Texas Medical License

Table Of Content

Graduate from an approved medical school in the U.S., Canada, or an internationally recognized school (as determined by the Texas Medical Board).
Be at least 21 years old and of good professional character, per Texas Medical Board rules.
Hold a minimum of 60 college semester hours (or equivalent) before entering medical school.
Complete postgraduate training (residency) as required by the Board.
Pass a licensing examination acceptable to the Board (commonly USMLE or COMLEX).
- Generally, each part of the exam must be cleared within 3 attempts, unless specific exemptions apply.
Submit a Texas Medical Jurisprudence Exam (Jurisprudence) and pass it.
Undergo a state and national criminal background check, including fingerprinting.
Demonstrate good standing / active practice (or academic faculty) in the last 3 years, if already licensed elsewhere or applying with certain background.
Provide primary-source verifications for:
- Medical school diploma/transcripts .
- Graduate training / residency
- Previous medical license(s), if any
Submit a Dean’s Certification of Graduation form.

Apply through the Texas Medical Board (TMB) using their online Licensure Inquiry System of Texas (LIST).
Use the Federation Credentials Verification Service (FCVS) (optional but helpful) to streamline credential verification.
Upload required documentation via LIST once your account is set up (e.g., residency verification, transcripts, background check forms).
Pay the application and licensing fees. As of latest update, the full medical license application fee is US$ 867.
After screening, once everything is complete, the Board reviews your application.
Once approved, you will need to register your license and complete first-time registration via the TMB.

Physicians can delegate prescriptive authority to PAs or APRNs, but you must register this with the TMB.
A formal prescriptive authority agreement is required for delegation.
When prescribing controlled substances, you must follow all Texas and federal regulations.

Physicians licensed by TMB must complete 48 hours of CME every 24 months (i.e., biennial).
At least 24 of those hours must be formal CME (Category 1 or 1A).
Among the formal hours, 2 must be in medical ethics / professional responsibility.
1 hour in human trafficking prevention is now also required (per recent Texas law) within certain renewal cycles.
Up to 24 hours per cycle may come from informal learning (grand rounds, self-study, hospital lectures).
Newly licensed physicians are exempt from CME for their first registration period.
Physicians must maintain CME documentation — TMB may do random audits.

If your medical school is not on TMB’s “Substantial Equivalence” list, additional scrutiny may apply.
Your Texas license profile can be publicly searched via the TMB License Lookup tool.
First-time licensees must complete Texas physician registration via TMB’s online system.
Make sure your NPI (National Provider Identifier) is ready — it’s commonly used in Texas for licensing and practice setup.

TMB aims to process licensure applications in about 51 days once all required documents are received.
If there are any issues (missing documents, professional history disclosures, non-standard medical school), processing time may increase.

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Check out individual state requirements by clicking the links down below.