If your job requires a professional or occupational license to work in Pennsylvania, you can apply for or renew it in our Pennsylvania Licensing System (PALS).
Professional and occupational licensing protects the health and safety of the public from fraudulent and unethical practitioners.
Each license type has specific requirements that applicants must meet. Find the board or commission for your field and learn more:
First, complete and submit your application. It will then go through three phases before final determination:
Phase One is the time between a submitted application or graduation from an educational program and the initial determination of the status of the application by Department staff. Determinations issued in this phase may include authorization to take a required exam, a notice of missing information or an incomplete application, or that a payment is needed.
Phase Two is the time it takes for you to respond to the Department with all application requirements. This phase may include you preparing for and taking an exam, third-party institutions providing education or training documents, background checks being completed, or you completing required training hours.
Phase Three is the time between the Department’s receipt of a complete application–including examination results, confirmation of training hours, and results of background checks–and when your license is issued or denied.