Licence vs certification

The two words get used interchangeably, but they mean different things.

A licence is permission

A licence is issued by a government agency, usually a state board. It is what makes it legal to do certain work or use a certain title in that state. If a job is licensed and you do it without one, you can face penalties. Licences are tied to a state, so moving often means applying again.

A certification is a credential

A certification shows you have met a standard, often set by a professional or industry body. On its own it usually does not give you legal permission to work. Some states, though, build a certification into the licence.

How it shows up in this directory

Each record has a certification field. States reported one of these:

• Certification required — the state requires a certification as part of getting the licence.
• Certification may substitute for licence requirements — holding the certification can replace some of the licence requirements.
• No mention of certification — the state's report says nothing about one.

When the state reported the field as undetermined, the licence page leaves it out rather than guess.

The exam field works the same way. "Third-party exam required" usually means an exam run by an outside body rather than the state itself — often the same body that issues a certification.

What to do

Find the licence on its state or occupation page, read what the state reported, then confirm with the issuing board listed on that page before you apply.