1. (a) Licensure requirements and work scope for a medical laboratory technician (MLT) trainee are follows:

   1. (1) On and after January 1, 2026, a person performing clinical laboratory tests or examinations as a trainee for medical laboratory technician (MLT) licensure must hold a valid and current MLT trainee license.

   2. (2) To be licensed as an MLT trainee, a person must satisfy each of the following requirements:

      1. (A) Apply for an MLT trainee license as specified in section 1031; and
      2. (B) Document successful completion of an associate degree, or equivalent education of at least 60 semester or equivalent quarter credit hours of coursework, from an accredited college or university with courses pertinent to clinical laboratory science as specified in Section 1032; and

      3. (C) Complete at least 36 semester or equivalent quarter credit hours in chemical and biological sciences with an emphasis on applied clinical laboratory science, medical laboratory science, or medical laboratory technology, including at least:

         1. 1. 6 semester or equivalent quarter credit hours in chemistry; and
         2. 2. 6 semester or equivalent quarter credit hours in biology.
      4. (D) If an applicant has completed at least 6 semester or equivalent quarter credit hours in chemistry and 6 semester or equivalent quarter credit hours in biology, as specified in paragraph (C), the Department is authorized to issue the applicant a trainee license, in which case the applicant must complete the remaining required credit hours concurrently with the practical training.
   3. (3) A licensed MLT trainee is authorized to train in an approved training program performing clinical laboratory tests or examinations categorized as waived and tests or examinations categorized as moderate complexity under CLIA in the specialties of chemistry, microbiology, diagnostic immunology, hematology, and immunohematology, as specified in section 1035.1.
   4. (4) An MLT trainee must work under the direct and responsible supervision of a licensed physician and surgeon or a clinical laboratory bioanalyst, master's or doctoral degree specialist, clinical laboratory scientist, or clinical laboratory scientist limited to a specialty or subspecialty licensed under Chapter 3 as specified in section 1035.1.

2. (b) Licensure requirements and work scope for a clinical laboratory scientist (CLS) trainee are as follows:

   1. (1) To be licensed as a CLS trainee, a person must satisfy each of the following requirements:

      1. (A) Apply for a CLS trainee license as specified in section 1031; and
      2. (B) Document successful completion of a baccalaureate, or an equivalent degree as defined in section 1029, from an accredited college or university with courses pertinent to clinical laboratory science as specified in Section 1032; or, if the applicant will be granted a baccalaureate degree upon completion of training, document successful completion of at least 90 semester or equivalent quarter credit hours of college or university courses from an accredited college or university; and

      3. (C) Complete at least:

         1. 1. 16 semester or equivalent quarter credit hours in chemistry, including:

            1. a. Quantitative analysis or analytical chemistry; and
            2. b. Clinical chemistry or biochemistry; and
         2. 2. 16 semester or equivalent quarter credit hours in biology, including medical, clinical, or pathogenic microbiology, hematology, and immunology; and
         3. 3. 3 semester or equivalent quarter credit hours of physics, mathematics, or statistics.
   2. (2) A licensed CLS trainee is authorized to train in an approved training program performing clinical laboratory tests or examinations categorized as waived and tests or examinations categorized as moderate or high complexity under CLIA in the specialties and subspecialties of chemistry, microbiology, diagnostic immunology, immunohematology, hematology, histocompatibility, and other areas as specified in section 1035.2.
   3. (3) A CLS trainee must work under the direct and responsible supervision of a licensed physician and surgeon or a clinical laboratory bioanalyst, master's or doctoral degree specialist, CLS, or CLS limited to a specialty or subspecialty licensed under Chapter 3 as specified in section 1035.2.

