How do I Transfer a Medical License to Florida?

Doctors must obtain Florida medical licenses before practicing in Florida.

Doctors who want to practice medicine in Florida must first obtain a license from the Florida Board of Medicine, which requires a written application, additional documentation, fingerprints and a background check before issuing licenses. According to the Board of Medicine, the licensing process takes 45 to 90 days to complete and may take longer if the applicant fails to provide all the requested information. Review application instructions carefully before applying to expedite the licensing process.

Things You'll Need

• Copy of undergraduate transcripts from all programs attended
• Copy of undergraduate diploma
• Copy of medical school transcripts from all programs attended
• Copy of medical school diploma

Instructions

1. Download and print a licensure application from the Florida Department of Health website (see Resources).

2. Fill out the licensure application completely and accurately. The Florida Board of Medicine lists failure to provide complete and honest background and education information as the top reason for denial of licensure. Where requested, use separate sheets of paper to provide additional explanations.

3. Visit the Safe System fingerprinting website to order a fingerprint card (see Resources). Enter your personal demographic information. Order an FD 258 fingerprint card, if desired. Fingerprint cards cost $4 each if shipped using standard mail and $10 for priority mail. Print the bar code receipt provided.

4. Visit a local police department or fingerprinting agency to complete your fingerprinting. If you did not purchase a fingerprint card, make sure the police department or agency uses an FD 258 card for your fingerprints.

5. Mail your completed fingerprint card to the address provided on the bar code receipt:

   Florida Department of Health

   Board of Medicine

   4052 Bald Cypress Way, Bin C03

   Tallahassee, FL 32399

6. Gather the documentation of your education. The Florida Board of Medicine requires a copy of transcripts from all medical schools you have attended (even if you did not graduate), a copy of all undergraduate transcripts if you graduated from medical school after 1992, a copy of your undergraduate diploma and a copy of your medical school diploma. If you are a foreign medical school graduate, use the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) website's Certification Verification Service (CVS) to request that additional documentation be sent to the Florida Board of Medicine (see Resources).

7. Prepare the additional documentation using the forms provided in your licensure application. Use the addresses on page 13, the Medical Degree Verification Form on page 27, the Post-Graduate Training Evaluation Form on page 28 and the Licensure Verification Form on page 29 of the application to request documentation from the appropriate schools and authorities.

8. Sign and date your application and tape a current 2x2 photograph of yourself into the box provided.

9. Mail your application, documentation and application fees to:

   Department of Health/HMQAM

   P.O. Box 6330

   Tallahassee, FL 32314-6330

10. Wait for the Board of Medicine to contact you. Approximately 30 days after receiving your application, the board will mail you an initial letter indicating whether they need any additional documentation. Once the board determines your application is complete, it may take 14 working days to deny or issue your license. If the board approves your application, you should receive your license in the mail within 10 working days.

References

• Florida Department of Health: Applying for a Florida Medical License

Resources

• Florida Department of Health: Board of Medicine: Medical Doctor Application for Licensure
• Safe System Outsourced Fingerprint Network
• Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates: Certification Verification Service Online