Licensing for Military Veterans, Service Members and Spouses

Texas Occupations Code Chapter 55 allows for the Texas Medical Board to issue a license to a qualified military service member, spouse of military service member, or military veteran who holds a professional license in another state that is similar in scope of practice and is in good standing. Applicants must submit the notarized Military Attestation form and one of the following:

• Copy of current military orders or other documentation showing proof of active military status;
• Copy of military spouse’s marriage license with copy of spouse’s current military orders or other documentation showing spouse’s proof of active military status; or
• DD 214

The application fee will not be required from applicants who indicate they are a military service member, a spouse of a military service member, or a military veteran when completing the online application, however all other surcharges and fees such as the NPDB fee are required and non-refundable. The application fee will be required if, upon review of the military documentation, it is determined that an applicant does not qualify for the fee waiver.

If an applicant does not qualify for military recognition of out-of-state licensure upon review of their professional licensure history, additional documents will be required to determine licensure eligibility through traditional licensing pathways.

Currently, the Board is processing out of state license recognition exclusively for Physician applicants.  TMB will continue to roll this process out to our remaining licensee population over the coming months.  

Helpful Document

• Military Attestation Form

The federal Servicemembers’ Civil Relief Act allows a member of the uniformed services or a servicemember’s spouse to file for recognition of a professional license from another state to practice that profession in Texas while stationed in Texas. Recognition requires proof that the individual is currently licensed in good standing in another state and has current orders assigning the servicemember to Texas. The recognition, once approved, is only the ability to practice while in Texas on assignment, but it is not a Texas license.

The law includes the following definitions:

Servicemember - A member of the uniformed services (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Space Force, Coast Guard, commissioned corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or the commissioned corps of the Public Health Service).  Service in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Space Force, or Coast Guard must be in a Title 10 status.  For National Guard members, service must be for a period of more than 30 consecutive days under Title 32 § 502(f), for purposes of responding to a national emergency declared by the President and supported by Federal funds.  For commissioned officers in the Public Health Service or the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, service must be considered active service. 

Servicemember spouse - A person who is married to a servicemember who is currently on active duty in Texas.

Applicants need to submit the following documentation with the completed application and fee:

• If spouse of servicemember, a copy of the dependent identification card or proof of marriage;
• A copy of the servicemember’s current orders assigning the servicemember to an installation in Texas; and
• A copy of the NPDB/HIPDB self-query results report (if applicable)

Please allow at least 14 business days for initial processing of all servicemember and spouse professional license recognition requests.  We can only make your determination for qualification after all required information is received. Applicants will receive written confirmation of approval or an explanation as to why the request is being denied.

To apply for the Servicemember and Spouse Professional License Recognition, complete the appropriate Servicemember & Spouse Portability of License Attestation below and submit it along with the required additional documentation and fee.

• Servicemember and Spouse Professional License Practice Authorization Attestation – Physician
• Servicemember and Spouse Professional License Practice Authorization Attestation - All other license types

Texas Occupations Code Sec. 55.009 allows for the waiver of application fees for any military service member, military spouse, or military veteran. Waivers or refunds cannot be granted outside of the application fee, and other surcharges and fees assessed at the time of application are non-refundable. Please note some fees are mandated by statute. Texas Occupations Code Sec. 55.009 additionally does not apply to the initial registration and subsequent renewals of issued licenses.

Current Board rule and Statute include the following definitions:

Military service member - A person who is currently serving as a full-time military service member in the armed forces of the United States; or a person who is currently serving as a member of the Texas military forces or similar military service of another state performing state active duty service, federally funded state active duty service, or federal active duty service (but not including service performed exclusively for training, such as basic combat training, advanced individual training, annual training, inactive duty training, or special training periodically made available to service members). 

Military spouse - A person who is married to a military service member who is currently on active duty (as defined above).

Military veteran - A person who served on active duty in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard of the United States, or in an auxiliary service of one of those branches of the armed forces and who was discharged or released from active duty under conditions other than dishonorable.

Effective September 1, 2025, the Military Fee Waiver is not a separate review process for Physicians prior to submitting an online application, however it remains a separate review process for other license types at this time. The application fee will not be required from Physician applicants who indicate they are a military service member, a spouse of a military service member, or a military veteran when completing the online application.

The application fee will be required if, upon review of the military documentation, it is determined that an applicant does not qualify for the fee waiver. 

For non-Physician applicants, to apply for this waiver of application fees, complete the Military Fee Waiver (MFW) Request Form and submit it along with the following documentation:

• Copy of passport or birth certificate, which is acceptable as required birth documentation after submission of an application for licensure with our agency; or
• Copy of State Issued Driver's License, which can ONLY be used as proof of identity for Military Fee Waiver determination; and
• DD2-14; or
• Copy of current original orders, including signature page(s)

PAs, ACs, SAs, and ADs should e-mail their MFW Request Form and supporting documentation as PDF or TIF attachments only to the Licensure Department. 

MPs, MRTs, PFs, RCPs, NCTs should e-mail their MFW Request Form and supporting documentation as PDF or TIF attachments only to TMBScreening@tmb.state.tx.us

Upon receipt of your request with the required documentation, the Licensure Department will evaluate the documentation and provide written confirmation of approval or an explanation as to why the waiver request is being denied. Upon receipt of the approval confirmation, you will be able to apply online without submitting the application fee.

If you have applied and paid the application fee, you can submit a request for a refund of the application fee. You will need to complete the Military Fee Waiver Request Form and return it with the required documentation (as outlined above) to initiate the request for a refund.

Please allow at least 14 business days for initial processing of all military fee waiver requests. We can only make a determination for qualification of requests after all required information is received. It is up to each applicant to decide whether they would prefer to wait for the determination prior to submitting their online application with no fee if they qualify for the MFW, or submit their online application first and, if they qualify for the MFW, request a refund after the determination has been made.

Military – Physician in Training (PIT) Permit Application Fee Waiver

If you are beginning a postgraduate training program in Texas or a rotation in Texas, your program coordinator or GME representative may have initiated a request for the waiver on your behalf. Please consult with your program coordinator or GME representative to determine if the request has been submitted. If they have not initiated the request, please ask them to contact our office at pit.application@tmb.state.tx.us for further instructions.

PITs (MDs & DOs) should e-mail their MFW paperwork as PDF or TIF attachments to PIT.application@tmb.state.tx.us.

• MFW Request Form

The Military Volunteer License is available to a physician who is licensed and in good standing, or was licensed and retired in good standing, as a physician in another state; and is or was authorized as a physician to treat personnel enlisted in a branch of the United States armed forces or veterans.

The Military Volunteer License:

• Authorizes the physician to practice medicine only in a clinic that primarily treats indigent patients.
• Prohibits the physician from receiving compensation for medical services rendered at the clinic.

For more information, visit the Military Volunteer License page.