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Examine an offer

Check the record of the person assessing you

Ask for the person’s full name and the board that licenses them. Keep those details beside the name of the service.

Check the place where you will be sitting

Before the appointment, share the state you will be calling from. Mention any travel that changes that location.

Beside the evidence

The patient’s location matters

US guidance reviewed in September 2026 says a doctor must be legally allowed to see patients in the state you are sitting in. A licence from that state is one way to meet this rule.

Some states accept telehealth registration, a separate permission to practise online, in place of a full licence.

Ask the state board how to check the permission the doctor says they hold.

Read the federal licensure guidance

Use the board’s public record

Use your state medical board’s lookup when checking a doctor. Ask the service which board to check if the person has a different role.

  • Match the full name with the record.
  • Read the current licence status.
  • Read about any limits on practice or action taken by the board.
  • Ask about any details you cannot match.

Beside the evidence

What the lookup can tell you

A state medical board licenses doctors and keeps their public record.

The board’s record covers the doctor’s licence and any public discipline. Discipline means action by the board because a doctor broke its rules.

States differ in what they publish. Having no discipline shown in a public record is not a measure of a doctor’s skill.

Find the state medical-board directory

Ask who will fill a prescription

If medicine is proposed, get the pharmacy’s name as well. Keep this separate from the clinician check.

  • Which pharmacy would prepare or send it?
  • Which state board holds its licence record?
  • Can I speak with a pharmacist about it?