Reminder: CLIA is going paperless

May 7, 2025

Starting March 1, 2026, Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) fees and certificates will be fully electronic, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

CMS has issued a reminder to laboratories to sign up for email notifications now. They emphasized that all fees must be paid online starting March 1st, and “failure to go paperless may result in billing or certification issues.”

Labs can update their email with their State Agencies or their Accreditation Organization. Detailed instructions can be found in this toolkit and fact sheet.

CMS has more information

This page is updated as of January 14, 2026.

About the Author

Erin Brady

Managing Editor

Erin Brady is Managing Editor of Medical Laboratory Observer.

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