Phlebotomy License Requirements by State

Researched and edited by Taylor Rupe · Updated November 12, 2026

Phlebotomy License Requirements by State: The Four Licensing States

Four states issue their own phlebotomy credential: California, Louisiana, Nevada and Washington. Each one is written into state law or regulation and checked against the official statute or agency page. None of them is called a “license” in the rule text. California and Louisiana issue a certificate, Nevada certifies you as a Laboratory Assistant, and Washington certifies you as a Medical Assistant-Phlebotomist. In practice, these are the credentials people mean when they search for a phlebotomy license.

A blank cell means the rule text cited on this page sets no term.

Across the 696 phlebotomy programs on this site, 70 state that they are approved toward one of these state credentials. Most of them are in California, because CDPH approval is a condition of the California certificate.

California: The CDPH Phlebotomy Certificate

California is the strictest state. The CDPH phlebotomist page says you cannot work as a phlebotomist until the State of California certifies you. The Department names Business and Professions Code Section 1246 as the governing statute.

Who Needs It

The rule covers people drawing blood as phlebotomists for diagnostic purposes. California-licensed physicians, nurses, clinical lab scientists and other licensed professionals draw blood under their own licenses. CDPH says the rules do not apply to medical assistants, EMTs or blood donor phlebotomists working within their own scope, and that certified medical assistants can draw blood in a physician’s office.

The Three Levels

A middle CPT I route covers people with 40 to 1,039 hours of on-the-job experience: 40 hours of classroom training plus at least 40 hours of clinical experience with the same draw counts.

Every level needs proof of high school completion (a diploma, a GED, HiSET or CHSPE pass, or college transcripts with general education credit), sent directly to Laboratory Field Services. CPT I and CPT II also require passing a national certification exam from an organization the Department approves. Training must come from a CDPH-approved program, and the CDPH certificate FAQ says every approved program is located in California. The FAQ lists a non-refundable application fee of $100. You renew the certificate annually with a fee and continuing education.

CDPH-Approved Programs That Lead to CPT I

Of the 58 California programs listed on this site, 57 state CDPH approval. They vary widely in price and pace:

• Blue Haven Career College in Los Angeles lists $995 for an 80-hour, 2-week course with a 40-hour externship and day, evening and weekend schedules.
• Grossmont Adult Education in Santee lists $695 for its clinical phlebotomy technician course, with 120 clinical hours; the combined lab assistant version is $995 and includes the national exam fee.
• Bakersfield College lists $184 in tuition for its CPT job skills certificate, a 108-hour course with 40 clinical hours, if you want college credit.
• Campus (formerly MTI College) in Sacramento lists $2,860 total for a 24-week, 160-hour certificate with books and supplies at $0.
• Kaiser Permanente School of Allied Health Sciences in Richmond runs a 288-hour certificate with 160 clinical hours, with tuition and fees of $4,700.
• Saddleback College offers a tuition-free noncredit clinical lab assistant and phlebotomy program for California residents, with 60 clinical hours.

See the full California phlebotomy rankings for all 58.

Louisiana: The Board of Medical Examiners Certificate

Louisiana law (R.S. 37:1318) says no one may act as or perform the duties of a phlebotomist without a current certificate, unless exempt. The Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners issues it.

The Exemptions Are Broad

Read the exemptions before you assume you need the certificate. Under R.S. 37:1313(D), the law does not apply to people drawing blood who are:

• employed by, or working under the supervision of, a physician licensed by the board;
• employed by a clinic operated by a licensed health care provider;
• employed by a hospital, a nursing home or another licensed health care facility;
• employed by a federally certified (CLIA) testing location or lab that provides at least five calendar days of phlebotomist training and two calendar weeks of on-the-job training.

Those exemptions cover many hospital, clinic, physician-office and lab jobs. The certificate matters most if you plan to work for an employer outside those groups.

How to Qualify

Under R.S. 37:1323(F), you either meet the requirements for and pass a nationally recognized certification exam approved by the board, or finish a board-approved phlebotomy training program and pass a certification exam the board approves or gives. The LSBME application instructions say the exam agency must send your passing score report directly to the board, and the school that qualified you for the exam must send your official transcript. The board lists a licensure fee of $40.00. The certificate runs for the calendar year in which it is issued.

Delgado Community College in New Orleans runs a 16-week phlebotomy technician certificate on a day schedule, and says completers are eligible to take a national certification exam and become licensed by the board. See all nine programs on the Louisiana rankings.

Nevada: The Laboratory Assistant Certificate

Nevada handles phlebotomy through laboratory licensing. The Nevada HCQC laboratory FAQ says phlebotomists have no independent scope of practice in Nevada: you must be employed by a laboratory licensed by the State of Nevada and work under its laboratory director. You must be certified by the Division of Public and Behavioral Health as a Laboratory Assistant, and under NAC 652.470 you apply before working in a laboratory at any technical level.

The Three Qualification Routes

NAC 652.4855 asks for a high school diploma or GED plus one of these:

• at least 6 months of training approved by the Division, with a demonstrated ability to perform laboratory procedures;
• a phlebotomy certification from an approved organization, which the regulation says includes AMT, ASCP, the American Certification Agency for Healthcare Professionals, NCCT, NHA and the National Phlebotomy Association;
• at least 30 hours a week for 3 of the past 5 years in a qualifying laboratory.

