Thousands of physicians who obtained their Michigan professional license through the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact (IMLC) have been anxiously waiting to hear whether they will be able to practice in Michigan after March 28, 2026. If the Legislature fails to pass legislation to reinstate Michigan’s participation in the IMLC before this deadline, their licenses will be invalid.
Michigan passed legislation in 2018 (Public Act 563 of 2018) allowing Michigan to join the IMLC. The law included a three-year sunset provision which was previously extended to March 28, 2025. Because the Legislature neither extended nor eliminated the sunset clause last year, the law was repealed and Michigan began the year-long process of withdrawing from the IMLC. This withdrawal period ends on March 28, 2026.
To date, each Chamber has passed its own bills to restore Michigan to the IMLC. House Bill 5455 currently awaits consideration by the Senate Committee on Government Relations, while Senate Bill 303 resides in the House Committee on Rules. Until yesterday, there was no agreement on which bill would move forward. Based on recent comments from legislative leaders, there is a renewed expectation that HB 5455 will be passed and signed into law next week prior to the March 28, 2026, deadline. This would allow Michigan to continue uninterrupted participation in the IMLC and physicians to continue to practice with licenses previously issued.
Physicians are encouraged to monitor the IMLC website for the latest status updates. The Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) offered that physicians with questions can contact the IMLC staff at lara-bplcompact@michigan.gov.
For more information, you may also contact Stacey Hettiger at shettiger@msms.org or 517-336-5766.