CLIA certificate types
Every site that tests human specimens for health purposes in the United States needs a CLIA certificate. There are five.
| Certificate | What it allows | Active laboratories |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate of Waiver | Issued to a laboratory that performs only waived tests — simple tests with a low risk of an incorrect result, such as many rapid point-of-care tests. | 245,489 |
| Certificate for Provider-Performed Microscopy (PPM) | Issued to a laboratory in which a physician, midlevel practitioner or dentist performs specific microscopy procedures during a patient's visit. It also covers waived tests. | 22,900 |
| Certificate of Registration | Issued first to a laboratory that applies to perform moderate or high complexity testing: it lets the laboratory test until an inspection determines whether it meets the CLIA requirements. | 2,185 |
| Certificate of Compliance | Issued after an inspection by the state agency finds the laboratory in compliance with the CLIA requirements for moderate or high complexity testing. | 15,087 |
| Certificate of Accreditation | Issued to a laboratory that performs moderate or high complexity testing on the basis of its accreditation by an accreditation organization approved by CMS. | 14,689 |