How to Verify a Physician's License in California
Gather your doctor’s contact info., Pull up the Medical Board of California website., Click on the “License Search” link., Check the box next to your doctor’s type., Select a search type., Fill in the required search fields., Check license status...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Gather your doctor’s contact info.
In order to look up your doctor's records to check on their license, you need their basic information.
This allows you to easily find them and prevents you from looking at another doctor’s information by accident.
Write down their full name, phone number, and address.
The most important part of the search is the full name, so make sure you have this.
Simply call the doctor’s office or look it up online to get this information.
You may also be able to find this information in your health insurance web account.
You can search by license number if you have it, so ask your doctor for their license number. -
Step 2: Pull up the Medical Board of California website.
Find a computer with a reliable internet connection in order to use the Medical Board of California website.
The web address is: http://www.mbc.ca.gov You will be able to begin your search right from the main page.
You can use a smartphone or tablet to access it as well. , Once you get on the Board’s website, you need to click on the link that will lead you to your search.
You can find this link in two places.
Look for this phrase with an underline to indicate that it is a link:
License Search.The first place is in the shaded box on the left of the homepage.
The box’s headline says “Check Up On Your Doctor’s License.” The link is next to a red check mark.
The second place is at the top of the column of links on the right.
It too says “License Search” and has a red check mark next to it. , Once inside the search, you need to click the box next to the type of doctor you’re looking up.
For example, if it’s your primary care doctor, check the box next to “Physician and Surgeon.”Other doctor types include licensed midwife and research psychoanalysts. , After you check the box next to your doctor type, you must select a search type and click the link.
It is probably easiest to click the link that says “Search by Name,” but you can also search by license number, city, county, or personal or business name (practice name)., After clicking the type of search you want, you will need to fill in the search fields to find your doctor.
For example, if you’re searching by name, enter the last name of your doctor and their first initial in the name fields.
Click the blue “Search” button in the bottom right hand corner.
If you search by license number, you have to choose which medical board you want to use, as well as the license type.
Both offer lists in drop-down boxes.
You can search by the name of the practice if you choose the “Personal or Business Name” search option, then select the “Organization” radio button. , Once you click “search,” a list of doctors will come up.
Click on the name of your doctor to access their profile.
Look on the line that says “License Status.” Next to it will be a phrase that indicates whether or not your doctor’s license is current.
A small blue question mark, if you hover your mouse over it, will confirm it.
The license expiration date appears on the next line. , At the bottom of the page is a section titled “Public Record Actions.” This is a list of disciplinary actions that have been taken against the doctor you are looking up.
If your doctor has a clean record, every action will have the words “None found” next to it.
If this doctor has had action taken against them, there will be a link to the action available.
Click on these links to view the actions.
It will take you to a page that describes the action (i.e., “revoked") with a link to a document about the action. -
Step 3: Click on the “License Search” link.
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Step 4: Check the box next to your doctor’s type.
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Step 5: Select a search type.
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Step 6: Fill in the required search fields.
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Step 7: Check license status.
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Step 8: Scroll down to view disciplinary actions.
Detailed Guide
In order to look up your doctor's records to check on their license, you need their basic information.
This allows you to easily find them and prevents you from looking at another doctor’s information by accident.
Write down their full name, phone number, and address.
The most important part of the search is the full name, so make sure you have this.
Simply call the doctor’s office or look it up online to get this information.
You may also be able to find this information in your health insurance web account.
You can search by license number if you have it, so ask your doctor for their license number.
Find a computer with a reliable internet connection in order to use the Medical Board of California website.
The web address is: http://www.mbc.ca.gov You will be able to begin your search right from the main page.
You can use a smartphone or tablet to access it as well. , Once you get on the Board’s website, you need to click on the link that will lead you to your search.
You can find this link in two places.
Look for this phrase with an underline to indicate that it is a link:
License Search.The first place is in the shaded box on the left of the homepage.
The box’s headline says “Check Up On Your Doctor’s License.” The link is next to a red check mark.
The second place is at the top of the column of links on the right.
It too says “License Search” and has a red check mark next to it. , Once inside the search, you need to click the box next to the type of doctor you’re looking up.
For example, if it’s your primary care doctor, check the box next to “Physician and Surgeon.”Other doctor types include licensed midwife and research psychoanalysts. , After you check the box next to your doctor type, you must select a search type and click the link.
It is probably easiest to click the link that says “Search by Name,” but you can also search by license number, city, county, or personal or business name (practice name)., After clicking the type of search you want, you will need to fill in the search fields to find your doctor.
For example, if you’re searching by name, enter the last name of your doctor and their first initial in the name fields.
Click the blue “Search” button in the bottom right hand corner.
If you search by license number, you have to choose which medical board you want to use, as well as the license type.
Both offer lists in drop-down boxes.
You can search by the name of the practice if you choose the “Personal or Business Name” search option, then select the “Organization” radio button. , Once you click “search,” a list of doctors will come up.
Click on the name of your doctor to access their profile.
Look on the line that says “License Status.” Next to it will be a phrase that indicates whether or not your doctor’s license is current.
A small blue question mark, if you hover your mouse over it, will confirm it.
The license expiration date appears on the next line. , At the bottom of the page is a section titled “Public Record Actions.” This is a list of disciplinary actions that have been taken against the doctor you are looking up.
If your doctor has a clean record, every action will have the words “None found” next to it.
If this doctor has had action taken against them, there will be a link to the action available.
Click on these links to view the actions.
It will take you to a page that describes the action (i.e., “revoked") with a link to a document about the action.
About the Author
Grace Lane
Experienced content creator specializing in hobbies guides and tutorials.
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