Clinical Laboratory Scientist (Generalist) and Limited Clinical Laboratory Scientist Licenses
Thank you for your interest in the California Clinical Laboratory Scientist (CLS) Generalist license. Laboratory Field Services (LFS) requires applicants to submit documentation of academic coursework, clinical training, and work experience to qualify for licensure. For information about CLS Trainee and limited CLS Trainee licenses please visit the
CLS Trainee page.
*The information on this page applies to the Clinical Laboratory Scientist (Generalist) license.
For information about CLS licenses limited to a specialty or subspecialty select the limited license type from the list below:
Work experience in California as an unlicensed laboratory staff person will not be accepted as qualification toward any clinical laboratory license. Please note that biotech/pharmaceutical, forensic, academic, veterinary, research, and student laboratory experience cannot count as work experience or training for any clinical license.
Scope of praāāāāctice
The CLS generalist license permits you to work in all specialty areas of the clinical laboratory.
Academic requirements
Please note: Regulations effective January 1, 2025, include the following changes to course requirements:
| Previous Section 1030.7 |
Current Section 1030.7
|
(1) 16 semester or equivalent quarter hours of chemistry, including instruction in analytical and biological chemistry;
(2) 18 semester or equivalent quarter hours of biological science, including instruction in immunology, hematology and medical microbiology which may include bacteriology, mycology, virology and parasitology;
(3) 3 semester or equivalent quarter hours of physics, including instruction in principles of light and electricity; |
(1) 16 semester or equivalent quarter credit hours of chemistry, including:
*(A) Quantitative analysis or analytical chemistry; and
*(B) Clinical chemistry or biochemistry; and
(2) 16 semester or equivalent quarter credit hours of biological science, including medical, clinical, or pathogenic microbiology, hematology, and immunology; and
(3) 3 semester or equivalent quarter credit hours of physics, math, or statistics; |
* LFS may accept other courses in fulfillment of these requirements if they include instruction in analytical chemistry and biological chemistry. If the course title on your transcript does not indicate that the course includes instruction in analytical or biological chemistry, LFS may request a letter verifying course content (a course description or syllabus) from the office of the dean.ā
For additional information, please contact LFSscientist@cdph.ca.gov
-
If you served in the U.S. Air Force, the college work will be posted on a Community College of the Air Force transcript.
-
If you served in other branches of the U.S. armed forces, the college work will be posted on a transcript from an approved military college.
-
For military applicants without a degree, exceptions may apply. Please contact the Department for more information.
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 sent to LFS directly from the school, college, or university registrar, dean, or other person responsible for issuing transcripts in a sealed envelope that bears a tamper-proof mark or seal attached by the school; or by secure electronic submission directly from the school, college, or university registrar, dean, or other person responsible for issuing transcripts.
We do not accept scans or photocopies of transcripts uploaded or emailed by the applicant for authentication purposes. If your transcript is under a different last name, you must also upload legal proof of name change to associate the name discrepancy.
You can request your institution to send an official transcript
- Directly from the school, college, or university registrar, dean, or other person responsible for issuing transcripts in a sealed envelope that bears a tamper-proof mark or seal attached by the school; or
- By secure electronic submission directly from the school, college, or university registrar, dean, or other person responsible for issuing transcripts. ā
Mail the official transcripts to:
Laboratory Field Services ā PLS Program
850 Marina Bay Parkway
Bldg. P, 1st Floor
Richmond, CA 94804
Please be sure to send email transcripts by a secure connection.
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 āCurrent Membersā of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES), and āEndorsed Membersā 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. An official transcript from the university is required in addition to the evaluation.
To obtain an application, instructions, and information, visit them on the web:
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 ā PLS Program
850 Marina Bay Parkway
Bldg. P, 1st Floor
Richmond, CA 94804
Training or Exāperience
-
Minimum one year of post-baccalaureate clinical training as a CLS.
or
Minimum one year of work experience as a CLS performing high complexity testing in hematology, chemistry, blood bank, and microbiology.
-
Training or work experience must be comprehensive to cover all areas of the clinical laboratory.
-
Training or work experience must be in a clinical laboratory. For a list of training programs approved by the Department, see
CLS Training Programs link.
-
Official verification of training or work experience must be on letterhead and signed by the training coordinator or laboratory director, and must show the beginning and ending dates of the training or experience. This information should cover all areas in which the rotation was completed with a description of the clinical laboratory tests or examinations performed. Documentation can be uploaded during the online application process
-
If you lack applicable training or work experience you may want to consider applying for a
CLS trainee license.
