Article Updated: July 12, 2026

How to get a HIPAA License

by | January 06, 26 | HIPAA Certification

The equivalent of a HIPAA license in the healthcare industry is HIPAA certification. You can get HIPAA Certification by completing an online HIPAA certification course that teaches HIPAA, verifies completion through quizzes, and issues a certificate for your training records.

Where Individuals Commonly Obtain HIPAA Certification

Individuals usually obtain HIPAA certification through a third-party training provider that offers self-paced modules, knowledge checks, and a downloadable certificate. Employers and schools often accept a certificate as evidence that you completed HIPAA training and understood core compliance topics, then add internal policy training and system-specific requirements during onboarding.

HIPAA does not create a government-issued individual credential called “HIPAA certification.” In practice, the certificate functions as documentation of completed HIPAA training and assessment.

Recommended Option For Individuals

Accredited HIPAA Certification from The HIPAA Journal is an online, comprehensive course suitable for onboarding and annual refresher training. Delivery is through a learning management system that works on common devices and supports completion in one sitting or across multiple sessions. The course is structured around required lessons with a short quiz at the end of each lesson and includes unlimited quiz retakes until you achieve a passing score. The design uses lesson-based quizzes rather than an end-of-course exam, and the certificate is available immediately after successful completion. Certificate verification is available when an employer or hiring agency needs confirmation.

Four Step Process to Receive the HIPAA Certificate

Step 1 is accessing the training course on a device such as a mobile phone, laptop, desktop, or tablet.

Step 2 is using pause-and-resume lessons to finish the training on your schedule.

Step 3 is completing a short quiz at the end of each lesson, with no limit on retakes until you pass, and no exam at the end.

Step 4 is receiving the certificate immediately after you complete the lessons and pass the quizzes.

Author: PJ Murray

PJ Murray is the founder and publisher of The HIPAA Journal. He has more than 10 years of experience writing about HIPAA, healthcare compliance, patient privacy, and the protection of medical records. Through The HIPAA Journal, PJ helps healthcare organizations, business associates, and their employees better understand HIPAA regulations, reduce compliance risks, and strengthen the safeguards used to protect patient information.

PJ has a background in software development, holds an engineering degree, and specializes in the cybersecurity aspects of HIPAA compliance, including data security, medical record protection, and workforce training. He has also played a leading role in the development and launch of The HIPAA Journal Training, which provides HIPAA and cybersecurity training for healthcare organizations, business associates, students, and healthcare-related workforces.

PJ's work focuses on making complex regulatory and technical requirements easier for healthcare professionals and organizations to understand and apply in practice.
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