There are three kinds of phlebotomy certification:

• Limited phlebotomy technician (LPT) is authorized to do skin puncture blood collection only.
• Certified phlebotomy technician I (CPTI) is authorized to do venipuncture and skin punctures.
• Certified phlebotomy technician II (CPTII) is authorized to do venipuncture, arterial puncture, and skin punctures.

These requirements do not apply to anyone who is an MA, EMT, or BDP, or to other licensed persons whose scope of practice allows them to draw blood at certain locations. These new rules are for persons drawing blood as phlebotomists for diagnostic purposes, for example, for a hospital or clinical laboratory.

No, an MA, EMT, or BDP, or other licensed person whose scope of practice allows him or her to draw blood at certain locations may not work as a certified phlebotomist drawing blood for diagnostic purposes in a clinical laboratory. These practitioners can only draw blood under the conditions specified in their scope of practice.

California law requires the certifying exam to be approved on or after July, 2003, the effective date of the law change. If you took the exam prior to that date, you may have to take it again. A list of certifying organization examinations approved by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is available online.

Laboratory Field Services (LFS) maintains a list of training programs approved by CDPH.

No. CDPH accepts only the schools and training programs that are listed on the LFS website, and all of these schools and training programs are located in the state of California.

A list of certifying organizations approved by CDPH for examinations can be found on the LFS website.

You must apply online and pay a non-refundable fee via credit card.

LFS does not accept faxed supporting documents.

There is a non-refundable fee of $100.

Contact your high school registrar to have your official transcripts mailed to the address below or provide LFS with an official transcript in an unopened envelope sealed by the school. You may substitute official transcripts showing credit for academic courses completed at an accredited college or university. Transcripts must be sent to: Attn: Phlebotomy Program CDPH - Laboratory Field Services 850 Marina Bay Parkway, Bldg. P, 1st Floor Richmond, CA 94804-6403 Your high school diploma must be obtained from a school accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Schools (ASC), the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), or their affiliates. For a full listing, visit the website at Western Association of Schools and Colleges​.

You must complete a GED or have your foreign degree evaluated by “Current Members” of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) or "Endorsed Members" of the Association of International Credential Evaluators, Inc. (AICE).

If you cannot provide evidence of high school graduation you must complete the GED. California law does not allow exemptions from this requirement.

The laboratory or medical director of the laboratory where you were employed, who must be either a licensed doctor of medicine (MD), licensed doctor of osteopathy (DO), or licensed clinical laboratory bioanalyst (CLB), must certify in writing that this experience has been completed using the Phlebotomist Applicant Letter of Experience 2023(PDF)​​. The form must list your dates of employment and the approximate number of phlebotomy procedures performed. The form must also include the laboratory’s CLIA license number and the laboratory or medical director’s license number.

No. CDPH accepts only the schools and training programs that are listed, and all of these schools and training programs are located in the state of California.

It takes a median time of 90 days after a complete application is received for LFS staff to process an application. If the application is incomplete or incorrect, it may take additional time. Incomplete applications will be abandoned 60 days after the date of initial application.

No, it only means that your application has been received.

No, you cannot work as a phlebotomist until you are certified as a phlebotomist by the State of California. To verify that your application has been approved and you are certified check the verification website. A screen print of your verification page can be used for 90 days as authorization for employment purposes until you receive a paper copy of your certificate. The screen print is only valid as an authorization for the category listed and only until the official certificate arrives.

No. After an application has been approved, approval is posted on the LFS verification website​. Employers and certificate holders can check for verification of certification or renewal on this website. It can take up to 10 business days for approval to be posted on this website. A screen print of your verification page can be used for 90 days as authorization for employment purposes until you receive a paper copy of your certificate. The screen print is only valid as an authorization for the category listed and only until the official certificate arrives. This is the only verification LFS offers. LFS does not issue temporary certificates or verification letters.

Contact Laboratory Field Services at Contact Us for further instructions and assistance.

No. LFS does not have a public counter and cannot accept any in-person applications. Applications must be mailed, and are processed in the order in which they are received.