California

At a Glance

Licensure

Endorsement & Reciprocity

• Available: Yes
• Years licensed required: 4
• Verification scope: MBC's own fee schedule, IMLC-status page, and BRN NP independent-practice (NPR-I) page could not be located/fetched successfully (404s, unhelpful homepage, DNS error on rn.ca.gov) within remaining WebFetch-only budget; most fields left null rather than guessed from general knowledge.

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CME & Training Requirements

Fingerprint Requirements

Malpractice Insurance

Malpractice insurance: Not yet verified — whether this state mandates professional liability coverage as a condition of licensure is being researched.

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Giving Up a License

• Status after lapse: A license not renewed becomes delinquent; it may still generally be renewed (with fees/penalties) for up to five years after expiration, after which it cannot simply be renewed and the physician must apply for a new license.
• Lapse consequences: Practicing on an expired license is prohibited. A licensee who fails to renew within 90 days of expiration must pay the renewal fee, a penalty fee equal to 50% of the renewal fee, and the delinquency fee; the Board notifies non-renewed licensees by certified mail within 60 days of expiration.
• Voluntary surrender: Available — Physicians submit an 'Application for Voluntary Surrender of License' (Form 07R-26) with original wall certificate and wallet card; once approved the license is canceled permanently (requires a brand-new license application, current requirements, and possibly exam, to return). The Board flags that surrender may not be available while under investigation/disciplinary action, and any surrender accepted while under investigation (or in exchange for ending an investigation) is reported to the NPDB and FSMB — implying an ordinary, non-discipline surrender is not so reported.
• Reinstatement: Within 5 years of expiration, a licensee may renew (pay accrued fees, delinquency fee, $25 mandatory fee, penalty fee, complete one renewal period's worth of CME). If the license expired more than 5 years ago, or was voluntarily canceled/surrendered at any time, the physician must reapply for a new license under current requirements (Business and Professions Code section 2428), potentially including exams.
• Exit in good standing: Available — Retired status waives the renewal fee (mandatory $25 fee still due) and CME requirement until returned to active status; holder may not practice medicine. This is a renewal-status option (not a permanent surrender) distinct from the Voluntary Surrender process.

Verified 2026-08-14 Report an error

Sources

Data compiled from state medical board websites, FSMB, and regulatory filings.

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