Universal recognition of occupational and professional licenses

It is a law that requires Puerto Rico's examining and licensing boards to recognize, under specific conditions, current occupational and professional licenses from other U.S. states, so that someone moving to the Island does not have to repeat exams and paperwork they already passed elsewhere — with a thirty-day clock that, if the board lets it run out, produces an automatic provisional license.

It reaches anyone with a current, valid occupational or professional license in another U.S. continental state or territory, in an occupation or profession with a similar scope of practice to Puerto Rico's, as determined by the Local Board. It requires, among other things: at least one year as the license holder and three consecutive years of prior practice, with no more than one year inactive; that the other state required an exam or standards similar to Puerto Rico's; being in "Good Standing"; no disqualifying criminal record, no revocation for negligence or misconduct, and no unresolved pending complaint. The practice of law is expressly excluded.

• Hold a current, valid occupational or professional license in another state, in an occupation or profession with a similar scope of practice, as determined by the Local Board.Verified against the official source
• Have held the license for at least one (1) year and exercised it continuously for at least three (3) consecutive years before applying, with no more than one (1) year inactive before applying.Verified against the official source
• Be in "Good Standing" with the other state's board, with no revocation for negligence, malpractice or willful misconduct, and no resignation for those same causes.Verified against the official source
• Have no criminal record that disqualifies under Puerto Rico law, and no pending unresolved complaints, allegations or investigations.Verified against the official source
• Pay all applicable fees and taxes, including one hundred dollars ($100.00) per license or certification application, and comply with any professional-association obligation that exists under Puerto Rico law.Verified against the official source

• A certification signed and sworn by the applicant guaranteeing the legitimacy of the application information, as required by Sec. 2.01(l).

1. 1

   Step 1: Confirm your occupation is not the practice of law

   The law explicitly excludes "the practice of law" from all its operative definitions (Sec. 1.03(b) and (h)). If your license is as an attorney or notary, this law does not apply to you; that process is governed by the Puerto Rico Supreme Court.

2. 2

   Step 2: Verify the three years of continuous practice

   Sec. 2.01(b) requires having held the license for at least one year and exercised it continuously for at least three consecutive years before applying, with no more than one year of inactivity. Gather evidence of that continuous practice before filing.

3. 3

   Step 3: Get your "Good Standing" certification

   The law requires the other state's board to keep you in compliance, "which will require submitting the corresponding accreditation document" (Sec. 2.01(d)). Request it from the board that issued your original license with enough lead time.

4. 4

   Step 4: File the sworn application and pay the $100

   Every application must carry "a certification signed and sworn by the interested person, guaranteeing the legitimacy of the information provided" (Sec. 2.01(l)), accompanied by the $100 administrative cost per license or certification requested.

5. 5

   Step 5: Count the thirty days

   From the day you file, the Local Board has thirty days to approve or deny in writing. If the deadline passes with no response, the law "will automatically issue a Government Certification or a Provisional License" so you can work while the review finishes (Sec. 4.01(b)).

6. 6

   Step 6: If denied, you may seek review

   The interested person may seek review of the final determination under Act 38-2017, the "Uniform Administrative Procedure Act of the Government of Puerto Rico" (Cap. 5, Sec. 5.01).

Before the Local Board that regulates your occupation or profession: in most cases, the State Department's Auxiliary Secretariat of Examining Boards, though some professions (health professions, for example) have their own board attached to a different agency. The law orders every State Department, Local Board and other agency to regulate the exact per-occupation and per-profession validation procedure, with a one hundred eighty (180) day deadline from the law's approval (August 6, 2025) to do so — we did not read those regulations, so we do not publish the specific form for each profession.

• Thinking the practice of law is included: the law explicitly excludes it in all its definitions.
• Confusing the Government Certification with a license: they are different things and it does not apply to doctors or CPAs.
• Not gathering evidence of the three years of continuous practice before applying.
• Assuming a license obtained in Puerto Rico works in another state: the law clarifies it is valid "solely and exclusively in the jurisdiction of Puerto Rico."
• Not counting the thirty days: if the board does not respond, you are entitled to an automatic certification or provisional license — don't let it pass unclaimed.

These are the government pages this guide is based on.

• Departamento de Estado de Puerto Rico

  Departamento de Estado

  bvirtualogp.pr.gov