Policy Statement
The Minnesota Board of Medical Practice (MBMP) is the state entity that regulates physicians practicing in Minnesota. All trainees must hold an active residency permit or a physician license from the MBMP as determined by each individual residency/fellowship program. The statute can be found at: https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/?id=147.0391. Trainees must pass the required licensing examinations (i.e. USMLE, COMLEX, etc) prior to obtaining a medical license.
Responsibilities
The Permit/License Guide is kept up-to-date. Review the guide to ensure your understanding of the process.
Residency permits are valid through the term specified on the original permit application and are program specific. If a trainee extends their residency/fellowship, the program is responsible for ensuring that a permit extension request form is submitted to the MBMP and an extended permit is in place prior to the current permit end date and must cover all dates of clinical training. If a trainee transfers to another program a new permit must be obtained.
Trainees who moonlight outside their training program must have a physician license. Minnesota licenses are renewed annually based on birth month. Once a Minnesota license is obtained, the permit is no longer valid and the trainee and program must ensure the license is renewed annually.
Programs are responsible for monitoring renewal deadlines and ensuring that trainee’s permits or licenses do not expire. Please note there is no grace period when a permit or license expires. Trainees whose permit or license expires are pulled from their rotation until the paperwork is received and processed by the MBMP.
Related Information
Trainees holding a Minnesota medical license do not need to be credentialed as an independent provider by the hospitals they are rotating to as long as they are performing duties within the scope of their training program and not billing for their services. A physician holding a Minnesota license has to be credentialed by the hospital if they are acting as an independent physician where there will be patient billing (i.e. moonlighting). Please refer to the MBMP website for licensure guidelines and fees.
Additional information related to visiting residents and fellows is available on the GME website.
Contact:
Minnesota Board of Medical Practice
335 Randolph Ave
St Paul, MN 55102
Telephone: (612) 617-2130, Fax: (612) 617-2166
Email: [email protected]
mn.gov/boards/medical-practice
History
August 26, 2025: Removed periods in one usage of PhD and updated the GME website link.
July 25, 2023: Updated to add exemption for non-MD/DO learners in ACGME-approved programs.
April 24, 2018: Specific Minnesota Board of Medical Practice process details removed from policy.
July 26, 2022: Updated GME contact person, links to MBMP website, GME website, and MBMP address.
- Origination Date: July 2011
- Last Review Date: August 2025