50-State Guide
Michigan
Data provenance — all states
- Licensure Verified 2026-08-14 Report an error
- Endorsement Verified 2026-08-14 Report an error
- Renewal Verified 2026-08-14 Report an error
- CME Unverified Report an error
- Practice Unverified Report an error
- Relinquishment Verified 2026-08-14 Report an error
- Value Unverified Report an error
At a Glance
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| IMLC Member | Yes |
| FCVS | Accepted |
| NP Independent Practice | No |
| PA Independent Practice | Yes |
| Physician-Owned PC Allowed | Yes |
| Max NPs per Physician | No Limit |
| Max PAs per Physician | No Limit |
Licensure
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Initial License | $375 |
| Renewal Fee | $314 |
| Renewal Cycle | Triennial |
| Annualized Cost | $105 |
| Controlled Substance Registration | Yes ($254 per triennial cycle) |
Endorsement & Reciprocity
- Available: Yes
- Michigan has TWO endorsement tiers, not one prerequisite set: (a) licensed AT LEAST 10 years — quote: 'Must hold an active license in good standing as a doctor of medicine in another state or in a province of Canada for a minimum of 10 years,' with disciplinary/sanction-free verification required; (b) licensed LESS THAN 10 years — quote: 'Certification of completion of a minimum of 1 year postgraduate clinical training' is additionally required (12 months, reflected in recent_practice_months above as the postgraduate-training threshold for the <10-year tier, not a 'recent practice' currency requirement). Both at https://www.michigan.gov/lara/bureau-list/bpl/health/hp-lic-health-prof/medical/medical-doctor-licensing-guides-and-faqs/md-licensing-guide-and-faqs. Controlled substance license fee $259.10 (initial) / $248.10 (renewal) is separate and additional if prescribing controlled substances.
Verified 2026-08-14 Report an error
APC Supervision
In-state requirement for supervising physicians: MD must be licensed in MI.
Nurse Practitioners
NPs require physician supervision in Michigan.
- Maximum NPs per physician: No Limit
Physician Assistants
PAs can practice independently in Michigan.
- Maximum PAs per physician: No Limit
Additional Notes
Determined at the practice level.
CME & Training Requirements
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| Total CME | 150 hours |
| Category 1 Minimum | 75 hours |
| Cycle | Triennial |
| Ethics / Jurisprudence | 1 hr/cycle |
| Implicit Bias | 3 hrs/cycle |
| Pain Management | 3 hrs/cycle |
| Human Trafficking | Required one-time |
| DEA MATE Act | 8 hrs one-time (federal) |
| Jurisprudence Exam | Not required |
Fingerprint Requirements
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Required | Yes |
| FBI Check | Unknown |
| Method | Contact board |
| Out-of-State Options | Contact board |
Malpractice Insurance
Malpractice insurance: Not yet verified — whether this state mandates professional liability coverage as a condition of licensure is being researched.
Unverified Report an error
Giving Up a License
- Status after lapse: expired but renewable for 60 days (practice may continue during that window); after 60 days the license is null and void, requiring relicensing
- Lapse consequences: If not renewed within 60 days of expiration, the license/registration 'is considered null and void' and the individual must seek relicensing (standard relicensing within 3 years; harder relicensing, including English-proficiency demonstration, after 3+ years lapsed).
- Voluntary surrender: Available — MCL 333.16201(5) treats 'surrender' as a general, statute-recognized way a license can end (alongside expiration), separate from board-ordered discipline -- but expressly preserves the board's authority to sanction the person afterward for pre-surrender conduct. This is the general-provisions statute applying to all health occupations, including physicians, under Article 15 of the Public Health Code.
- Reinstatement: An individual may be relicensed within 3 years after the expiration date upon application, payment of processing/renewal/late fees, and fulfillment of continued competency/CE requirements in effect on (or that would have applied as of) the expiration date. Relicensing more than 3 years after expiration is governed by a separate, more demanding subsection (333.16201(4)), which includes demonstrating working knowledge of English.
Verified 2026-08-14 Report an error
Quirks & Gotchas
Fees
- Initial application fee:** $156 (some sources cite $370 via third-party services — the LARA direct fee is ~$200 for the license itself plus processing). Confirm the exact current amount on MiPLUS before applying, as figures vary by source.
- Controlled Substance (CDS) license: separate, required. If you want to prescribe controlled substances, you must obtain a Michigan CDS license in addition to your MD license. Renewal fee is $243.30 every 3 years**, billed on the same cycle as the medical license. This catches many applicants off guard — it is not bundled.
- Federal DEA registration: Additional $888 for 3 years**, entirely separate from the state CDS. You need both.
