North Dakota Physician Guide

At a Glance

Item	Cost
Initial License	$200
Renewal Fee	$200
Renewal Cycle	Annual
Annualized Cost	$200.00
Controlled Substance Registration	No

None.

NPs can practice independently in North Dakota.

PAs can practice independently in North Dakota.

Initial application + licensure: $405 total (often misquoted as $205 — that is the application portion only)
Background check: $40 — separate check/money order payable to the ND Attorney General, not the Board
Locum Tenens license: $205 (90 days, single site); converting to Provisional Temporary: $200 more
License verification for international purposes: $30
Secretary of State business verification (if applicable): $20 + $20/year annual filing
CME non-compliance penalty: $500 fine plus possible disciplinary action
No separate state Controlled Dangerous Substances (CDS) permit required — saves ~$100+ vs. many states
No DEA registration required by the Board, but DEA itself costs ~$888/3 years

Required: two FD-258 fingerprint cards (standard FBI white/blue format) submitted at application start
Alternative cards accepted if they have exactly 14 boxes/sections
First rejection: resubmit two new cards; second rejection: triggers a name-based search, which meaningfully extends processing time
No license of any type issued** until the Board has both federal and state background check results

Not required** — multiple authoritative sources (NDBOM FAQ and getlicensemap) confirm this; the single third-party site (medicallicensing.com) that listed it appears to be an error

FCVS is accepted for core credentials, but applicants must still complete the full online application — FCVS does not replace it
Specialty board certificates and the NPDB self-query must be separately submitted even when using FCVS
Residents converting to permanent licensure must file a complete new physician application (medical school re-verification is waived if currently licensed as a resident; fingerprints are waived only if the resident license is still active)

Official average: 8–12 weeks from complete submission to final approval
File must be complete 4 weeks before a Board meeting to be placed on that meeting’s agenda
Chair approval after Board meeting adds 7–10 more days
Applications expire if incomplete after 1 year — the clock runs from submission, not from when you start
Postgraduate training requirement for IMGs increased to 24 months (as of August 1, 2023); U.S./Canadian grads still need only 1 year

Licenses expire on your birthday every other year (changed August 1, 2023) — renewal tied to birthdate, not a fixed calendar date
Initial license expires on the second birthday after Board approval, regardless of when in the year the license was issued — could be less than 2 years
Renewal notices sent only at 59 days and 14 days out — easy to miss if contact info is stale
Inactive licenses can be reactivated up to 3 years post-expiration; after that, full re-application
Must practice under your legal name** unless the Board approves an alternative with supporting legal documents (marriage cert, court order, etc.)

60 AMA Category 1 hours per 3-year cycle** (prorated: 0 hrs if <1 yr licensed; 20 hrs if 1–2 yrs; 40 hrs if 2–3 yrs)
Cycle follows 2013 implementation years: compliance due 2016, 2019, 2022, 2025, etc.
No mandatory topic requirements for the general 60-hour pool — free choice
Alternative compliance: current ABMS, AOA, or Royal College of Physicians board certification/MOC satisfies the entire CME requirement as of August 1, 2023
Audit-based reporting: you do not submit CME proof at every renewal — the Board audits a subset; if audited, you must produce records for at least 1 year post-cycle
ACCME direct reporting available — ask your CME providers to report to ACCME and the Board can pull the record

Abortion law instructional course: As of January 2026, any physician who performs abortions must complete this course within the 2 years prior** to performing any abortion (medical emergency exception exists). This is a standalone requirement, separate from the 60-hr CME pool. A legislative bill was also heard to require 1 hr of abortion-law CME specifically for OB practitioners — status unclear.
DEA 8-hour opioid/SUD training: One-time federal requirement triggered by any DEA initial registration or renewal on/after June 27, 2023**. Not an NDBOM requirement per se, but hits every physician at DEA renewal.
No implicit bias training mandate found for ND (unlike many other states)

USMLE/COMLEX attempt limits**: Maximum 3 attempts per step/level — hard cap. Exception pathway exists only for physicians already licensed 5+ years with no discipline and current specialty board certification.
7-year completion window**: All USMLE/COMLEX steps must be completed within 7 years of starting the sequence
IMLC member state**: Qualifying physicians can use the Interstate Medical Licensing Compact for expedited multi-state licensure
Telemedicine**: As of January 1, 2025, new ND Administrative Code 50-02-15 created exceptions, but a doctor-patient relationship must still be established before prescribing via telemedicine
Locum Tenens licenses are site-specific**: A new LT license is required for each practice location, even during the same 90-day window
Physician FAQ - ND Board of Medicine
CME Requirements - ND Board of Medicine
Eligibility - ND Board of Medicine
North Dakota Medical License Guide - medicallicensing.com
North Dakota Physician License Requirements 2026 - getlicensemap.com

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.