North Carolina Medical License

North Carolina Medical License Application

If you want to practice medicine in NC, you must first obtain a license from the right authority.

North Carolina Medical Board

This board regulates the practice of medicine and surgery for physicians, physician assistants, and other allied health professionals. You must provide a criminal background check, proof of your education and training, and any other documentation requested by the board.

You must additionally pay an application cost as well as an annual renewal charge. The board offers various pathways to licensure, such as by examination, endorsement, or reinstatement. You can also apply for a temporary license or a resident training license if you meet the criteria.

The application fee for MDs and DOs is $400 and $230 for PAs.

North Carolina Nursing Board

This board governs RNs, PNs, and APRNs’ education, licensure, and practice. A criminal background check, verification of your schooling and national certification (where applicable), and other documentation as requested by the board will be required. There will also be an application charge and an annual renewal fee. The nursing board also offers various pathways to licensure, such as by examination, endorsement, or reinstatement. You can also apply for a compact license if you meet certain criteria.

North Carolina Medical Board License Renewal

You are required to renew your license every year by your birthday. The process includes paying a renewal fee is $250 and answering some questions about your professional activities and any disciplinary actions or malpractice claims against you if any.

The CME requirements for physicians are:

• A minimum of 60 Category 1 CME hours every three years
• At least one hour of CME on controlled substances prescribing practices every three years
• At least three hours of CME on topics related to the physician’s specialty every year

The CME requirements for physician assistants are:

• A minimum of 100 Category 1 CME hours every two years
• At least one hour of CME on controlled substances prescribing practices every two years
• At least 50 hours of CME on topics related to the physician assistant’s area of practice every two years

If you do not renew your license within 30 days after your birthday, you are going to be charged a $50 late fee on top of the renewal amount. If you fail to renew your license within six months after your birthday, it will be marked as inactive and you will be unable to practice. You will have to submit an application, cover a reactivation fee, and complete the CME criteria to reactivate your license.

For nurses, one of the following is required:

• 15 Contact Hours of continued education and 640 hours of active practice within the previous 2 years.
• National Certification or Re-certification by a National Credentialing Body recognized by the Board
• 30 Contact Hours of continued education
• Board-Approved Refresher Course
• 2 semester hours of post-licensure academic education related to nursing practice
• 15 Contact Hours of CE and completion of a nursing project
• 15 Contact Hours and Authoring or Co-Authoring a nursing-related article, paper, book, or book chapter
• 15 Contact Hours of continued education and developing and conducting a nursing continuing education presentation or presentations totaling a minimum of five contact hours

Nurses who hold an advanced practice registered nurse license must complete an additional 20 contact hours of continuing education in their area of practice every two years, and those, who have prescriptive authority must complete at least one hour of continuing education on controlled substances prescribing practices every two years

North Carolina Telemedicine License

The board does not endorse a separate standard of care for telemedicine. To practice telemedicine in NC, you need to obtain a license from the appropriate authority depending on your profession.

North Carolina Medical License Lookup

You can verify the license of a physician, physician assistant, or nurse online. MDs, DOs, and PAs licenses can be looked up online at Licensee Search. The tool will provide you with the current status of the license, the license issue and expiration dates, and any disciplinary actions taken against the individual.

The License Verification tool allows you to search for a nurse by name or license number and get information such as license status, expiration date, and disciplinary actions, if any.

If you have already submitted your application, you can use the Medical Board’s online tool to check the current status. You will need to enter your application number or personal information.

Expedited North Carolina Medical License

Physicians may be eligible for expedited North Carolina medical license application if they meet the following qualifications:

• Have completed specialty board certification within the last 10 years, either initial certification or recertification from the following organizations: ABMS, AOA, FRCP, FRCS, CFPC, ABOMS
• Hold a full, unrestricted active license in one state, the District of Columbia, a U.S. territory, or a Canadian province for the previous five years
• Have been actively practicing clinical care for an average of 20 hours or more per week for at least the last two years, and can provide proof

They should also have no history of professional liability claims or payments in the past decade, no criminal convictions, or medical conditions, no regulatory board complaints, investigations, or actions, and not have used the Puerto Rico Written Examination/Revalida to meet the requirements for medical licensure in another jurisdiction.

North Carolina Medical Licensing Service

Navigating the complexities of medical licensing can be daunting, and it almost always is time-consuming. To make it easier, you can rely on licensing services, like MedicalLicensing.com. We offer a wide range of services, covering initial licenses, renewals, training licenses, FCVS profile set-up, DEA registration, and much more.

Our expert team delivers results quickly and smoothly while keeping you informed along the way. With more than 8 years of expertise and experience in every state, we know how to make the process easier and get you licensed faster.