Become Licensed

The VaAGC DOES NOT issue Virginia licenses.

All instructions and forms relevant to the process of applying for a license to practice as a genetic counselor or temporary genetic counselor are available through the Virginia Department of Health Professions (DHP): https://www.dhp.virginia.gov/Boards/medicine/.

These documents include:

• Form B - Employment History Questionnaire
• Instructions for Genetic Counselor applicants
• Instructions for Temporary Genetic Counselor applicants

Do you have questions that are not answered in the instructions provided by the Virginia DHP? Please email medbd@dhp.virginia.gov or call 804-367-4600.

A walkthrough of the genetic counselor licensure application is summarized below. Please note that the application process may be updated by DHP without the knowledge of the VaAGC, so there may be inconsistencies with the steps or requirement summarized below.

1. Go to http://www.license.dhp.virginia.gov/apply
2. Register for an account if you haven't done so already
3. Log in to your account
4. Click on "Initial Application" in the top left corner
5. Select "Medicine" for Profession, select "Genetic Counselor" or "Genetic Counselor-Temporary" depending on what you're applying for, and select "Initial Application" for Obtained By Method
6. You will enter the online application in the order shown below. You do not have to complete all items in one sitting as you can save your progress. Please read instruction paragraph carefully.
1. Demographics should autofill based on the account you created, but note that the address will be available to the general public, so you may wish to put your work address/phone/email here
2. Address of Record = same note as point a.
3. Education = enter your genetic counseling program & graduation date
4. Employment Activity = include employer and all of the locations of where you see patients
5. Licensure History
6. Claims History
7. Examination Information = confirming ABGC/ABMG certification & issue date
8. Licensure Questions = read each question and answer carefully
9. Summary of your application
10. Submit payment
11. Survey questions

When you get to the end of the application, there is a checklist that summarizes everything you need to provide, which includes:

• Transcripts = you can mail those in if they are sealed or have them emailed to the VDH
• Form B - Employment History Questionnaire
• A copy of your ABGC/ABMG certification that has been notarized with your signature
• License verification if you have a license in another state

A walkthrough of the genetic counselor licensure renewal is summarized below. Please note that the renewal process may be updated by DHP without the knowledge of the VaAGC, so there may be inconsistencies with the steps or requirements summarized below.

Licenses are to be renewed based on your birthday month NOT the month in which you obtained your license. So if your birthday is in January, your license needs to be renewed by the end of January. There is an easy-to-use website where you can find out exactly when your license expires: https://dhp.virginiainteractive.org/Lookup/Index.
 

Renewal is now available online about 45 days before your license expires.  You should receive renewal instructions in the mail to your address on file.  Also, if you login to your DHP portal (https://www.license.dhp.virginia.gov/license/Login.aspx) there is a link on the left side that says “renew license” after logging in.  Please call the data call center at 804-367-4444  with any questions.  

As a reminder, you do NOT need to provide CEUs for the initial renewal cycle. You will need to provide CEU documentation for all renewals in the future, so please make sure that you keep a record of all earned CEUs.