5 min read
Medical Licensure vs. Hospital Credentialing and Privileging
Three separate processes physicians frequently conflate.
Licensure: state authority to practice
A state medical board grants the license. It is a state-level authorization, and only that board can issue, renew, restrict, or deny it.
Credentialing and privileging: organizational processes
Hospitals and health systems verify qualifications (credentialing) and grant specific clinical privileges (privileging). Both typically require an active license but are separate processes with separate committees and timelines.
And then everything else
DEA registration, NPI, payer enrollment, board certification, and malpractice coverage are each distinct again. Holding a license does not establish any of them.
Where this leaves you
Every state medical board sets its own requirements, fees, forms, and timelines, and those can change without notice. Treat this article as general educational information, not legal advice or a checklist of universal requirements, and confirm everything with the applicable state medical board.