Certified Phlebotomy Technician I (CPT I) Certificate

Thank you for your interest in the California Phlebotomy certificate. Laboratory Field Services (LFS) requires applicants to submit documentation of academic coursework and clinical training or work experience to qualify for licensure.

»   Work experience in California as an unlicensed laboratory staff person will not be accepted as qualification toward any clinical laboratory license unless as a medical assistant performing phlebotomy in a physician’s office or clinic that is not also licensed as a testing laboratory. Please note that biotech/pharmaceutical, forensic, academic, veterinary, research, and student laboratory experience cannot count as work experience or training for any clinical license.

»   Phlebotomy experience in a blood bank cannot count towards on-the-job phlebotomy experience for certification. On-the-job experience must include blood collection for testing purposes from patients of varying ages, including pediatric and geriatric, and of varying health and obesity status.

Answers to frequently asked questions regarding the phlebotomy certificate and application process can be found on our Phlebotomy Certificate FAQ’s page.

Scope of practice

There are three levels of phlebotomy certification, each with a different scope of practice. For information about each level please click on the certificate type in the list below:

• Limited Phlebotomy Technician (LPT) - Authorized to do skin puncture blood collection only.

• Certified Phlebotomy Technician I (CPT I) - Authorized to do skin puncture and venipuncture blood collection. There are different requirements for applicants with no phlebotomy experience, applicants with less than 1040 hours of on-the-job phlebotomy experience, and applicants with 1040 or more hours of on-the-job phlebotomy experience in the last 5 years.

• Certified Phlebotomy Technician II (CPT II) - Authorized to do skin puncture, venipuncture, and arterial puncture blood collection.

​Academic requirements

• Provide official transcript showing graduation date from an accredited high school in the U.S.

OR

• Pass one of the following tests:
• General Educational Development (GED)
• High School Equivalency (HiSET)
• California High School Proficiency Examination (CHSPE)

OR

• Provide official transcripts showing credit for general education courses completed at an accredited college or university. 

Transcripts

Laboratory Field Services Personnel Licensing Section requires you to provide your official transcript from an accredited institution in order to review and determine your education and course qualifications. To be considered official, transcripts must be signed by the school registrar, indicate date of graduation and degree awarded, and postal mailed to LFS in a sealed envelope directly from the source. We do not accept scanned or photocopies of transcripts uploaded or emailed by the applicant for authentication purposes. If your transcript is under a different last name, you must upload legal proof of name change to associate the name discrepancy.

Mail the official transcripts to:

Laboratory Field Services – PLS Program

850 Marina Bay Parkway

Bldg P, 1st Floor

Richmond, CA 94804

Non-US transcripts

All non-U.S. transcripts must be evaluated by an LFS approved evaluation service to determine if your education is equivalent to an accredited college or university education in the U.S. LFS will accept educational transcript evaluations by “Current Members” of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES), and “Endorsed Members” of the Association of International Credential Evaluators, Inc. (AICE) if completed on or after August 15, 2016. Evaluations completed before August 15, 2016 will only be accepted if completed by AACRAO. The evaluation service will send an evaluation of your educational institution and academic courses directly to LFS. Official transcript from the university is required in addition to the evaluation.​

To obtain an application, instructions, and information, visit them on the web:

• National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES)

• Association of International Credential Evaluators, Inc.​ (AICE)

If you are an applicant whose education, training, or experience is from a non-U.S. school, college, university, or clinical laboratory, please make sure that your name is printed in English on all your transcripts and supporting documents and that it matches your name on the application.

Request the evaluation company to postal mail the evaluation directly to:

Laboratory Field Services – PLS Program

850 Marina Bay Parkway

Bldg P, 1st Floor

Richmond, CA 94804

Training

Your training must be obtained in a phlebotomy program approved by the California Department of Public Health.

There are three paths for training and experience, depending on the applicant’s on-the-job phlebotomy experience.

