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The USPHS Commissioned Corps is committed to our mission to protect, promote, and advance the health and safety of the nation. Public Health Service officers are trained and equipped to provide crucial public health leadership, assist with policy development, advance innovation and science, provide essential care services and respond to national and global public health emergencies. Through our Active Duty Regular Corps, our Public Health Response Strike Team (PHERST) and our Ready Reserve Corps, we remain responsive and available to rapidly deploy in the service of health.
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Officer Support
Licensure (Professional License Only)
As a Commissioned Corps officer of the U.S. Public Health Service, keeping professional licensure and certifications up-to-date is mandatory. Maintaining active and unrestricted licenses and certifications are essential to adhere to Commissioned Corps Appointment Standards, meet the conditions of service, maintain Basic Readiness, receive Special Pay, and be eligible for promotion. Professional licenses are defined as licenses that are required as a condition of your commission for your qualifying degree.
To ensure that category professional licensure and certification requirements are met, it is important that a copy of your current, unrestricted professional licenses or certifications are available in your Electronic Official Personnel Folder (eOPF).
Professional Licenses should be uploaded through Electronic Document Upload (eDOC-U). Please follow the eDOC-U Licensure Quick Reference Instructions or the guide provided on the "Help" link when in eDOC-U.
Licensure tips:
- Upload only CLEAR and LEGIBLE documents.
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Upload each license or certification as a separate document!
- Each license number must be entered into the "license number" field in eDOC-U or it does not exist.
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Upload new licenses as soon as they are available.
- Licenses must be verified by a licensure specialist. Processing time varies according to the amount of submissions by all Corps officers.
- You are responsible for ensuring a current, active copy of your license is in your eOPF.
All professional licenses will be verified by the Licensure Specialist. Any documents that are illegible (cannot be read clearly) or contain incorrect information (such as incorrect expiration dates) will be rejected by the licensure specialist. If this happens, you will receive an email stating the reason for the document rejection. If a document is rejected, please re-upload again with the necessary corrections.
Licenses and certification renewal documents should be uploaded well before the expiration date. It is your responsibility to ensure that a current active license or certification is in your eOPF at all times. An expired license may be grounds for separation from the Corps.
For any questions regarding licensure and certification renewals, please email PHSLicensure@hhs.gov.
For additional information related to professional license, you may refer to Commissioned Corps Licensure and Certification Policy: Inst 251.01: -- Professional Licensure/Certification (Old CCPM: CC26.1.4).
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Why doesn't my primary license information auto-generate into eDOC-U when I try to upload my license?
If you have a secondary license, the initial primary license default is the license with the latest expiration date. After you select the primary license in eDOC-U the first time, it should maintain the hierarchy.
2. Where should I look to make sure my current primary license is correct?
You should check your Promotion Information Report (PIR) under "Licensure Information." Compliance is also posted on your Officer Secure Area (OSA) dashboard, but the PIR is the actual primary record.
3. My licensure credentials are not in the eDOC-U licensure drop-down menu. What should I do?
Licensure upload is only for licenses that are required as a condition of your commission for your qualifying degree. If your license is not in the drop-down menu, it is probably not a required professional license. Check under the "Board Certification" eDOC-U document option instead of the "Licensure" option. If you still cannot find your licensure or certification in formation in eDOC-U, please email the Licensure Specialist at PHSLicensure@hhs.gov.
4. Will I receive a notification once my documentation has been successfully submitted through eDOC-U?
Yes, a system generated message will be provided indicating that your documentation was placed in your eOPF.
5. Why might I have received a notification that my documentation was rejected?
Example: Documentation does not contain an expiration date.
6. Why isn’t my documentation in my Official Personnel File?
During certain periods, the processing of your documentation may be slightly delayed due to the volume of submissions received. Please allow sufficient time for processing of your documentation. Additionally, please ensure that you review your email for any correspondences which may have been received from PHS Licensure concerning your documentations submission.
7. I have not received a copy of my license from my states licensing board, what is an acceptable document?
You may print out a "PDF" of your state's licensing board summary page of your licensure and submit this to PHS Licensure. Please note that a receipt indicating a payment for the renewal of your professional license is not accepted by PHS Licensure.
8. I wish to submit a certificate documenting my board certification, how should this be submitted?
Documents indicating a board certification should be submitted through eDOC-U as a "CREDENTIAL" and not as a professional license. If the documentation is submitted as a Professional license, it will be rejected by PHS Licensure.9. I've attempted to upload my Professional Licenses through eDOC-U and I have not been able to. Who can I contact?
Please contact the CCHQ Help Desk. They may be reached at: cchelpdesk@psc.hhs.gov
10. My credentialing organization provided a membership card to substantiate my credentials.
A membership card is not to accept by PHS Licensure as proof of your credentials. Please contact the following to obtain the approved certification accepted by PHS Licensure. Please remember to submit your documentation as a professional license.
Organizations:
NEHA: Please refer to this page: https://www.neha.org/credential-renewal
AHIMA:
1. LOG-IN TO YOUR CEU CENTER
2. LOCATE A TAB or SECTION ENTITLED "VIEW CERTIFICATE"
3. Print or download this certificate
CDR: Please provide verification from this address:
secure.eatright.org/v14pgmlib/prd/cdrvfy001.html
ASCP: Please contact & provide a Primary Source Verification of Credentials from ASCP BOC.
11. I'm a Physician's Assistant and I submitted my NCCPA documentation, but my renewal is not shown on my Promotion Information Report (PIR)
Ensure that your documentation was submitted as a professional license, if this documentation was submitted as a credential, it will not be verified, and therefore will not appear on your PIR.
12. I recently got married and my documentation lists my maiden name. I would like to renew my documentation. What should I do?
Documentation provided to PHS Licensure must include your legal name. If you were recently married, please inquire with your state's licensing board or the credential organization about the appropriate procedure for updating your current name on your documentation.
Last Updated: 09/03/2025