FLORIDA AS PRINCIPAL LICENSEFlorida can be the starting point for a qualifying MD or DO.
Florida joined the IMLC in 2024 and began participation that fall. An eligible physician holding a full, unrestricted Florida medical license may designate Florida as the State of Principal License (SPL), apply for a letter of qualification, then request individual licenses from selected issuing jurisdictions. Florida’s Department of Health describes the IMLC as an expedited licensing process, rather than a single nationwide privilege to practice.
JURISDICTION STATUS · SEPTEMBER 24, 2026
Where the Compact map shows licenses being issued
The Compact’s map distinguishes states issuing licenses from states that have enacted the law but are still implementing it. This is a dated map reading, not a guarantee that a particular physician is eligible or that an issuing board will approve a selected service.
38 STATES · SPL & ISSUING
Issuing licenses; eligible to serve as SPL
Alabama · Arizona · Colorado · Connecticut · Delaware · Florida · Georgia · Idaho · Illinois · Indiana · Iowa · Kansas · Kentucky · Louisiana · Maine · Maryland · Michigan · Minnesota · Mississippi · Missouri · Montana · Nebraska · Nevada · New Hampshire · New Jersey · North Carolina · North Dakota · Ohio · Oklahoma · Pennsylvania · South Dakota · Tennessee · Texas · Utah · Washington · West Virginia · Wisconsin · Wyoming
The map also places Washington, D.C. and Guam in this category.
2 STATES · ISSUING, NON-SPL
Additional license destinations
Hawaii · Vermont
Hawaii and Vermont issue licenses through the Compact but do not serve as the initial State of Principal License on the current map.
4 STATES · IMPLEMENTATION
Enacted; implementation in process or delayed
Alaska · Arkansas · New Mexico · Rhode Island
Enactment does not mean the state is accepting applications or issuing Compact licenses.
Count precisely: 40 U.S. states including Florida, plus D.C. and Guam, appear in the map’s issuing categories. The four implementation states are additional member states, not yet in that issuing count. Review the live IMLC status map ↗ and the applicable state board ↗ before using a jurisdiction in a launch plan.
PHYSICIAN QUALIFICATION
Florida license plus the Compact’s eligibility criteria
A physician needs a full, unrestricted medical license in Florida and a qualifying connection to Florida: primary residence; at least 25% of medical practice; or employer location. Federal tax residence may be used if none of those first three applies. The Florida statute also addresses medical education, graduate training, examinations, specialty certification, background review, discipline, and controlled-substance license history. Qualification is determined by the principal state’s board, not by this website.
Read Florida Statutes § 456.4501 ↗FROM LICENSE TO SERVICE
Five checks before a patient-state launch
- Confirm the destination licenseSelect each jurisdiction, complete its fees and requirements, and verify that its individual medical license has actually been issued and remains active.
- Define the clinical serviceSeparate telemedicine, in-person care, prescribing, controlled substances, lab orders, and referrals. State scope and standards can differ by service.
- Locate the patientRecord the patient’s physical location at every encounter, including follow-ups when traveling, and route scheduling only to appropriately licensed clinicians.
- Review the practice modelConfirm medical director duties, professional entity structure, supervision, malpractice coverage, pharmacy and laboratory arrangements, and payer enrollment where applicable.
- Assign ongoing oversightTrack license renewals, state board changes, staff training, records and consent, and escalation when a proposed service or destination changes.
The HHS cross-state licensure guide ↗ also distinguishes compacts, regular licenses, telehealth registration, and other state-specific pathways.
OUTSIDE THE ISSUING MAP
Other states require their own pathway review.
California, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon, South Carolina, and Virginia do not appear in the Compact map’s issuing categories at this review date. The map marks New York as legislation introduced. For a patient in an outside jurisdiction, review the destination’s regular medical license process or any applicable profession-specific telehealth registration; do not infer permission from a Florida license, a Compact application, or a medical director role.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Florida physician IMLC FAQ
Can a Florida-licensed physician use the IMLC to practice in every member state?
A qualifying Florida physician may apply for separate licenses in participating jurisdictions through the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact. Compact participation alone does not authorize practice: each selected jurisdiction must issue its own license, and local law still governs patient care.
When can Florida be a physician’s State of Principal License?
The physician needs a full, unrestricted Florida medical license and must meet a statutory connection: primary residence in Florida, at least 25 percent of medical practice there, or a Florida employer. Federal income tax residence is a fallback if none of those three applies. Other Compact eligibility rules also apply.
Does a Compact license cover telehealth prescribing, labs, and payer enrollment?
A state medical license is only one requirement. The practice must independently review the patient state’s telehealth, prescribing, laboratory, insurance, payer, and business requirements for the proposed services before launch.
PLAN THE NETWORK
Sequence licensing before expanding service lines.
Our practice journey helps map clinician roles, patient-state coverage, staff workflows, and digital operations for an expansion plan reviewed by qualified clinical and legal professionals.
Educational business-planning reference only. This page does not determine eligibility, grant practice authority, or replace legal or clinical review. Compact status and state requirements can change; confirm the current map and each destination board before offering care.