Texas Medical License

A Texas medical license lets MDs and DOs practice across the state, and most physicians clear the Texas Medical Board process in about 51 days once their file is complete. You pay $895 at submission, pass the Jurisprudence Exam, complete fingerprinting, and verify your education and training, then register your license within 90 days of issuance.

Texas Medical License: Key Facts

• $895 due at submission: an $867 application fee that now includes the Jurisprudence Exam, plus a $21 NPDB surcharge and a $7 Physician Health Program fee. Renewal runs about $491 every two years.
• About 51 days on average. The Texas Medical Board is required by law to process physician applications in an average of 51 days once a file passes screening, though complex files take longer.
• Renewal is biennial. Licenses expire on February 28, May 31, August 31, or November 30, and you register online 60 to 90 days before the date.
• 48 CME hours every two years, at least 24 of them formal Category 1 or 1A, including 2 hours of medical ethics and 2 hours of pain and opioid prescribing.
• Texas is an IMLC member (it joined in 2021), so a qualifying physician can use the Compact’s expedited Letter of Qualification pathway instead of the standard application.
• Verify any license through the TMB “Look up a License” tool, which returns license status, education, and disciplinary history.

The Texas Medical Board runs one of the pricier licensing processes in the country, and the application fee climbed to $867 in September 2025. In our experience helping physicians license in Texas, the cost is predictable but the timeline is not. Clean files move near the 51-day target, while one missing transcript or a “yes” on a professionalism question can add weeks. Order fingerprints and credential verification on day one.

How to get a Texas medical license, step by step

To get a Texas medical license, you apply online through the Texas Medical Board, pay $895, pass the Texas Medical Jurisprudence Exam, complete fingerprinting, and verify your education and postgraduate training. The Board screens your file first, then a licensing analyst reviews it before scheduling you for licensure.

1. Confirm your eligibility. Graduate from an accredited medical school and pass every part of the USMLE or the COMLEX-USA.
2. Complete postgraduate training. U.S. and Canadian graduates need at least one year of ACGME- or AOA-accredited residency. International graduates need at least two years.
3. Gather your documents: official medical school transcripts, verification of postgraduate training, USMLE or COMLEX scores, proof of any board certification, and a valid ID.
4. Submit the online application. Complete every section in the License Inquiry System of Texas (LIST). Texas uses a two-stage process: Pre-Licensure screening, then Licensing.
5. Pay the fees. The application fee is $867 and includes the Jurisprudence Exam. A $21 NPDB surcharge and a $7 Physician Health Program fee bring the total at submission to $895.
6. Pass the Texas Medical Jurisprudence Exam. This open-book exam covers Texas laws and Board rules. Access it through your My TMB account once the application is active.
7. Complete fingerprinting and the background check. Submit fingerprints through the Board’s vendor. Hard-card submissions can take 4 to 6 weeks to return.
8. Verify your credentials. Use the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) and its FCVS service, or arrange primary-source verification directly with the issuing institutions.
9. Wait for Board review. Once your file reaches the Licensing stage, the statutory target is an average of 51 days. Watch LIST for any requests from your analyst.
10. Receive and register your license. After approval, register your license within 90 days of the issue date to activate it.

Checklist: documents to have ready before you start.

• Medical school transcripts and diploma
• USMLE or COMLEX score transcripts
• Postgraduate training verification (residency and any fellowship)
• NPDB self-query report
• Government-issued photo ID and lawful-presence documentation

Pro tip: order fingerprints and FCVS on the first day you apply, not after screening. Both run on outside clocks, so starting them in parallel keeps them from becoming the bottleneck that holds up an otherwise complete file.

Texas medical license requirements

Texas medical license requirements for MDs and DOs cover four areas: an accredited medical degree, passing scores on the USMLE or COMLEX, accredited postgraduate training, and a clean background and professionalism review. Texas also requires recent, active practice and accepts FCVS for credential verification.

