Washington is unusual in calling its medical licensing body a 'Commission' rather than a 'Board.' The Washington Medical Commission (WMC) regulates MD physicians under the Department of Health, while DOs are licensed separately by the Washington Board of Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery. The WMC publishes a 16-20 week processing target for new MD applications — among the longer published timelines in the country — driven largely by the FBI fingerprint step. Washington is a fully participating Interstate Medical Licensure Compact (IMLC) state.
Washington Medical License Requirements
Degree from an LCME-accredited (MD) medical school for WMC applicants. International medical graduates must hold a valid ECFMG certificate and meet additional postgraduate training requirements.
Postgraduate training: minimum 2 years of ACGME-accredited training for US/Canadian graduates; 3 years for international medical graduates (verify current rule with WMC).
Pass USMLE, FLEX, NBME, or LMCC exam series. Steps must meet WMC time-window and attempt-limit rules.
FBI fingerprint background check — flagged by the WMC as the longest single step in the application.
Six-hour, one-time training in suicide assessment, treatment, and management from the Department of Health's approved model list (RCW 43.70.442).
AIDS/HIV education (one-time, mandatory under WAC 246-12-270) for initial licensure.
FCVS (Federation Credentials Verification Service) credentialing accepted in lieu of primary-source documents.
FSMB Uniform Application accepted as the primary submission pathway.
How Much Does an Washington Medical License Cost?
| Fee | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Initial Application Fee (MD) | $511 | Base WMC application fee; verify current amount with the Commission |
| Washington Physician Health Program Surcharge | $140 | Mandatory; paid with the application |
| FBI Fingerprint Background Check | $50 | Paid via the WMC fingerprint vendor; verify current amount |
| Annual Renewal | $691 | Renewed each year on the physician's birthday; verify current amount with WMC |
Fees above are paid to Washington and the FSMB. Our service fee is separate — see pricing.
We handle the Washington 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 Washington Medical License?
Typical Processing
16-20 weeks from application submission to issuance
Recommended Lead Time
Submit at least 5-6 months before intended start of practice
The WMC publishes a 16-20 week target. Routine applications are reviewed within 14 days of being deemed complete; the bulk of the timeline is FBI fingerprinting and primary-source verifications. IMLC-pathway applicants typically receive a Washington license in 4-6 weeks if their State of Principal Licensure documentation is in order.
Where Washington Applications Get Delayed
Washington is one of the only states with a four-year CME cycle (200 hours total for MDs) — physicians moving from biennial-cycle states often miscount their reporting period.
The WMC publishes a 16-20 week timeline. Treating Washington like a 4-6 week state is a common scheduling mistake — credentialing and start dates need to be set accordingly.
The 6-hour suicide prevention training is a one-time requirement under RCW 43.70.442 and must come from the Department of Health's approved model list. Generic suicide-prevention CME does not satisfy it.
AIDS/HIV education is a separate one-time requirement under WAC 246-12-270 — easy to overlook because it is not part of the standard CME total.
MDs file with the Washington Medical Commission; DOs file with the separate Washington Board of Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery. Filing with the wrong body means starting over.
The Washington Physician Health Program surcharge ($140) is mandatory on top of the base application fee — easy to miss when budgeting against the published $511 base.
IMLC-issued Washington licenses renew through the IMLC portal, not the WMC online services portal.
Renewing Your Washington Medical License
Renewal Cycle
Annual; license renews on the physician's birthday
Renewal Fee
$691
CME Requirement
200 hours over each four-year period (averaging 50 hours per year) for MDs. The 200 total must include the one-time 6-hour suicide prevention training (counted within total CME) for licensees who have not previously completed it.
Late Grace Period
A late renewal penalty applies if the license is not renewed by the expiration date. Licenses become inactive if not renewed within the late-renewal window.
How Washington Issues Medical Licenses: A Commission, Not a Board
Washington is one of the few US states whose physician licensing body is a "Commission" rather than a "Board." The Washington Medical Commission (WMC), operating under the Washington State Department of Health, regulates MD physicians. DOs are regulated separately by the Washington Board of Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery. The WMC handles licensure, discipline, and rulemaking, with a public physician-search portal at wmc.wa.gov. Most applications are submitted through the FSMB Uniform Application and routed to the WMC for review.
Where Most Washington Applications Get Stuck
Washington's published 16-20 week processing target is one of the longest in the country, and it is set by hard floors rather than triage. Three Washington-specific items account for most additional delays:
- FBI fingerprinting. The WMC explicitly flags fingerprinting as the longest single step. Completing prints early — ideally before the rest of the application is filed — compresses the timeline meaningfully.
- Suicide prevention training. Washington requires a one-time 6-hour training in suicide assessment, treatment, and management under RCW 43.70.442. The course must come from the Department of Health's approved model list. Generic suicide-prevention CME does not satisfy the requirement.
- AIDS/HIV education. A separate one-time AIDS/HIV education requirement under WAC 246-12-270 applies to initial licensure. It is not bundled into the general CME total and is easy to overlook.
What You'll Pay
The base WMC initial application fee is around $511, plus a mandatory $140 Washington Physician Health Program surcharge paid with the application — a total of about $651 before fingerprinting and primary-source verification fees. The Health Program surcharge is mandatory and easy to miss when budgeting. Annual renewal is approximately $691, tied to the physician's birthday. Verify current amounts with the Commission before paying — Washington updates fees by rulemaking on its own cadence.
Realistic Timeline
The WMC publishes a 16-20 week processing target for new MD applications. Routine applications are reviewed within 14 days of being deemed complete; non-routine applications take longer. The bulk of the timeline is FBI fingerprinting and primary-source verification. Plan to submit at least 5-6 months before your intended start of practice. If you have an eligible State of Principal Licensure and use the IMLC pathway, a Washington license typically issues in 4-6 weeks instead.
Renewal and CME
Washington runs an unusual annual renewal cycle tied to the physician's birthday, with a four-year CME reporting cycle of 200 total hours (averaging 50 per year). Physicians moving from biennial-cycle states often miscount their reporting period. The 6-hour suicide prevention training counts within the 200-hour total for licensees completing it for the first time. Active prescribers must complete additional opioid-related CME under WAC 246-919, but those hours can be counted within the 200-hour total.
Single State Versus IMLC
Washington is a fully participating IMLC state. If you have an eligible State of Principal Licensure (SPL), the IMLC pathway is typically 4-6 weeks compared to 16-20 weeks for the single-state WMC application. The IMLC application fee through Washington is $700, paid once and used to add additional states quickly. If Washington is your first state or you don't have SPL eligibility, the WMC application is the right path. IMLC-issued Washington licenses must be renewed through the IMLC portal — not the WMC online services site — at first renewal.
How White Glove Helps
We manage Washington applications end-to-end: routing your FSMB UA correctly to the WMC, scheduling FBI fingerprinting early so it does not become the long pole, confirming the suicide prevention course is from the DOH-approved model list, and surfacing the AIDS/HIV education requirement before it stalls your file. We track the four-year CME reporting cycle (which catches physicians moving from biennial states), shepherd the Washington Physician Health Program surcharge alongside the base application fee, and handle the renewal-portal swap for IMLC licensees at first cycle.
Washington Medical License FAQ
How much does a Washington medical license cost?
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How long does it take to get a Washington medical license?
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Does Washington participate in the IMLC?
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What is the Washington Medical Commission?
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What suicide prevention training does Washington require?
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What CME is required for Washington physician renewal?
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Why do most Washington medical license applications get delayed?
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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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