North Dakota Medical Laboratory Scientist Licensing Guide
License Snapshot
Board Processing Time
4-6 weeks
Board turnaround on a complete application — see lead time below
Application Fee
$100
Renewal: $100
Credential
ASCP
Required national certification
Renewal
See details
Every 2 years
State Overview
North Dakota licenses laboratory science as more than a single credential. Alongside the general clinical laboratory scientist license, it recognizes a separate specialty license (Clinical Laboratory Specialist (single-discipline)), plus 2 limited and technician-level credentials (Clinical Laboratory Technician / Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT/CLT) and Provisional Permit).
A few other specialties are not licensed by the state at all, rather than carrying their own North Dakota license. The specialty section below covers each.
In laboratory science the state license is the primary credential, and a national certification such as ASCP is a common qualifying route rather than a separate ongoing requirement. A license you hold in another state does not transfer automatically, so you apply directly to North Dakota's licensing program for each assignment.
General Requirements
If you work in a clinical laboratory in North Dakota, the baseline below applies regardless of where you trained or which specialty you test in.
- State license required: North Dakota requires a state clinical laboratory personnel license to test patient specimens. This is the primary credential, separate from your employer's onboarding or the lab's CLIA certificate.
- Qualifying certification: a national certification such as ASCP (or another board the state approves, e.g. AMT) is the usual route to eligibility. Confirm which certifying bodies North Dakota accepts before you apply.
- Credential required: Bachelor's degree in a science-related discipline, completion of a structured clinical educational program recognized by the board, and passage of a national certifying examination approved by the board (e.g., ASCP MT/MLS).
- Scope of the general license: Generalist clinical laboratory practice across all disciplines; the base full-scope license under N.D. Admin Code 96-02-02-02.
- Verification: ASCP or direct board verification.
Fees & Credentials
Fees for the general clinical laboratory scientist license in North Dakota:
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Application | $100 (may be prorated depending on when in the year applicant applies) |
| Renewal | $100 (every 2 years) |
Renewal & Continuing Education
- Renewal cycle: every 2 years, (biennially, between May 1st and September 30th of even numbered years). Renewal fee $100.
- Continuing education: the North Dakota CE requirement is not published in the source data. Confirm the hours with the board before renewal.
Getting Licensed
Laboratory licensure runs through the state program, with your national certification establishing eligibility. For most candidates the steps are:
- Hold a qualifying certification or education for the license you want (a generalist ASCP certification for the general license; the matching category certification for a specialty license).
- Arrange for official transcripts and certification verification to be sent directly from your school and certifying body (ASCP/AMT). Most state labs require these direct from the source, not submitted by you.
- Apply to North Dakota Board of Clinical Laboratory Practice through the application portal.
- Have your certifying body and prior states verify directly to the program. You do not self-attest the certification.
Common slip-ups travelers hit here: submitting ASCP verification without confirming it includes ND-specific endorsement authorization; ASCP letter must explicitly state applicant is eligible for ND licensure by endorsement or board will reject and request direct verification.
Processing & Timing
Plan for roughly 4-6 weeks for a clean application. Treat that as a planning number rather than a board-published guarantee.
Two things stretch the timeline for laboratory licensure. The state has to receive certification verification from your certifying body and license verification from every state where you have held a license, and those hand-offs have their own latency. If you are applying for more than one credential, for example a generalist license plus a specialty license, they may process as separate items rather than in one pass.
No temporary license means permanent licensure must be in hand before assignment start. 4-6 week processing plus verification delays creates tight margin; 10-12 week lead time needed to accommodate board meeting cycles and verification backlogs.
Specialty Differences
Most of the laboratory family in North Dakota runs on the general license. A handful of credentials genuinely diverge, and those are the ones worth reading closely. Below is one subsection per real difference, then roll-up lines for everything else.
Clinical Laboratory Specialist (single-discipline)
Divergence: separate license. Restricted to a single discipline. Available specialty areas are blood bank/immunohematology, chemistry, hematology, microbiology, and molecular biology. Per the rule, a specialist 'may only perform functions directly related to the person's particular specialty.'.
- Credential: Bachelor's or higher degree with a major in a chemical, physical, or biological science and passage of a board-approved national certifying examination in the specific specialty area; ND also requires the applicant to have passed the certifying exam within two years of application and to document 300 hours of clinical laboratory testing practice within three years of application
How it differs from the general license: A separately issued, single-discipline license rather than the full-scope generalist credential. The holder may legally perform only functions directly related to their certified specialty (e.g., chemistry-only or microbiology-only), and the qualifying national exam is the specialty exam rather than the generalist MT/MLS exam.
Clinical Laboratory Technician / Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT/CLT)
Divergence: limited-scope tier. Technician-level clinical laboratory testing performed under the applicable scope for the technician tier; below the generalist scientist license.
- Credential: Completion of the academic requirements of a structured clinical educational program recognized by the board and passage of a board-approved national certifying examination (e.g., ASCP MLT)
How it differs from the general license: A separately licensed, lower-level credential than the generalist clinical laboratory scientist. It requires completion of a recognized technician educational program (associate-level pathway) and the technician national certifying exam rather than a bachelor's degree and the scientist exam, reflecting a reduced practice level.
Provisional Permit
Divergence: limited-scope tier. Temporary authorization to practice while completing/awaiting the qualifying national certifying examination; not a permanent license.
- Credential: Issued to an applicant for licensure who is eligible to take a board-recognized national certifying examination but has not yet passed it
How it differs from the general license: A time-limited trainee/bridge credential rather than a full license. It is granted before the applicant has passed the national certifying exam, capped at one year, and renewable only twice consecutively, after which full licensure (scientist, specialist, or technician) must be obtained.
Phlebotomist
Divergence: no state credential.
How it differs from the general license: North Dakota's clinical laboratory personnel licensure rule (96-02-02-02) defines no phlebotomist license; the board licenses scientists, specialists, technicians, and provisional permittees only. Phlebotomy is not a separately state-licensed credential.
Cytotechnologist / Histotechnologist
Divergence: no state credential.
How it differs from the general license: Neither cytotechnology nor histotechnology appears as a defined license category in N.D. Admin Code 96-02-02-02. The board's specialty (Clinical Laboratory Specialist) areas are limited to blood bank/immunohematology, chemistry, hematology, microbiology, and molecular biology, so these roles are not separately state-licensed by this board.
Official Resources
North Dakota Board of Clinical Laboratory Practice
Board Website·Application Portal
Phone: 701-328-2091
Frequently Asked Questions
Please note that while Fusion Medical Staffing strives to provide the most current and accurate information, we cannot guarantee the completeness or timeliness of the information provided. Requirements and processes can change frequently. Healthcare professionals are strongly encouraged to verify details directly with North Dakota Board of Clinical Laboratory Practice's official website.
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