Genetic counselors in Arizona will need a state license from a new Board of Genetic Counselors, with exceptions, and those already practicing must apply by January 1, 2028; practicing without a license becomes a class 6 felony.
Official title: genetic counselors; board; licensure
- September 12, 2026
- October 1, 2026 (once board rules are completed, and no later than this date): Requirement to be licensed to practice genetic counseling
- January 1, 2028: Deadline for people already practicing genetic counseling to apply for a license; genetic counselor board members must hold an Arizona license from this date
- September 1, 2028: End of 1 initial board member term
- September 1, 2029: End of 2 initial board member terms
- July 1, 2034: Board of Genetic Counselors terminates
- January 1, 2035: Genetic counselor licensing law is repealed
What changes
-
NowA new 9-member Board of Genetic Counselors, appointed by the governor, licenses and disciplines genetic counselors. It is staffed by the Arizona Board of Osteopathic Examiners in Medicine and Surgery, whose executive director also serves as the board's director.
-
NowA person may not act as a genetic counselor without a license, with exceptions for other licensed health professionals acting within their field, federal employees, supervised students in accredited programs, and visiting certified counselors working under 30 days a year. Practicing without a license, or getting one by fraud, is a class 6 felony.
-
NowA license requires current certification from a national genetic counseling or medical genetics board and a board-set fee. It lasts 2 years, and renewal requires continuing education. People already practicing must apply by January 1, 2028. Counselors with at least 8 years of Arizona practice who do not otherwise qualify may apply with a qualifying degree, 3 recommendation letters and recent continuing education.
-
NowPeople who are eligible to take the certification exam may get a 1-year provisional license, which can be extended once for 1 more year. They must work under a licensed genetic counselor or physician.
-
NowA genetic counselor may decline to provide counseling that violates the counselor's religious, moral or ethical beliefs. The counselor must tell the patient in a timely manner and offer to point the patient to the board's online directory of licensed genetic counselors, but does not have to refer the patient to a specific provider. The counselor is protected from liability for this choice, except for intentional criminal misconduct or knowingly falsifying records or test results.
Who it affects
- Genetic counselors practicing or wishing to practice in Arizona
- Genetic counseling students and exam candidates
- Patients and families who receive genetic counseling
- Governor (board appointments)
- Arizona Board of Osteopathic Examiners in Medicine and Surgery (staffs the new board)
- Attorney general and county attorneys (enforcement)
What you need to do
Genetic counselors who want to practice in Arizona must get a license from the new board. Those already practicing must apply by January 1, 2028. Others who are not exempt must be licensed by October 1, 2026, once the board completes its rules. Patients need to do nothing.
What the law doesn't answer
- The amounts of license, provisional license, renewal and reinstatement fees, which the board sets by rule
- How the October 1, 2026 licensing requirement applies to people already practicing who have until January 1, 2028 to apply
- When the terms of the other initial board members end; only 3 initial terms are listed for a 9-member board
- The exact number of continuing education units needed for renewal, beyond tying it to certification requirements
- Any specific penalty for using the title "licensed genetic counselor" without a license, other than that it violates the chapter
- Whether this affects insurance coverage of genetic counseling
This summary describes the law as enacted. Later laws, court rulings or referendum petitions can change the picture. Check the official text for the current wording.