Find the licence record
State medical boards publish each doctor’s licence status alongside any public record of discipline.
Find your state’s medical and osteopathic board links through the directory that the Federation of State Medical Boards maintains.
Find the relevant state medical board ↗Get the treating professional’s full name, licence number and the name of the issuing board. Use that board’s own record for the check.
This doctor lookup does not cover nurse practitioners or physician assistants.
Ask the nurse practitioner or physician assistant who would treat you to name the state board that keeps their professional record.
A record without public discipline is not proof of how good the care will be.
Check where the visit takes place
HHS guidance checked in September 2026 requires professionals to obey local work rules and hold a licence or other permission to practise at the patient’s location.
HHS is short for the Department of Health and Human Services in the US. For an online visit, give your actual location during the appointment.
HHS guidance on licences ↗Ask which pharmacy supplies it
To check the pharmacy shown on a product, follow the FDA’s links to licence lookup tools run by state pharmacy boards.
Open the FDA’s state pharmacy lookup ↗Get the pharmacy’s name before paying. Match it with the state board record, then ask the service to explain any gap.
Choose a setting that can answer you
Bring this question kit to a service with the required licences, whether your visit is at a clinic or through telehealth. Telehealth means care by screen, phone or messages.
The Federation of State Medical Boards says visits online and in person must meet the same care standards.
That is guidance for medical boards. Ask what happens if a health problem needs an examination in person rather than a visit by screen.
The medical boards’ telehealth guidance ↗