-
Please note: Regulations effective on January 1, 2025, include changes regarding training or experience completed in a laboratory located outside the U.S.
- āPrevious regulations required training or experience to be completed in a CLIA-certified laboratory, or, for CLS generalists, in a laboratory acceptable to the Department.
- The new regulations at 17 CCR section 1032.5 allow LFS to accept training or experience in a clinical laboratory located outside the U.S. if the laboratory was certified under CLIA or if it was certified to meet the standards of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 15189 and International Organization for Standardization/International Electrotechnical Commission (ISO/IEC) 17025 standards or later standards by an international accrediting organization that meets ISO/IEC 17011 standards or later standards for certifying technical facilities including clinical laboratories.
- The applicant for licensure must provide documentation of training or experience in a laboratory not certified under CLIA with a letter signed and sent directly to the Department by the laboratory director or medical director of the laboratory. The laboratoryās Certificate of ISO/IEC Standard of the Clinical Laboratory must be attached to the laboratory experience letter.
- If you have questions about the acceptability of your training or experience outside the U.S., please contact LFSscientist@cdph.ca.gov.ā
Military applicants with military medical laboratory technician training
-
For military applicants with a bachelorās degree the Department requires at least one year of clinical training or work experience in the military.
-
For military applicants without a degree, exceptions may apply. Please contact the Department for more information.
-
Written verification of work experience must be issued by the military training coordinator or laboratory director.
-
For Army and Navy, this will be the Joint Service Transcript from the Sailor/Marine American Council for Basic and Advanced Military MLT Training.
-
For Air Force this will be the Phase I and Phase II Military MLT Training from the Department of the Air Force, Air Force Education and Training Command.
-
In addition to your training certificate and verification of experience, the Department requires a copy of your DD-214 military discharge document.
Examinations
The following certifying organizations are approved by the Department for the CLS generalist licensure examination:
-
ASCP certification for MLS is approved by the Department for CLS generalist licensure as of October 2002
-
ASCPi (international) certification for International Medical Technologists scientist is approved by the Department for CLS generalist licensure as of June 2003.
-
AAB certification for Medical Technologist is approved by the Department for CLS generalist licensure as of January 2003.
-
AMT certification for Medical Technologist is approved by the Department for CLS generalist licensure as of January 2014. Only the 2014 and later versions of the examination are approved. Earlier versions are not accepted.
-
Applicants who are ASCP certified before the above dates must re-take the certifying examination.
Failure to pass the written certification examination two times requires a waiting period of one year before taking the exam again. A third failure requires a two-year wait. Thereafter, the examination may not be taken more frequently than once in two years.
Applicants will also have to complete the
online California quiz on state laboratory laws and regulations. You will receive a notification with instructions for taking the quiz once you are qualified.
Renewal
Once you receive your license 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 web page.
Resources
Helpful links
CLS Training Programs
LFS Approved Certification Examinations
Statutes and regulations
California Business and Professions Code, Clinical Laboratory Technology, Licensing
California Code of Regulations, Title 17, Section 1032, Clinical Laboratory Scientist (generalist)
The requirements listed may not be comprehensive.
How to Apply
Visit the LFS online application website to
create an account and submit an application.
Apply Online *You will need to pay your application fee online.
Additional Information:
-
Official verification of training or work experience must be on letterhead and signed by the training coordinator or laboratory director, and must show the beginning and ending dates of the training or experience. This information should cover all areas in which the rotation was completed with a description of the clinical laboratory tests or examinations performed.
-
Applicants must take the
online California Quiz on state laboratory laws and regulations online.
-
United States Armed Forces applicants are required to provide additional documents of certificates of completion of training and a copy of DD-214. Copies of the certificate of training and the DD-214 can be uploaded during the online application process.
**Incomplete application packages may be abandoned. All applicants whose applications have been abandoned who wish to re-apply must pay a new non-refundable application fee.
Documents you may need for your application
-
Official transcript showing your baccalaureate degree.
-
NACES or AICE course-by-course evaluation.
-
Verification of one year of post-baccalaureate training.
or
Verification of one year of on-the-job experience in a clinical laboratory (signed by the laboratory director).
-
Verification of certification examination.
-
Online California quiz on state laboratory laws and regulations.
Military applicants will also need:
For additional information you may contact
LFSscientist@cdph.ca.gov.āāāāā