License Requirements for Clinical Laboratory Technologist

Practice as a clinical laboratory technologist and the use of the title "clinical laboratory technologist" in New York State require licensure, unless otherwise exempt under the law.

To be licensed as a clinical laboratory technologist in New York State you must meet all requirements, including:

• submit the application and fee for initial licensure;
• be of good moral character;
• be at least 18 years of age;
• meet education or alternative to education requirements; and
• meet examination requirements.

You must file an application for licensure and the other forms indicated, along with the appropriate fee, to the Office of the Professions at the address specified on each form. It is your responsibility to follow up with anyone you have asked to send us material.

The specific requirements for licensure and definition of practice are contained in Title 8, Article 165 of New York's Education Law and Subpart 79-13 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education. The laws and regulations are available on this website.

You should also read the general licensing information applicable for all professions.

The licensure and first registration fee is $345.

The limited permit fee is $50 (the limited permit fee is not refundable).

The fee for a provisional permit is $50 (the provisional permit fee is not refundable).

Fees are subject to change. The fee due is the one in law when your application is received (unless fees are increased retroactively). You will be billed for the difference if fees have been increased.

• Do not send cash.
• If you apply for licensure electronically using the online Application for Licensure, you will be required to pay by credit card.
• Other payments must be made by personal check or money order payable to the New York State Education Department. Your cancelled check is your receipt.
• Mail any required forms and fees to the indicated address on the form.

NOTE: Payment submitted from outside the United States should be made by credit card, check or draft on a United States bank and in United States currency; payments submitted in any other form will not be accepted and will be returned.

Individuals who withdraw their licensure application may be entitled to a partial refund.

• For the procedure to withdraw your application, contact the Clinical Laboratory Technology Unit by e-mailing opunit2@nysed.gov or by calling 518-474-3817 ext. 260 or by faxing 518-402-2323.
• The State Education Department is not responsible for any fees paid to an outside testing or credentials verification agency.

If you withdraw your application, obtain a refund, and then decide to seek New York State licensure at a later date, you will be considered a new applicant, and you will be required to pay the licensure and registration fees and meet the licensure requirements in place at the time you reapply.

NOTE: Different licensure requirements may apply to persons who had applied for a New York State clinical laboratory technologist license prior to September 1, 2013. For additional information, email CLINLABD@nysed.gov.

To meet the education or alternative to education requirement for licensure as a clinical laboratory technologist, you must meet ONE of the seven criteria described below.

You must document that:

1. You are currently certified as a Medical Laboratory Scientist by the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) Board of Certification with the ASCP (MLS) or ASCPi (MLS) credential. (Use ASCP’s online system to submit verification of your certification to the Department to document meeting this criteria.)
   Or
2. You are licensed and in good standing in either California as a Clinical Laboratory Scientist (Generalist), or Hawaii as a Medical Technologist. (Use Form 3 to document meeting this criteria.)
   Or
3. You graduated from a bachelor or master's degree clinical laboratory technologist program (or a similarly named program) while the program was fully accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS) as a Medical Laboratory Scientist program at the time you graduated. (Use Form 2 to document meeting this criteria.)
   Or
4. You graduated from a bachelor or master's degree program in clinical laboratory technology from a program registered by the Department as licensure qualifying at the time of graduation (A list of licensure-qualifying programs can be found on the Inventory of Registered Programs available at http://www.nysed.gov/heds/IRPSL1.html under "CLIN LAB TECHNOL"). (Use Form 2 to document meeting this criteria.)
   Or
5. You graduated from a bachelor or master's degree program in clinical laboratory technology (or a similarly named program) that is determined by the Department to be "substantially equivalent"* to a Department-registered clinical laboratory technologist program. (Use Form 2 to document meeting this criteria.)
   Or
6. You graduated from a bachelor degree program in biology, chemistry, or the physical sciences registered by the Department (or determined to be acceptable by the Department) AND you meet criteria in EITHER (a) or (b) below:
   1. A credit-bearing or hospital-based program that you completed while the program was accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS) as a Medical Laboratory Scientist; or
   2. a credit-bearing advanced certificate program in clinical laboratory technology that is registered by the Department as license qualifying (or determined to be acceptable by the Department). (A list of acceptable advanced certificate programs can be found on the Inventory of Registered Programs available at http://www.nysed.gov/heds/IRPSL1.html under "CLIN LAB TECHNOL".).
   (Use Form 2 to document meeting this criteria.)
   Or
7. You completed a bachelor degree in a natural science or in a clinical laboratory science and coursework acceptable to the Department AND you meet criteria in EITHER (a) or (b) below:
   1. At least two years' full-time experience (or the part-time equivalent) working in a clinical laboratory while licensed as a clinical laboratory technician in New York State or another jurisdiction acceptable to the Department; or
   2. at least two years' full-time experience (or the part-time equivalent) working in a clinical laboratory while certified by the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) Board of Certification as a Medical Laboratory Technician with the following credentials ASCP (MLT) or ACSPi (MLT).
   (Use Form 2 to document meeting this criteria. You must ALSO USE Form 4 to document the professional experience required to meet this criteria. )

