Care briefing
Check the person behind the prescription.
Get the clinician’s full name and ask whether they are a doctor, nurse practitioner or physician assistant. Then check that person’s licence, using the steps below.
A record or a reassurance
Read sourcesA licence check
Public board record
State offices that license doctors publish licence status and public records of action against a doctor.
A website claim
A logo or a claim of experience does not give you the same record to read. Ask where the licence can be checked.
What it can tell you
Public board record
A clear licence record shows no public action against the doctor. It offers no measure of care quality.
A website claim
Training and experience do not replace state permission to treat you. Ask which licence or registration covers your visit.
The record is a basic identity check. Your questions still need to be answered during care.
How to check a doctor’s licence
Get the full name
Ask for the doctor’s full name, the letters after it and the licence or registration number used for your visit.
Find the correct state board
The group that brings state doctor-licensing offices together is called the Federation of State Medical Boards. Its State board directory links to the websites of those offices. Some states have separate boards for doctors whose names end in MD and DO. Open “State board directory” in the sources below and select the state in which you will be located for the visit. For MD, choose the medical board. For DO, choose the osteopathic board, which licenses doctors with that degree. If the directory shows one board for both, use that board. Ask the board for help if you are unsure.
Match the public record
On the state board’s website, open its licence search. Match the name and number, check whether the licence is active, and read any public record of action against the doctor. Ask the board to explain a result you cannot understand.
Resolve a mismatch
Ask the service to explain a missing record, a different name or a status you cannot understand before moving ahead.
Match the board to the profession
If your clinician is a nurse practitioner or physician assistant, get the name of the state office responsible for that profession’s licences. Ask for its licence-search page and check the clinician there; the doctor-only search will not cover every profession.
As of September 2026, remote care requires the clinician to meet the licensing or permission rules where the patient is located.
Sources for this briefing
Choose the source for your question. For a doctor’s licence, use the state licence search. For a medicine’s approval, ask to see the FDA approval and approved label for that exact product.
Group of doctor-licensing offices · Public records
The group of state doctor-licensing offices explains the licence status and records of action against doctors you can check.
Read the sourceGroup of doctor-licensing offices · State board directory
Start with the board that applies to the doctor and state of the visit.
Read the sourceUS health department · State permission
Federal guidance explains the role of the patient’s location.
Read the source