---
type: "LegalText"
title: "14 U.S.C. § 508"
description: "Coast Guard health-care professionals; licensure portability"
jurisdiction: "us"
corpus: "united_states_code"
kind: "code_section"
title_number: 14
title_name: "COAST GUARD"
chapter_number: "5"
chapter_name: "FUNCTIONS AND POWERS"
section: "508"
citation: "14 U.S.C. § 508"
status: "current"
release_point: "119-100"
release_date: "2026-06-26"
source: "official"
source_url: "https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc14@119-100.zip"
source_identifier: "/us/usc/t14/s508"
source_file: "data/legal/raw/us/code/title-14/usc14.xml"
source_hash: "a84b9e0e327d66ccb0b947e260e911e5b4d7a81355eb348eb23830f1df0c3e09"
raw_snapshot_hash: "0a287809467d795ac0e1a72d6743ea6b1d340c0f74c77c67bfeba10724006304"
text_hash: "d1b39d97e1317c0ac6b61c54b0da661e11e5128020ad9425dc30491a9517e253"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-04"
confidence: "official"
tags: ["legal", "us-code"]
---

# 14 U.S.C. § 508 - Coast Guard health-care professionals; licensure portability

## Text

(a) In General.— Notwithstanding any other provision of law regarding the licensure of health-care providers, a health-care professional described in subsection (b) may practice the health profession or professions of the health-care professional at any location in any State, the District of Columbia, or a Commonwealth, territory, or possession of the United States, regardless of where such health-care professional or the patient is located, if the practice is within the scope of the authorized Federal duties of such health-care professional.

(b) Described Individuals.— A health-care professional described in this subsection is an individual—

(1) who is—

(A) a member of the Coast Guard;

(B) a civilian employee of the Coast Guard;

(C) a member of the Public Health Service who is assigned to the Coast Guard; or

(D) any other health-care professional credentialed and privileged at a Federal health-care institution or location specially designated by the Secretary; and

(2) who—

(A) has a current license to practice medicine, osteopathic medicine, dentistry, or another health profession; and

(B) is performing authorized duties for the Coast Guard.

(c) Definitions.— In this section, the terms “license” and “health-care professional” have the meanings given those terms in section 1094(e) of title 10.

(Added Pub. L. 115–282, title III, § 305(a), Dec. 4, 2018, 132 Stat. 4245.)

## Notes

Editorial Notes

Prior ProvisionsA prior section 508 was renumbered section 2711 of this title.