Idaho Physician Guide | Dr<LastName>

At a Glance

Item	Cost
Initial License	$600
Renewal Fee	$300
Renewal Cycle	Biennial
Annualized Cost	$150.00
Controlled Substance Registration	Yes ($120/2yr)

None.

NPs can practice independently in Idaho.

PAs can practice independently in Idaho.

Detail	Info
Required	Yes
FBI Check	Yes
Method	LiveScan / Ink cards (FD-258)
Out-of-State Options	Mail-in ink cards available
Timing	After application submitted

Application fee:** $160 (as of current DOPL fee schedule). Third-party aggregator sites still cite $200-$400 — use the official DOPL page as truth.
Initial licensure fee:** $160 (separate from the application fee — easy to miss; you pay both).
Renewal fee:** $160 per cycle.
Reinstatement:** Only $35, but see lapsed-license trap below.
Background check:** ~$50 (FBI fingerprint processing, paid separately, not to the Board).
January 2025 fee drop:** Fees were dramatically reduced (from ~$800-$850 down to current levels). Third-party licensing services that haven’t updated will quote you the old inflated numbers — double-check with DOPL directly.
Biennial renewal transition (April 2026):** DOPL began shifting BOM licenses to 2-year cycles. When your license rolls into the biennial cycle, the fee doubles upfront. This catches people off guard at first renewal.
Non-refundable:** All application fees are non-refundable regardless of outcome.

Idaho requires a physical FBI fingerprint card (not Live Scan). The Board mails you the card after application submission — you cannot pre-submit it.
The completed card must be returned by mail directly to the Idaho Board of Medicine, not to the FBI or IDOC.
Home address must be a domestic U.S. address** for card mailing. International or foreign addresses will stall the application.
A separate Non-Criminal Justice Applicant Privacy Statement form must accompany fingerprint submission.
Applicants with any criminal history must also submit an Impact of Criminal Conviction Disclosure Form.

ECFMG certificate (IMGs only)
Postgraduate training verification (specific Board form)
Medical school verification (specific Board form)
Three physician reference letters
Complete malpractice history — any claim exceeding $250,000 triggers additional scrutiny
Full licensure history across all states/jurisdictions
Health disclosure (see mental health question note below)

No jurisprudence exam for MDs/DOs.** This is a PA requirement in Idaho, not a physician requirement. Do not pay any service that charges for a jurisprudence exam prep course for your MD/DO application.

Each USMLE step must be passed within 3 attempts. Failing any step twice triggers a mandatory Board interview before you can continue the application — that adds unpredictable time.
No attempt limit on COMLEX.
No time limit on when you completed USMLE/COMLEX scores, but older Step 2 CS scores from pre-2021 (when CS was discontinued) are handled case-by-case.
Certain historical exam pathways do not qualify: Florida FLEX (1969–1980) and Puerto Rico licensing exams are explicitly excluded from endorsement eligibility.

40 Category 1 CME hours** biennially, must be practice-relevant.
Mandatory within that 40:** 2 hours ethics + 1 hour opioid prescribing. These are not optional add-ons — they are required topics.
DEA-specific additional requirement (federal, not state):** One-time 8-hour training on treating opioid/substance use disorders required for all DEA registrants (initial or renewal DEA registrations from June 27, 2023 onward). This is separate from the Board’s 1-hour opioid CME and surprises many physicians at DEA renewal.
No human trafficking mandatory training currently required for Idaho physicians (this appears in other states’ requirements but not Idaho’s as of 2026).

The mental health licensing question was recently revised to reduce stigma. It now asks: “Are you currently suffering from any condition for which you are not being appropriately treated that impairs your judgment?” — a meaningful departure from older blanket questions about diagnoses. This is a positive change but applicants should still disclose carefully.

Official DOPL claim:** 7-10 business days if everything is in order.
Realistic timeline:** 8-14 weeks, sometimes longer. The bottleneck is almost always third-party primary source verification (residency programs, medical schools, malpractice carriers).
Temporary license (120 days, renewable for cause) is available if you hold a valid license in another U.S. state or Canada — useful for employed physicians who need to start work before full licensure clears.
IMLC (Interstate Medical Licensure Compact):** Expedited pathway if Idaho is not your principal state. Critical caveat: if your principal state license lapses without designating a replacement, you lose IMLC expedited status immediately.

Your application must account for every period of time since medical school graduation with no gaps exceeding 30 days. Any gap triggers questions and delays. Document locum work, parental leave, and job transitions explicitly.

A license lapsed more than 5 years cannot be reinstated — you must file a new application (new fee, new background check, new full review). The $35 reinstatement fee only applies within the 5-year window.

A Social Security Number is mandatory. There is no workaround for foreign-national applicants who lack one. Omitting it or leaving it blank halts processing.

Standard requirement: 3 years postgraduate training.
IMGs in an Idaho residency program with a completion agreement can qualify after 2 years — faster pathway if you’re already training in-state.

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.