A professional license is a formal authorization issued by a government or regulatory body, required to legally practice in certain fields such as medicine, law, or accounting. The immediate answer to whether the full license number should be included on a resume is generally no. Resumes are widely circulated documents, and including the full license number is unnecessary for the initial application stage.
The General Rule: Why Omit the Number?
Withholding the full license number is a recommended practice primarily due to concerns about personal security and privacy. Professional licenses are often linked to personal identifying details, which can be exploited if shared indiscriminately.
Resumes are frequently submitted to various organizations and stored in Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) or internal databases. These systems may not always be secured with the highest level of encryption or data protection.
Omitting the number minimizes the risk of identity theft or misuse of personal credentials by unauthorized third parties. The number is not needed to prove the license’s existence for the initial review.
What Information Should You Include Instead?
Instead of providing the complete license number, applicants should include specific details that allow recruiters to confirm the credential’s legitimacy without exposing sensitive data. This includes the full, formal title of the license, such as Registered Nurse or Licensed Professional Engineer. The name of the state or jurisdiction that issued the authorization must also be clearly stated.
It is also important to list the license’s current status, such as “Active” or “In Good Standing,” to confirm that the credential is valid for practice. Listing the expiration or renewal date further demonstrates compliance with continuing education requirements. These details provide sufficient proof of qualification for the initial screening process.
When Is It Necessary to Include the Full License Number?
While the general recommendation is to omit the number, rare exceptions exist, typically driven by specific regulatory or administrative requirements. The full number might be necessary when applying for roles within highly regulated sectors, such as federal government positions or defense contracting jobs. These environments sometimes require immediate statutory compliance that mandates the inclusion of the full credential identifier on the initial application form.
A separate exception occurs when an employer specifically requests the full number on an official employment application or background check form, usually after a preliminary interview or a conditional job offer. In these situations, the request is part of a formal verification process. It is prudent to provide the full number only when explicitly required by a formal application connected to a specific job opening.
Where to Place License Information on Your Resume
The strategic placement of license details ensures that the information is easily scannable by both human reviewers and Applicant Tracking Systems. For professionals with only one or two licenses relevant to the target job, the information can be placed directly underneath the Professional Experience section. This placement highlights the credential’s immediate applicability to the work history.
Professionals who hold multiple credentials, including various licenses and certifications, should create a dedicated section titled “Licenses and Certifications.” This area is typically positioned toward the end of the resume, following the work experience and education sections. Formatting the information consistently, listing the title, issuing body, and status, allows the reader to quickly digest the professional qualifications.
Distinguishing Licenses from Certifications
Job seekers should understand the functional difference between a professional license and a certification, as they represent distinct types of credentials. A license is a mandatory, government-issued authorization that grants a legal right to practice a specific profession within a defined jurisdiction. Licenses are required for roles that directly affect public health, safety, or welfare, such as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) or a Registered Nurse (RN).
A certification, in contrast, is a voluntary acknowledgment of specialized knowledge or skill mastery, typically issued by a non-governmental professional association. Examples include a Project Management Professional (PMP) or an AWS Certified Developer credential. Certifications demonstrate expertise but do not convey a legal right to practice. The best practice is still to omit the full number from the resume, as the name of the credential and its expiration date are the most valuable pieces of information for a recruiter.
How Employers Verify Licenses
Omitting the license number from the resume does not impede the eventual verification of a candidate’s credentials later in the hiring process. Employers rely on the information provided to conduct a formal background check after a candidate has been selected. The verification process is usually handled by the Human Resources department or an external third-party background screening service.
These parties use the license title, the candidate’s name, and the issuing state or jurisdiction to search official state board databases. Most professional licensing boards maintain public-facing online registries that allow for credential verification without the full license number. This process confirms the license’s active status, issue date, expiration date, and whether any disciplinary actions are recorded.