Which states have earned CLIA exemption status?

• A. New York and Washington
• B. California and New York
• C. Florida and Texas
• D. Illinois and Ohio

Answer: (A)

Exemption status under CLIA is federal, not state-based. The CLIA program, run by CMS, assigns laboratories a category—such as certificate of waiver for those performing only waived tests—based on the lab’s capabilities and testing complexity. This designation applies nationwide and is not granted by individual states. States may have their own licensure requirements in addition to CLIA, but there isn’t a list of states that “earn” CLIA exemption status. Therefore, the premise that specific states have earned CLIA exemption status doesn’t align with how CLIA operates; any facility performing waived testing anywhere in the U.S. would need a CLIA certificate of waiver from CMS, regardless of state.