Dentist license lookup
Dentists are licensed by each state's dental board, and no free public search covers every state: verify on the board of the state where the dentist practices. 272,425 NPPES records list one of the dentist taxonomy codes (122300000X and the dental specialties) as their primary type, 81 per 100,000 residents across the 50 states and D.C. (file of Aug 9, 2026).
Verify a dentist license, step by step
- Find the dentist's NPI and practice state in the NPI lookup. The NPPES record often lists the license number and state the dentist reported.
- Search that state's dental board (the table on this page). Note the license status, the expiration date and any public board action.
- A specialist, such as an orthodontist or oral surgeon, still holds a dental license; the specialty in NPPES is what the dentist reported, not a board certification.
- For anyone who bills Medicare or Medicaid, search the HHS-OIG exclusion list.
Which search, by state
- CaliforniaThe Dental Board of California, on the Department of Consumer Affairs license search
- TexasThe Texas State Board of Dental Examiners
- MassachusettsThe Board of Registration in Dentistry, on the Department of Public Health's Check a License search
- FloridaOne state search covers dentists: how to verify a Florida license
- New YorkOne state search covers dentists: how to verify a New York license
- PennsylvaniaOne state search covers dentists: how to verify a Pennsylvania license
- IllinoisOne state search covers dentists: how to verify a Illinois license
- OhioOne state search covers dentists: how to verify a Ohio license
- MichiganOne state search covers dentists: how to verify a Michigan license
- VirginiaOne state search covers dentists: how to verify a Virginia license
- GeorgiaThe Georgia Board of Dentistry, on the Secretary of State's professional licensing search
- North CarolinaThe North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners
- Any other stateThe state dental board, whose license search is linked from the board's website
Washington, D.C. has the most dentist records per resident
Washington, D.C. has 137 dentist records per 100,000 residents and Arkansas the fewest, 52; the 50 states and D.C. together have 81. These count NPPES records by practice state, not licenses: a dentist licensed in two states has one NPI, and some records belong to people no longer practising.
Source: CMS NPPES, primary taxonomy 1223* by practice state, file of Aug 9, 2026 (NPPES files on CMS.gov); 2023 Census population estimates.
Common questions
Is there a national dentist license lookup?
No free public search covers every state. Each state dental board keeps its own license records and search, so check the board of the state where the dentist practices.
Does an NPI prove a dentist is licensed?
No. An NPI is an identifier CMS issues for billing; it is not a license. The state dental board search is the license record.
Are dental hygienists in the same search?
Dental hygienists are licensed by the state dental board in most states, and its search usually covers them; check the board of the state concerned.
Source: the state boards named above; CMS NPPES NPI Registry (npiregistry.cms.hhs.gov); HHS-OIG exclusion list (exclusions.oig.hhs.gov). PlainDoctor is not a primary-source verifier. License lookup by state.
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 Aug 9, 2026.