diff --git a/apps/portal/src/app/features/licensing/components/DocumentSlots.tsx b/apps/portal/src/app/features/licensing/components/DocumentSlots.tsx
index 4ef90cb06..b0fb505ed 100644
--- a/apps/portal/src/app/features/licensing/components/DocumentSlots.tsx
+++ b/apps/portal/src/app/features/licensing/components/DocumentSlots.tsx
@@ -144,6 +144,11 @@ export function DocumentSlots({
                     </Badge>
                   )}
                 </Group>
+                {requirement.description && (
+                  <Text size="xs" c="dimmed" mt={2}>
+                    {localized(requirement.description)}
+                  </Text>
+                )}
                 {existing?.files?.[0] && (
                   <Text size="xs" c="dimmed" truncate>
                     {existing.files[0].originalName} ·{' '}
diff --git a/apps/portal/src/app/features/licensing/pages/LicenseApplicationPage.tsx b/apps/portal/src/app/features/licensing/pages/LicenseApplicationPage.tsx
index db8d10562..ede8e887a 100644
--- a/apps/portal/src/app/features/licensing/pages/LicenseApplicationPage.tsx
+++ b/apps/portal/src/app/features/licensing/pages/LicenseApplicationPage.tsx
@@ -727,9 +727,14 @@ export function LicenseApplicationPage() {
                 return (
                   <div key={section.key}>
                     {index > 0 && <Divider mb="lg" />}
-                    <Text fw={600} fz="sm" tt="uppercase" c="gray.6" mb="sm">
+                    <Text fw={600} fz="sm" tt="uppercase" c="gray.6" mb={section.description ? 4 : "sm"}>
                       {localized(section.title)}
                     </Text>
+                    {section.description && (
+                      <Text fz="xs" c="dimmed" mb="sm">
+                        {localized(section.description)}
+                      </Text>
+                    )}
                     {locked && (
                       <Alert
                         color="gray"
diff --git a/apps/portal/src/app/features/licensing/pages/MyApplicationsPage/actions.tsx b/apps/portal/src/app/features/licensing/pages/MyApplicationsPage/actions.tsx
index 4d1297b95..a2d078363 100644
--- a/apps/portal/src/app/features/licensing/pages/MyApplicationsPage/actions.tsx
+++ b/apps/portal/src/app/features/licensing/pages/MyApplicationsPage/actions.tsx
@@ -50,11 +50,14 @@ export function applicationActionsColumn(
             onRetakeExam={deps.onRetakeExam}
             onPay={deps.onPay}
           />
-          {/* Both fee stops are bypassable — an examined certificate is
+          {/* Every fee stop is bypassable — an examined certificate charges
+              three separate fees (eligibility, exam, certificate) and is
               otherwise untestable without a live gateway. */}
           {deps.bypassEnabled &&
             (app.status === 'PAYMENT_PENDING' ||
-              app.status === 'EXAM_PAYMENT_PENDING') && (
+              app.status === 'ELIGIBILITY_PAYMENT_PENDING' ||
+              app.status === 'EXAM_PAYMENT_PENDING' ||
+              app.status === 'EXAM_PASSED') && (
             <Button
               size="xs"
               variant="default"