Is California a Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) state?

No — California is not currently part of the Nurse Licensure Compact. Nurses practicing in California need a California-issued license regardless of their primary state of residence. Source: NCSBN compact map.

Does the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact (IMLC) work for physicians in California?

California is not currently a participating IMLC member. Physicians who want to practice in California must apply directly through the California Board of Medicine; they cannot use the IMLC's expedited pathway. Source: IMLCC.

Does the federal DEA renewal cycle differ in California?

No. DEA practitioner registrations are federal and renew on a three-year cycle regardless of state. Registrations are tied to a specific practice address — not to the holder personally — so multi-site clinicians typically hold one DEA per practice location. California's state-level controlled-substance registration, if it requires one, is separate from the federal DEA.

How does Larch keep California's rules current?

A drift-detection job re-fetches each cited source on a weekly cadence and flags pages where the source content has changed since our last review. Where we don't have a verified detail, we surface "Confirm with [Board]" with a link to the issuing board — never a guess.

California

Clinician license renewal in California

Renewal cycles, fees, CE requirements, and compact membership for nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and physicians in California. Sourced from state boards and the official compact registries; we surface the citation next to every claim and never invent a rule we can’t verify.

Last reviewed 05/05/2026.

Compact membership

Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC)

Not a member

Source: nursecompact.com, as of 05/05/2026

Interstate Medical Licensure Compact (IMLC)

Not a member

Source: imlcc.com, as of 05/05/2026

APRN / nurse practitioner license

Renewal cycle: Confirm with California Board of Nursing
Renewal fee: Confirm with California Board of Nursing
Continuing education: Confirm with California Board of Nursing
Online renewal available: Confirm with California Board of Nursing

We’re still verifying California Board of Nursing’s APRN- specific renewal details. The most accurate source is the board itself — search for California Board of Nursing.

Track this credential automatically with Larch’s License tracking.

Physician assistant license

Renewal cycle: Confirm with California Board of Medicine
Renewal fee: Confirm with California Board of Medicine
Continuing education: Confirm with California Board of Medicine
Online renewal available: Confirm with California Board of Medicine

We’re still verifying California Board of Medicine’s PA- specific renewal details. The most accurate source is the board itself — search for California Board of Medicine.

Track this credential automatically with Larch’s License tracking.

MD / DO license

Renewal cycle: Confirm with California Board of Medicine
Renewal fee: Confirm with California Board of Medicine
Continuing education: Confirm with California Board of Medicine
Online renewal available: Confirm with California Board of Medicine

We’re still verifying California Board of Medicine’s MD/DO- specific renewal details. The most accurate source is the board itself — search for California Board of Medicine.

Track this credential automatically with Larch’s License tracking.

State controlled-substance registration

Some states layer a state-level controlled-substance registration (CSR or CDS) on top of the federal DEA; others rely on the DEA alone. Where Californiarequires one, it carries its own number, fee, and renewal clock — independent of the DEA cycle.

Required in this state: Confirm with California controlled-substances regulator

We’re still verifying California’s state CSR rules. Confirm with the Californiacontrolled-substances regulator (often the Board of Pharmacy or a Department of Health office) before assuming you do or don’t need a state CSR alongside your DEA.

Track DEA + state CSR together with Larch’s DEA + CSR tracker.

Federal DEA registration

DEA registration is federal, not state-issued. DEA practitioner registrations renew on a three-year cycle and are tied to a specific practice address — multi-site clinicians typically hold one DEA per practice location, each with its own number and clock. The first renewal on or after June 27, 2023 also required a one-time MATE Act 8-hour training attestation; once attested, the credit carries forward.

See Larch’s DEA tracking page for details on the federal cycle, multi-site rules, and the MATE Act attestation requirements.

Common questions about California renewals

Is California a Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) state?: No — California is not currently part of the Nurse Licensure Compact. Nurses practicing in California need a California-issued license regardless of their primary state of residence. Source: NCSBN compact map.
Does the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact (IMLC) work for physicians in California?: California is not currently a participating IMLC member. Physicians who want to practice in California must apply directly through the California Board of Medicine; they cannot use the IMLC's expedited pathway. Source: IMLCC.
Does the federal DEA renewal cycle differ in California?: No. DEA practitioner registrations are federal and renew on a three-year cycle regardless of state. Registrations are tied to a specific practice address — not to the holder personally — so multi-site clinicians typically hold one DEA per practice location. California's state-level controlled-substance registration, if it requires one, is separate from the federal DEA.
How does Larch keep California's rules current?: A drift-detection job re-fetches each cited source on a weekly cadence and flags pages where the source content has changed since our last review. Where we don't have a verified detail, we surface "Confirm with [Board]" with a link to the issuing board — never a guess.

Track every CA credential automatically — free.

Larch keeps a clean clock on every license, DEA, state CSR, board cert, and CE hour. Smart renewal alerts on the schedule you set. Encrypted document vault. Free forever.

Start tracking

Sources for California

NCSBN Nurse Licensure Compact Map (PDF) · retrieved 05/05/2026
Interstate Medical Licensure Compact Commission (IMLCC) · retrieved 05/05/2026

Other states

Kentucky Mississippi New Mexico Pennsylvania Vermont Alaska Florida Kansas All 51 →