New York licenses physicians through the State Education Department, not a traditional medical board. The Office of the Professions (NYSED OP) administers all professional licenses in New York including MDs and DOs, with the State Board for Medicine acting as an advisory body. Applications are filed on Form 1 with a $735 combined licensure and first registration fee. New York does NOT participate in the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact — every NY medical license is a single-jurisdiction filing through NYSED. New York is also unusual in not setting a fixed CME hour requirement, instead mandating specific topical coursework (child abuse, infection control) for licensure and renewal.
New York Medical License Requirements
Degree from a NYS-registered, LCME-accredited (MD), or AOA-accredited (DO) medical program. International medical graduates must hold a valid ECFMG certificate.
Postgraduate training: minimum 1 year of ACGME-accredited training for graduates of NYS-registered, LCME-, or AOA-accredited programs; minimum 3 years of ACGME, AOA, or RCPSC training for international medical graduates.
Pass USMLE Steps 1, 2, and 3 (or COMLEX-USA Levels 1, 2, and 3 for DOs). FLEX, NBME, and certain pre-1994 examination combinations may be accepted.
Completion of approved coursework on identifying and reporting child abuse and maltreatment (one-time, prior to licensure).
Completion of approved coursework on infection control and barrier precautions (every four years post-licensure).
Completion of mandatory coursework on the prescribing of opioids and pain management (3 hours, every 3 years; required for all DEA-registered prescribers).
Form 1 (Application for Licensure) and Form 2 (Certification of Professional Education) submitted directly to NYSED Office of the Professions.
How Much Does an New York Medical License Cost?
| Fee | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Form 1 — Licensure and First Registration Fee | $735 | Single combined fee: $135 application + $600 first 2-year registration. Non-refundable. Verified from NYSED Office of the Professions Fees Chart (April 2026). |
| Limited Permit (optional) | $105 | For practice while awaiting full licensure. Verified from NYSED OP Fees Chart (April 2026). |
| Re-registration (Biennial) | $600 | Paid every 2 years to keep your license active. Physicians register on a 2-year cycle (not 3 years like most other NYSED professions). Verified from NYSED OP Fees Chart (April 2026). |
Fees above are paid to New York and the FSMB. Our service fee is separate — see pricing.
We handle the New York application end-to-end.
Eligibility screening, document prep, board follow-ups, and tracking — so you don't lose a Board meeting cycle to a missing form.
View full pricingHow Long Does It Take to Get an New York Medical License?
Typical Processing
3-4 months from application submission to issuance
Recommended Lead Time
Submit at least 5 months before intended start of practice
NYSED requires primary-source verification of all medical education and training, which is the bulk of the timeline. There is no expedited pathway. New York is NOT in the IMLC, so a compact license is not available.
Where New York Applications Get Delayed
New York is NOT in the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact. There is no compact pathway — every NY medical license is a single-jurisdiction filing through NYSED.
NYSED is a state education department, not a traditional medical board. The Form 1 application packet differs from FSMB Uniform Application formats and is not interchangeable with most other states.
The $735 combined fee covers BOTH initial licensure and the first 2-year registration period — you do not pay a separate registration fee at issuance. But the second registration cycle costs ~$600 due before your birth-month anniversary.
IMG postgraduate training requires 3 full years of ACGME-, AOA-, or RCPSC-accredited training. Canadian RCPSC is accepted, which is more permissive than many states.
Mandatory infection control coursework must be repeated every 4 years — not waivable, even for ICUs/operating room physicians who handle infection control daily.
Re-registration is tied to your birth month, not a fixed statewide date. Notice mails ~4 months before expiration but is easy to miss.
Mandatory child abuse coursework must be completed BEFORE licensure is issued — submitting after Form 1 delays the file.
Renewing Your New York Medical License
Renewal Cycle
Re-registration every 2 years; date is tied to the licensee's birth month, not a uniform statewide expiration
Renewal Fee
$600
CME Requirement
New York does NOT set a numeric CME hour requirement. Instead it mandates specific topical coursework: infection control every 4 years, opioid/pain management every 3 years for DEA-registered prescribers, and a one-time child abuse course for initial licensure.
