Medical license lookup by state

A license is issued and verified by a state board, not by CMS or by any directory. Here is the official medical board for all 50 states and D.C.; for 23 we link straight to the license search (21 opened by us, 2 found through search results because the site blocks automated checks), for the rest to the board's own site. Open the one where the provider practices.

Each link checked on Sep 25, 2026; the status under each state says what the check showed · method

Which search covers which profession

Physicians (MD, DO)The state medical board where the physician practices. Some states, such as California, Michigan and Pennsylvania, have a separate board for osteopathic physicians (DOs); DocInfo shows every state at once.
Nurses and nurse practitionersNursys for most RN, LPN and APRN licenses, or the state board of nursing. Nurse license lookup →
Physician assistantsUsually the state medical board; national certification on NCCPA.
PharmacistsThe state board of pharmacy; several states run one search for every health profession (Florida, Ohio, Virginia). Pharmacist license lookup →
DentistsThe state dental board, often inside the same combined search. Dentist license lookup →
Exclusions from Medicare and MedicaidThe HHS-OIG exclusion search, SAM.gov and the state Medicaid list. Exclusion checks →

Official medical boards, A to Z

Alabama Board site → Alabama Board of Medical Examiners Board home page, opened
Alaska Board site → Alaska State Medical Board Board home page; the site blocks automated checks
Arizona Board site → Arizona Medical Board Board home page; the site blocks automated checks
Arkansas Search → Arkansas State Medical Board License search, opened
California Search → Medical Board of California License search, opened
Colorado Board site → Colorado Medical Board Board home page, opened
Connecticut Search → Connecticut Medical Examining Board License search, opened
Delaware Search → Delaware Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline License search, opened
District of Columbia Board site → District of Columbia Board of Medicine Board home page, opened
Florida Search → Florida Board of Medicine (Department of Health, MQA) License search, opened
Georgia Board site → Georgia Composite Medical Board Board home page, opened
Hawaii Board site → Hawaii Medical Board Board home page, opened
Idaho Board site → Idaho Board of Medicine Board home page, opened
Illinois Search → Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation License search found in search results; the site blocks automated checks
Indiana Board site → Medical Licensing Board of Indiana Board home page, opened
Iowa Board site → Iowa Board of Medicine Board home page; the site blocks automated checks
Kansas Board site → Kansas State Board of Healing Arts Board home page; the site blocks automated checks
Kentucky Search → Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure License search, opened
Louisiana Board site → Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners Board home page, opened
Maine Board site → Maine Board of Licensure in Medicine Board home page, opened
Maryland Board site → Maryland Board of Physicians Board home page, opened
Massachusetts Search → Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine License search, opened
Michigan Search → Michigan Board of Medicine (LARA) License search, opened
Minnesota Board site → Minnesota Board of Medical Practice Board home page, opened
Mississippi Board site → Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure Board home page, opened
Missouri Board site → Missouri Board of Registration for the Healing Arts Board site; it did not answer our check
Montana Search → Montana Board of Medical Examiners License search, opened
Nebraska Search → Nebraska Board of Medicine and Surgery License search, opened
Nevada Board site → Nevada State Board of Medical Examiners Board home page, opened
New Hampshire Board site → New Hampshire Board of Medicine Board home page; the site blocks automated checks
New Jersey Search → New Jersey State Board of Medical Examiners License search, opened
New Mexico Board site → New Mexico Medical Board Board home page, opened
New York Search → NYS Education Department, Office of the Professions License search, opened
North Carolina Search → North Carolina Medical Board License search, opened
North Dakota Board site → North Dakota Board of Medicine Board home page, opened
Ohio Search → State Medical Board of Ohio License search, opened
Oklahoma Board site → Oklahoma Board of Medical Licensure and Supervision Board home page, opened
Oregon Board site → Oregon Medical Board Board home page, opened
Pennsylvania Search → Pennsylvania Department of State (PALS) License search found in search results; the site blocks automated checks
Rhode Island Search → Rhode Island Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline License search, opened
South Carolina Search → South Carolina Board of Medical Examiners License search, opened
South Dakota Board site → South Dakota Board of Medical and Osteopathic Examiners Board home page, opened
Tennessee Board site → Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners Board home page, opened
Texas Search → Texas Medical Board License search, opened
Utah Search → Utah Medical Licensing Board License search, opened
Vermont Board site → Vermont Board of Medical Practice Board home page, opened
Virginia Search → Virginia Department of Health Professions License search, opened
Washington Search → Washington Medical Commission License search, opened
West Virginia Search → West Virginia Board of Medicine License search, opened
Wisconsin Board site → Wisconsin Medical Examining Board Board home page, opened
Wyoming Board site → Wyoming Board of Medicine Board home page, opened

States with a PlainDoctor guide (12 so far) link their name to it. For territories, the FSMB directory of state medical boards lists every board.

Source: each board's own site, checked on Sep 25, 2026 from a browser session or by HTTP request; sites that block automated checks are marked.

Board actions, where the board publishes a count

Disciplinary actions per 1,000 licensees, transcribed from each board's own annual report. Boards count actions differently, so compare a state with itself over time rather than with another state.

CaliforniaFY 2022-23 · 374 actions2.5 per 1,000

Source: Medical Board of California Annual Report 2022-2023, page 18 (licenses in effect: page 12).

A complete verification is five checks

1IdentityNPI record in CMS NPPESNPI lookupStart here
2LicenseActive license and public ordersState board searchCheck the board
3Other statesLicenses and actions elsewhereDocInfo (FSMB)Not checked
4ExclusionsMedicare and Medicaid bansHHS-OIG exclusion listNot checked
5CertificationBoard certificationABMS AOA NCCPA AANPNot checked

Common questions

Is my doctor licensed?

Search the doctor's name on the board search of the state where they practice. An active license and no public orders is the answer; an NPI record confirms identity, not licensure.

How do I verify board certification?

Board certification is separate from a license. Check ABMS (Certification Matters) for MDs and the AOA for DOs.

Can I verify a license in every state at once?

For physicians, DocInfo from the Federation of State Medical Boards lists licenses and actions across states. For nurses, Nursys.

Source: state board sites as listed; CMS NPPES NPI Registry (npiregistry.cms.hhs.gov). PlainDoctor is not a primary-source verifier.

Written with AI tools from the named public files; every figure is computed from those files (how it is made).

Figures on PlainDoctor are read from the federal files each page names (CMS NPPES, Medicare Part D, MIPS, Open Payments; the HHS-OIG exclusion list only as counts) and from Census population estimates, with the file date shown beside them. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of Sep 25, 2026.