map
Healthcare license portability
Surgical Technologist license reciprocity by state
Surgical Technologist is unregulated in 35 of 51 states, meaning no state license is required at all — your professional certification still matters to employers but there's no reciprocity pathway to navigate. Tier classifications below come from each state's licensing board; click into any row for the source language and current fees.
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5 states recognize
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3 via endorsement
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35 no license required
Reciprocity tier legend
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Recognized
Existing license or national cert accepted directly.
assignment_turned_in
Endorsement
Apply for a new license — paperwork, fees, no re-exam.
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Exam required
Must retake the state exam or complete state-specific training.
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Not recognized
No reciprocity pathway. Satisfy state requirements from scratch.
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No license required
State does not license this profession.
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Unclear
State policy ambiguous or silent. Contact licensing board.
All 50 states + DC
Each row links to the full surgical technologist profile for that state — exam costs, application fees, licensing board contact, and the source language behind the tier classification.
| State | Reciprocity tier | Summary | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | remove_circle_outline No license | Alabama does not license surgical technologists; national certifications are widely recognized. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Alaska | remove_circle_outline No license | Alaska does not license surgical technologists; national certifications are accepted by employers. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Arizona | remove_circle_outline No license | Arizona does not license surgical technologists; national certifications are widely recognized. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Arkansas | help_outline Unclear | Reciprocity is not specified, but national certification may facilitate registration. | Full page arrow_outward |
| California | remove_circle_outline No license | California does not license surgical technologists; national certification is accepted by employers. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Colorado | remove_circle_outline No license | Colorado requires registration, not licensure, making reciprocity not applicable. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Connecticut | remove_circle_outline No license | Connecticut does not issue a state license; national certification is recognized, but requirements vary. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Delaware | remove_circle_outline No license | Delaware does not have a state license for surgical technologists. | Full page arrow_outward |
| District of Columbia | help_outline Unclear | No reciprocity language published; contact the state licensing board directly. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Florida | remove_circle_outline No license | Florida does not require state licensure; national certifications are accepted by employers. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Georgia | remove_circle_outline No license | Georgia does not require state licensure; national certifications are accepted by employers. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Hawaii | remove_circle_outline No license | Hawaii does not have state licensure for surgical technologists. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Idaho | help_outline Unclear | No reciprocity language published; contact the state licensing board directly. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Illinois | assignment_turned_in Endorsement | Illinois offers registration by endorsement for those licensed or registered in other states. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Indiana | remove_circle_outline No license | Indiana does not issue a state license; national certification is recognized. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Iowa | remove_circle_outline No license | Iowa does not have a state license; national certifications are recognized across states. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Kansas | remove_circle_outline No license | Kansas does not require state licensure for surgical technologists. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Kentucky | remove_circle_outline No license | Kentucky has no state license; national certifications are accepted by employers nationwide. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Louisiana | remove_circle_outline No license | Louisiana does not require state licensure; national certifications like CST are widely recognized. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Maine | remove_circle_outline No license | Maine does not require state licensure; national certifications are accepted by employers. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Maryland | remove_circle_outline No license | Maryland does not require state licensure or registration; national certifications are accepted. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Massachusetts | help_outline Unclear | Reciprocity information for Massachusetts is not specified. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Michigan | remove_circle_outline No license | Michigan does not have state licensing; national certifications are recognized nationwide. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Minnesota | remove_circle_outline No license | Certification is national, not state-specific, so state reciprocity is not applicable. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Mississippi | remove_circle_outline No license | Mississippi does not have state licensing; national certification (CST) is widely recognized. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Missouri | remove_circle_outline No license | Missouri does not have state licensing; national certification (CST) is widely recognized. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Montana | remove_circle_outline No license | Montana does not have state licensure; national certification is accepted by employers. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Nebraska | remove_circle_outline No license | Nebraska does not license Surgical Technologists, so reciprocity is not applicable. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Nevada | check_circle Recognized | Nevada requires national NBSTSA certification, which is widely recognized for practice. | Full page arrow_outward |
| New Hampshire | remove_circle_outline No license | New Hampshire does not have state licensure; national certification is the standard. | Full page arrow_outward |
| New Jersey | check_circle Recognized | Alaska, Arizona, and Delaware accept NJ Surgical Technologist licenses via reciprocity. | Full page arrow_outward |
| New Mexico | remove_circle_outline No license | New Mexico does not have a state license for surgical technologists. | Full page arrow_outward |
| New York | remove_circle_outline No license | New York does not require state licensure; national certifications are accepted by employers. | Full page arrow_outward |
| North Carolina | remove_circle_outline No license | North Carolina does not have state licensing; national certifications are widely recognized. | Full page arrow_outward |
| North Dakota | help_outline Unclear | Reciprocity is not specified, but registration as a UAP is required. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Ohio | remove_circle_outline No license | Ohio does not require state licensure; national certifications are recognized by employers. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Oklahoma | help_outline Unclear | Reciprocity varies by state; always verify with the destination state's licensing board. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Oregon | help_outline Unclear | Reciprocity is not specified, but some experienced out-of-state practitioners may be exempt. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Pennsylvania | assignment_turned_in Endorsement | Pennsylvania offers reciprocity for equivalent licenses, considered case-by-case; some states accept, others do not. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Rhode Island | remove_circle_outline No license | Rhode Island does not have state licensure for surgical technologists. | Full page arrow_outward |
| South Carolina | remove_circle_outline No license | South Carolina does not require state licensure; national certification is accepted by employers. | Full page arrow_outward |
| South Dakota | assignment_turned_in Endorsement | South Dakota participates in interstate compacts, facilitating practice for qualified professionals. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Tennessee | check_circle Recognized | Tennessee generally accepts national certification (CST or TS-C) from other states with standard verification. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Texas | check_circle Recognized | Texas requires national certification, which is widely recognized for surgical technologists. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Utah | remove_circle_outline No license | Utah does not require a state license; national certification is recognized nationwide. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Vermont | remove_circle_outline No license | Vermont does not require state licensure for surgical technologists, making reciprocity inapplicable. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Virginia | check_circle Recognized | Virginia evaluates applicants based on established pathways, including national certification or military training. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Washington | help_outline Unclear | Washington lacks specific reciprocity agreements; its stance on accepting national certification is unclear. | Full page arrow_outward |
| West Virginia | remove_circle_outline No license | West Virginia does not have state-level licensing for surgical technologists, so reciprocity is not applicable. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Wisconsin | remove_circle_outline No license | Wisconsin does not require state licensure; national certification (CST) is recognized nationwide. | Full page arrow_outward |
| Wyoming | remove_circle_outline No license | Wyoming does not require state licensure; national certification (CST) is widely recognized. | Full page arrow_outward |
Other profession reciprocity guides
Each profession has its own state-by-state reciprocity matrix.
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