State medical board directory
Every US state medical board, plus how to verify a license, check disciplinary history, and tell licensure from board certification. For psychiatrists, nurse practitioners, credentialers, and anyone checking a clinician.
What a state medical board does
Every physician is licensed by the medical board of the state where they practice. State medical boards issue and renew licenses, set the requirements to get one, verify licenses on request, investigate complaints, and take disciplinary action. If you need to confirm that a psychiatrist is licensed and in good standing, or find the requirements to get licensed in a new state, the board is the authority.
How to verify a license and check for discipline
Two routes. Each state board has a public license lookup on its site, linked in the table below. For a single national search, the Federation of State Medical Boards runs DocInfo.org, a consumer tool that aggregates licensure and disciplinary information reported by the boards, and its Physician Data Center serves credentialers. Confirm the license is active in the state where care is actually delivered, which for telepsychiatry is the patient's location.
Licensure is not board certification
They're different credentials. A state license is the legal authority to practice. Board certification is a voluntary specialty credential; for psychiatry it comes from the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, a member board of the American Board of Medical Specialties. You can verify certification through those boards. For more on what the credential means, see what board certification means.
Nurse practitioners and prescribing
Psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners are licensed through the state board of nursing, not the medical board; verify a nurse through Nursys, run by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. To prescribe controlled substances, any clinician also needs a DEA registration tied to where they practice. For why that matters, see why controlled substances are different.
State medical boards
The primary medical board for each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Some states have a separate osteopathic board, and the US territories have their own boards; the full FSMB directory lists all of them. Links open the official board site.
Common questions
How do I verify a physician's medical license?
Use the physician's state medical board license lookup, or the Federation of State Medical Boards' consumer tool at DocInfo.org, which aggregates licensure and disciplinary information reported by state boards. Confirm the license is active and in the state where care is provided.
What is the difference between a medical license and board certification?
A medical license, issued by a state medical board, is the legal authority to practice medicine in that state. Board certification, from a member board of the American Board of Medical Specialties such as the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, is a voluntary credential showing specialty training and examination. You need a license to practice; certification is an additional mark of specialty competence.
Where are psychiatric nurse practitioners licensed?
PMHNPs are licensed through their state board of nursing, not the medical board. You can verify a nurse's license through Nursys, the national nurse licensure verification service operated by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing.
Do I need a separate DEA registration to prescribe?
Yes. To prescribe controlled substances, a clinician needs a DEA registration in addition to a state license, and registration is generally tied to the state and address where they practice. See the DEA Diversion Control Division for current requirements.
Sources
Board names and links are transcribed from the FSMB directory and are current as of the published date. Boards reorganize and change URLs; this page is re-checked each quarter, and the FSMB directory is the authority if a link has moved.
- Federation of State Medical Boards, Contact a State Medical Board. https://www.fsmb.org/contact-a-state-medical-board/
- FSMB DocInfo (physician lookup for consumers). https://www.docinfo.org/
- American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. https://www.abpn.com/
- National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Nursys license verification. https://www.nursys.com/
- US Drug Enforcement Administration, Diversion Control Division. https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/