How to Check a Clinician's State License in Any US State

Why the state license is what counts

A state license is what allows a clinician to practice in that state. The National Provider Identifier is different: the CMS NPI Standard describes it as an identifier used in health care transactions. A provider can have an active NPI and no active license, for example after moving away, retiring or losing a license.

The license has to be from the right state. For video and phone visits, HHS explains on telehealth.hhs.gov that clinicians generally must be licensed in the state where the patient is located at the time of the visit, although some states have exceptions.

Where to look

Physicians (MD and DO)

Each state has a medical board, and some states have a separate board for osteopathic physicians. The Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) keeps a directory of state medical and osteopathic boards with each board's website and contact details; the license lookup is on the board's site.

FSMB also runs DocInfo.org, a free search that gathers physician license information and public board actions reported by state boards into one place. The American Osteopathic Association also points patients to DocInfo.org to check a DO's licensure and board certification. It is useful when a physician has held licenses in several states. For the current status in a particular state, the state board's own lookup is still the final word.

Nurse practitioners and other nurses

Nurses, including nurse practitioners and other advanced practice registered nurses, are licensed by state boards of nursing. The National Council of State Boards of Nursing runs Nursys QuickConfirm, a free lookup that shows license and discipline information from participating boards of nursing. If a board does not take part, use that board's own site.

Physician assistants

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, physician assistants must be licensed in every state; depending on the state, the license comes from the medical board or a separate PA board, and the state's license portal shows which. The letters "PA-C" mean national certification by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA), which you can check with the NCCPA verification tool; it also lists disciplinary actions taken by NCCPA. Certification and the state license are separate, so check both if it matters to you.

Other professions

Dentists, chiropractors, podiatrists, optometrists, psychologists, therapists and social workers are licensed by their own boards. Some states put all of these in one license lookup portal run by a department of health or professional regulation. Searching for the state's name plus "license lookup" usually finds it; make sure the site is a state government site.

How to read a lookup result

License status

Boards use terms such as active, inactive, expired, probation, suspended, revoked or surrendered. The meaning of each term is set by that state, and the same word can mean different things in different states. For example, "inactive" can mean a clinician chose not to practice in the state for now, not that they did anything wrong. Most boards publish a glossary next to the search results.

Dates

Look at the original issue date and the expiration date. An expired license means the clinician cannot practice in that state until it is renewed or reinstated. A recent issue date is not a warning sign by itself; it may simply mean the clinician moved.

Public actions and orders

Boards publish public disciplinary actions, such as reprimands, conditions on a license, suspensions and revocations. Some link to the board order itself, which explains what happened and what the clinician must do. Some boards also publish non-disciplinary agreements. Read the order before drawing a conclusion: an action can be about paperwork, continuing education or a serious matter.

What varies from state to state

Some boards also show the clinician's education, practice address, or self-reported specialty and certification. Some also publish malpractice settlements or court judgments. Do not assume that a missing section means there is nothing to report.

What license lookups do not show

• Board certification: a license lookup does not reliably show board certification, which is granted by specialty boards, not by the state. For physicians certified by an ABMS member board, check Certification Matters.
• The National Practitioner Data Bank: the NPDB collects reports on malpractice payments and certain adverse actions, but HRSA states on its about page that the reports are confidential and not available to the public. Patients cannot search it.
• Exclusions from federal health programs: the HHS Office of Inspector General publishes the List of Excluded Individuals/Entities separately. Under 42 CFR 1001.1901, Medicare, Medicaid and other federal health care programs make no payment for items or services furnished by an excluded individual or entity.
• Quality of care: a clean license means no public board action, not a rating of skill.

Licenses across state lines

There is no single national license for physicians. The Interstate Medical Licensure Compact gives qualified physicians a faster way to apply for licenses in the states that belong to it, but the physician still receives a separate license from each state, and each state's board still regulates practice there. For a telehealth visit, check the license in your own state.

How T-MedInfo helps

Clinician profiles on this site show license numbers and license states exactly as the provider reported them to NPPES, next to each specialty code. We do not check them against state records.

Each profile also links to the license lookup for the practice state. For many states the link goes straight to the board's search page; for others it goes to the FSMB board directory. Because board websites change, the board's own site is the authority if a link stops working.

If a profile lists a license state that is different from where the clinician practices, that is not necessarily a problem. Clinicians can hold licenses in several states. It is a reason to check the license in the state where you will be treated.

Checklist

1. Find the clinician's full name and the state where you will be treated. The profile or the NPI Registry gives the name as registered.
2. Open the right board for the profession and state, starting from the FSMB directory, Nursys or the state's license portal.
3. Match the result using the license number from the profile, not just the name, since names repeat.
4. Read the status, the expiration date and any public actions or orders.
5. If it matters for your care, check board certification and the OIG exclusion list separately.