*Substantial Equivalence

For a program to be determined substantially equivalent to a registered clinical laboratory technology program, it must lead to a bachelor or master's degree and be designed and conducted by a degree-granting institution to prepare students for professional practice as a clinical laboratory technologist using independent judgment and responsibility. It should be recognized by the appropriate civil authorities of the jurisdiction in which the program is offered as a program to prepare individuals for professional practice as a clinical laboratory technologist. In addition, the program must meet all criteria described below to the satisfaction of the Department;

Provide didactic and clinical education that integrates pre-analytical, analytical, and post-analytical components of laboratory services, including the principles and practices of quality assurance/quality improvement;

1. include didactic and laboratory coursework in each of the following subject areas (or equivalent subject areas) as determined by the Department:
   1. inorganic chemistry;
   2. analytic chemistry and/or biochemistry;
   3. clinical chemistry;
   4. physiology, with anatomy content;
   5. immunology/serology;
   6. immunohematology (blood bank);
   7. hematology/hemostasis and body fluids;
   8. molecular biology and diagnostics; and
   9. microbiology and clinical microbiology, including bacteriology, mycology, parasitology, and virology; and
   10. include coursework in:
       1. organic chemistry;
       2. statistics;
       3. infection control and universal precautions (standard precautions);
       4. the maintenance of equipment and records; and
       5. ethics; and
2. include a supervised clinical experience of at least 30 hours per week for at least 24 weeks (i.e., 720 hours) or its equivalent, in the practice of clinical laboratory technology, which includes but is not limited to: hematology/hemostasis, clinical chemistry, immunohematology, urinalysis/body fluids and clinical microbiology.

Note: If you are currently ASCP (MLS) certified, you have already met the examination requirement for a clinical laboratory technologist license. If you were originally certified ASCPi (MLT) on or after October 1, 2015, and are currently ASCPi (MLS) certified, you have already met the examination requirement for a clinical laboratory technologist license.

To meet the examination requirements for licensure as a clinical laboratory technologist, you must pass ONE of the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) Board of Certification's examinations, as described below, with a converted score of at least 75. Refer to the chart below for the effective dates for acceptance of these exams.

Examination Eligibility

Before you will be made eligible to take an examination for New York State, you must:

• Apply for licensure, pay the $345 fee for liensure and first registration and submit all required documentation;
• The Department will review your application to determine your eligibility. You will be notified when you are eligible for the examination; and
• after the Department notifies you that you are eligible to take the examination, you must sign up directly with the ASCP Board of Certification by completing the New York State Licensure Application found at www.ascp.org/content/board-of-certification/get-credentialed/#state-licensure. The ASCP Board of Certification will inform you of next steps, including how to schedule an appointment to take the examination. You should schedule an appointment to take the examination within the assigned three-month examination period.

Reasonable Testing Accommodations

If you have a disability and may require reasonable testing accommodations for the examinations, please contact the ASCP Board of Certification at the website above or at:

ASCP Board of Certification
33 West Monroe Street, Suite 1600
Chicago, IL 60603
Phone: 1-800-267-2727
Fax: 312-541-4845

A limited permit authorizes an individual who has met all requirements for licensure as a clinical laboratory technologist, except for the examination requirement, to practice clinical laboratory technology in a specific setting.

