The question to open with
State medical boards, the state offices that license doctors, publish license records and public records showing action against doctors who have broken rules.
As of September 2026, telehealth care generally requires a doctor to be licensed or otherwise authorized where the patient is located.
Telehealth is care delivered through video calls, phone calls or exchanges online. Ask which state’s record to check if you will be away from home.
What is your full name, role and license number for the state where I will be?
A name is the start of the check
Name and role
Ask whether the person assessing you is a physician, nurse practitioner or physician assistant. Use that role when asking which board holds the record.
The state record
The Federation of State Medical Boards offers a directory with links to state boards for checking doctors’ records.
Match the name, state and license details in the record.
A clean record
A clean board record means there is no public action against the doctor; the quality of their care is a separate question.
Keep your questions about the assessment, evidence and follow-up.
The record answers a license question. It leaves the treatment question open.
Ask about any mismatch
Before moving ahead, request an explanation from the service if the name, role or state differs from the record. Save the record you checked with the answer.
If the clinician is a nurse practitioner or a physician assistant, request the name of their state licensing board and its license-search link from the service. Ask that board which rules apply to the person seeing you.
Open the source drawer
These links open the documents used for this page. Ask the clinician to show you the part that supports their answer and explain anything unclear.