The IMLC, explained: the fastest path to multi-state licensure

The Interstate Medical Licensure Compact (IMLC) is an agreement among most U.S. states that creates an expedited pathway for physicians to become licensed in multiple states. Instead of running the full application gauntlet in each state, an eligible physician verifies their credentials once and receives licenses through a streamlined process.

Eligibility hinges on a State of Principal License (SPL) — the state where you primarily practice, or where you live, work, or are employed. You must hold a full, unrestricted license there and meet the compact's baseline criteria, including graduation from an accredited medical school, passing your licensing exams within a set number of attempts, and having no disciplinary or investigative history.

Once you're eligible, your SPL issues a Letter of Qualification. That letter is the key that unlocks expedited licensure in any of the other compact states you select. Because the heavy verification work happens once, physicians who qualify often obtain new state licenses in a fraction of the usual time.

The catch: not every state participates, eligibility rules are strict, and even the expedited path involves state fees and paperwork. That's where a tool like Medicense earns its keep — we help you determine whether the IMLC path is faster for your situation, walk you through requesting the Letter of Qualification, and give you a checklist and tracker for the rest so nothing slips.