Check the care route
Check a licence in the public record.
A neat photo and a job title tell you very little. A public licence record gives you something you can actually check.
What to check
Ask for the clinician’s full name and role.
Write the name as given. Ask which state board holds the relevant licence for that role.
Find the state licensing board for your doctor.
A state medical board’s public records list the current status of a doctor’s licence, along with any public board actions against that doctor.
Use the directory published by the Federation of State Medical Boards to reach each state’s doctor-licensing board.
In some states, MD doctors and DO doctors have different licensing boards. DO means a doctor has an osteopathic medical degree.
Ask which degree your doctor has and which board holds the licence. Search the relevant board’s records for the state you plan to be in at your appointment.
Compare the name and licence details.
Does the record match the person being presented? If the name is common or something does not match, ask the board or service to explain.
A note before moving on
A clear record has limits
Even if a doctor’s record shows no public board action, good care is not guaranteed.
If your care comes from a nurse practitioner or physician assistant, ask which licensing board covers their profession. A doctor’s board is not the right search for every health professional.
Open the record
Read this for the detail
- Find a state medical board
Use the directory to reach the board’s own record. Pick the state where the visit will happen.
- What medical board records can tell you
This explains the kind of licence and discipline information a board makes public.
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