Check a doctor’s licence
A name on a polished website is a starting point. This page shows how to check whether the doctor has a current licence, meaning permission to practise.
Facts checked September 17, 2026.
Get the doctor’s full name
Ask for the full name, licence number, and state. Ask which state board keeps the doctor’s licence record. Check the person responsible for your care, rather than only the service name.
Find the right state board
Open the link called “Find a state medical board” on our sources page. It leads to a list of state boards that keep doctors’ licence records. Some states use different boards for doctors holding MD degrees and those holding DO degrees. Check the letters after your doctor’s name to choose the right board.
Find the state-board listRead the current record
Use the board’s public licence search. Match the doctor’s name and licence details, then confirm that the licence is current. Read any public record of action against the doctor or charges the board has not yet decided.
Ask about anything that does not match
If the name, state, or status does not line up, ask the care service to explain it. Keep the board record with your questions.
What the record can and cannot tell you
A board record can show a current licence and any public record of action the board took against the doctor.
A clear record is not a judgement that the doctor is a good fit for you.
The record answers a licence question. Your conversation still needs to answer the care questions.
Check the pharmacy separately
A pharmacy has a separate state licence check.
The FDA’s BeSafeRx page points to each state’s pharmacy licence search.
A listing confirms that the pharmacy is licensed, but does not show whether each medicine it sends suits your needs.
Ask which pharmacy would make or send any medicine, then match its details to that record.
Find the pharmacy-check source