State law and employer credentialing | reviewed October 2026
Check surgical technologist requirements by state
Surgical technologist rules may address training, certification, registration, protected titles, and exceptions. The CST and TS-C are national credentials; a state application is a separate question. These short notes link to current official state sources where a relevant rule was confirmed for this review.
States with a relevant official source
Read the linked law or agency page for covered settings, effective dates, qualifying routes, and exemptions. A hospital may set additional requirements.
Arkansas
Arkansas State Medical Board registers surgical technologists. Review its current application packet before relying on an out-of-state credential. Official state source.
Colorado
Colorado has a surgical technologist registration law. Check the current registration and exemption terms before starting work. Official state source.
Connecticut
Connecticut sets qualification pathways for surgical technology services in health care facilities. The Department of Public Health explains the routes and exceptions. Official state source.
Illinois
Illinois protects the registered surgical technologist title. Check the state registration rules if a posting uses that title. Official state source.
Indiana
Indiana law sets qualification routes for surgical technologist work in covered facilities. Review the current statute and employer requirements. Official state source.
Massachusetts
Massachusetts law sets surgical technology staffing qualifications with more than one route. Review the covered settings and exceptions. Official state source.
Nevada
Nevada law sets qualification routes for surgical technology work at covered health care facilities. Check the statutory exceptions and timing. Official state source.
New Jersey
New Jersey law sets multiple qualification routes for surgical technology work in health care facilities. Read the enacted standard before assuming one credential is the only route. Official state source.
New York
New York has a surgical technology law for hospitals and covered ambulatory settings. Check the state health department guidance and the employer's documentation rules. Official state source.
North Dakota
The North Dakota Board of Nursing maintains a surgical technician registry. Confirm how registry status applies to the duties in a posting. Official state source.
Oregon
Oregon law sets qualification routes for surgical technology in health care facilities. Review the statutory options and applicable facility rules. Official state source.
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania's Act 80 sets qualifications for surgical technologists in covered facilities, with alternative pathways. Read Section 501 for the current rule. Official state source.
South Carolina
South Carolina Code Section 44-7-380 sets requirements and exceptions for surgical technology in health care facilities. Check the relevant pathway and continuing education language. Official state source.
Tennessee
Tennessee health facility rules set surgical technologist qualification and continuing competence terms. Check the rule for the facility type in a posting. Official state source.
Texas
Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 259 sets qualification routes for surgical technology in covered facilities. Check its exceptions and the employer's documentation requirements. Official state source.
Virginia
Virginia's Board of Medicine lists certification and endorsement pathways for surgical technologists. Verify which path fits your training. Official state source.
Washington
Washington's Department of Health administers surgical technologist registration. Review its current application requirements before planning a start date. Official state source.
If your state is not listed
This is not a finding that the state has no rule. Check the state health department, licensing board, and the precise language in your target employer's posting. An older Idaho rule URL in prior summaries no longer appears in the current official rule directory, so this guide makes no Idaho-specific claim.
Before you accept a role or move
- Identify whether the posting is for a surgical technologist, surgical assistant, nurse, or sterile processing worker.
- Check the state source for the exact role and setting; do not assume one national credential replaces a state process.
- Ask the employer which education, certification, BLS/CPR, and experience documents it will accept.
- Confirm renewal and timing requirements with the relevant authority.
For national credential routes, see NBSTSA CST eligibility and NCCT TS-C eligibility.