Reviewed by Paul E. Walker

Key Takeaways

  • Your registration expires, not your license: Physicians must renew their New York registration every two years to keep practicing.
  • Two kinds of risk: OPMC can suspend, revoke, or fine, while unauthorized practice can also lead to criminal charges.
  • Renew early: Online renewal opens five months before expiration, and the physician fee is $600.

As a practicing physician in New York State, you should know that your medical license registration expires every two years, at the end of the month prior to your birthday. Further, this registration renewal does not happen automatically, but it is rather something you must take active steps to initiate. If you are caught working while carrying an expired medical license, even for just one day, you may land in serious trouble. With that being said, please read on to discover the consequences of practicing with an expired medical license and how one of the seasoned New York physician defense lawyers at Walker Medical Law can help you avoid any such complications in your career.

What Are the Consequences of Practicing with an Expired Medical License?

First and foremost, you should not practice with an expired medical license for the sake of your patient’s safety. This is because an expired license may indicate that you are not necessarily “up-to-date” on the latest medical studies in your specific field. This may translate into a failure to prescribe your patients with the most successfully researched and qualified treatment plan. So, if one of your patients gets hurt at a time when you are carrying an expired medical license, they may even pursue a civil lawsuit against you.

Secondly, and similarly critically, you should not practice with an expired medical license and risk getting in trouble with the New York State Department of Health’s Office of Professional Medical Conduct (OPMC). This is because doing so is technically considered a violation of state medical practice laws.

Practicing with an expired license can result in harsh penalties imposed by the OPMC, including:

  • Mandatory attendance at a continuing medical education course
  • Temporary suspension or revocation of your medical license
  • Hefty fines

Additionally, if a separate criminal case is filed, it carries the potential for time in jail. As such, this is not a matter that should be taken lightly.

Is Practicing Without a Current Registration Considered Misconduct?

It can be. New York’s misconduct definitions include willfully failing to register, and unauthorized practice can also bring criminal charges under Education Law § 6512.

How Do I Renew My Expired Medical License Registration?

To avoid this whole mess as described above, you should take the initiative of applying for a medical license renewal well before its expiration date. Ideally, you should kickstart this process around five months before your license is set to expire. This may entail submitting a registration renewal application online with the New York State Education Department Office of the Professions. With this, you must also be prepared to pay the renewal fee of $600. That is, have a valid credit card handy for this transaction. On the bright side, though, you may not need to complete additional CME hours at this time. However, the same cannot be said for other kinds of healthcare professionals.

Contact an Experienced New York Physician Defense Attorney Today

To better understand your legal rights in the matter at hand, please seek the advisement of one of the sound and competent New York physician defense lawyers. Please feel confident in knowing that our team at Walker Medical Law has significant experience in handling legal cases just like yours. So contact us today to learn how we can represent you.