Free state-by-state guide · Reviewed July 21, 2026
Phlebotomy Requirements by State
Here is the fact most guides bury: only four states — California, Louisiana, Nevada, and Washington — license or certify phlebotomists at the state level. Everywhere else, there is no state phlebotomy license at all; a national certification is what employers ask for instead. This page covers both realities, checked against the agencies' own pages.
Two Realities: License States vs. Everywhere Else
Which reality you live in decides your first move — a state application, or a national certification exam.
In California, Louisiana, Nevada, and Washington, you cannot legally draw blood for clinical testing without a state-issued credential — a CDPH phlebotomy certificate in California, a Medical Assistant-Phlebotomist certification in Washington, a laboratory assistant certification in Nevada, and an LSBME phlebotomist certificate in Louisiana. Each state sets its own training hours, documented draws, fees, and renewal rules; the state pages below spell them out.
The other 46 states and the District of Columbia issue no phlebotomy license. Phlebotomists there work under the general framework of CLIA-regulated laboratories and their employers' policies — and in practice, hospitals, reference labs, clinics, and plasma centers require or strongly prefer a national certification (NHA, ASCP, AMT, or NCCT) as their evidence of competency.
AlliedHealthTests is an independent study resource and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA), American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP), or any certifying organization.
The Four Licensing States
Each page lists the exact eligibility rules, accepted national certifications, fees, renewal cycle, and the official verification portal — with every source linked and dated.
California
CDPH phlebotomy certificate (LPT / CPT I / CPT II)
Louisiana
LSBME clinical laboratory personnel certificate — phlebotomist
Nevada
DPBH laboratory assistant certification
Washington
DOH Medical Assistant-Phlebotomist certification
No License in Your State? National Certification Is the Real Requirement
In the 47 jurisdictions without a state license, a national phlebotomy certification is earned by exam after a training program or qualifying work experience, maintained with continuing education, and portable across states. Typical employer requirements are: a high school diploma or GED; a phlebotomy training program (commonly 4–12 weeks of classroom plus clinical hours); documented live blood draws (training standards range from 30 venipunctures for NHA eligibility to 100 for certain ASCP routes); a national certification — required or "preferred" in most hospital and reference-lab postings, and often required within 90 days to 1 year of hire; current BLS/CPR certification; and immunization records plus a background check.
These four certifying bodies are also the ones most commonly written into the four licensing states' own rules, which makes them the safest choices for multistate portability:
Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT)
National Healthcareer Association (NHA)
- Eligibility
- High school diploma/GED (or scheduled within 12 months) plus either completion of a phlebotomy training program within the last 5 years, or 1 year of supervised phlebotomy work experience within the last 3 years (or 2 years within the last 5); all routes require a minimum of 30 venipunctures and 10 capillary sticks performed on live individuals.
- Renewal
- Recertify every 2 years with 10 continuing-education credits; one-year reinstatement window after expiration.
Phlebotomy Technician, PBT(ASCP)
American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) Board of Certification
- Eligibility
- Multiple routes, all requiring a high school diploma/equivalent — e.g., completion of a NAACLS-approved phlebotomy program in the last 5 years; a structured program with 40 classroom hours plus 100 clinical hours and a minimum of 100 successful venipunctures; or 1 year of full-time acceptable clinical experience as a phlebotomy technician in the last 5 years. Exam: 80 questions, 2 hours, computer-adaptive; application fee $155.
- Renewal
- Credential Maintenance Program (CMP): 9 CMP points every 3 years, including a required laboratory/patient-safety point and required points in the certification area.
Registered Phlebotomy Technician (RPT)
American Medical Technologists (AMT)
- Eligibility
- Routes include graduation within the past 4 years from an approved phlebotomy course including at least 120 didactic clock hours, or at least 1,040 hours (about 6 months full-time) of phlebotomy work experience within the past 3 years; routes require 50 venipunctures and 10 capillary/skin punctures from human sources. Exam: 200 items (AMT's own practice materials indicate a time limit of about 2.5 hours; third-party sources vary).
- Renewal
- Certification Continuation Program (CCP): 24 CCP points every 3 years, documented via attestation (randomly audited), plus AMT annual membership/renewal fee.
National Certified Phlebotomy Technician (NCPT)
National Center for Competency Testing (NCCT)
- Eligibility
- U.S. high school diploma/GED plus one of: current student or graduate (within 5 years) of an NCCT-authorized phlebotomy program; 1 year of full-time phlebotomy work experience within the past 5 years; qualifying U.S. military training; or phlebotomy instructor experience. Standard competency documentation is 50 venipunctures and 10 capillary punctures; the Louisiana-specific route requires 100 venipunctures and 25 capillary punctures, and the California route requires 50 venipunctures and 10 capillary punctures plus CDPH-required didactic training certificates. Exam fee $119.
- Renewal
- Annual recertification with NCCT continuing education.
Choosing between them? Our step-by-step guide to becoming a phlebotomist compares all four certifications side by side, with fees and eligibility routes.
Sources
Last reviewed July 21, 2026. Every fact on this page was checked against the primary sources below on the dates shown. State-specific sources are listed on each state page.
- NHA — Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT) certification (eligibility, 30 venipunctures/10 capillary sticks, 2-year renewal with 10 CE credits) Accessed July 21, 2026
- ASCP Board of Certification — PBT Phlebotomy Technician (eligibility routes, $155 fee, 80-question exam) Accessed July 21, 2026
- AMT — Registered Phlebotomy Technician (RPT): how to certify (routes, 120 didactic hours, 50 venipunctures/10 capillary collections, 200-item exam) Accessed July 21, 2026
- ASCP BOC — Maintain your PBT credential (CMP: 9 points per 3-year cycle) Accessed July 21, 2026
- AMT — Certification Continuation Program (CCP) FAQ (3-year cycle, attestation and audit) Accessed July 21, 2026
- NCCT — National Certified Phlebotomy Technician (NCPT) ($119 exam fee, eligibility routes, venipuncture documentation, state-specific CA/LA notes) Accessed July 21, 2026
- CDPH LFS — California phlebotomy certificate (one of the four licensing states) Accessed July 21, 2026
- Washington DOH — Medical Assistant-Phlebotomist certification (one of the four licensing states) Accessed July 21, 2026
- NAC 652.4855 — Nevada laboratory assistant certification (one of the four licensing states) Accessed July 21, 2026
- LSBME — Louisiana clinical laboratory personnel / phlebotomist certification (one of the four licensing states) Accessed July 21, 2026
Know Your State's Rules? Start Studying.
Whichever certification you choose, the exam covers the same core skills — order of draw, patient ID, specimen handling. Our free practice test mirrors that format, with an explanation for every answer.
AlliedHealthTests is an independent study resource and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the National Healthcareer Association (NHA), American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP), or any certifying organization.