Certification
National phlebotomy certification
National phlebotomy certification is an exam result from a certifying organization. It is not the diploma the school prints, and it is not a license from every state.
More than one organization offers a national exam. Employers in the same city sometimes accept different ones. Before you pay an exam fee, read two current job ads and, if you can, ask the laboratory which names they recognize.
The school may prepare you for a named exam or leave the choice to you. Preparation can include a study guide and practice questions. Sitting the exam, paying for it, and receiving the credential are still a second transaction after the course.
State rules sit beside the national exam. California requires its own certificate for most phlebotomy work and expects an approved training program plus a national exam. Other states may not license phlebotomists at all and still have employers who require the national credential. Check the state where you will work.
States and territories
- Alabama 11
- Alaska 3
- Arizona 32
- Arkansas 31
- California 305
- Colorado 22
- Connecticut 22
- Delaware 8
- Florida 172
- Georgia 54
- Guam 1
- Hawaii 1
- Idaho 7
- Illinois 64
- Indiana 64
- Iowa 12
- Kansas 13
- Kentucky 21
- Louisiana 58
- Maine 14
- Maryland 13
- Massachusetts 22
- Michigan 63
- Minnesota 20
- Mississippi 15
- Missouri 30
- Montana 8
- Nebraska 4
- Nevada 17
- New Hampshire 10
- New Jersey 18
- New Mexico 16
- New York 82
- North Carolina 62
- North Dakota 2
- Ohio 133
- Oklahoma 10
- Oregon 14
- Pennsylvania 36
- Rhode Island 4
- South Carolina 16
- South Dakota 3
- Tennessee 33
- Texas 170
- U.S. Virgin Islands 3
- Utah 15
- Vermont 1
- Virginia 40
- Washington 34
- West Virginia 14
- Wisconsin 20
- Wyoming 4
Questions
Does finishing school make me certified?
No. It makes you a graduate of that program. Certification is the exam.
Does a national credential replace a state certificate?
Not where the state requires its own. California is the example to read carefully.