Arizona Governor Signs Landmark Licensure Reciprocity Law

The American Dental Education Association reports that Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey signed the most wide-sweeping licensure reciprocity law in the country last week. The bill requires regulating entities to grant a license or certificate to any resident who holds a license or certificate from another jurisdiction that is in good standing and has been held for at least one year, including residents who practice in the dental professions.

The legislation allows licensing entities to test licensees about laws specific to the state. The law also creates exceptions to the requirement to grant reciprocity for anyone who has been disciplined by a regulating entity (unless the licensing board determines the cause for discipline was corrected and the matter resolved), had a license revoked or voluntarily surrendered, has a complaint or investigation pending before a regulating entity, or has a disqualifying criminal history.

Some states have granted similar reciprocity to members of the military and their spouses, or to people who practice specific professions covered by an interstate compact. It is believed this is the first law in the country to grant reciprocity to nearly any licensee without also requiring other states to reciprocate.