DC Health Announces Interstate Medical Licensure Compact is Open in DC June 23, 2023

June 23, 2023

Greetings,

The District of Columbia Board of Medicine (the Board) is pleased to announce the rollout of the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact (Compact). Starting Monday, June 12, 2023, eligible physicians  can obtain licensure in multiple member states using one application. The Compact is one of many initiatives the Board participates in to help minimize the administrative burden on applicants and streamline the license approval process.

To receive licensure through the Compact, applicants must hold a full, unrestricted medical license in a state that is a member of the Compact – known as a  State of Principal License (SPL)- and meet other SPL requirements. Presently, 37 states and territories including the District of Columbia are members of the Compact. General eligibility requirements include, but are not limited to, the following: 

• Graduation from an accredited medical school or a school listed in the International Medical Education Directory
• Successful completion of an Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)- or American Osteopathic Association (AOA)- accredited graduate medical education
• Successful completion of each component of the USMLE, COMLEX-USA, or equivalent in no more than three attempts for each component
• Current specialty certification or time-unlimited certification by an American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) or American Osteopathic Association Bureau of Osteopathic Specialists (AOABOS) Board

Applicants are ineligible for this Compact if they have any history of disciplinary or controlled substance actions toward their medical license, an active investigation, and any criminal history.

Please note that although one application is used, individual states will still issue licenses using this expedited pathway. Visit imlcc.org/information-for-physicians for information on the Compact, eligibility requirements, application process, and fee schedules. Please do not hesitate to contact us via email at dcbomed@dc.gov with any inquiries or feedback.

Thank you,
District of Columbia Board of Medicine