Residency Length and State Law: The 1-, 2- and 3-Year Rules

Podiatric residency has grown longer over time, and state law has not kept pace in a single direction. CPME's residency FAQ explains the history: before 2003, programs "could be between one and four years in length"; after 2003 they had to be "a minimum of either two or three years," an additional year was later added to the two-year programs, and "since 2013, all CPME-approved residency programs have been a minimum of three years (36-months) of training." A podiatrist finishing residency today easily meets any state's minimum. A podiatrist who trained in the 1990s may not.

Which states ask for one year of residency?

One year of CPME-approved postgraduate training is the most common rule in the statutes and rules read for the state pages. Examples:

• Texas: at least one year of graduate podiatric medical education in a CPME-approved program (TDLR application page).
• New York: at least one year of supervised postgraduate hospital training, meaning "not less than 11 calendar months of full-time training or the equivalent" (NYSED).
• Florida: one year of board-approved residency, with an alternative for ten years of continuous practice in another state (Fla. Stat. 461.006(1)(d)).
• Illinois: one year of CPME-approved postgraduate training, a residency or preceptorship, for those licensed after January 1, 1992 (68 Ill. Adm. Code 1360.50).
• Ohio: one year of postgraduate training in a podiatric internship, residency or clinical fellowship (ORC 4731.52(A)(1)(e)).
• Others: Georgia, Indiana (12 months), Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Carolina, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia (12 months), Washington, West Virginia, Montana and Oregon also set one year in the sources read.

Where is the rule two years?

• Idaho: a CPME-approved residency "of no less than twenty-four (24) months, a minimum of twelve (12) months of which must be surgical," with proof sent directly from the program (IDAPA 24.11.01.100.02).
• Hawaii: at least 24 months, with a separate path for graduates before January 1, 2004 (HRS 463E-3).
• Utah: for licenses issued on or after July 1, 2015, 24 months of CPME-approved residency, or 12 months plus continuing residency in Utah under a license that is revoked if the resident leaves (Utah Code 58-5a-302).
• Wisconsin: two years of approved postgraduate training, or one year if it was completed by June 1, 2010 (Wis. Stat. 448.63(1)(d)2).
• Iowa: two years for graduates on or after January 1, 2013; graduates since January 1, 1995 need a completed residency (Iowa Code 149.3).
• Kentucky: two years, verified by the sponsoring institution, for initial licensure after January 1, 2027 (KRS 311.420(4)(b)).
• California: two years of postgraduate training for the standard route (Bus. & Prof. Code 2484). Licensure by credentialing requires a CPME-approved program, and the board's application summary lists one year for that route.
• Vermont's endorsement path asks for two years of postgraduate training for U.S. or Canadian graduates (26 V.S.A. 372).

Which states require three years?

Two statutes read require a full three years for licensure itself:

• Arizona: the board issues a license on "satisfactory proof of successfully completing a thirty-six-month residency program" (A.R.S. 32-826), and its comity route for licensed podiatrists keeps that requirement.
• Oklahoma: a CPME-approved podiatric surgical residency "of not less than three (3) years," applying "only to applicants after March 1, 2018" (59 O.S. 144).

For Arizona there is no grandfather clause in the statute read, so a podiatrist with a one- or two-year residency cannot meet it.

Are there states with no length at all?

Yes. Pennsylvania's board snapshot says there is no experience requirement. Connecticut's licensing requirements list no residency, though residency matters for its ankle surgery documentation. Several other statutes require a completed residency without stating a length, including Alabama, Delaware, Minnesota (for graduates after 1990), North Dakota (after July 1, 1991), Nevada, New Jersey and Wyoming (after July 1, 2005). In those states the board's rules or practice can still add detail, so check before assuming a short residency is enough.

Board-reported figures sometimes say more than the statute. Minnesota, for example, reports three years to the Federation of Podiatric Medical Boards (row dated 8/31/2026), while its statute sets no length. A board-reported figure is a lead to confirm, not the law.

How does residency length gate ankle surgery?

Some states license you with one year but let you operate on the ankle only after longer surgical training:

• Alabama: no surgical treatment of osseous ailments of the ankle without "at least 36 months of post-graduate residency training approved by" CPME (Ala. Code 34-24-235, effective August 1, 2023).
• Kansas: ankle surgery needs a two-year surgical residency completed before July 1, 2007, or a three-year one after, in reconstructive rearfoot and ankle surgery, plus board certification or qualification (K.S.A. 65-2002(d)).
• Nebraska: podiatrists first licensed on or after September 1, 2001 need an advanced postdoctoral surgical residency of at least two years before ankle surgery (Neb. Rev. Stat. 38-3011).
• Missouri: ankle surgery needs ABPS board certification or a 24-month surgical residency, mandatory for licensees after January 1, 2005, in a hospital or ASC with credentialing committee approval (RSMo 330.010).
• New York, Connecticut, South Carolina and Utah tie ankle credentials or advanced ankle procedures to a three-year residency for more recent graduates.

See the scope-by-state hub and ankle surgery scope by state for the full picture.

Why does the certificate matter more than experience?

Because the statutes count training, not years in practice. A podiatrist with 25 years of surgical practice and a one-year residency still fails Arizona's 36-month rule. A few states soften this for older graduates: Florida accepts ten years of continuous practice in place of residency, and Hawaii has a separate path for pre-2004 graduates. Those exceptions are in trained before 2003?

CPME's FAQ also notes that "only practitioners who have successfully completed the CPME approved residency in existence during their years of training may be board-eligible/qualified or board-certified" by ABFAS or ABPM, which matters in states that tie scope or endorsement to certification.

How should you check your own residency against a target state?

1. Get the exact program type and dates from your certificate or a CPME verification letter.
2. Read the target state's rule for both the length and any graduation-date cutoff.
3. Check scope separately: a license and ankle surgery may follow different residency rules in the same state.

A Podiatry Licensure Readiness Review ($149, credited toward your first application) runs this check for each state you are considering, and the state license index shows each state's verified residency rule.