• Education: graduation from an accredited medical school. International graduates must appear on the Board’s Substantial Equivalence list, be FCSA-equivalent, or hold ABMS or AOABOS certification.
• Exams: all parts of the USMLE or COMLEX passed in no more than three attempts per component, completed within a seven-year window.
• Training: at least one year of accredited postgraduate training for U.S. and Canadian graduates, two years for international graduates.
• Recent activity: proof you have diagnosed or treated patients, or taught full time at a Texas medical school, in one of the two years before you apply.
• Background: fingerprint-based criminal history check, NPDB self-query, and full disclosure of any malpractice or disciplinary history.

These requirements are set under the Texas Medical Practice Act. See Texas Occupations Code Chapter 155 for eligibility and Chapter 156 for registration and CME.

How much a Texas medical license costs

A Texas medical license costs $895 at submission: an $867 application fee that includes the Jurisprudence Exam, a $21 NPDB surcharge, and a $7 Physician Health Program fee. Biennial renewal runs about $491. The temporary license carries no fee. Outside services like FCVS and fingerprinting are billed separately.

Watch out: the application fee changed on September 1, 2025. Older guides still list an $817 fee plus a separate $34 Jurisprudence Exam charge. The current figure is a single $867 fee that already includes the exam, so budget from the new number.

How long a Texas medical license takes

A Texas medical license takes about 51 days on average. That is the statutory target the Board must meet once your application passes Pre-Licensure screening and reaches the Licensing stage. Fingerprint results run on a separate clock and can take 4 to 6 weeks for hard-card submissions. The Board issues licenses about twice a month.

Two things stretch that 51-day average: a “yes” answer to any professionalism question, and graduation from a school not on the Substantial Equivalence list. Both move a file from routine review into a deeper look, which adds time you cannot shortcut.

By the numbers: the 51-day figure is a legislative mandate on the Board, not a marketing estimate. From the Texas applications we process, the most common reason a file misses it is fingerprint results lagging behind everything else in the packet.

How to verify or look up a Texas medical license

To verify a Texas medical license, use the Texas Medical Board’s “Look up a License” tool at profile.tmb.texas.gov. Search by name or license number to see current status, license type, education, and any disciplinary history. This is the official primary source, and it is always free and public.

1. Open the TMB Look up a License page.
2. Search by last name or by the physician’s license number.
3. Open the profile to confirm status (active, expired, or restricted), issue date, and specialty.
4. Review the disciplinary section, which lists Board orders if any exist.

For other professionals, use the right primary source. Nurses are verified through the Texas Board of Nursing, not the TMB. To confirm a National Provider Identifier instead of a state license, use our NPI lookup tool.

Texas medical license renewal

Texas medical license renewal is biennial. Licenses expire on February 28, May 31, August 31, or November 30, with even-numbered licenses expiring in even years and odd-numbered ones in odd years. You register online 60 to 90 days before expiration, attest to your CME, and confirm lawful presence. Renewal costs about $491.

• First-time registration is due within 90 days of your license issue date. Miss it and a $75 penalty applies.
• Reminders go out by postcard at least 60 days before expiration, and you can register through the TMB physician renewal system.
• Paper renewal adds a $50 surcharge when an online option is available.
• Fingerprint results must be on file before the online system will let you register, so handle those early.

Texas CME requirements for renewal

Physicians complete 48 CME hours every two years. At least 24 must be formal Category 1 or 1A credit. Within those formal hours, 2 must cover medical ethics or professional responsibility, and physicians in direct patient care complete 2 hours on pain management and opioid prescribing. A Texas HHS human-trafficking course is also required.

Up to 24 of the 48 hours can be informal: self-study, grand rounds, journal reading, or peer review. Newly licensed physicians are exempt from CME at their first registration. Board certification or active Maintenance of Certification can satisfy the formal-hours requirement for one period. The full rules sit in the TMB continuing education page and Texas Occupations Code Section 156.055.

Temporary license, endorsement, and the IMLC

Texas does not offer classic reciprocity. Out-of-state physicians apply through the standard application or, if they qualify, the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact. Texas also issues temporary and faculty licenses, and five years of unrestricted U.S. practice can substitute for parts of the training requirement.

