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Medical Coder
Medical coding is a certification-based profession — no state requires a license. However, employers universally require AAPC CPC or AHIMA CCS/CCA certification. Compare certification requirements, exam fees, and employer expectations across all 50 states.
51
Total States
0
States w/ License Req
$2,089
Avg Initial Investment
51
States w/ Cert Req
Medical coding is governed by national certification bodies, not state licensing boards. Here are the three key areas to understand.
No US state requires a license to work as a medical coder. Instead, the profession is governed by national certification organizations: AAPC (offering the CPC credential) and AHIMA (offering CCS and CCA credentials). Virtually all employers require one of these certifications.
Most medical coding programs are certificate (4-6 months) or associate degree (2 years) programs covering medical terminology, anatomy, ICD-10-CM/PCS, and CPT/HCPCS coding. The CPC exam is 150 questions over 5 hours 40 minutes with a 70% passing score requirement.
Maintaining certification requires ongoing CEUs: 36 CEUs every 2 years for CPC holders, 30 CEUs every 2 years for CCS holders. Annual membership renewal ($190/year AAPC, $229/year AHIMA) is also required to maintain credentials.
Click any column header to sort. Click a state to view full requirements.
| State | State License | Cert Required | Exam Fee | Total Investment | CEU Requirement | State Notes | Confidence | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama(AL) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | Mar 2026 |
| Alaska(AK) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | Mar 2026 |
| Arizona(AZ) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | Mar 2026 |
| Arkansas(AR) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | Mar 2026 |
| California(CA) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | California employers in large healthcare systems may require additional specialty certifications beyond CPC/CCS. | medium | Mar 2026 |
| Colorado(CO) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | Mar 2026 |
| Connecticut(CT) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | Mar 2026 |
| Delaware(DE) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | Mar 2026 |
| District of Columbia(DC) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | Mar 2026 |
| Florida(FL) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | Florida's large Medicare population means coders should be well-versed in Medicare coding guidelines. | medium | Mar 2026 |
| Georgia(GA) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | Mar 2026 |
| Hawaii(HI) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | Mar 2026 |
| Idaho(ID) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | Mar 2026 |
| Illinois(IL) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | Mar 2026 |
| Indiana(IN) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | Mar 2026 |
| Iowa(IA) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | Mar 2026 |
| Kansas(KS) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | Mar 2026 |
| Kentucky(KY) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | Mar 2026 |
| Louisiana(LA) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | Mar 2026 |
| Maine(ME) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | Mar 2026 |
| Maryland(MD) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | Mar 2026 |
| Massachusetts(MA) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | Mar 2026 |
| Michigan(MI) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | Mar 2026 |
| Minnesota(MN) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | Mar 2026 |
| Mississippi(MS) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | Mar 2026 |
| Missouri(MO) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | Mar 2026 |
| Montana(MT) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | Mar 2026 |
| Nebraska(NE) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | Mar 2026 |
| Nevada(NV) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | Mar 2026 |
| New Hampshire(NH) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | Mar 2026 |
| New Jersey(NJ) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | Mar 2026 |
| New Mexico(NM) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | Mar 2026 |
| New York(NY) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | New York's large hospital systems often prefer coders with both CPC and CCS credentials. | medium | Mar 2026 |
| North Carolina(NC) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | Mar 2026 |
| North Dakota(ND) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | Mar 2026 |
| Ohio(OH) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | Mar 2026 |
| Oklahoma(OK) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | Mar 2026 |
| Oregon(OR) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | Mar 2026 |
| Pennsylvania(PA) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | Mar 2026 |
| Rhode Island(RI) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | Mar 2026 |
| South Carolina(SC) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | Mar 2026 |
| South Dakota(SD) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | Mar 2026 |
| Tennessee(TN) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | Nashville's concentration of healthcare companies (HCA, Community Health Systems) may require specialty coding credentials. | medium | Mar 2026 |
| Texas(TX) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | Texas's large healthcare market means employers may prefer specialty certifications (e.g., CPC-P for payer-side coding). | medium | Mar 2026 |
| Utah(UT) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | Mar 2026 |
| Vermont(VT) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | Mar 2026 |
| Virginia(VA) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | Mar 2026 |
| Washington(WA) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | Mar 2026 |
| West Virginia(WV) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | Mar 2026 |
| Wisconsin(WI) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | Mar 2026 |
| Wyoming(WY) | No | Yes | $299-$499 | $2,089-$5,589 | 36 CEUs every 2 years | — | medium | Mar 2026 |
Medical coders often work alongside other healthcare professionals. Explore related certification and licensing requirements.
Study guides for CPC, CCS, and CCA medical coding certification exams.
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See the full comparison table above for all 51 states.