A card's year, start to finish
Pennsylvania's program runs on an annual cycle, and the dates are the same in Lackawanna County as anywhere else in the state:
- Day one: a registered MD or DO submits your certification. For a first card, the 60-day payment clock starts now.
- Within 60 days: you pay the $50 annual fee in the registry, or $0 if you are enrolled in Medicaid, CHIP, PACE/PACENET, SNAP or WIC.
- About three weeks later: the card arrives, after roughly 7 days of printing and 14 days of mail.
- Sixty days before expiration: the Department of Health emails you that it is time for a new certification.
- Thirty days before the next fee is due: a separate reminder covers the payment.
The certification can last up to one year, but your physician may set an earlier end date, and the card ends with it. Our renewal guide explains how to time the next certification so the new card starts when the old one ends.
When someone else should do the shopping
Some patients cannot easily get to a dispensary. The program's answer is a registered caregiver, and a patient may designate up to two at a time. The Department says homebound adults and adults who would benefit from assistance can be registered through a caregiver; for patients under 18, a caregiver is required.
A caregiver must be a Pennsylvania resident, at least 21 unless the Department authorizes otherwise, registered with the Department and cleared by a fingerprint-based background check. Anyone convicted of a drug sale or possession offense in the past five years is denied. Approval can take three to four weeks after the fingerprint appointment. The caregiver card application fee is $50, waivable for financial hardship, and background check fees were eliminated on March 1, 2022. Our caregiver guide goes through each requirement.
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 →Two clocks to keep straight
A patient with a caregiver has two registrations, and each expires on its own date. The Department emails caregivers 60 days before a caregiver card expires, just as it emails patients before theirs. Neither reminder covers the other person's card, so each needs its own attention.
Keep both expiration dates on one calendar. Families who share caregiving duties can each set the same reminder.
Finding a dispensary near Scranton
For locations, use the Department's list of dispensaries with product (PDF), dated September 15, 2026. Search by Scranton and surrounding Lackawanna County ZIP codes. Patients and caregivers alike may receive up to a 90-day supply of individual doses at a time.
Neighboring guides
Luzerne County is covered in our Wilkes-Barre guide, and the Lehigh Valley in the Allentown guide. Your next step: decide whether you need a caregiver, then open your registry account.
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Sources
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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.