The permit is valid for not more than 24 months and is not renewable. The permit holder shall be under the general supervision of the director of a clinical laboratory. Limited permit holders may not work at more than one clinical laboratory at a time. A limited permit holder who seeks to work in a different clinical laboratory must submit a new limited permit application to practice in such clinical laboratory and may not start practice until the limited permit is issued for the new setting and supervisor.

The supervising clinical director must serve the laboratory full-time, or on a regular part-time basis; ensure the supervision and technical performance of the limited permit holder, and be readily available for consultation with the limited permit holder, as needed; shall be responsible for the performance and findings of all tests carried out by the limited permit holder, either by directly overseeing such testing or by assigning qualified supervisors to provide onsite supervision of the permit holder.

If the clinical laboratory director named on the limited permit ceases to supervise the limited permit holder or is replaced by another clinical laboratory director, the limited permit holder must submit a new limited permit application form identifying the new director to the Department. The limited permit holder may only practice under the supervision of the clinical laboratory director when the new permit is issued; the limited permit will be issued for the unused portion of the 24-month limited permit period.

You may apply for a limited permit by submitting the Application for Limited Permit (Form 5) and limited permit fee of $50 at the same time or any time after you submit your application for licensure (Form 1), $345 licensure and first registration fee, and evidence of meeting the education or alternative to education requirements.

The Department may issue a provisional permit to individuals who have submitted the application and fee for initial licensure as a clinical laboratory technologist and has not met the education and/or examination requirements for licensure. The provisional permit holder may work in a clinical laboratory under supervision while meeting the education and/or examination requirements for licensure.

An applicant for the provisional permit to provide clinical laboratory services shall:

1. Be of good moral character;
2. Be at least 18 years of age;
3. submit to the Department the application and fee for licensure as a clinical laboratory technologist
4. submit the application and fee for a provisional permit; and
5. meet the criteria detailed in a, b, c or d below.
   1. Be licensed as a clinical laboratory technologist or the equivalent as determined by the Department, in another jurisdiction; Or
   2. possess current certification by an organization acceptable to the Department, such as Medical Technologist certification by the American Association of Bioanalysts (AAB) or the American Medical Technologists (AMT); Or
   3. have both a bachelor degree in the biological, chemical, or physical sciences (Use Form 2 to document meeting this criteria) and training in a clinical laboratory, which are acceptable to the Department (Use Form 4PP to document meeting this requirement); Or
   4. have both a bachelor degree in the biological, chemical, or physical sciences or in mathematics (Use Form 2 to document meeting this criteria), and have worked as a research assistant in a research laboratory, under the direction of the director or the principal researcher of such research library, working on the research and development of any procedures and examinations to be conducted by a laboratory, as defined in title five of article five of the public health law, on material derived from the human body which provides information for the diagnosis, prevention or treatment of a disease or assessment of a human medical condition (Use Form 4PP to document meeting this criteria).

A provisional permit authorizes an applicant for licensure to practice clinical laboratory technology under supervision  in a specific setting. The provisional permit is valid for not more than 24 months and is not renewable.   The provisional permit holder shall be under the general supervision of the director of a clinical laboratory. Provisional permit holders may not work at more than on clinical laboratory at a time. A provisional permit holder who seeks to work in a different clinical laboratory must submit a new provisional permit application to practice in such clinical laboratory and may not start practice until the provisional permit is issued for the new setting and supervisor.

If the clinical laboratory director named on the provisional permit ceases to supervise the provisional permit holder or is replaced by another clinical laboratory director, the provisional permit holder must submit a new provisional permit application form identifying the new director to the Department. The provisional permit holder may only practice under the supervision of the clinical laboratory director when the new permit is issued; the provisional permit will be issued for the unused portion of the 24-month provisional permit period.

The provisional permit holder must work under the general supervision of a clinical laboratory director at the clinical laboratory named on the provisional permit. The supervising clinical laboratory director must: service the laboratory full-time, or on a regular part-time basis; ensure the supervision of the technical performance of the provisional permit holder, and be readily available for consultation with the provisional permit holder, as needed; shall be responsible for the performance and findings of all tests carried out by the provisional permit holder, either directly by overseeing such testing, or by assigning qualified supervisors to provide onsite supervision of the provisional permit holder.