PROCESSING CENTER Hours:
The Health Regulation and Licensing Administration (HRLA) Processing Center is open to the public Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 9 am – 1 pm, and Wednesday, 9 am - 3:30 pm (except holidays).

Office Hours:
The HRLA Office Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:15 am - 4:45 pm (except holidays).
 

***COVID-19 UPDATES***

Important Notice Regarding Paper Applications (select link):
DC Health No Longer Accepting Paper Applications (Beginning June 14, 2021)

ONLINE LICENSING APPLICATIONS
DC Health’s online licensing application system is now LIVE. (See link below.)

The District of Columbia Department of Health, Health Regulation and Licensing Administration (HRLA) is excited to announce the opening of our new online licensing system.  Effective immediately, any healthcare provider who is interested in applying for a new health professional license, or to renew, reinstate, or reactivate an existing license, may do so by going to the below link and submitting an online application.  All users are strongly encouraged to review the instructions prior to beginning the process. 

https://doh.force.com/dchealthrenewals/s/portal-page

***COVID-19 UPDATES***

COVID-19 Guidance and Best Practices
For the most up to date information on the District's response to COVID-19, including information on best practices and recommended guidelines, please go to coronavirus.dc.gov.

All HRLA related applications should be mailed to the following address:

Individuals may also call the Processing Center at 1 (877) 672-2174 to get an update on their pending applications.

If you require assistance from the Board of Medicine, please contact the following individuals by email:

If you are already in contact with a Health Licensing Specialist (HLS), please forward any documents to said HLS via email.

Board Meetings (virtual)

The Board meets on the last Wednesday of each month, unless otherwise noted. Open session is from 8:30 am - 9:30 am and members of the public are invited to join the Board. If you would like to present a topic, you must schedule a time to be placed on the agenda. Contact Lisa Robinson at [email protected]. In response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, all Health Professional Board meetings are currently held virtually. 

Join Open Session:
By Web https://dcnet.webex.com/dcnet/j.php?MTID=m7f823658b3b1e1556a59c90709042b04
By Phone 1-202-860-2110 United States Toll (Washington D.C.) Access Code: 160 487 2313
                 1-650-479-3208 Call-in number (US/Canada) Access Code: 160 487 2313

Executive Session: 
Executive session is closed to the public.

Mission Statement

"To protect and enhance the health, safety, and well-being of District of Columbia residents by promoting evidence-based best practices in health regulation, high standards of quality care and implementing policies that prevent adverse events."

Established in 1879, the DC Board of Medicine (BoMed), a division within the DC Department of Health, Health Regulation and Licensing Administration (HRLA), has the responsibility to regulate the practice of medicine (MD/DO) in the District of Columbia.

The Board accepts applications for licensure through national examination; waiver of national examination; reactivation of an inactive license; reinstatement of an expired, suspended, or revoked license, or by eminence pursuant to the Health Occupations Revision Act (HORA). All applicants for licensure must establish, to the Board’s satisfaction, that they possess the appropriate skills, knowledge, judgment, and character to practice medicine in the District of Columbia. In addition, applicants must demonstrate to the Board that they are proficient in understanding and communicating medical concepts and information in English. 

The Board also oversees the regulation of Trauma Technologists, Physician Assistants, Naturopathic Physicians, Anesthesiology Assistants, Acupuncturists, Surgical Assistants, Polysomnographers, and Postgraduate Physicians in Training.  Regulation is achieved through the application process; the disciplinary process and through outreach and educational activities.  

Members of the Board are appointed by the Mayor and serve a three year term for a maximum of three terms. The Board issues a quarterly newsletter that provides up-to-date information on the Board's current activities.  

New Licensure Lookup

DC Health has implemented a new licensure lookup system, which can be accessed HERE.

Continuing Education Requirements
As part of the renewal process, regulations have been implemented for all professions under the Board of Medicine which will require licensees to complete at least 10% of their required total continuing education hours in topics identified by the Director of the Department of Health as public health priorities.  For example, physicians have a fifty (50) hour requirement so at least five (5) hours must be in a topic designated as a public health priority.  The Director of the Department of Health has now issued a notice identifying acceptable public health priorities, a copy of which can be found online HERE. 

The current CE requirements are outlined below:

o   Physicians (MD/DO) - Fifty (50) hours of CE every two (2) years, which includes two (2) hours in the subject of LGBTQ cultural competency, five (5) hours in a topic designated as a public health priority, and at least one (1) course in the subject of pharmacology.
o   Physician Assistants (PA) - One hundred (100) of CE every two (2) years, which includes two (2) hours in the subject of LGBTQ cultural competency and ten (10) hours must be in a topic designated as a public health priority.  PAs may substitute NCCPA certification for the one hundred (100) hours, however, they will still be required to complete the required hours of CE in the subject area of LGBTQ cultural competency and the public health priorities.
o   Naturopathic Physicians (NP) - Thirty (30) hours of CE, which includes two (2) hours of CE in the subject of LGBTQ cultural competency and three (3) hours must be in a topic designated as a public health priority.  
o   Surgical Assistants (SA) - Fifty (50) hours of CE, which includes two (2) hours of CE in the in the subject of LGBTQ cultural competency and five (5) hours must be in a topic designated as a public health priority.  SAs may substitute certification from ABSA or the NSAA, if said certification required the completion of fifty (50) hours of CE with the two (2) year period preceding renewal.  However, they will still be required to complete the required hours of CE in the subject area of LGBTQ cultural competency and the public health priorities.
o   Anesthesiologist Assistants (AA) - Hold certification with the NCCAA, or its successor organization, as well as having completed at least two (2) of CE in the in the subject of LGBTQ cultural competency and five (5) hours must be in a topic designated as a public health priority.
o   Acupuncturists (ACU) - Thirty (30) hours of CE, which includes at least two (2) hours of CE in the subject of LGBTQ cultural competency and three (3) must be in  a topic designated as a public health priority.  For licensees with a certification in Chinese Herbology, at least ten (10) of the total thirty (30) hours need to be in the topic of Chinese herbology.
o   Polysomnographic Technologists - Twenty (20) hours of CE, which includes at least two (2) hours of CE in the subject of LGBTQ cultural competency and two (2) hours must be in a topic designated as a public health priority.  
o   Polysomnographic Trainees – First time renewal exempted from continuing education.
o   Trauma Technologists - Fifty (50) hours of CE, which includes at least two (2) hours of CE in the subject of LGBTQ cultural competency and five (5) hours must be in a topic designated as a public health priority.

For those physicians in need of CME related to pharmacology and/or prescribing, or any other CEs, DC Health offers several free programs via the DC Center for Rational Prescribing.  You can access the DC Center for Rational Prescribing here.