So you’ve managed to get a medical marijuana card and now you’re wondering if you have to ever worry about it expiring.

The short answer is yes, your card will expire. Most marijuana patient cards only last for about a year, requiring annual renewal. We’d love to give you one definitive answer on how to go about renewing it, but unfortunately there isn’t one. Each state has its own rules and processes for card renewal. Visit our page on medical marijuana card by state to find our what your specific path needs to be. Head to the bottom of the page to see “Renewal” information.

In most cases, though, you’ll need to revisit a doctor to get a new medical marijuana recommendation confirming that you still have a qualifying medical condition. Then you’ll have to resubmit the application paperwork that you did the first time to register for a card, as well as any required processing fee. Most registries have a system in place to notify you when you’re 45-60 days away from expiration (so that your card doesn’t expire and you’re left with no ability to manage your pain,) but not all do. These are just the most common policies in place, so make sure you look at your state’s page so that you know exactly what the process is.