How to Verify Your Telehealth Provider's Medical License in 5 Minutes

Why this matters more in telehealth

When you walk into a doctor’s office, the diplomas on the wall and the practice’s physical presence provide a baseline level of trust. Telehealth strips those signals away. You’re interacting with a name on a screen — sometimes not even that, just an asynchronous review by someone identified only as "your provider."

Most legitimate telehealth platforms employ licensed clinicians. But "licensed" means different things. A nurse practitioner licensed in Florida may be prescribing to a patient in Ohio through a platform headquartered in Texas. Whether that’s legal depends on state law, interstate compacts, and the specific prescribing authority involved.

Step 1: Find your state medical board

Every U.S. state maintains a public license verification database. These are free. The Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) maintains a directory of all state boards at docinfo.org. For nurse practitioners and physician assistants, check your state’s board of nursing or PA licensing board separately — they are often different agencies.

Step 2: Get the prescriber's name

Legitimate platforms disclose the name of the clinician who reviews your case and writes your prescription. If the platform does not tell you who prescribed your medication, that is a significant red flag. You have a legal right to know who is prescribing to you. Ask. If they refuse to tell you, do not fill the prescription.

Step 3: Search the database

Enter the prescriber’s name in your state’s license lookup. Verify three things: the license is active (not expired, suspended, or revoked), the license type matches their role (MD, DO, NP, PA), and the license covers your state. Some states participate in interstate medical licensure compacts, but not all do.

Step 4: Check for disciplinary actions

Most state boards publish disciplinary records alongside license status. A disciplinary action does not automatically mean a provider is dangerous — it could be an administrative violation. But patterns matter. Multiple actions across states, or actions related to prescribing controlled substances, warrant caution.

What the best platforms do differently

The highest-scoring platforms on our trust scorecard proactively disclose prescriber credentials. Sesame Care lets you view prescriber profiles before booking. Platforms that treat prescriber identity as proprietary information are telling you something about their priorities.