Maine

At a Glance

Category	Details
IMLC Member	Yes
FCVS	Required
NP Independent Practice	Yes
PA Independent Practice	Yes
Physician-Owned PC Allowed	No
Max NPs per Physician	No Limit (FPA)
Max PAs per Physician	No Limit

Licensure

Item	Cost
Initial License	$600
Renewal Fee	$500
Renewal Cycle	Biennial
Annualized Cost	$250.00
Controlled Substance Registration	No

In-State Physician Requirement

None.

APC Supervision

Nurse Practitioners

NPs can practice independently in Maine.

• Maximum NPs per physician: No Limit (FPA)

Physician Assistants

PAs can practice independently in Maine.

• Maximum PAs per physician: No Limit

CME & Training Requirements

Requirement	Details
Total CME	40 hours
Category 1 Minimum	50 hours
Cycle	4-year
Opioid/Pain Mgmt	3 hrs/cycle
Human Trafficking	Not required
Implicit Bias	Not required
Suicide Prevention	Not required
DEA MATE Act	8 hrs one-time (federal)
Jurisprudence Exam	Required (recurring)

Fingerprint Requirements

Detail	Info
Required	No
FBI Check	N/A
Method	IdentoGO
Out-of-State Options	N/A
Timing	N/A

Quirks & Gotchas

Application Requirements

• FCVS is mandatory before you can apply.** Maine requires a complete FCVS profile (Federation Credentials Verification Service) as the first step. You cannot send credentials directly to the Board — it will be rejected. FCVS alone adds 45+ days. If you are establishing a new FCVS profile (no prior profile), budget 16–20 weeks total just to reach the point of a complete application.
• Maine Addendum (supplemental application) sent by email.** After the FSMB Uniform Application is submitted, Maine emails a state-specific Addendum that must be completed and returned with fees. It is not part of the FSMB portal — applicants who miss the email stall.
• Notarized photograph affidavit is required.** A 2x2 passport-style photo must be physically taped to the Notary Affidavit form, the notary’s seal must overlap the photo, and the notary must compare your face to both the ID and the photograph in person. This is an unusual, paper-only step in an otherwise digital process.
• FCVS exemptions are narrow.** Only three license types bypass the FCVS requirement: Temporary Residency Certificates (Educational Certificates for residents), Youth Camp Licenses, and Telemedicine Consultative Registrations.

Fees

• Initial clinical license: $700 total** ($600 application + $100 jurisprudence exam fee — the exam fee is separate and mandatory).
• Biennial renewal: $500.** Non-refundable; the Board is entirely fee-funded.
• Pro-rated initial renewal quirk:** If your initial license expires within 6 months of issuance, renewal is only $150 instead of $500.
• Late renewal grace period:** Up to 90 days post-expiration, with a $100 late fee. After 90 days the license lapses and reinstatement ($600) is required — a much more costly process.
• Reinstatement fees:** From lapsed status: $600. From withdrawn status: $550. These are not refundable even if the application is ultimately denied.
• Emergency 100-day license: $400 plus the standard $700 clinical application fee** — so $1,100 total for a temporary, non-renewable, site-specific license.
• Fingerprinting (IMLC): one-time fee** through https://me.ibtfingerprint.com/ (exact amount not published on the main site; must be paid at registration time before fingerprints can be taken).

Jurisprudence Exam

• All applicants must pass a Board-specific jurisprudence exam** (passing score: 75%). This exam is open-book and online. The $100 fee is charged at application time.
• Fail below 75 online? You must retake on paper and score 100%, or appear before a Board committee for an interview.** This is unusually punitive — there is no standard “take it again online” retry option.
• Exam must be retaken every 4 years** at renewal (every other biennial renewal cycle). This is not a one-time-ever exam — it recurs.
• Topics covered:** Maine Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP) mandatory use rules; opioid prescribing requirements; mandated reporting of child abuse; Maine Death with Dignity Act (2019 law); Maine’s Duty to Warn statute; boundary violations; the MPHP (Medical Professionals Health Program).
• PMP mandatory use is particularly specific:** Prescribers must check the PMP before prescribing an opioid or benzodiazepine and every 90 days if the prescription is continued.

