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Medical Coder
Medical coding is a certification-based profession — no state requires a license. However, employers universally require AAPC CPC or AHIMA CCS/CCA certification. Compare certification requirements, exam fees, and employer expectations across all 50 states.
88
Total States
0
States w/ License Req
$2,089
Avg Initial Investment
88
States w/ Cert Req
Medical coding is governed by national certification bodies, not state licensing boards. Here are the three key areas to understand.
No US state requires a license to work as a medical coder. Instead, the profession is governed by national certification organizations: AAPC (offering the CPC credential) and AHIMA (offering CCS and CCA credentials). Virtually all employers require one of these certifications.
Most medical coding programs are certificate (4-6 months) or associate degree (2 years) programs covering medical terminology, anatomy, ICD-10-CM/PCS, and CPT/HCPCS coding. The CPC exam is 150 questions over 5 hours 40 minutes with a 70% passing score requirement.
Maintaining certification requires ongoing CEUs: 36 CEUs every 2 years for CPC holders, 30 CEUs every 2 years for CCS holders. Annual membership renewal ($190/year AAPC, $229/year AHIMA) is also required to maintain credentials.
Side-by-side fees, hours, exams, and timelines across all 50 states. Sort by cost, hours, or any column.
Compare All StatesFind out if your license transfers to another state and what extra steps are needed.
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Click any column header to sort. Click a state to view full requirements.
| State | State License | Cert Required | Exam Fee | Total Investment | CEU Requirement | State Notes | Confidence | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama(AL) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | January 2025 |
| Alabama(AL) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | March 2026 |
| Alaska(AK) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | January 2025 |
| Alaska(AK) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | March 2026 |
| Arizona(AZ) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | January 2025 |
| Arizona(AZ) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | null — no state-specific requirements exist in Arizona | medium | March 2026 |
| Arkansas(AR) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | March 2026 |
| California(CA) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | California employers in large healthcare systems may require additional specialty certifications beyond CPC/CCS. | medium | January 2025 |
| California(CA) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | California employers in large healthcare systems may require additional specialty certifications beyond CPC/CCS. | medium | March 2026 |
| Colorado(CO) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | January 2025 |
| Colorado(CO) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | null | medium | March 2026 |
| Connecticut(CT) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | January 2025 |
| Connecticut(CT) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | null | medium | March 2026 |
| Delaware(DE) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | null — Delaware has no state-specific licensing or registration requirements for medical coders | medium | March 2026 |
| District of Columbia(DC) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | January 2025 |
| District of Columbia(DC) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | null — No DC-specific state licensing requirements exist for medical coders | medium | March 2026 |
| Florida(FL) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | Florida's large Medicare population means coders should be well-versed in Medicare coding guidelines. | medium | January 2025 |
| Florida(FL) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | Florida's large Medicare population means coders should be well-versed in Medicare coding guidelines. | medium | March 2026 |
| Georgia(GA) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | null — no Georgia-specific requirements found | medium | March 2026 |
| Hawaii(HI) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | January 2025 |
| Hawaii(HI) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | March 2026 |
| Idaho(ID) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | January 2025 |
| Idaho(ID) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | March 2026 |
| Illinois(IL) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | January 2025 |
| Illinois(IL) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | March 2026 |
| Indiana(IN) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | null | medium | March 2026 |
| Iowa(IA) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | January 2025 |
| Iowa(IA) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | null — no state-specific requirements exist | medium | March 2026 |
| Kansas(KS) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | January 2025 |
| Kansas(KS) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | null — no state-specific requirements exist | medium | March 2026 |
| Kentucky(KY) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | January 2025 |
| Kentucky(KY) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | null — no state-specific requirements found | medium | March 2026 |
| Louisiana(LA) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | January 2025 |
| Louisiana(LA) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | null — confirmed no state-specific requirements exist in Louisiana | medium | March 2026 |
| Maine(ME) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | January 2025 |
| Maine(ME) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | null — no Maine-specific requirements found | medium | March 2026 |
| Maryland(MD) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | January 2025 |
| Maryland(MD) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | March 2026 |
| Massachusetts(MA) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | January 2025 |
| Massachusetts(MA) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | null — no Massachusetts-specific statutory or regulatory requirements found for medical coders | medium | March 2026 |
| Michigan(MI) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | March 2026 |
| Minnesota(MN) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | January 2025 |
| Minnesota(MN) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | March 2026 |
| Mississippi(MS) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | null | medium | March 2026 |
| Missouri(MO) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | January 2025 |
| Missouri(MO) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | null — no state-specific requirements found | medium | March 2026 |
| Montana(MT) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | January 2025 |
| Montana(MT) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | null | medium | March 2026 |
| Nebraska(NE) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | March 2026 |
| Nevada(NV) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | January 2025 |
| Nevada(NV) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | null — no Nevada state agency governs medical coding | medium | March 2026 |
| New Hampshire(NH) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | January 2025 |
| New Hampshire(NH) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | null — no state-specific requirements exist in NH | medium | March 2026 |
| New Jersey(NJ) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | March 2026 |
| New Mexico(NM) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | null — no state-specific requirements found | medium | March 2026 |
| New York(NY) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | New York's large hospital systems often prefer coders with both CPC and CCS credentials. | medium | January 2025 |
| New York(NY) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | New York's large hospital systems often prefer coders with both CPC and CCS credentials. | medium | March 2026 |
| North Carolina(NC) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | January 2025 |
| North Carolina(NC) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | null — confirmed no NC-specific state licensing requirements for medical coders | medium | March 2026 |
| North Dakota(ND) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | January 2025 |
| North Dakota(ND) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | null — no state-specific requirements exist | medium | March 2026 |
| Ohio(OH) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | January 2025 |
| Ohio(OH) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | March 2026 |
| Oklahoma(OK) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | March 2026 |
| Oregon(OR) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | January 2025 |
| Oregon(OR) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | null — no state-specific licensing requirements exist in Oregon for medical coders | medium | March 2026 |
| Pennsylvania(PA) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | March 2026 |
| Rhode Island(RI) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | January 2025 |
| Rhode Island(RI) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | March 2026 |
| South Carolina(SC) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | January 2025 |
| South Carolina(SC) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | null | medium | March 2026 |
| South Dakota(SD) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | null | medium | March 2026 |
| Tennessee(TN) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | Nashville's concentration of healthcare companies (HCA, Community Health Systems) may require specialty coding credentials. | medium | January 2025 |
| Tennessee(TN) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | Nashville's concentration of healthcare companies (HCA, Community Health Systems) may require specialty coding credentials. | medium | March 2026 |
| Texas(TX) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | Texas's large healthcare market means employers may prefer specialty certifications (e.g., CPC-P for payer-side coding). | medium | March 2026 |
| Utah(UT) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | March 2026 |
| Vermont(VT) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | January 2025 |
| Vermont(VT) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | null — Vermont has no state-specific licensing requirements for medical coders | medium | March 2026 |
| Virginia(VA) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | January 2025 |
| Virginia(VA) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | March 2026 |
| Washington(WA) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | January 2025 |
| Washington(WA) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | March 2026 |
| West Virginia(WV) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | January 2025 |
| West Virginia(WV) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | March 2026 |
| Wisconsin(WI) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | January 2025 |
| Wisconsin(WI) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | null | medium | March 2026 |
| Wyoming(WY) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | January 2025 |
| Wyoming(WY) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | March 2026 |
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See the full comparison table above for all 88 states.
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