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Licensed to Work:
PCSing Your Professional License
If you are a military spouse whose career requires state licensing or certification—a medical professional, teacher, lawyer, hairdresser, or massage therapist to name a few—you know the added difficulty of PCSing your career.
While the federal government has made moves to ease this transition issue and 49 States have passed laws dealing with licensing requirements, navigating license and certification transfer is a complex and frustrating endeavor. Here’s a look at what’s being done about this issue and what you can do to ease your license woes.
PCSing with Your License
Like everything else in PCSing world, moving your license requires research. You have to know what you have, what you need, and of any exceptions or programs to help you get what you need.
Know What You Have
Understand what certification or license you have and what it allows you to do. What tests have you taken? Is anything due to expire? Do you have to get continuing education units (CEUs) to maintain your certification? Some spouses choose to let a certificate expire while others wish to maintain their certification in case another PCS sends them back to the state from which they came. Additionally, an active certificate is almost always more helpful during a move than an expired one.
Know What You Need (and How Much It Costs in Terms of Money and Time)
It’s imperative that you understand what requirements exist in the new state, which of them you meet, and which of them you will need to meet. Go directly to the governing board that legitimizes licenses in that state, not secondary sources, and confirm any details about which you have questions. Identify any additional costs or training you will need and whether you can meet those requirements prior to moving (if your goal is certification in hand).
Know how your certificate or license fits into the licensing structure for your state prior to the move as it may provide leverage once you’ve moved. There’s a good chance you’ll know more than someone providing assistance in your new state. Remember, knowledge is power.