• For an applicant with no on-the-job phlebotomy experience or less than 40 hours of on-the-job phlebotomy experience:
• Complete 40 hours of basic and advanced didactic (classroom) phlebotomy training from a phlebotomy program accredited by the California Department of Public Health. You must upload the certificate of completion during the online application process.
• Complete 40 hours phlebotomy practice in a clinical setting that includes performance of at least 50 venipunctures and 10 skin punctures and observation of arterial punctures in a phlebotomy training program approved by the California Department of Public Health. You must upload a California Statement of Phlebotomy Practical Training signed by an MD, DO, PA, RN, CLB, CLS, or CPT.
• For an applicant with at least 40 hours but less than 1040 hours of on-the-job phlebotomy experience in the past 5 years:
• Complete 40 hours of basic and advanced didactic (classroom) phlebotomy training from a phlebotomy program accredited by the California Department of Public Health. You must upload the certificate of completion during the online application process.
• Complete at least 40 hours of experience in a clinical setting in the last 5 years. This experience must include at least 50 venipunctures and 10 skin punctures and observation of arterial punctures. You must upload a Phlebotomist Applicant Letter of Experience 2023 (PDF)​ signed by an MD, DO, or CLB.
• For an applicant with 1040 or more hours of on-the-job phlebotomy experience in the past 5 years:
• Complete 20 hours of advanced didactic (classroom) phlebotomy training from a phlebotomy program accredited by the California Department of Public Health. You must upload the certificate of completion during the online application process.

Document completion of at least 50 venipunctures and 10 skin punctures and observation of arterial punctures. You must upload a Phlebotomist Applicant Letter of Experience 2023 (PDF) signed by the CLIA laboratory director.

Examinations

You must have passed a national certification examination from one of the certifying organizations approved by the California Department of Public Health.

• The following certifying organizations are approved by the Department for the phlebotomist certification examination:

• American Certification Agency (ACA) certification for phlebotomist is approved by the Department for phlebotomy certification as of July 30, 2003.

• American Medical Certification Association (AMCA) certification for phlebotomist is approved by the Department for phlebotomy certification as of June 30, 2017.

• American Medical Technologists (AMT) certification for phlebotomist is approved by the Department for phlebotomy certification as of April 22, 2003.

• American Society of Clinical Pathology (ASCP) certification for phlebotomist is approved by the Department for phlebotomy certification as of June 10, 2003.

• National Center for Competency Testing (NCCT/MMCI) certification for phlebotomist is approved by the Department for phlebotomy certification as of February 6, 2003.

• National Credentialing Agency for Laboratory Personnel (NCA) certification for phlebotomist is approved by the Department for phlebotomy certification from February 4, 2005 until October 23, 2009.

• National Healthcareer Association (NHA) certification for phlebotomist is approved by the Department for phlebotomy certification as of February 4, 2005.

• Applicants who are certified before the above dates must re-take the certifying examination. 

Renewal

Once you receive your certificate you will need to renew it every two years. To renew, you must pay a fee and submit documentation of continuing education. For information about the renewal process please visit the LFS renewal webpage.​​

Resources

Helpful links

• Approved Phlebotomy Training Programs

• LFS Approved Certification Examinations
  

• Phlebotomist Applicant Letter of Experience 202​3 (PDF)​​
  
  

Statutes and regulations

• California Business and Professions Code, Section 1246

• California Code of Regulations, Title 17, Section 1030. Certification of Phlebotomy Technicians​​

• California Code of Regulations, Title 17, Section 1035.1, Phlebotomy Training Program Requirements

The requirements listed may not be comprehensive.

How to Apply

Visit the LFS online application website to create an account and submit an application.

1. Select the phlebotomy certificate type for which you are applying from the menu on the application website.
2. A certificate of completion of a phlebotomy training program, the California Statement of Phlebotomy Practical Training, the Letter of Phlebotomy Experience for California Certification, and copy of national certification must be uploaded during the online application process.
3. Transcripts must be original documents bearing the school, college, or university registrar’s seal, sent directly to LFS from the office of the school, college, or university registrar. Request to have your transcripts mailed to:

Laboratory Field Services - Phlebotomy Program
850 Marina Bay Parkway, Bldg. P 1st Floor
Richmond, CA 94804

*Incomplete application packages may be considered abandoned. All applicants whose applications have been abandoned who wish to re-apply must pay a new non-refundable application fee.

Do​​cuments you may need for your application

• Official transcript.

• NACES or AICE evaluation.

• Certificate of completion from an approved phlebotomy training program.

• Verification of practical training experience (California Statement of Phlebotomy Practical Training).

• Verification of on-the-job experience (Letter of Phlebotomy Experience for California Certification)signed by the CLIA laboratory director.

• Verification of national certification examination.
  
  

For additional information you may contact LFSphlebotomy@cdph.ca.gov.​