» The Personnel Licensing Section ensures compliance with mandated education, training, examination, licensing and certification, and competency standards for clinical and public health laboratory personnel.

• The Personnel Licensing Section has oversight of over 65,000 licensed laboratory personnel in California. The section is responsible for administering initial and renewal licensure and certification of phlebotomy technicians, cytotechnologists, medical laboratory technicians, clinical laboratory scientists, laboratory directors, public health microbiologists, and trainees in various categories. The section also has oversight of about 600 training programs, schools, and courses that train persons for licensure or certification, as well as providers of continuing education programs offered to clinical laboratory personnel.
• The Personnel Licensing Section performs random audits of licensees for compliance with continuing education, and takes enforcement actions in regard to inappropriate activities by clinical laboratory personnel that have adverse or potentially adverse public health impact. In addition, this section works closely with the other LFS Sections on oversight of out-of-state laboratories performing, supervising, consulting, or directing clinical laboratory tests or examinations outside California on biological specimens originating in California.
• Fees are charged to applicants to cover the costs associated with reviewing credentials, printing and mailing licenses and certificates, providing online registration, and verifying licensure and certification.​
  

» Under the authority of Section 1864 of the Social Security Act, the U.S. Congress passed CLIA in 1988. CLIA establishes quality standards for all clinical laboratory testing to ensure the accuracy, reliability, and timeliness of patient test results regardless of where a test is performed.

• The CLIA Section, in partnership with the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is responsible for the implementation of this program for the State of California. The CLIA Section determines the compliance of California laboratories with California and federal regulations based on inspection findings.
• The CLIA Section schedules, prepares, and conducts inspections in accordance with federal guidelines. The CLIA Section performs routine inspections of over 800 laboratories each year and performs validation surveys of 32 accredited facilities annually.​
  

» The On-Site Licensing Section provides oversight of in-state and out-of-state California-licensed clinical laboratories by conducting on-site inspections and monitoring proficiency testing performance. These laboratories include physician offices, clinics, hospitals, independent laboratories, and public health laboratories.

• There are approximately 2,500 licensed clinical laboratories located within California and approximately 520 out-of-state licensed clinical laboratories. Inspections are performed by LFS examiners and Department-approved accreditation organization inspection staff.
• In addition to initial and routine inspections, the section also conducts complaint inspections and investigations. 
• The section also reviews and approves accrediting organizations (AOs) for the purpose of deeming laboratories to be in compliance with California and federal laws. Accrediting organizations approved by the Department conduct inspections on behalf of LFS. Oversight of approved AOs is conducted through validation inspections of laboratories and continuous evaluation of an AO’s total inspection process.             
• The section also oversees and coordinates enforcement actions of non-compliant laboratories and may issue principle, intermediate, or alternative sanctions to encourage compliance with California laws and requirements.​
  

The Blood Bank, Tissue Bank, and Cytology Section includes the Blood Bank program, the Tissue Bank program, and the Cytology program.

• Blood Bank program provides a fee-supported blood bank licensure and surveillance program that provides oversight of facilities that collect, process, store, or distribute blood and blood components for licensed facilities and associated sites in California. There are approximately 350 active licensed facilities and associated sites. These facilities include blood banks, plasma centers, stem cell and cord blood banks, stationary, mobile, as well as temporary collection sites, and hospital blood bank depositories. It protects donors and recipients of blood and blood bank products by assuring compliance with California’s Health and Safety Codes, which include AABB blood bank and cellular therapy standards.
• Tissue Bank program administers a fee-supported tissue bank licensure and surveillance program that provides oversight of facilities that collect, process, store, and distribute human tissue from living and deceased donors for implantation and/or transplantation into human beings. This tissue includes sperm, ova, and embryos used for fertility treatment, donor milk, stem cells derived from bone marrow, adipose, dental and umbilical cord tissue, and cadaveric tissue and its derivatives. The Tissue Bank program licenses about 850 banks located in California as well as out-of-state banks that supply tissue to California.
• Cytology program provides a cytology surveillance program for California’s 300 licensed laboratories certified in the specialty of cytotechnology. It uses the authority of California law to ensure that cytology slides are properly collected, stained, and screened for pathological detection of cancer and associated abnormalities.​