A licence check puts a name against a public record

Ask for the name used on the licence

The Federation of State Medical Boards links the boards’ own websites in its directory.

Ask whether the person assessing you is a doctor or has another health-care role. For a doctor, ask which state medical board holds the licence. For someone else, ask the service for their job title and a link to the state board that licenses them.

Use the name supplied by the service. Compare the record with the person who will actually assess you, rather than with a name displayed elsewhere on a page.

Read the limits of the result

No public discipline means there is no such action in that record. A clean public record is no score for the quality of someone’s care.

Under the September 2026 guidance, the patient’s location determines which state’s permission to practise matters.

Ask the service to explain any mismatch in names, state or role. Keep a note of what you found and what still needs an answer.

A pharmacy licence is a different check, through a state board of pharmacy.