CME & Mandatory Training

• 40 hours of Category 1 CME per biennial renewal cycle.** (Note: some third-party sources incorrectly state 100 hours total — that appears to be a confusion with Physician Associates, who require 100 hours/2 years with 50 Category 1 minimum. For MDs it is 40 Category 1 hours.)
• 3 hours on opioid prescribing** are mandatory within the 40-hour total, per Board Rule Chapter 21.
• No mandatory Alzheimer’s CME** for Maine physicians (unlike Rhode Island and Massachusetts, which do require it).
• International CME is accepted** — there is a specific policy (PDF) governing CME earned in other countries, but the detailed criteria are in a PDF that could not be rendered. Contact the Board for specifics if relying on foreign CME credits.
• Random audit of 10% of renewals monthly.** Proof of CME is not submitted at renewal unless you are flagged in the audit — but you must have documentation ready.
• Active Duty waiver:** National Guard/Reserves on active duty >30 days are exempt from CME during deployment and for 6 months after release.
• Free Board-sponsored CME topics include:** Boundary Crossings; Responding to Intimate Partner Violence; Maine Death with Dignity Act; Maine Duty to Warn Law; Neurocognitive Disorders; Clinician Burnout. These align closely with jurisprudence exam topics — completing them is efficient exam prep and CME in one.

Fingerprints & Background Check

• Fingerprinting is NOT required for standard clinical licensure.** It is only required for the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact (IMLC) pathway.
• IMLC fingerprint portal:** https://me.ibtfingerprint.com/ (an older notice also referenced https://me.state.identogo.com/ — both appear to be in use at different times; verify current portal with the Board).
• You must pre-register online before fingerprints can be taken.** Walk-in is not permitted. Letter of Qualification will not be issued until FBI criminal background check results are received.
• IMLC has stricter criminal history standards than standard Maine licensure.** Standard Maine law allows the Board to consider criminal history on a case-by-case basis (only disqualifying if the offense involves dishonesty, relates to medical practice, or carries ≥1 year incarceration). IMLC, by contrast, disqualifies applicants who have ever received any adjudication, deferred adjudication, or community supervision for any offense — regardless of severity.

Other Gotchas

• Maine is one of only 3–4 states in the U.S. that accepts United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland postgraduate training (internship, residency, fellowship) as equivalent to ACGME training.** The others are New York, North Dakota, and Oklahoma. This is a major differentiator.
• The regulation explicitly names:** “General Medical Council of United Kingdom, or Republic of Ireland, or Scotland” as acceptable credentialing bodies for examination equivalency, and ACGME, Canadian Medical Association, or Royal Colleges of Canada/UK/Ireland/Scotland as acceptable postgraduate training accreditors.
• Practical implication:** A UK- or Irish-trained physician who completed GMC-approved training (e.g., MRCP, MRCS, or equivalent registrar training) does not need to have completed a U.S. ACGME residency, provided they have a permanent ECFMG certificate and the training totals 36 months (for graduates after July 1, 2004).
• “Additional verification” required:** Maine does verify UK/Ireland/Scotland training individually — it does not simply take your word for it. ECFMG obtains the verification. Allow extra time.
• ECFMG permanent certificate is still required for all IMGs** regardless of training country. The ECFMG processes UK/Ireland credentials through its standard verification pathway.
• 36-month ACGME-or-equivalent requirement:** After July 1, 2004 graduation. Between Jan 1, 1970 and July 1, 2004: 24 months. Before Jan 1, 1970: 12 months.