Late Grace Period
Late re-registration triggers fees and the inability to practice until reinstated. Long lapses may require board review.
How New York Issues Medical Licenses
New York is unusual among US jurisdictions in licensing physicians through the State Education Department's Office of the Professions (NYSED OP) rather than a traditional medical board. NYSED licenses all professionals in New York — physicians, lawyers, engineers, architects, and dozens of other trades — with the State Board for Medicine acting as an advisory body to the State Education Department. Applications are filed on Form 1 (Application for Licensure) with a combined $735 licensure and first-registration fee. Both MDs and DOs are licensed under the same process.
New York Is Not in the IMLC
Unlike most US states, New York does not participate in the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact. There is no compact pathway, no Letter of Qualification route, no expedited process for physicians already licensed in IMLC member states. Every New York medical license is a single-jurisdiction filing through NYSED OP. If you need a New York license and you're currently licensed in another state, the IMLC won't help — you go through the full NYSED Form 1 process.
Where Most New York Applications Get Stuck
Three things commonly add weeks to a NY application:
- Form 1 vs FSMB UA confusion. NYSED uses its own Form 1 packet — not the FSMB Uniform Application. Applicants who try to submit FSMB UA materials in lieu of Form 1 are returned and must restart the application packet.
- Mandatory child abuse coursework. NY requires completion of a board-approved 2-hour child abuse identification and reporting course BEFORE licensure is issued. Many applicants complete it after submitting Form 1, which delays issuance until the certificate is on file.
- IMG primary-source verification. International medical graduates must document 3 full years of postgraduate training. NYSED accepts ACGME, AOA, and RCPSC training, which is more permissive than many states — but primary-source verifications still take 2-3 months.
What You'll Pay
The Form 1 fee is $735 — a single combined fee covering initial licensure AND the first 2-year registration period. You don't pay a separate registration fee at issuance. Re-registration after the first 2 years is approximately $600 per biennial cycle. Verify current amounts on the NYSED OP fee chart before paying — fees are updated by rule periodically. Application fees are non-refundable, including for applicants who don't qualify after review.
Realistic Timeline
NYSED publishes a typical processing window of 3-4 months from Form 1 submission to license issuance. The bulk of that time is primary-source verification of medical education and postgraduate training. There is no expedited pathway. A limited permit is available at $105 for physicians who need to practice while awaiting full licensure (typically used by residency-completing physicians transitioning to attending status), but it has scope and supervision restrictions.
Renewal and Mandatory Coursework
New York is unusual in not setting a numeric CME hour requirement. Instead, it mandates specific topical coursework:
- Infection control and barrier precautions: coursework every 4 years
- Opioid prescribing and pain management: 3 hours every 3 years for DEA-registered prescribers
- Child abuse identification and reporting: one-time, before initial licensure
Re-registration runs on a 2-year cycle tied to the licensee's birth month — not a uniform statewide expiration. NYSED mails a re-registration notice approximately 4 months before expiration, but it is easy to miss. Late re-registration triggers fees and the inability to practice until reinstated.
No Compact Pathway — Plan Accordingly
Because New York is not in the IMLC, physicians coming from compact states cannot use the expedited path. The only way to obtain a New York license is the standard NYSED Form 1 process, which takes 3-4 months. If New York is a key state for your practice, plan the application well ahead of intended start date — there is no fast track.
How White Glove Helps
We manage New York applications end-to-end: completing Form 1 and Form 2 to NYSED standards (not FSMB UA), queuing the mandatory child abuse coursework before submission so it doesn't delay issuance, scheduling primary-source verifications to compress the 3-4 month timeline, tracking the birth-month re-registration cycle so you don't lapse, and surfacing the infection control 4-year and opioid prescribing 3-year refresh requirements at each cycle.
New York Medical License FAQ
How much does a New York medical license cost?
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How long does it take to get a New York medical license?
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Does New York participate in the IMLC?
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Why does New York use the State Education Department instead of a medical board?
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What CME is required for New York physician renewal?
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What postgraduate training is required for a New York medical license?
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When does my New York medical license expire?
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What Working with Us Costs
Transparent, a la carte service fees. The state and FSMB fees listed above are paid directly to those agencies. Our concierge service is separate.
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