Go to the board record
For medical board links covering U.S. states and territories, check the Federation of State Medical Boards’ published directory (September 17, 2026).
- Open the directory in the source box and select the board for your state.
- Find the board’s licence search and enter the full name.
- Match the person, not just a similar name.
- Save the record link so you can return to it.
Read beyond the name
A board’s public record shows the current status of a doctor’s licence and any publicly recorded discipline, including restrictions on their work. The details differ by state (September 17, 2026).
- Read whether the licence is current, any restrictions on the doctor’s work and any linked record of discipline.
- If a note is unclear, ask the board what the status means.
- Even if the record shows no public sign of discipline, it cannot tell you how good the care will be (September 17, 2026).
Match the place of the visit
A doctor seeing you by phone or online needs a licence or legal permission to treat patients in the state where you are. That state’s rules decide what permission is needed and when an exception applies (September 26, 2026).
- Tell the service where you will be.
- Ask for the licence record or the state rule that allows the doctor to treat you there. Ask the medical board to check an unclear answer.
- If someone other than a doctor will see you, ask their job title, which board holds their licence and whether it allows them to prescribe your medicine.
- Nurse practitioners have training beyond their nursing qualification and may carry out assessments and prescribe medicine. Whether they need to work with a doctor depends on state rules (September 26, 2026).