Check the person and their licence
Ask for the treating person’s name as it appears on their licence, their job and the state where they can treat you.
A title in a web profile is a starting point for a check. Keep the name somewhere you can find it during the visit.
Open the board’s record
State medical boards publish doctors’ licence records, public penalties and formal charges accusing a doctor of breaking the rules. The details vary by state.
The Federation of State Medical Boards publishes a directory that links to medical boards across the states and territories.
Use the medical-board directory on the source page for a doctor. For a nurse or other health worker, ask which state board holds their licence. Match the name carefully and read the record itself.
Check the right state
Guidance checked in September 2026 calls for the doctor to hold a licence or another valid permission in the state you occupy during the visit.
If the service says a special registration or exception applies, ask which state rule allows it. Ask the state board to confirm.
Understand the result
A record showing no public penalties or formal charges does not measure the person’s skill at treating patients.
Bring any entry you do not understand back to the service. Ask for a plain explanation before deciding.
Keep the care check going
After the licence check, ask how the person treating you reviews your history and how you reach them with a new question.
A useful next step is to understand the visit itself.