Check the people involved
How do I check the licence of the person treating me?
Get the person’s full name and professional role. Then go to the board record.
Start with the right record
Ask for the full name, licence details, and the state that issued them. Ask whether the person is a doctor or has another job in health care.
The Federation of State Medical Boards has a list of links to the state boards that license doctors.
The letters MD or DO may follow a doctor’s name. These letters identify different kinds of medical degree; both are doctors.
Use the list in Further reading to reach the right board.
In some states, licence records for MD doctors are held separately from those for DO doctors.
Read what the record actually says
An absence of public board action does not rate the quality of a doctor’s care.
The September 26, 2026 rules require an online provider’s licence or other legal permission to cover your state at appointment time.
If the name, role, or location does not match the service’s explanation, ask the service to resolve it before making a decision.
Close the chapter
Keep this in view
A badge is a starting point for a question. The board record is the place to check the answer.