What you need before you start
To register as a patient in Pennsylvania you need two things: proof that you live in the state and an email address that works. The Department of Health accepts a Pennsylvania driver's license or a Pennsylvania state-issued ID card, and the ID must show your current address. Patients do not need a background check.
The residency rule is not a formality. The Medical Marijuana Act defines a patient as a resident of the Commonwealth, so the ID is how the Department confirms you are eligible to be in the program at all. The email matters because the Department uses it for reminders, including the renewal notice that arrives 60 days before your card expires.
Moved recently? Update the address on your license or state ID before you register. An ID with an old address is not accepted, and it is easier to fix at the start than halfway through.
Step 1: Create your patient registry account
The patient and caregiver registry is the Department's record of you as a patient. Your certification, your payment and your ID card all run through it. You create the account at the Department of Health registry login page, entering your details exactly as they appear on your ID.
Doing this first keeps the rest of the process in order. When a physician later submits your certification, it attaches to a patient who already exists in the system, and you can move straight to payment.
Step 2: Get certified by a registered physician
A certification is a physician's statement that you have one or more of the program's serious medical conditions. In Pennsylvania only an MD or DO can issue one, and only after holding an active state license, registering with the Department of Health and completing a four-hour approved training course. Nurse practitioners and physician assistants cannot certify, whatever role they play in the rest of your care.
The physician decides whether your diagnosis fits the 24 qualifying conditions and can list up to 10 of them on one certification. The physician also sets how long the certification lasts, up to one year. Bring records that document your diagnosis and the treatments you have tried, since the decision rests on them.
You do not have to sit in an office. Under Act 44 of 2021, registered practitioners may certify patients through real-time audio or video. Our page on online evaluations in Pennsylvania explains what counts and how to find an approved physician.
Two rules shape the search. The law bars practitioners from advertising themselves as certifiers, which is why the Department's published list of approved practitioners is the most reliable place to look. And a physician may not certify himself or herself or a family member, so a doctor in the family is not an option.
Need a physician certification?
Online evaluations are available for Pennsylvania residents. Code DRWDY85872 takes 5% off. The physician, not the booking service, decides whether you are certified.
Book my PA evaluation →Step 3: Pay the annual fee within 60 days
Once the certification is submitted, log back into the registry and pay. The fee is $50, charged once every 12 months no matter how many cards or certifications you receive in that period. If you are enrolled in Medicaid, CHIP, PACE/PACENET, SNAP or WIC, the fee is $0. Our cost guide sets out every state fee, and the explainer on the $0 card fee covers who qualifies for it.
The deadline is the step people most often trip over. For a first card, the Department says payment must be made within 60 days of the date your certification was submitted. After that, the certification expires and you have to obtain a new one. Pay as soon as you can rather than waiting for a reminder.
Step 4: Wait for the card, then visit a dispensary
After payment, the Department suggests allowing about 7 days for the card to be printed and about 14 days for it to arrive by mail. When it comes, carry it any time you have medical marijuana with you; the law requires that. Our dispensary guide explains how to find a location with product and what to expect on a first visit.
If someone else will buy for you
A patient who cannot shop alone can designate up to two caregivers, and patients under 18 must have one. The caregiver registers separately, passes a fingerprint-based background check and receives a card of his or her own. The caregiver guide explains who qualifies.
When something goes wrong
A lost or damaged card can be replaced for $25 the first time and $50 for each replacement after that. Requesting a replacement deactivates the old card, so do not request one if you expect the original to turn up. For problems with your account or certification, the Department's medical marijuana line is 888-733-5595, staffed from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern time, seven days a week, except state holidays.
Your next step: confirm the address on your ID, then open your registry account. Everything else follows from there.
Questions people ask
Do patients need a background check?
No. Patients do not go through a background check. Caregivers do: they need a fingerprint-based criminal background check before the Department approves them.
Can I register with a passport or an out-of-state license?
The Department lists two accepted IDs: a Pennsylvania driver's license or a Pennsylvania state-issued ID card. Either one must show your current address.
How many conditions can the physician put on my certification?
Up to 10 serious medical conditions per certification, according to the Department of Health. Most people need only the one that best describes their diagnosis.
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This page explains Pennsylvania law and Department of Health guidance in general terms; it is not medical or legal advice, and only a registered physician can certify a patient.