Minnesota

At a Glance

Category	Details
IMLC Member	Yes
FCVS	Accepted
NP Independent Practice	Yes
PA Independent Practice	Yes (2,080h)
Physician-Owned PC Allowed	No
Max NPs per Physician	No Limit (FPA)
Max PAs per Physician	No Limit

Licensure

Item	Cost
Initial License	$425
Renewal Fee	$384
Renewal Cycle	Biennial
Annualized Cost	$192.00
Controlled Substance Registration	No

In-State Physician Requirement

None.

APC Supervision

Nurse Practitioners

NPs can practice independently in Minnesota.

• Maximum NPs per physician: No Limit (FPA)

Physician Assistants

PAs can practice independently after 2,080h of supervised practice in Minnesota.

• Maximum PAs per physician: No Limit

CME & Training Requirements

Requirement	Details
Total CME	Contact board
Category 1 Minimum	75 hours
Cycle	Triennial
Opioid/Pain Mgmt	1 hrs/cycle
Human Trafficking	Required
Implicit Bias	Required
Suicide Prevention	Required
DEA MATE Act	8 hrs one-time (federal)
Jurisprudence Exam	Not required

Quirks & Gotchas

Application Requirements

• No jurisprudence exam.** Minnesota does not require a separate law/jurisprudence exam for physician licensure — this is actually one area where MN is less burdensome than many states (e.g., Texas, California).
• FCVS not required but optional.** Applicants can use the FSMB’s Federation Credentials Verification Service, but MN does not mandate it. Notably, FCVS fees are NOT reimbursable if you’re a resident/trainee.
• Heavy verification load — unusual scope.** Most state boards verify education, exam scores, training, and prior licenses. Minnesota also independently verifies: board certification, 2 physician references, the AMA physician profile, NPDB-HIPDB query, 5 years of employment history, and 5 years of hospital privilege history. This is a broader verification sweep than most states.
• Residency permit is a separate track.** PGY-1 trainees apply for a residency permit only; PGY-2 and above must hold a full license simultaneously with the permit.

Other Gotchas

• 3-attempt cap per Step/Level** — stricter than some states. Exception: 4 attempts allowed if currently licensed in another state AND specialty board certified.
• Step/Level 3 must be passed within 5 years of Step/Level 2** OR before the end of residency training, whichever comes first.
• SPEX/COMVEX required** if any licensing or board certification exam was not passed within the past 10 years — this catches physicians returning to practice after a gap or after discipline.

Fingerprints & Background Check

• Mandatory fingerprint-based CBC for all new applicants** under Minn. Stat. § 214.075. Prints are cross-checked with both the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) and the FBI.
• After the application and fee are received, the board emails an instruction packet for fingerprinting — you cannot initiate fingerprinting independently ahead of time.
• If you’re a resident/trainee at Mayo or similar institutions, fingerprinting is required twice** — once for licensure, separately for institutional credentialing — these do not satisfy each other.
• Fee:** $33.25 (included in the $425.25 total initial cost).

Fees

• No hidden administrative surcharges beyond the above.
• FCVS, if used, is an additional out-of-pocket cost the board does not reimburse.

Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP)

• PMP enrollment is mandatory** as of July 1, 2017 for any prescriber holding a DEA registration who prescribes controlled substances to humans in Minnesota.
• Enrollment can be completed during online license renewal.
• The board noted a mandatory PMP check requirement effective January 1, 2021 — prescribers must actually query the PMP before prescribing controlled substances, not just be enrolled.

CME & Mandatory Training

• 75 Category 1 CME hours every 3 years** (renewal by June 30 of the renewal year).
• All 75 hours must be AMA PRA Category 1** — no Category 2 credit accepted.
• One mandatory topic: at least 1 hour in pain and symptom management CME** per renewal cycle. This applies to physicians, PAs, and APRNs alike.
• Alternative to CME:** Current ABMS, RCPSC, or AOA board certification/maintenance of certification fully satisfies the CME requirement — the board waives all 75 hours.
• Minnesota does not mandate CME hours in implicit bias, suicide prevention, domestic violence, or opioid prescribing beyond the federal DEA 8-hour requirement for DEA registrants (effective June 2023, required once at DEA initial registration or first renewal after that date — not a state board mandate).

CME & Mandatory Training

• Opioids and controlled substances awareness training** must be completed before initial licensure.
• Human trafficking identification training** must be completed before initial licensure.
• Both are one-time requirements at initial application, not recurring CME mandates.

Timeline

• Standard processing: 4–5 months** from complete submission (some sources cite 8–12 weeks for initial intake; the difference reflects time for external sources to return primary source verifications).
• No official expedited process** — the board does not offer rush processing.
• Mail loss is a documented problem** given the board’s high application volume. Primary source verifications sent by mail can be lost at the board, requiring re-requests. Using trackable mail or certified mail for direct-source documents is advisable.
• Application must be submitted after February 1** of the appointment year for residency/fellowship programs (e.g., Mayo).
• Verification bottleneck:** The breadth of sources the board verifies (see above) means any institution that is slow to respond — especially hospitals for privilege history — will stall the entire application.
• Telemedicine without a full MN license** is possible for out-of-state physicians if they do not physically see patients or receive calls while in Minnesota — a relatively permissive carve-out, requires annual registration.

Summary of What MN Does NOT Require (Notable Absences)

• No jurisprudence exam
• No implicit bias CME mandate (unlike Michigan, California)
• No suicide prevention CME mandate
• No domestic violence CME mandate
• No separate opioid prescribing CME mandate at the state level beyond the federal DEA 8-hour one-time requirement
• Apply for a License / Minnesota Board of Medical Practice
• Minnesota Board of Medical Practice – Main
• FSMB MN Application Instructions PDF
• MN Physician Application Packet June 2025 (PDF)
• Minnesota Medical Licensing: Requirements, Process, and Advice – medicallicensing.com

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

Resources

• Minnesota Board of Medical Practice
• 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.