Paper CLIA Fee Coupons & Certificates Ending March 1, 2026

As part of our ongoing commitment to help practices stay ahead of regulatory changes, we want to make sure you’re aware of an important update from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) that may affect your laboratory operations—especially if your practice performs any in‑house testing.

What’s Changing?

CMS is modernizing the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) program by transitioning entirely to electronic fee coupons and electronic CLIA certificates.

Starting March 1, 2026:

• CMS will no longer mail paper CLIA fee coupons or CLIA certificates.
• All CLIA certification and survey fees must be paid online.
  (Checks will no longer be accepted.)
• Only practices and labs enrolled in CMS email notifications will receive fee coupons and certificates going forward.

This means it’s essential for laboratories and any provider conducting lab testing to be signed up for CMS electronic notifications before the March 1 deadline.

Why This Matters

Failure to transition to electronic notifications may result in:

• Missed CLIA fee invoices
• Lapsed certificates
• Delays or disruptions in billing
• Compliance issues that could affect laboratory testing services

We want your practice to avoid any of these preventable interruptions.

Action Steps for Practices

To continue receiving CLIA-related documents electronically, take one of the following steps as soon as possible:

1. Email your State Agency
   Use the contact information provided in the CMS State Agency PDF to update or confirm your email address on file.

2. Accredited Laboratories
   If your laboratory is accredited through an Accreditation Organization, contact your accreditor directly to update your email information.

Either option will ensure CMS has the correct email address for your lab or practice.

Steps to Look Up CLIA Status

1. Access the Tool: Navigate to the QCOR Home Page and select "CLIA Laboratory Lookup" from the left-hand menu bar (typically the second option from the top).
2. Enter Search Criteria: You can search for a laboratory using the following details:
   • CLIA Number: Enter the 10-digit alphanumeric identification number.
   • Facility Name: Use the full or partial name of the laboratory.
   • Location: Narrow results by City, State, or Zip Code.
3. View Results: Click on the laboratory name in the search results to open a pop-up window containing demographics and status.
4. Download Certificate: If a certificate was generated after September 27, 2023, a link to download the official PDF will be visible in the laboratory's information box. 

CMS Demographic Lookup: You can also check basic "active" lab information (expiration date, certificate type) on the CMS Laboratory Demographic Information page.

FDA CLIA Database: For information regarding specific test categorizations and waived analytes, use the FDA CLIA Database. 

How Practice Coaches Can Support You

We’re here to help your team prepare for the transition. Practice Support Coaches can:

• Confirm whether your practice has already received electronic notifications
• Help you identify your state agency contact
• Walk through the steps to update your information
• Answer questions about the process and how it may impact billing and operations

If your practice performs any point‑of‑care testing or maintains a CLIA certificate of waiver, this change applies to you—so please take a moment to complete this update.

Bottom Line

March 1, 2026 is the final cutoff for paper CLIA documents. Switching to electronic notifications now will help ensure seamless renewals, uninterrupted testing operations, and continued compliance with CMS requirements.

If you need assistance, don’t hesitate to reach out to your Practice Support Coach—we’re here to help you navigate the transition smoothly.