For most newcomers, the national certification route is the practical one. The certificate lasts 2 years, and you complete 1 unit of continuing education in those 2 years before renewing.

Nevada Programs That Lead to the Certificate

• College of Southern Nevada in Las Vegas runs a 16-week skills certificate that prepares you for the NHA CPT; after the program and the exam, students are eligible for a Nevada Laboratory Assistant license.
• Northwest Career College in Las Vegas lists $3,999 total for a 13-week phlebotomy technician program with day and evening schedules.
• Truckee Meadows Community College in Reno runs a 6-credit skills certificate with 100 clinical hours and $50 in lab fees.

Washington: The Medical Assistant-Phlebotomist Credential

Washington’s rule is a practice and title rule for one credential. Under RCW 18.360.020, no one may practice as a medical assistant-phlebotomist without Department of Health certification. A medical assistant-phlebotomist performs capillary, venous and arterial blood draws under a health care practitioner’s supervision. Other licensed professionals, such as nurses and certified medical assistants, can draw blood within their own scope.

How to Qualify

You need a high school education or its equivalent, plus one of these under WAC 246-827-0400:

• a phlebotomy program at a postsecondary school or college accredited by an agency the U.S. Department of Education recognizes;
• a current national phlebotomy certification from ACA, AMCA, AMT, ASCP, NCCT or NHA;
• a phlebotomy training program attested by its supervising health care practitioner, who must hold a current Washington license.

After you finish training and file, you can work under training-level supervision for up to 180 days while the Department of Health processes your application. Arterial draws and line draws need extra education and training, documented on a checklist signed by the delegating practitioner.

Washington Programs That Meet the Requirement

• Green River College in Auburn lists about $2,300 for tuition and supplies for its 13-week certificate, which meets the training requirements for the Medical Assistant-Phlebotomist application.
• Edmonds College in Lynnwood lists $1,225.26 in tuition and fees (spring 2026) for its 22-week certificate of completion, plus books and lab fees.
• Olympic College in Bremerton runs an 11-week evening certificate for healthcare workers that fulfills the Department of Health requirements.
• Bates Technical College in Tacoma and Walla Walla Community College both run 11-week certificates aimed at the credential.

See all 17 programs on the Washington rankings.

What About Every Other State?

No other state issues a phlebotomy license or certificate that this site could confirm on an official state source. Outside California, Louisiana, Nevada and Washington, the requirement comes from the employer. Most hospitals, labs and clinics ask for a national certification, so plan on one:

• NHA Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT), which 202 programs on this site prepare you for;
• ASCP Board of Certification Phlebotomy Technician (PBT), named by 132 programs;
• AMT Registered Phlebotomy Technician (RPT), named by 48 programs;
• NCCT National Certified Phlebotomy Technician (NCPT), named by 35 programs.

Each body sets its own eligibility routes, draw counts and renewal rules. The phlebotomy certification guide compares them, and the phlebotomy certification program rankings list the 371 programs that name a certification. Rules can change, so check your own state’s health department if you plan to work somewhere with no listing here.

Licensed vs Certified Phlebotomist: What the Words Mean

Job ads and school pages use “licensed phlebotomy technician” and “certified phlebotomist” loosely. Here is the difference that matters:

• A state credential is issued by a government agency under a statute or regulation. In the four states above, working without it (or an exemption) breaks the rule.
• A national certification is awarded by a private certifying body after you meet its eligibility rules and pass its exam. No state requires it by name outside those four, but employers widely do.

California shows both at once: you pass a national exam, then CDPH issues the state certificate. Programs there often say “CPT 1 license” for the state certificate. Washington and Nevada accept a national certification as one route to the state credential, and Louisiana requires a board-approved exam.

How to Get a Phlebotomy License in a Licensing State

The order below follows the state rules, from training to application:

1. Confirm the credential your state issues and whether your job falls under an exemption (Louisiana’s are broad; California’s exclude medical assistants, EMTs and blood donor phlebotomists).
2. Finish high school or its equivalent; all four states ask for it.
3. Choose a program that states approval for your state: CDPH-approved in California, board-approved or exam-qualifying in Louisiana, and a program that leads to the credential in Nevada or Washington.
4. Complete the required classroom hours and supervised draws. California sets counts by level; Washington’s rule lets the number vary with your skill.
5. Pass a national certification exam when the state requires one or when you use it as your route.
6. Apply to the state agency with transcripts, score reports and the fee, and keep up the renewal and continuing education.

The how to become a phlebotomist guide covers the steps for every state, and the training length guide shows how long programs run.

Choosing a Program When State Rules Apply

A few checks save you from training twice:

• Plan to work in California? Train in California. CDPH accepts only its approved programs, all located in the state, so an out-of-state course won’t count.
• Check the clinical hours against your state’s rule. California’s CPT I needs 40 hours of clinical practice; the CDPH-approved programs here that state clinical hours list 40 or more, and Kaiser Permanente lists 160.
• Read what the price includes. Grossmont’s $995 combined course includes the national exam fee, while the cost guide shows how often exam and state fees are extra.
• Want college credit to build on? Washington’s programs are almost all college certificates, and Bakersfield College’s CPT certificate in California is a credit course.
• Working days? Olympic College runs evening classes in Washington, and Blue Haven offers day, evening and weekend options in Los Angeles.

Compare every program nationally in the best phlebotomy programs rankings, and see what the work pays in the phlebotomist salary guide.