Medical Licensing Service

State Medical Board Licensing Requirements

State PGT for Domestic Grads PGT for International Grads ABMS/SPEX/10 Year Rule Step 3 USMLE Attempts USMLE 7 Year
Alabama 1 year 3 years No 3 (10 total attempts) 7
Alaska 2 years 3 years No 2 attempts per step 7 or 10 (MD/PhD
Arizona 1 year 3 years Yes - Exempt if Board Certified None None if licensed, 7 if this is the first license
Arkansas 1 year 3 years No 3 attempts per step No Time Limit
California 1 year 2 years Yes - Exempt if NBME or ABMS 4 10
Colorado 1 year 1 years No None 7 or 10 (MD/PhD)
Connecticut 2 years 2 years No None 7 Years
Delaware 1 year 3 years No 6 7+
District of Columbia 1 year 3 years No 3+ 7
Florida 1 year 2 years No None None
Georgia 1 year 1 or 3 years. 1 year if Med. Sch. approved by California. 3 years if Med. Sch. not approved by California. No 3 7 or 9 (Md/PhD)
Hawaii 1 year 2 years No None None
Idaho 1 year 3 years No 2+ per step None
Illinois 2 2 No 5 attempts allowed on all steps combined - total 7
Indiana 1 year 2 years No 3 per step 10
Iowa 1 year 2 years No 6-step 1&2 3-step 3 *3 yrs of approved PGT required if outside of attempt limits 10 (no year limit if Board Certified)
Kansas 1 year 3 years (2 of which ACGME) No 3+ 10
Kentucky 2 years 2 years No 4 per step None
Louisiana 2 years 2 years Yes 4-step 2 & 3 10
Maine 1 year before 07/2004; 3 years after 07/2004 3 years NA 3 *Waiver required if more than 3 7
Maryland 1 year 2 years Yes - Exempt if Board Certified None None
Massachusetts 2 years 2 or 3 years No 3 7+
Michigan 1 year 1 year No Yes - 3 attempts Yes 7 years - 4 years to pass Step 3 from first attempt
Minnesota 1 year 1 year Yes 3 (if not licensed) 4 (if licensed and board certified) Step 3 must be passed within 5 years of Step 2 or before the end of the residency training
Mississippi 1 year 1 year w/ABME or 3 years w/o Yes 3 7
Missouri 1 year 3 years No 3 7
Montana Completion of approved Residency 3 years No 6 7
Nebraska 1 year 2 years No 4+ (each step) 10
Nevada 3 years 3 years Yes 9 total attempts for all steps combined Step 3 in 3 attempts 7 or 10 (MD/PhD)
New Hampshire 2 years 2 years No 3 none
New Jersey 1 year if before 07/03, 3 years if after 07/03 3 years No 5 7
New Mexico 2 years 2 years No 6 7 or 10 (MD/PhD)
New York 1 year 3 years No None None
North Carolina 1 year 2 years Yes - Exempt-60 CME Hrs 3yrs 3 attempts per step None
North Dakota 1 year 3 years No 3 attempts per step 7
Ohio 1 year 2 years No 6 attempts per step 10
Oklahoma 1 year 2 years No 3 attempts per step 10
Oregon 1 year 3 years Yes - Waiver if ABMS and 150 CME Hrs in 3 years 3 7
Pennsylvania 2 years 2 years No 4 7
Puerto Rico 1 year 1 year No None 7
Rhode Island 2 years 2 years No 3 attempts per step None
South Carolina 1 year 3 years Yes - Waiver if 150 cme hrs 3 yrs 4 attempts per step 10
South Dakota Complete a Residency Complete a Residency No 3 7
Tennessee 1 year 3 years No 4 10 years
Texas 1 year 2 years No 3 attempts per step 7
Utah 2 years 2 years No 3 7 or 10 (MD/PhD)
Vermont 2 years 3 years No 3 7
Virginia 1 year 1 year No 4+ 10+
Washington 2 years 2 years No 3 7+
Virgin Islands 1 year 2 years No none 10+
West Virginia 1 year 3 years No 6 10
Wisconsin 2 years 2 years No 3 10
Wyoming 1 or 2 years (see rules) 1 or 2 years (see rules) No 7 total USMLE attempts 7