The Interstate Medical Licensure Compact (IMLC) is a voluntary, expedited pathway to licensure for qualifying physicians who wish to practice in multiple states.
On June 7, 2021, Governor Greg Abbott signed into law House Bill 1616 which was passed by the 87th Texas Legislature, making Texas the 33rd member state to join the Compact.
For more information on the Compact, FAQs, informational videos, and how to qualify for licensing through this pathway, please visit the IMLCC’s website: https://www.imlcc.org/apply/.
On March 1, 2022, the IMLCC began accepting applications for Texas Compact licensing. The TMB expects a large initial influx of applications which will in turn affect processing times.
The TMB stresses to those who are interested in becoming Texas licensed via the Compact, or currently licensed Texas physicians wishing to be licensed in another Compact state, to please review ALL IMLC criteria to ensure qualifications can be met for licensing through this pathway prior to applying: https://www.imlcc.org/information-for-physicians/#DoIQualifyForCompactLicensure.
Physicians are responsible for making a self-determination of eligibility prior to applying to participate in the Compact, and they must confirm that they understand the Compact rules.
IMLC Qualifications
There are two types of eligibility requirements: State of Principle Licensure (SPL) eligibility and general eligibility.
Please review the information below as well as our Letter Of Qualification (LOQ) Eligibility Checklist
SPL Eligibility
In order to receive licensure through the Compact, you must:
In addition, at least ONE of the requirements below must apply:
- Your primary residence is in the SPL.
- At least 25% of your practice of medicine occurs in the SPL.
- Your employer is located in the SPL.
- You use the SPL as your state of residence for U.S. Federal Income Tax purposes.
In order to remain active within the Compact, you must maintain your SPL status at all times. You may re-designate your SPL to another state after you have received your initial qualification – as long as the state is a participant in the Compact.
General Eligibility
In addition to having basic SPL status, there are several General Eligibility requirements. You must:
- Have graduated from an accredited medical school, or a school listed in the International Medical Education Directory.
- Have successfully completed ACGME- or AOA-accredited graduate medical education.
- Have passed each component of the USMLE, COMLEX-USA, or equivalent in no more than three attempts for each component.
- Hold a current specialty certification or time-unlimited certification by an ABMS or AOABOS board.
In addition, you must:
- Not have any history of disciplinary actions toward your medical license.
- Not have any criminal history.
- Not have any history of controlled substance actions toward your medical license.
- Not currently be under investigation.
