Hawaii Physician Guide | Dr<LastName>

At a Glance

Item	Cost
Initial License	$500
Renewal Fee	$360
Renewal Cycle	Biennial
Annualized Cost	$180.00
Controlled Substance Registration	Yes ($200/2yr)

None (MD license only).

NPs can practice independently in Hawaii.

PAs can practice independently in Hawaii.

Two application tracks:** License by Endorsement (requires 2 years active clinical practice in the preceding 5 years) and License by Non-Endorsement. There is also a Temporary Military Spouse License valid only for the duration of the active-duty member’s Hawaii service.
IMLC compact caveat: Hawaii participates in the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact (as of January 1, 2025), but Hawaii cannot be your State of Primary License (SPL).** You must establish SPL in another state first, then use the compact to get a Hawaii license. This trips up physicians who assume their primary state is Hawaii.
Hospital documentation: You must arrange for the hospital where you received at least 3 years of medical training/experience to send evidence directly to the Hawaii Medical Board.** You cannot submit it yourself.
Foreign language documents:** Translations cannot be provided by the applicant. Must come from the medical school or a certified translation service.
Endorsement ineligibility:** Applicants subject to any disciplinary action, lacking a permanent license elsewhere, or without 2 years active clinical practice in the preceding 5 years are ineligible for the endorsement track.

Even-year application:** ~$392 total — broken down as $50 application + $97 license + $148 Compliance Resolution Fund (CRF) + $97 renewal credit
Odd-year application:** ~$221 total — $50 application + $97 license + $74 CRF (no renewal credit because the renewal cycle is already half over)
Government (MDG) license:** $164 regardless of cycle
Biennial renewal (MD):** $402 (on-time, per the board’s 2026 schedule); other sources cite $240 — confirm directly, as fees updated recently
Hidden cost:** The Compliance Resolution Fund surcharge is not prominently explained and varies by application timing. It is not optional.

No fingerprint or criminal background check requirement for the core physician license itself. This is a notable exception compared to most states.
IdentoGO/fingerprinting may be required for controlled substance registration through DEA or state-level prescribing authority — that is a separate process, not part of the medical license application.

No separate jurisprudence exam required.** Hawaii does not require physicians to pass a state medical law/ethics exam as part of licensure. This is unlike many other states (TX, CA, FL, etc.).

40 AMA PRA Category 1 (or AOA Category 1-A) hours every 2-year renewal cycle.**
Renewal deadline: January 31 of every even-numbered year.**
Mandatory one-time requirement: 8 hours** on the treatment and management of patients with opioid or other substance use disorders, due by January 31 of an even-numbered year.
Initial license exception:** Physicians who received their initial license in the first year of a renewal cycle need only 20 CME hours for their first renewal.
No mandatory domestic violence, suicide prevention, or human trafficking CME** — Hawaii is notably absent from states requiring these specific topics for physician license renewal.
Random audit: The board audits a subset of physicians in October of odd-numbered years. Physicians selected for audit cannot renew online** and must submit paper documentation.

Processing time: 45 to 120 days** from the date of a complete application filing. No expedite option is advertised.
One-year abandonment rule:** If you do not complete the licensing process within 1 year of filing, the application is considered abandoned and you must start completely over with a new application and fees.
Application is also dismissed if required exams have not been taken after becoming eligible, or if a Social Security number is not provided.

All supporting documents must be sent directly by the issuing institutions** (medical schools, residency programs, hospitals) to the Hawaii Medical Board. Physician-submitted copies are not accepted as primary source.
USMLE passing required before applying** — there is no “conditional” or “provisional” license pathway pending exam results for most applicants.
Non-endorsement applicants** must also submit a Federation Discipline Report Form and a Hospital Form (separate documents with separate coordination burden).
Telemedicine:** Physicians providing telehealth services to Hawaii patients must hold a valid Hawaii license unless they have an established physician-patient relationship predating the telehealth encounter or the service is referral-based. Out-of-state telemedicine without a license is a common compliance miss.
Board meeting cadence:** The board meets periodically; applications submitted near meeting deadlines may wait an extra cycle for review, extending the 45–120 day estimate.
Hawaii Medical Board - DCCA Hawaii
Hawaii Medical Board Application Forms - DCCA Hawaii
Hawaii Medical Board Application Deadline and Examination Dates
Physician CME Requirements - DCCA Hawaii
2025 Hawaii CME Requirements - CME Trail

Researched from state board websites and regulatory sources. Verify with the board directly before applying.

Data compiled from state medical board websites, FSMB, and regulatory filings. Last updated June 2026.

Have a correction or update? Let us know.