Cytotechnologist License

Thank you for your interest in the California Cytotechnologist license. Laboratory Field Services (LFS) requires applicants to submit documentation of academic coursework, clinical training, and work experience to qualify for licensure.

Work experience in California as an unlicensed laboratory staff person will not be accepted as qualification toward any clinical laboratory license. Please note that biotech/pharmaceutical, forensic, academic, veterinary, research, and student laboratory experience cannot count as work experience or training for any clinical license.

Scope of practice

• This license permits you to perform examination on cytology specimens.
  

Academic requirements

• Bachelor’s degree (baccalaureate) with specific course requirements:

• 20 semester or equivalent quarter units of biological science.

• 8 semester or equivalent quarter units of chemistry.

• 3 semester or equivalent quarter units of mathematics.
  

Transcripts

Official transcripts must be sent directly to LFS by the institution that issued the transcript. We do not accept scans or photocopies of transcripts uploaded or emailed by the applicant for authentication purposes.

 

If your transcript is under a different last or first name, please provide legal proof of your legal name or having a name change. Please upload and attach to your application, either legal document(s); (1) driver license and marriage/birth certificate or (2) driver license and court documents

 

An official transcript is a copy of a student's permanent academic record issued by a school, college, or university identifying the student and attesting to the student's completion of specific courses with grades, credit hours, dates of attendance, academic major(s), degree or diploma granted, if any, including date of graduation, and any awards or honors. The hard copy official school transcript must bear an official seal, unique identifier of the school, or signature of the registrar, dean, or other authorized official.

 

You can request your institution to send an official transcript

• By secure electronic submission directly from the school, college, or university registrar, dean, or other person responsible for issuing transcripts; or

 

• Directly from the school, college, or university registrar, dean, or other person responsible for issuing transcripts in a sealed envelope that bears a tamper-proof mark or seal attached by the school

 

Ask the office to mail hard copies to:

California Department of Public Health

Laboratory Field Services – PLS Program

850 Marina Bay Parkway

Bldg. P, 1st Floor

Richmond, CA 94804

 

Ask the office to email electronic copies by secure email connection to LFSTranscriptsandEvaluations@cdph.ca.gov.

 

Legal Authority: This requirement is in accordance with Title 17 of the California Code of Regulations, section 1029, "Official Transcript."

Non-US transcripts

All non-U.S. transcripts must be evaluated by an LFS approved evaluation service to determine if your education is equivalent to an accredited college or university education in the U.S. LFS will accept educational transcript evaluations by “Current Members” of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES), and “Endorsed Members” of the Association of International Credential Evaluators, Inc. (AICE) if completed on or after August 15, 2016. Evaluations completed before August 15, 2016 will only be accepted if completed by AACRAO. The evaluation service will send an evaluation of your educational institution and academic courses directly to LFS. Official transcript from the university is required in addition to the evaluation.

To obtain an application, instructions, and information, visit them on the web:

• National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES)

• Association of International Credential Evaluators, Inc. (AICE)

If you are an applicant whose education, training, or experience is from a non-U.S. school, college, university, or clinical laboratory, please make sure that your name is printed in English on all your transcripts and supporting documents and that it matches your name on the application.

Request the evaluation company to postal mail the evaluation directly to:

Laboratory Field Services – PLS Program

850 Marina Bay Parkway

Bldg P, 1st Floor

Richmond, CA 94804

Training or Experience

• 12-month cytotechnologist program accredited by CAAHEP or equivalent.

or

• Five years of full-time clinical laboratory experience in cytology.

• Experience must be within the last ten years.

• At least two years must be obtained after completion of the academic requirements.

• At least two years must be under the supervision of a licensed physician who is a board-eligible pathologist.

• Official verification of training or work experience must be on letterhead and signed by the training coordinator or laboratory director, and must show the beginning and ending dates of the training or experience. This information should cover all areas in which the rotation was completed with a description of the clinical laboratory tests or examinations performed. Document can be uploaded during the online application process
  

Examinations

The American Society of Clinical Pathology (ASCP) certification for cytotechnologist is approved by the Department for cytotechnologist licensure.

Renewal

Once you receive your license you will need to renew it every two years. To renew, you must pay a fee and submit documentation of continuing education. For information about the renewal process please visit the LFS renewal web page.

Resources

Helpful links

Approved Cytology Training Programs (PDF)

LFS Approved Certification Examinations

Statutes and regulations

California Code of Regulations, Title 17, Section 1061, Cytotechnologist

The requirements listed may not be comprehensive.

How to Apply

Visit the LFS online application website to create an account and submit an application.

Note: Transcripts must be original documents bearing the school, college, or university registrar’s seal, and must be sent directly to LFS from the office of the college or university registrar. Request to have your transcripts mailed to:

Laboratory Field Services – PLS Program

850 Marina Bay Parkway

Bldg P, 1st Floor

Richmond, CA 94804

*Incomplete application packages may be abandoned. All applicants whose applications have been abandoned who wish to re-apply must pay a new non-refundable application fee.

Documents you may need for your application

• Official transcripts, including the transcript showing your baccalaureate degree.

• NACES or AICE course-by-course evaluation.

• Copy of Certificate of Completion of 12-month cytotechnologist program.

  or

  Verification of five years of full-time clinical laboratory experience in cytology; offical verification of work experience must be on letterhead and signed by the laboratory director, and must show the beginning and ending dates of the experience. This information should cover all areas in which the rotation was completed with a description of the clinical laboratory tests or examinations performed.

• Verification of certification examination.
  

For additional information you may contact LFSscientist@cdph.ca.gov.
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