Tennessee Medical Laboratory Scientist Licensing Guide
License Snapshot
Board Processing Time
8-10 weeks
Board turnaround on a complete application — see lead time below
Application Fee
$50
Renewal: $90.00
Credential
ASCP
Required national certification
Renewal
24 hours
Every 2 years
State Overview
Tennessee licenses laboratory science as more than a single credential. Alongside the general clinical laboratory scientist license, it recognizes 2 separate specialty licenses (Specialty Technologist (chemistry, hematology, immunohematology, microbiology, or immunology) and Special Analyst), plus 2 limited and technician-level credentials (Medical Laboratory Technician and Temporary License (technologist, technician, special analyst)).
A few other specialties are not licensed by the state at all, rather than carrying their own Tennessee 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 Tennessee's licensing program for each assignment.
General Requirements
If you work in a clinical laboratory in Tennessee, the baseline below applies regardless of where you trained or which specialty you test in.
- State license required: Tennessee 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 Tennessee accepts before you apply.
- Credential required: National certification at the TECHNOLOGIST level by a Board-recognized agency (ASCP, NRCC, NRM, ABB, AMT, ASCPi, or other Board-recognized body), plus one of the educational paths in rule 1200-06-01-.22(1)(a): baccalaureate degree + NAACLS-approved technologist training; baccalaureate + accredited MLT/CLT training + 3 yrs clinical experience; baccalaureate + 50+ week military lab course + 3 yrs experience; or baccalaureate + 5 yrs clinical experience.
- Scope of the general license: Generalist license. Authorizes performing tests within ANY of the laboratory specialties (chemistry, hematology, microbiology, immunohematology, immunology, etc.) plus quality-control and data-interpretation duties. This is the base credential against which all other tiers diverge.
- Verification: ASCP or direct board verification.
Fees & Credentials
Tennessee issues more than one laboratory credential, so fees vary by the license you hold. The table below is one row per state-recognized credential.
| Credential | Application | Renewal | Cycle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical Laboratory Technologist | $50.00 | $90.00 | Every 2 years |
| Medical Laboratory Technician | $50.00 | $90.00 | Every 2 years |
| Specialty Technologist (chemistry, hematology, immunohematology, microbiology, or immunology) | $50.00 | $90.00 | Every 2 years |
| Special Analyst | $50.00 | $90.00 | Every 2 years |
There is no state fee line for Phlebotomy / Cytotechnology / Histotechnology, because Tennessee does not license those separately.
Renewal & Continuing Education
- Renewal cycle: every 2 years, (biennially, on licensee's birthday).
- Continuing education: Tennessee requires 24 hours per 2-year cycle for license 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 Tennessee Laboratory Science Board 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: incomplete or mismatched license verification from previous state, ASCP verification can auto-populate incorrectly; manually verify all credentials match before board receives application.
Processing & Timing
Plan for roughly 8-10 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 available; permanent license must be fully issued before first day of work. 8-10 week processing timeline plus 4-6 week verification delays create tight margins, 14-week lead time is necessary to protect assignment viability.
Specialty Differences
Most of the laboratory family in Tennessee 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.
Medical Laboratory Technician
Divergence: limited-scope tier. Lower technician-level license. Performs analytical tests in the specialty areas in which appropriate training has been received, including specimen prep and prescribed tests, with less independence than the technologist.
- Fee: $50.00 application, $90.00 renewal, every 2 years
- Credential: National certification at the TECHNICIAN level by a Board-recognized body, plus one of the rule 1200-06-01-.22 technician paths: associate degree + NAACLS-approved technician training; associate degree + 50+ week military lab course; or associate degree (incl. 6 sem. hrs chemistry, 6 biology) + 3 yrs experience
How it differs from the general license: A separately issued, lower-level credential than the generalist technologist: requires only an associate degree and technician-level (not technologist-level) national certification, and the technician works under more limited independence and within the specialty areas in which the technician was trained rather than holding unrestricted authority across all specialties.
Specialty Technologist (chemistry, hematology, immunohematology, microbiology, or immunology)
Divergence: separate license. Technologist license restricted to a SINGLE discipline, clinical chemistry, hematology, immunohematology (blood bank/transfusion), microbiology, or immunology/serology. Authorizes performing tests only within the named specialty.
- Fee: $50.00 application, $90.00 renewal, every 2 years
- Credential: National certification by a Board-acceptable body in the SPECIFIC laboratory specialty at the technologist level, plus the same educational qualifications required of the generalist technologist (rule 1200-06-01-.22(1)(d))
How it differs from the general license: Issued per discipline and restricted to that one specialty, rather than the generalist technologist's unrestricted authority across all specialties. It requires national certification specifically in the chosen specialty at the technologist level instead of a generalist technologist certification.
Special Analyst
Divergence: separate license. Limited-category license permitting testing in subspecialties or new/emerging technologies NOT classified as chemistry, hematology, microbiology, immunohematology, or immunology, including a blood-gas-analysis-only variant.
- Fee: $50.00 application, $90.00 renewal, every 2 years
- Credential: Either national certification by a Board-approved body with a relevant baccalaureate degree, OR a baccalaureate degree relevant to the subspecialty plus 3 years of relevant work experience (Board-reviewed), per rule 1200-06-01-.22(1)(e). A blood-gas endorsement variant covers pCO2/pO2/pH and co-oximetry (or via Board of Respiratory Care ABG endorsement)
How it differs from the general license: A narrow, limited-category license that authorizes testing only in a specific subspecialty or emerging technology (e.g., blood gas analysis) rather than the generalist technologist's full cross-specialty scope; it can be obtained via experience plus a relevant degree without generalist-level national certification.
Temporary License (technologist, technician, special analyst)
Divergence: limited-scope tier. A short-term credential bridging an applicant to full licensure. If the applicant passes the exam, it remains valid until the Board grants or denies the license; if the applicant fails, it is valid only until results are available; if the applicant fails to sit, it becomes void on the exam day.
- Credential: Applicant must have completed the academic coursework, clinical training, and all Board-designated requirements for the license sought, AND be scheduled to sit for the next available Board-approved examination (TCA 68-29-117)
How it differs from the general license: Not a standalone scope credential: it is a time-limited temporary authorization issued only to applicants who have met all requirements but have not yet passed the licensing examination, and it expires automatically based on exam outcome rather than functioning as a renewable full license.
Phlebotomy / Cytotechnology / Histotechnology
Divergence: no state credential. Tennessee's Medical Laboratory Act and the Board's personnel-qualification rule (1200-06-01-.22) establish no separate state license for phlebotomy, cytotechnology, or histotechnology. These roles are not enumerated among the licensed testing-personnel categories.
How it differs from the general license: Tennessee issues no state credential for these roles; they are not among the licensed categories (director, supervisor, technologist, technician, special analyst). Where performed, they are handled outside the personnel-licensure scheme (e.g., specimen collection / employer-credentialed).
Official Resources
Tennessee Laboratory Science Board
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 Tennessee Laboratory Science Board's official website.
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