Frequently Asked Licensing Questions
- What is the process and how long does it take to obtain a medical license?
- How do I obtain written verification of a license?
- When will I get a renewal notice?
- When will I get a new wallet card?
- How do I reinstate an inactive license?
- Does Oklahoma have continuing education requirements for license renewal?
- Can I get a temporary license?
- What is a special license?
- Is there a limit to the number of times I can take the licensure examinations and still be eligible for a medical license?
- If I am licensed in several other states, is it necessary to complete
all the application forms?
The forms included with your application supply information/verification required by statute. Therefore, even if the same information has been provided to other states, each form must be completed. In lieu of the state forms, you may contact the Federation Credentials Verification Service (FCVS) who can verify information including education, training, and examination history. Once they have your documents on file, they can readily forward your profile to various states/entities without duplication of effort on your part. You may contact FCVS at (817) 868-5000.
When you submit an application for medical licensure, an application analyst reviews your application and sends you a letter notifying you of any deficiencies. You may periodically check the status of your application on our web site. When an application is complete it is forwarded to the Board Secretary for review. If he finds everything in order, he authorizes staff to mail your application to all the Board members for voting. (Applications are mailed out to the Board members every other week.) It normally takes about two weeks to receive the votes back from each member. If all Board members vote to approve, your license is issued and mailed to you. If any Board member has any concerns or questions, your application is placed on the next Board meeting agenda and you are notified of the concern/question and the time and place of the Board meeting. Average processing time is 6 – 8 weeks. Applications may be placed on the next Board agenda without circularization.
Send a written request with the fee of $25. Verifications that are accompanied by the appropriate fee are processed and mailed daily. If a request comes in without the fee it is forwarded to the business office for billing prior to being mailed.
Although there is no statutory requirement to give notice, the Board does mail renewal notices approximately sixty (60) days prior to the expiration of a license. All notices are mailed to the mailing address we have on file. Please keep the Board informed of your current mailing address at all times. If you did not receive a notice, contact the Board office and a duplicate will be sent. Within the next few months we will start mailing a reminder card thirty (30) days prior to license expiration if you have not renewed. Any renewal post-marked after the expiration date is considered late and the late fee will be required. Not receiving a notice is not grounds for waiving the late fee.
Renewals are posted daily as they arrive at the Board office. Each Monday, wallet cards are printed and mailed for everyone who renewed the previous week. If you submitted your payment and do not receive a new card within the next couple of weeks, contact the Board office. Please renew early in order to receive your new card prior to the old card expiring.
If your license has been inactive for more than sixty (60) days you are required to go through the reinstatement process to reactivate it. Your will need to log in the Initial Licensee online application to reinstate. Upon receipt of all required information the Board Secretary reviews your file. He may approve, forward to the Board for review and approval or place on the agenda for the next Board meeting.
Effective July 1, 2000, each licensee must certify that he/she has obtained the required continuing medical education hours in order to renew. Each physician must have at least 60 Category 1 hours within the preceding three years. Newly licensed physicians and physicians whose licenses have been reinstated will be required to begin reporting three years from the date of licensure/reinstatement.
The Board Secretary is authorized to issue a temporary license when he is satisfied that the applicant is qualified for a full and unrestricted license under the statutory requirements. We must be in receipt of all other state license verifications and examination history in addition to the application and fees in order for the Board Secretary to consider issuing a temporary license. Issuance of a temporary license is discretionary. There is an additional fee of $250 for a temporary license.
The Board has the authority to issue a special license to an individual who meets all requirements for full and unrestricted licensure except post-graduate training and/or examination. The purpose of a special license is to allow new physicians to obtain the post-graduate training required for a full license.
Any applicant who fails any part of USMLE three times is not eligible for a license. If a combination of NBME, FLEX and/or USMLE is used, any applicant who has failed more than six examinations is not eligible. However, if an American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) Board has subsequently certified an applicant, the Board may issue a license.
