Resources & Information

In short, reactivation is generally available for practitioners who have held a license in North Carolina, and whose license has been inactive for up to one year. Reactivation is not available to practitioners whose license became inactive either while under investigation by the Board or because of disciplinary action by the Board.

Reinstatement is for previously licensed practitioners who have been inactive for MORE THAN one year and for ALL practitioners who became inactive either while under investigation by the Board or as a result of disciplinary action by the Board.

A candidate for reactivation must complete an application process similar to the annual license renewal. They must answer a series of detailed questions designed to identify potential problems or “red flags”, pay a fee, submit completed fingerprint cards to the Board and document continuing medical education (CME) earned during the period they were inactive (if any), among other requirements. Visit the Physician or Physician Assistant full license application and view the Reactivation application for detailed information on these types of licenses.

Candidates for reinstatement must essentially submit a new application for licensure in NC. Visit the Physician or Physician Assistant licensure sections and view the Reinstatement application information for details on these types of licenses.

It is important to understand that any licensee who has been out of clinical practice for two or more years may be asked to demonstrate their competence to practice medicine safely to the satisfaction of the Board. The specific means of establishing competence to practice medicine are determined on a case-by-case basis. Read more about the Board’s expectations here.