice License
If you are eligible for a Physician’s and Surgeon’s License and are unable to practice some aspects of medicine safely due to a disability, you may be eligible for a Limited Practice License.
Learn More about Physician and Surgeon Limited Practice LicenseSpecial Permits
The Board may issue you a Special Permit if you are an international physician who is not currently eligible for a Physician’s and Surgeon’s License in California. A medical school, hospital, academic medical center, or an approved fellowship training program in California must sponsor your application for a Special Permit. These permits authorize you to practice medicine only within the sponsoring medical school, academic medical center, hospital, and any of its affiliated institutions. Depending upon the type of Special Program, there may be supervision requirements, limits on permitted activities, or eligibility limits based on U.S. citizenship.
Learn More about Physician and Surgeon Special PermitsFictitious Name Permit
The purpose of a Fictitious Name Permit (FNP) is to allow a licensed physician and surgeon or podiatrist to practice under a name other than their own.
Learn More about Fictitious Name Permits- Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)
- American Medical Association (AMA)
- Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG)
- Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS)
- Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB)
- Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME)
- National Resident Matching Program (NRMP)
- Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC)