CLIA Lookup: Certificate Types, Adverse Actions, and Results

To run a CLIA lookup, go to the CMS CLIA Laboratory Demographics Lookup at qcor.cms.gov and search by the lab’s ten-character CLIA identification number, its facility name, or its city, state, or zip code. The tool returns each lab’s certificate type, current status, expiration date, and any adverse actions, which together tell you whether the lab is federally authorized to run the tests it offers.1Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Laboratory Demographics Lookup and Registry Every lab that tests human specimens in the United States must hold a certificate under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments, the federal program that sets quality standards for accuracy, reliability, and timeliness of patient test results.2Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA)

Where to Run the Lookup

CMS hosts the only authoritative federal database. The search tool is the CLIA Laboratory Demographics Lookup at qcor.cms.gov, and it reflects current certification data, so it is the right place for a quick status check.1Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Laboratory Demographics Lookup and Registry

CMS also publishes a separate Laboratory Registry that lists labs with suspended, limited, or revoked certificates along with the reasons for each action, and includes information provided by the Office of the Inspector General on labs excluded from Medicare or Medicaid. The registry is updated once a year, so use it as a second step after the demographics lookup if you want a deeper compliance history.1Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Laboratory Demographics Lookup and Registry

What You Need Before You Search

The fastest way in is the lab’s CLIA identification number. It is a unique ten-character alphanumeric code assigned when a lab first applies for certification, and it looks something like 22D0981035.3Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. CLIA Certification Quick Start Guide March 2026 The number stays with the lab for its entire history, so a facility that has changed names or ownership can still be tracked with the same ID.4Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. CLIA Certification

Without the number, search by full or partial facility name plus city, state, or zip code. Combining fields narrows the list. A name-only search for something like “Quest” can return dozens of entries; adding a zip code usually gets you to the right record. You can also filter by certificate type.

Labs With Multiple Locations

Each physical laboratory location generally needs its own CLIA certificate and its own CLIA number. Verifying a hospital system or a reference lab with satellite draw stations may mean looking up each site separately. The regulations do carve out a few exceptions where multiple sites share one certificate:

If the lookup returns nothing for a satellite location, the site may be operating under its parent facility’s certificate. Search by the parent organization’s name or CLIA number to confirm.

Running the Search

Once you are on the lookup page:

  • Pick your search method. CLIA number is the most direct route; name or location works when you don’t have the number.
  • Enter the details. Type the CLIA number exactly as it appears, or the facility name with geographic information. Partial names work but produce longer lists.
  • Apply filters if you need them. You can narrow by certificate type or state.
  • Review the match list. Each testing site of a multi-site lab appears as its own entry.
  • Open the specific facility’s record. The detail page is where the answer lives.

With a CLIA number, the whole process takes under a minute. Name-based searches for large national chains take a few more clicks.

Reading Your Results

Four fields on the detail page carry most of what you need:

  • Certification status. Look for Active, Inactive, or Revoked. Only Active means the lab is legally authorized to perform testing.
  • Certificate type. This confirms the complexity level the lab is allowed to run. A lab holding only a Certificate of Waiver but advertising high-complexity genetic panels is a red flag worth investigating.
  • Expiration date. All CLIA certificates are valid for a maximum of two years. A past date with no new certificate on file means the lab should not be operating.5eCFR. 42 CFR Part 493 Laboratory Requirements
  • Adverse actions. Any history of suspension, limitation, or revocation appears here along with the reason.

If the demographics lookup shows a clean active status but you want more, cross-check the annual Laboratory Registry for exclusions and prior enforcement actions.1Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Laboratory Demographics Lookup and Registry

What Each Certificate Type Allows

The certificate a lab holds tells you what kind of testing it can legally perform. There are five types:

  • Certificate of Waiver covers only waived tests, which are simple procedures with a low risk of error. Rapid strep tests, urine pregnancy tests, home-use blood glucose checks, and basic urine dipstick analysis are typical. Most physician offices and pharmacies doing point-of-care testing hold this certificate.6Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Waived Tests
  • Certificate for Provider-Performed Microscopy (PPM) allows waived tests plus a limited set of moderate-complexity microscopy procedures, and only when performed by a physician, midlevel practitioner, or dentist. Wet-mount and KOH preps are typical PPM procedures.5eCFR. 42 CFR Part 493 Laboratory Requirements
  • Certificate of Registration is a temporary certificate that lets a lab start performing moderate or high complexity testing while it waits for its first compliance inspection. It is valid for up to two years or until the inspection occurs, whichever comes first, and it cannot be renewed.5eCFR. 42 CFR Part 493 Laboratory Requirements
  • Certificate of Compliance is issued after a state survey agency inspects the lab and finds it in compliance. It authorizes moderate and high complexity testing.5eCFR. 42 CFR Part 493 Laboratory Requirements
  • Certificate of Accreditation is issued when a CMS-approved private accreditation organization inspects the lab instead of a state agency. Approved bodies include the College of American Pathologists, the Joint Commission, and COLA, among others.7Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. List of Approved Accreditation Organizations Under CLIA

A Certificate of Registration in the results is worth a second look. The certificate is legitimate, but the lab has not been inspected yet, so it does not carry the same assurance as a Certificate of Compliance or Accreditation.

Adverse Actions Worth Understanding

If the adverse actions field shows anything, read it carefully. Labs performing non-waived testing have to participate in proficiency testing, where they analyze standardized samples and report results that are compared against expected values. A failure in a given specialty or analyte can lead CMS to suspend or limit the lab’s certificate for that testing area. The suspension lasts at least six months, and the lab must show satisfactory performance on two consecutive proficiency testing events before CMS considers reinstatement.8eCFR. 42 CFR 493.807 – Condition: Reinstatement of Laboratories Performing Nonwaived Testing

For a first failure, CMS sometimes directs the lab to obtain additional training or technical assistance rather than move straight to sanctions. That leniency disappears if the failure poses an immediate threat to patient safety, the lab has a poor compliance track record, or the lab cannot show it has taken corrective steps.9eCFR. 42 CFR Part 493 Subpart H – Participation in Proficiency Testing for Laboratories Performing Nonwaived Testing

Intentionally sending proficiency testing samples to another lab for analysis is treated far more harshly. CMS revokes the certificate for at least one year and bars the lab’s owner and operator from running any CLIA-certified lab during that period.10eCFR. 42 CFR 493.1840 – Suspension, Limitation, or Revocation of Any Type of CLIA Certificate

If Something Doesn’t Look Right

Anyone can file a complaint about a laboratory, including patients, family members, lab employees, and other healthcare providers. Complaints go to the State Survey Agency in the state where the lab is located. CMS publishes a downloadable directory of state agency contacts on its CLIA contacts page.11Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. State Agency and CLIA Operations Branch Contacts

Complaints can cover any concern about a lab’s operations: unlabeled specimens, unqualified staff, falsified records, incorrect test results, or breaches of patient confidentiality. Include as much detail as possible: the lab’s name and address, its CLIA number if you know it, the names of anyone involved or affected, dates and times, and a description of what happened. You can also choose to remain anonymous.12CMS. Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) Consumer Complaints FAQ

The state agency may conduct an on-site investigation after receiving a complaint. If it finds serious noncompliance, it can recommend enforcement up to and including certificate revocation and termination from Medicare and Medicaid participation.