Licensure

All requests regarding licensure should be made in writing and sent to the following address:

NC Board of Podiatry Examiners
3739 National Drive, Suite 202
Raleigh, NC 27612

Contact us here or email verify@ncbpe.org

(For podiatrists from other jurisdictions seeking reciprocity, please see the "Reciprocity memo information 2022" )

Initial Licensure

The below information is for candidates who plan to sit for the North Carolina Licensing Exam. If you are an incoming Resident or Fellow seeking a temporary license for an approved program, please see the Residency Checklist.


Exam Application Deadlines:

The North Carolina Board of Podiatry Examiners will be offering two exam dates for 2025. 

The first 2025 licensing exam will be given April 26, 2025, at our Headquarter Office, FirstPoint Management Resources, 3739 National Drive, Suite 202, Raleigh, NC 27612.

The Deadline for submitting the COMPLETED application with all supplemental materials received by the Board is 4:00 p.m. (Eastern) on Thursday, February 27, 2025.

The second 2025 licensing exam will be given November 8, 2025, at our Headquarter Office, FirstPoint Management Resources, 3739 National Drive, Suite 202, Raleigh, NC 27612.

The Deadline for submitting the COMPLETED application with all supplemental materials received by the Board is 4:00 p.m. (Eastern) on Thursday, September 11, 2025.

*There is a limit of 20 spaces for each exam. After we have filled the exam, you will have to wait until the next scheduled exam or you can be asked to be placed on a waitlist.   

The following materials should be submitted:

  • Application
  • Fee of $400.00
  • Proof of an education equivalent to four (4) years of high school instruction is required (e.g. photocopy of diploma, GED, or letter from HS.)
  • Official Transcript of pre-podiatry college studies from “a college or university approved by the American Association of Colleges and Universities” showing a minimum of three (3) years of study sent directly from the institution. (Electronic transcripts may be emailed directly from the institution to verify@ncbpe.org.
  • Proof of Graduation from pre-podiatry college studies. A copy of the diploma or a letter from the school will suffice.
  • Official Transcript of Podiatry School studies sent directly from the institution. (Electronic transcripts may be emailed directly from the institution to verify@ncbpe.org.)
  • Proof of graduation from Podiatry School accredited by the Council of Podiatry Medical Education. A copy of the diploma or a letter from the school will suffice.
  • National Board Examination (APMLE) Grades (Parts I and II) sent directly from the Federation of Podiatric Medical Boards.
  • National Board of Examination (APMLE) Grades Part III (PM Lexis Scores) sent directly from the Federation of Podiatric Medical Boards (not required for Temporary Military or Clinical Residency License applications).
  • Three (3) NOTARIZED Letters of Recommendation using the Certificate of Recommendation (for North Carolina notaries, there is a different format for Certificate of Recommendation):
    • A licensed Podiatrist;
    • A second licensed Podiatrist; and,
    • A third licensed Podiatrist or an MD
  • Verification of completion of a minimum of one-year clinical residency sent directly from the residency director of the hospital, medical center or surgery center. (Temporary Military/Clinical Residency License applications, a letter from your residency director stating that you are currently in a clinical residency and dates of such).
  • If applicable, verification of licensure in other state or territory sent directly from that state(s) and/or territory(ies). For podiatrists licensed in other states, please have the License Verification form completed by the other state(s) and submitted to the NC Board.  If the other state has their own verification form, that may be used in place of our form. 

 

 

Examinations

The 2025 examinations will be held on Saturday, April 26, 2025 and Saturday, November 8, 2025, in Raleigh NC.  The exam consists of Oral and Written sections. Successful candidates of this exam are expected to attend a for a half-day, North Carolina-specific, practice- and ethics-training with test to receive licensure.  Those who pass the medical and scientific exam are required to attend a practice and ethics training & exam, considered a second part of the licensing exam, usually held 4-8 weeks after the examination, with the actual date announced at the examination.  Licenses are issued after the practice and ethics examination is successfully completed. 

It is highly recommended that an exam candidate use a National Board Review Course study manual or attend a National Board Review Course to prepare for the North Carolina Exam.

The Pass-Fail ratios and other exam statistics are listed on the PDF at the bottom of the page.

The deadline for receipt of application, fee, and all documents for the April 26, 2025 exam is 4:00 p.m. (Eastern) on Thursday, February 27, 2025.
The deadline for receipt of application, fee, and all documents for the November 8, 2025 exam is 4:00 p.m. (Eastern) on Thursday, September 11, 2025.


FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
 

Q. What should I study for the exam?
 
A. The Board members recommend taking a National Board Review Course. Organizations that provide Continuing Medical Education (CME) such as the William Goldfarb Foundation and The Podiatry Institute, as well as other nationally-known podiatric CME sponsors offer these.
 
Q. What is included in the exam?
 
The written exam on medical and scientific knowledge, is mostly multiple-choice, matching, and true-false. There are also some questions about the state’s Podiatry Practice Act, a copy of which is sent to each exam candidate when their participation in the exam is confirmed. (The statutes are also available from our web site.)
 
Content of first exam will be a 30-minute oral and a four-hour, written exam with medical/scientific subjects that may include the following subjects: anatomy, physiology, bacteriology, chemistry, dermatology, podiatry, surgery, materia medica, pharmacology and pathology. A second examination is based on state laws, rules, podiatry practice, ethics, and insurance coding.
 
§ 90-202.6. Examinations; subjects; certificates.
(a) The Board of Podiatry Examiners shall hold at least one examination annually for the purpose of examining applicants under this Article. The examination shall be at such time and place as the Board may see fit. The Board may make such rules and regulations as it may deem necessary to conduct its examinations and meetings. It shall provide, preserve and keep a complete record of all its transactions. Examinations for registration under this Article shall be in the English language and shall be written, oral, or clinical, or a combination of written, oral or clinical, as the Board may determine, and may include the following subjects: anatomy, physiology, bacteriology, chemistry, dermatology, podiatry, surgery, materia medica, pharmacology and pathology. No applicant shall be granted a license certificate by the Board unless he obtains a general average of 75 or over, and not less than fifty percent (50%) in any one subject.
 

The  Practice and Ethics Exam consists of 10 questions, again multiple-choice and true-false, based on the materials covered in the training program immediately prior to the exam, covering North Carolina-specific laws, policies, practices, and insurance coding.

Scores are Pass/Fail. Average Pass/Fail rate varies by year. No applicant shall be granted a license certificate by the Board unless he obtains a general average of 75 or over, and not less than fifty percent (50%) in any one subject.  Please see Pass-Fail statistics.