North Dakota Medical Laboratory Scientist Licensing Guide

Updated October 30, 2026

This guide covers the North Dakota lab license: how to apply, fees, processing time, renewal and specialty rules.

License Snapshot

Board Processing Time

4-6 weeks

Board turnaround on a complete application

Application Fee

$65

Renewal: $100

Credential

ASCP

National certification

CE Required

24 hours

Every 2 years

North Dakota Lab License Overview

North Dakota licenses laboratory science as more than a single credential. Alongside the general clinical laboratory scientist license, it also recognizes:

Specialty license: Clinical Laboratory Specialist (single-discipline)
Limited and technician-level credentials: Clinical Laboratory Technician / Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT/CLT); 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.

A license you hold in another state does not transfer automatically, so you apply to North Dakota's licensing program before your first assignment there.

North Dakota Lab License Requirements

The baseline below is North Dakota's general license. The specialty section covers the specialties that differ from it.

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: confirm which certifying bodies North Dakota accepts (such as ASCP or AMT) 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: A verification from every state where you hold or have held a license, sent to the board by that state (emailed verifications and printouts from the state board's website, with its link, are accepted).

North Dakota Lab License Fees and Credentials

Fees for the general clinical laboratory scientist license in North Dakota:

Fee	Amount
Application	$65-$140
Renewal	$100 (every 2 years)

Renewal: from our records; confirm with the board.

North Dakota Lab License Renewal and CE

Renewal cycle: every 2 years, expiring July 1 of even-numbered years. Renewal fee $100.
Continuing education: North Dakota requires 24 hours per 2-year cycle for license renewal.

How to Get a North Dakota Lab License

In outline, applying takes these steps:

Confirm the qualifying certification or education North Dakota accepts for the license you want (the requirements above).
Arrange for the transcripts and certification verification the program asks for. Ask whether they must come directly from your school and certifying body.
Apply to North Dakota Board of Clinical Laboratory Practice through the application portal.
Arrange the verification the program asks for: A verification from every state where you hold or have held a license, sent to the board by that state (emailed verifications and printouts from the state board's website, with its link, are accepted).

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.

North Dakota Lab License Processing Time

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 the verifications it asks for, such as certification verification from your certifying body and license verification from other states, 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.

North Dakota's provisional permit is only for applicants eligible to take a national certifying exam, and its provisional license is only for military spouses, so most travelers need the full license 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.

North Dakota Lab Specialty Rules

Below is one subsection per credential that differs from the general North Dakota license, 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 a board-approved national certifying exam in the specialty area. Every applicant also submits one of these (proof the exam was passed within 2 years of applying, 300 hours of clinical laboratory testing within 3 years, or 30 continuing education hours within 2 years)

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 separate license that does not require the bachelor's degree the MT/CLS license needs. Without a bachelor's degree, even a passing MT/MLS-level certifying exam qualifies you only for the MLT/CLT license.

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.

North Dakota Licensing Board and Resources

North Dakota Board of Clinical Laboratory Practice

Board Website · Application Portal

Phone: (701) 530-0199

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North Dakota Lab License FAQs

How long does it take to get a clinical laboratory scientist license in North Dakota?

Clinical Laboratory Scientist license processing in North Dakota typically takes 4-6 weeks once the board has a complete application. Apply well before your assignment start date, since that board window does not include the time for credential verification to reach the board.

How far in advance should I apply for a North Dakota clinical laboratory scientist license for a travel assignment?

Plan for a lead time of 10-12 weeks.

Can I get a temporary clinical laboratory scientist license in North Dakota?

North Dakota issues temporary clinical laboratory scientist licenses, but they are only for applicants who have applied for licensure and are eligible to take a board-recognized national certifying exam (a provisional permit of up to one year, which the board may renew at most twice), or for military spouses (a provisional license of up to two years). Otherwise, plan your start date around the full processing time.

How much does a North Dakota clinical laboratory scientist license cost?

For a North Dakota clinical laboratory scientist license, the endorsement application fee is $65-$140, the renewal fee is $100. Verify current fees with the North Dakota Board of Clinical Laboratory Practice.

What are the renewal requirements for a North Dakota clinical laboratory scientist license?

Clinical Laboratory Scientist licenses in North Dakota require 24 hours of continuing education every 2 years.

What is the endorsement process for a North Dakota clinical laboratory scientist license?

The endorsement process involves: submit the initial licensure application online, or on the paper form, which must be notarized where marked, then ask every state where you hold or have held a license to send a verification to the board office, then complete any state-specific requirements (background check, etc.). Verify the current steps with the North Dakota Board of Clinical Laboratory Practice.

What should travel medical laboratory professionals know about working in North Dakota?

Travel medical laboratory professionals working in North Dakota should apply for a North Dakota-specific license well before their start date. Apply as soon as you accept the assignment, request license verification early, and keep a copy of your active credentials handy for facility onboarding.

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.