3. (c) Licensure requirements and work scope for a clinical laboratory scientist (CLS) trainee who meets California requirements for licensure as a medical laboratory technician (MLT) are as follows:

   1. (1) To be licensed as a CLS trainee, a person who meets California requirements for licensure as an MLT must satisfy each of the following requirements:

      1. (A) Apply for a CLS trainee license as specified in section 1031; and
      2. (B) Hold a current license, or meet requirements for licensure, as an MLT pursuant to Chapter 3; and
      3. (C) Document successful completion of a baccalaureate, or an equivalent degree as defined in section 1029, from an accredited college or university with courses pertinent to clinical laboratory science as specified in Section 1032; or, if the applicant will be granted a baccalaureate degree upon completion of training, document successful completion of at least 90 semester or equivalent quarter credit hours of college or university courses from an accredited college or university; and

      4. (D) Complete at least:

         1. 1. 16 semester or equivalent quarter credit hours in chemistry, including:

            1. a. Quantitative analysis or analytical chemistry; and
            2. b. Clinical chemistry or biochemistry; and
         2. 2. 16 semester or equivalent quarter credit hours in biology, including medical, clinical, or pathogenic microbiology, hematology, and immunology; and
         3. 3. 3 semester or equivalent quarter credit hours of physics, mathematics, or statistics.
   2. (2) A licensed CLS trainee is authorized to train in an approved training program performing clinical laboratory tests or examinations categorized as waived and tests or examinations categorized as moderate or high complexity under CLIA in the specialties and subspecialties of chemistry, microbiology, diagnostic immunology, immunohematology, hematology, histocompatibility, and other areas, as specified in section 1035.3.
   3. (3) A CLS trainee must work under the direct and responsible supervision of a licensed physician and surgeon or a clinical laboratory bioanalyst, master's or doctoral degree specialist, CLS, or CLS limited to a specialty or subspecialty licensed under Chapter 3 as specified in section 1035.3.

4. (d) Licensure requirements and work scope for a clinical laboratory scientist (CLS) trainee limited to a specialty or subspecialty are as follows:

   1. (1) To be licensed as a CLS trainee limited to a specialty or subspecialty, a person must satisfy each of the following requirements:

      1. (A) Apply for a CLS trainee license limited to a specialty or subspecialty as specified in section 1031; and

      2. (B) Document successful completion of a baccalaureate or equivalent degree as defined in section 1029 from an accredited college or university as follows:

         1. 1. For an applicant for a CLS trainee license in the specialty of chemistry, microbiology, immunohematology, hematology, or histocompatibility, or the subspecialty of toxicology, document successful completion of a baccalaureate, or an equivalent degree as defined in section 1029, from an accredited college or university with courses pertinent to clinical laboratory science as specified in Section 1032; and
         2. 2. For an applicant for a CLS trainee license in the subspecialty of genetic molecular biology or cytogenetics, document successful completion of a baccalaureate, or an equivalent degree as defined in section 1029, from an accredited college or university with courses pertinent to clinical laboratory science or a field related to genetics as specified in Section 1032; and

      3. (C) Complete coursework appropriate to the license for which the applicant is applying as follows:

         1. 1. For the specialty of chemistry: 23 semester or equivalent quarter credit hours of science courses, including at least 3 semester or equivalent quarter credit hours of physics, mathematics, or statistics and at least 16 semester or equivalent quarter credit hours in chemistry, including

            1. a. Quantitative analysis or analytical chemistry; and
            2. b. Clinical chemistry or biochemistry;
         2. 2. For the specialty of microbiology: 23 semester or equivalent quarter credit hours of science courses, including at least 3 semester or equivalent quarter credit hours of physics, mathematics, or statistics and at least 16 semester or equivalent quarter credit hours in a biological science, including medical, clinical, or pathogenic microbiology;
         3. 3. For the specialty of immunohematology: 23 semester or equivalent quarter credit hours of science courses, including at least 3 semester or equivalent quarter credit hours of physics, mathematics, or statistics and at least 16 semester or equivalent quarter credit hours in a biological science, including immunology;
         4. 4. For the subspecialty of toxicology: 23 semester or equivalent quarter credit hours of science courses, including at least 3 semester or equivalent quarter credit hours of physics, mathematics, or statistics and at least 16 semester or equivalent quarter credit hours in chemistry;
         5. 5. For the specialty of hematology: 23 semester or equivalent quarter credit hours of science courses, including at least 3 semester or equivalent quarter credit hours of physics, mathematics, or statistics and at least 16 semester or equivalent quarter credit hours in a biological science, including hematology;
         6. 6. For the specialty of histocompatibility: 23 semester or equivalent quarter credit hours of science courses, including at least 3 semester or equivalent quarter credit hours of physics, mathematics, or statistics and at least 16 semester or equivalent quarter credit hours in a biological science, including immunology or genetics;
         7. 7. For the subspecialties of genetic molecular biology and cytogenetics: 23 semester or equivalent quarter credit hours of science courses, including at least 3 semester or equivalent quarter credit hours of physics, mathematics, or statistics and at least 16 semester or equivalent quarter credit hours in a biological or chemical science, including genetics.
   2. (2) A licensed CLS trainee limited to a specialty or subspecialty is authorized to train in an approved training program performing clinical laboratory tests or examinations categorized as waived and tests or examinations categorized as moderate or high complexity under CLIA in the specialties and appropriate to the license for which the applicant is applying as specified in section 1035.2.
   3. (3) A CLS trainee limited to a specialty or subspecialty must work under the direct and responsible supervision of a licensed physician and surgeon or a clinical laboratory bioanalyst, master's or doctoral degree specialist, CLS, or CLS limited to a specialty or subspecialty licensed under Chapter 3 as specified in section 1035.2.
5. (e) The director of the clinical laboratory in which a trainee performs tests or examinations must ensure that a qualified person conducts a critical review of the trainee's test results pursuant to section 1029 before the release of those results.