• Temporary license: no fee, typically valid up to 90 days, and it needs a pending full application, sponsorship by a Texas physician or hospital, an active license elsewhere, and a background check.
• Faculty Temporary License: for physicians teaching at a Texas institution; the fee is $602 and includes the Jurisprudence Exam.
• Physician-in-Training permit: the route for residents and fellows in Texas training programs.
• IMLC: Texas joined the Compact in 2021. You request a Letter of Qualification from your state of principal licensure, and Texas processes Compact applications in about 15 business days.

If you plan to practice in several states, the Compact pathway through the IMLC Commission is usually faster than separate applications. Texas details sit on the Board’s IMLC application page.

DEA registration in Texas

To prescribe controlled substances in Texas, you need a federal DEA registration and a Texas Department of Public Safety Controlled Substances Registration. The DEA registration renews every three years and requires an active Texas medical license. Both must stay current, or your authority to prescribe lapses.

The DEA registration is federal and separate from your state license clock, so the dates rarely line up. Our team handles DEA registration alongside state licensing so the two do not drift out of sync.

The Compact works like a fast lane for physicians already licensed in a member state: you verify once, then add states without rebuilding the whole file each time.

Physician assistants, nurses, and IMGs in Texas

Texas licenses physician assistants through the Texas Physician Assistant Board, nurses through the Texas Board of Nursing, and international medical graduates through the same TMB process as U.S. graduates with a few added steps. Each track has its own fees, exams, and timelines.

Physician assistants (PAs)

The PA application fee is $270 and includes the Jurisprudence Exam, with a $107 temporary license fee if you need to start sooner. Initial licensure requires current NCCPA certification, though renewal does not. You also register a supervising physician before practicing. Our physician assistant licensing service covers this end to end.

Nurses (RN, LVN, and APRN)

Nurses are licensed by the Texas Board of Nursing, not the Texas Medical Board, and Texas is a Nurse Licensure Compact state. RNs and LVNs apply by exam or endorsement, and APRNs add national certification in their role and population focus. For fees, the renewal cycle, and step-by-step guidance, see our full Texas Board of Nursing guide.

International medical graduates (IMGs)

IMGs follow the same application as U.S. graduates with three differences: your school must sit on the Substantial Equivalence list or be FCSA-equivalent, you need two years of accredited training instead of one, and you can submit Z-Pack documentation if your school is not yet listed. When clients ask whether to use FCVS, the answer is usually yes if they plan to license in more than one state, because it cuts down repeat verification.

This article provides general guidance only. Texas medical licensing requirements and fees change, and individual cases vary. Always verify current requirements with the official Texas Medical Board at tmb.texas.gov before submitting your application. Last fact-checked: June 30, 2026.

Written by Medicallicensing Team · Reviewed by David Ivaniuk, CEO Medicallicensing · Last updated: June 30, 2026 · Last fact-checked: June 30, 2026

About the reviewer

David Ivaniuk is the CEO of Medicallicensing, a licensing services company that has helped physicians, PAs, nurses, and other healthcare professionals navigate state licensing, DEA registration, and payer enrollment across all 50 U.S. states.

Frequently asked questions

References

1. Texas Medical Board. “Full Texas Medical License Application.” Accessed June 30, 2026. tmb.texas.gov.
2. Texas Medical Board. “Physician Renewal.” Accessed June 30, 2026. tmb.texas.gov.
3. Texas Medical Board. “Continuing Education Requirements for Physicians.” Accessed June 30, 2026. tmb.texas.gov.
4. Texas Medical Board. “Interstate Medical Licensure Compact Application.” Accessed June 30, 2026. tmb.texas.gov.
5. Interstate Medical Licensure Compact Commission. Accessed June 30, 2026. imlcc.com.
6. Texas Legislature. “Occupations Code, Chapters 155 and 156.” Accessed June 30, 2026. statutes.capitol.texas.gov.
7. Federation of State Medical Boards. “FCVS.” Accessed June 30, 2026. fsmb.org.