- Renewal fee:** ~$308.25 per 3-year cycle for full MD license.
- Late renewal penalty: 60-day grace period exists, but a $20 late fee** applies. After the grace period, the license lapses and reinstatement is a more involved process.
- No reciprocity with other states — every applicant goes through the full process.
Application Requirements
- Undergraduate transcripts
- Medical school credentials (verified)
- USMLE/COMLEX scores sent directly from FSMB/NBOME to the board
- All prior state license verifications (every state, Canada, or foreign country where you ever held a license — must show no pending disciplinary action)
- Professional references and letters of good standing
- Training program evaluations
- Employment verification
- AMA physician profile
- Full malpractice history
- Any “yes” answers to adverse history questions trigger board-level manual review, adding weeks to the timeline.
Fingerprints & Background Check
- Required for initial licensure. Also required at renewal if fingerprints were not submitted after 2015** (legacy licensees are being swept in on renewal).
- Critical gotcha: Do NOT get fingerprinted before receiving your Customer ID number** from LARA. The Customer ID arrives in your Application Confirmation letter after your application and fee are processed. Getting prints without it means they cannot be matched to your file.
- Background check is processed through the Michigan State Police. Timeline: 48 hours to 30 days, with ~80% done within 48 hours. The 30-day tail is the buffer to build into your overall timeline.
Other Gotchas
- USMLE: 3 attempts max per step; Step 3 must be passed within 4 years of your first Step 1 attempt** (or within 1 year of starting post-graduate training). This is stricter than many states.
- COMLEX (DO):** No attempt limit, no time limit for sequence completion.
- Postgraduate training: Minimum 2 years** ACGME or AOA-accredited training required (some sources say 1 year minimum — the official standard is 2 years for full licensure).
- Michigan had a sunset clause that triggered a 12-month withdrawal starting March 28, 2025, threatening to strand 8,000+ physicians and ~100,000 patients as of March 28, 2026.
- Governor Whitmer signed legislation in late March 2026 to keep Michigan in the compact — resolved at the last minute.
- Practical impact: there was a brief period (March 18–27, 2026) where Michigan was “suspended from SPL selection” in the compact system. If you applied during that window, your compact application may need follow-up.
- The compact allows expedited multi-state licensure in weeks vs. months through the traditional route. Michigan’s participation being preserved matters significantly for telemedicine physicians.
- No reciprocity** with any state — even if you have a clean active license in 49 other states, you still go through the full Michigan process.
- MiPLUS** is the online portal. All applications, renewals, and tracking go through it. The system occasionally has processing lag that does not reflect in status updates — don’t assume silence means a problem.
- FSMB credentials:** Exam scores must be transmitted directly from FSMB to the board; you cannot self-report or upload transcripts.
- CDS and medical license renewal cycles are synchronized** — if your medical license expires sooner than your CDS would otherwise, your CDS fee is prorated to match. This can create an unexpectedly low CDS bill the first time, followed by a full $243.30 charge the next cycle.
- Opioid awareness training** is a one-time requirement — often overlooked because it is separate from the ongoing pain management CME and listed differently in different guidance documents.
- Michigan Physician License Requirements (2026) - LicenseMap
- Michigan Medical License: Detailed Guide to Easy Licensing
- Michigan Medical License Requirements - MedLicensePro
- Michigan Physician License Renewal - CME Requirements - RenewNowCE
- Michigan State CME Requirements - AMA Ed Hub Researched from state board websites and regulatory sources. Verify with the board directly before applying.
CME & Mandatory Training
| Requirement | Hours | Frequency | | Total CME | 150 hrs | Every cycle | | Category 1 minimum (MD) | 75 hrs | Every cycle | | Category 1 minimum (DO) | 60 hrs (40 AOA-approved) | Every cycle | | Implicit Bias Training | 3 hours | Every renewal cycle | | Pain & Symptom Management | 3 hours | Every renewal cycle | | (includes controlled substance content) | (1 hr subset) | — | | Medical Ethics | 1 hour | Every renewal cycle | | Human Trafficking Identification | One-time only | Initial/first renewal | | Opioid/Controlled Substance Awareness | One-time | Initial/first renewal |
Timeline
- Overall process: 12–16 weeks is realistic from application submission to license in hand.
- BPL processes in order received; internal target is 60 days, but real-world average is 10–14 weeks.
- Any “yes” on adverse history (malpractice, discipline, arrests): add significant additional weeks for board review — no guaranteed timeline.
- Multiple prior state licenses slow document collection substantially before the clock even starts.
Resources
Sources
Data compiled from state medical board websites, FSMB, and regulatory filings.
Have a correction or update? Let us know.