6. (f) A licensed clinical laboratory trainee as specified in subsections (a) through (d) must maintain current licensure with the Department as a clinical laboratory trainee during the entire period the trainee is performing tests or examinations in a clinical laboratory located in California.

   1. (1) The trainee must possess a current license issued by the Department attesting to the trainee's name, license type, and effective dates of licensure as a clinical laboratory trainee.

   2. (2) The trainee's current clinical laboratory trainee license issued by the Department must be posted in the clinical laboratory in which the trainee performs clinical laboratory tests or examinations.

      1. (A) If a trainee performs clinical laboratory tests or examinations at one or more locations of a single employer under the same clinical laboratory license, the current clinical laboratory trainee license issued by the Department must be posted at the trainee's primary work location.
      2. (B) If a trainee performs clinical laboratory tests or examinations for more than one employer or at multiple laboratories not under the same clinical laboratory license, the current clinical laboratory trainee license issued by the Department must be posted at the trainee's primary work location at each address of employment.
   3. (3) A trainee license is valid for one year from the date of issue and may be renewed upon expiration as specified in section 1031.1.

Note: Authority cited: Sections 100275 and 131200, Health and Safety Code; and Sections 1208 and 1224, Business and Professions Code. Reference: Sections 1205, 1261, 1263 and 1301, Business and Professions Code.

History

1. New section filed 11-25-70 as procedural and organizational; designated effective 11-24-70 (Register 70, No. 48).

2. Certificate of Compliance--Sec. 11422.1, Gov. Code, filed 1-20-71 (Register 71, No. 4).

3. Amendment of section heading, section and Note filed 2-24-2000 as an emergency; operative 2-24-2000 (Register 2000, No. 8). A Certificate of Compliance must be transmitted to OAL by 6-23-2000 or emergency language will be repealed by operation of law on the following day.

4. Amendment of section heading, section and Note refiled 6-21-2000 as an emergency; operative 6-24-2000 (Register 2000, No. 25). A Certificate of Compliance must be transmitted to OAL by 10-23-2000 or emergency language will be repealed by operation of law on the following day.

5. Amendment of section heading, section and Note refiled 10-19-2000 as an emergency; operative 10-24-2000 (Register 2000, No. 42). A Certificate of Compliance must be transmitted to OAL by 2-21-2001 or emergency language will be repealed by operation of law on the following day.

6. Certificate of Compliance as to 10-19-2000 order, including amendment of section, transmitted to OAL 2-21-2001 and filed 4-3-2001 (Register 2001, No. 14).

7. Change without regulatory effect renumbering former section 1030.5 to new section 1030.21 and former section 1033 to section 1030.5 filed 10-3-2022 pursuant to section 100, title 1, California Code of Regulations (Register 2022, No. 40).

8. Repealer and new section heading and section and amendment of Note filed 11-13-2024; operative 1-1-2025 (Register 2024, No. 46).