IMG Waiver for “Exceptional Circumstances” (Non-UK/Ireland)

• IMGs from countries other than the UK/Canada/Ireland who lack full ACGME training may request a waiver of the 36-month requirement under 32 M.R.S. § 3271(6).
• Waiver criteria are strict and unusual: The Board evaluates fellowship documentation, academic positions, publications, years in practice — and applies a specific malpractice screen: no more than 3 malpractice claims in any 10-year period, and no single settlement exceeding $300,000.** Exceed either threshold and the waiver is denied.
• The Board charges actual investigation costs** for processing waiver requests — this cost is not fixed and not published.
• Applicant must hold a current license in another U.S. state and have 3+ years of clinical experience to be eligible.

Other Gotchas

• USMLE Steps 1 and 2: unlimited attempts.**
• USMLE Step 3: maximum 3 attempts.** A fourth attempt requires a formal Board waiver under “unusual or extenuating circumstances.” The waiver is at the Board’s sole discretion.
• 7-year rule:** The entire USMLE sequence must be completed within 7 years of passing the first step. Exceeding this requires a Board waiver.
• COMLEX (DO exams): 2 attempts per step** (stricter than USMLE Steps 1–2).
• These limits apply to IMGs and US graduates equally, but IMGs are disproportionately affected if any step took multiple attempts.

2025 New IMG Limited License Pathway

• Maine enacted a new law (effective January 1, 2025) creating a limited license for IMGs who cannot satisfy standard licensure requirements. This is targeted at qualified foreign-trained physicians already living in Maine.
• Rules adopted by the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules establish qualifications, fees, a supervision period, and a defined pathway to full licensure after supervision completion.
• This is a new track separate from standard licensure and from IMLC — watch for updated rules on the Board site as implementation matures.

Timeline

• Standard permanent license: 45–90 business days** from completed application (Board’s stated figure). Real-world with FCVS: 12–16 weeks minimum with existing FCVS; 16–20 weeks with new FCVS setup.
• Any “yes” answer to adverse history questions** (malpractice, discipline, criminal) extends the timeline unpredictably — the Board may require an in-person or committee interview.
• Emergency (100-day) license and Compact licenses: 48 hours** — the only true fast-track options.
• Reentry to practice (inactive >24 months):** Must submit a Board-approved reentry plan before resuming practice. This is a prerequisite, not a concurrent process — add significant lead time.
• Reinstatement from lapsed >5 years:** Must file an entirely new application (not reinstatement).

Other Gotchas

• Two separate boards:** MDs go to BOLIM. DOs go to the Maine Board of Osteopathic Licensure (MBOL, 142 State House Station) — a completely different agency with its own rules, fees, and jurisprudence exam. Do not conflate them.
• No state DEA:** Maine has no state-level DEA registration. Controlled substance prescribers must register directly with the U.S. DEA Boston Diversion Group (617-557-2200 or 888-272-5174).
• Applications are public records** under Maine’s Freedom of Access Law — with narrow exceptions for confidential medical information and SSNs. Assume your application history is discoverable.
• License is issued by email** from noreply@maine.gov. There is no physical certificate mailed. Physicians download and print their own license. Check spam filters; the Board will not re-send without a request.
• Renewal notices go to the email address on file** — 60 days before expiration. If your email is outdated, you may miss the notice entirely and lapse without warning.
• Consultative Telemedicine Registration is a separate license type** ($500), not an endorsement to a standard license. It prohibits opening an office in Maine, meeting patients in-state, or receiving patient calls in-state. Audio-only phone calls, fax, and email are explicitly excluded from the telemedicine definition — those modalities do not qualify.
• Residents in training:** Can obtain full licensure after 24 months of a 36-month program with program director endorsement — but the license is automatically revoked if residency training is discontinued before 36 months.
• MD License | Maine Board of Licensure in Medicine
• License FAQ | Maine Board of Licensure in Medicine
• 02-373 C.M.R. ch. 1, § 3 - Requirements for Medical Licensure (LII/Cornell)

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

Resources

• Maine Board of Licensure in Medicine
• FSMB State Licensure Directory
• Interstate Medical Licensure Compact

Sources

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

Have a correction or update? Let us know.