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Telehealth and Multi-State Licensing

Telehealth makes it easy to see patients in other states, but the license requirement does not disappear with the distance.

Last reviewed November 1, 2026. General information, not legal or compliance advice.

The general rule

In most situations, a clinician needs to be licensed in the state where the patient is located at the time of the visit. Some states have narrow exceptions, such as limited follow-up care or consultations with another clinician, and these differ, so check each board.

Routes to additional licenses

• A regular application to each board.
• The Interstate Medical Licensure Compact for eligible physicians. See the IMLC guide.
• The Nurse Licensure Compact for eligible nurses, which is a different arrangement from advanced practice authority. See the NP compact guide.
• The PA compact, whose status is described in the PA guide.

Prescribing is separate

Prescribing controlled substances through telehealth involves federal and state rules about registration and in-person evaluation that have changed over time. Confirm the current federal position with the DEA and the state rule with each board.

Track what you hold

Every extra state adds a renewal date, a CME rule and a fee. See multi-state license management.

Limits of this guide

Rules and fees change, and this guide is general information, so confirm the details with the relevant board or agency before you act.