Finding and checking care
How do I check the person?
Get the full name of the clinician and ask which board licenses their work. Then match the name to a public record.
Look at the board record
A state medical board’s public records show the status of a doctor’s licence and information about public discipline.
Read the basisMedical boards’ guide for the public
Discipline means action the board has taken against a doctor. What appears in a public record differs by state. An absence of public action in that record cannot establish the quality of care.
Some doctors have DO after their name, short for Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine.
They are doctors; osteopathic names their type of medical degree. Some states have a separate licensing board for them. Ask the doctor which board holds their licence.
To find state medical and osteopathic boards, use the directory kept by the Federation of State Medical Boards.
Read the basisFind the board for your state
Follow the directory to the relevant board and use its licence search.
Check the state where the visit happens
Federal health guidance, as of September 2026, requires permission for remote practice from the state in which the patient is located at the appointment.
Read the basisUS health department guidance on licences
Practise means provide professional care. Give the service your location for the time of the visit, especially if you are travelling.