Has your doctor faced discipline? Here's how to check

Medical boards often protect doctors over patients, CBS News finds

How to look up your doctor

Most people assume the doctors they go to have a clean track record. But a yearlong CBS News investigation  found that the system responsible for licensing and disciplining doctors — state medical boards — often fails to police doctors who repeatedly hurt their patients. 

The CBS News investigative unit put together this state-by-state guide that shows how to check your doctor's license and disciplinary history along with information on how to file a complaint against a healthcare provider in your state.

Use the dropdown menu below to jump to your state's search.

Additional reporting by Christopher O'Brien.

 

Alabama

How to check if your doctor's Alabama license is active:

Check your doctor's discipline history:

  • Once you've found your doctor, click the icon in the far right column labeled "Details." 

  • If the answer to "Public File" is "Yes," then the board has taken action against their license.

  • For details on that action, search the board's Public Log Files.

How to file a complaint:

 

Alaska

How to check if your doctor's Alaska license is active:

Check your doctor's discipline history:

  • Once you've found your doctor, look under "Agreements/Actions/Accusations" for documents of any disciplinary action taken by the board.

How to file a complaint:

 

Arizona

How to check if your doctor's Arizona license is active:

Check your doctor's discipline history:

  • Once you've found your doctor, look under "Board Action" to see if any disciplinary action has been taken by the board.

How to file a complaint: 

 

Arkansas

How to check if your doctor's Arkansas license is active:

Check your doctor's discipline history:

  • Once you've found your doctor, look under "Board History" to see if any disciplinary action has been taken by the board. From there, you can download any board minutes related to that doctor and send a request for any board orders that have been issued. 

  • You can also view all license actions since 2007 here.

How to file a complaint:

  • Find details on how to find a complaint here
 

California

How to check if your doctor's California license is active:

Check your doctor's discipline history:

  • Once you've found your doctor, look under "Public Record Actions" to see if any disciplinary action has been taken by the board. From there, you may have to contact the board's Central File Room at 916-263-2525 to request documents related to license actions. 

How to file a complaint:

  • Download a California Medical Board complaint form here.
 

Colorado

How to check if your doctor's Colorado license is active:

Check your doctor's discipline history:

  • Once you've found your doctor, look under "Board/Program Actions" to see if your doctor has ever been disciplined by the board. 

How to file a complaint:

  • Find details on how to find a complaint here
 

Connecticut

How to check if your doctor's Connecticut license is active:

Check your doctor's discipline history:

  • Once you've found your doctor, select "detail" to see if there are any "Licensure Actions or Pending Charges" against their license.

How to submit a complaint:

  • Find details on how to find a complaint here.
 

Delaware

How to check if your doctor's Delaware license is active:

  • Go to Delaware Medical Board license search.

  • Select "Search & Verify License," then enter your doctor's name and select "medical practice" for "profession" to see the status of their license.

Check your doctor's discipline history:

  • Once you've found your doctor, scroll to the bottom of the page to see if they have been disciplined before.

How to submit a complaint:

  • Find details on how to find a complaint here
 

District of Colombia

How to check if your doctor's Washington, D.C. license is active:

Former discipline history:

  • Once you've found your doctor, any disciplinary action will be listed with their license details.

How to submit a complaint:

  • Find details on how to find a complaint here.
 

Florida

How to check if your doctor's Florida license is active:

Check your doctor's discipline history:

  • Once you've found your doctor's profile select the "Discipline/Admin Action" tab.

How to submit a complaint:

 

Georgia

How to check if your doctor's Georgia license is active:

Check your doctor's discipline history:

  • Once you've found your doctor's profile, you can see if they've been disciplined as well as any hospital privilege revocations.

How to submit a complaint:

 

Hawaii

How to check if your doctor's Hawaii license is active:

  • Go to Hawaii's Professional and Vocational Licensing Search.

  • Enter your doctor's information to see if their license is active and in good standing.

Check your doctor's discipline history:

How to submit a complaint:

  • Download this form and follow the instructions for filing a complaint.
 

Idaho

How to check if your doctor's Idaho license is active:

Check your doctor's discipline history:

  • Once you've found your doctor, look under "Board Actions" for any disciplinary actions taken by the medical board. 

How to submit a complaint:

  • Find details about how to file a complaint here.
 

Illinois

How to check if your doctor's Illinois license is active:

Check your doctor's discipline history:

  • Once you've found your doctor, look at their license details page under the column "Ever Disciplined" to see if they have been disciplined by the medical board.

How to submit a complaint:

  • Find details about how to file a complaint here.
 

Indiana

How to check if your doctor's Indiana license is active:

Check your doctor's discipline history:

How to submit a complaint:

  • Find details about how to file a complaint here
 

Iowa

How to check if your doctor's Iowa license is active:

Check your doctor's discipline history:

  • Once you've found your doctor, select "Details" to see if there is any record of "Public Charges and/or Public Discipline." If it says "Yes" details will be listed under "Public Documents" on their details page. 

How to submit a complaint: 

  • Find details about how to file a complaint here

 

Kansas

How to check if your doctor's Kansas license is active:

  • Go to the Kansas Board of Healing Arts licensee search.

  • Select the type of doctor you are looking for under "Profession" and search for your doctor by name.

  • Please note that information on MDs and DOs in Kansas is self-reported and therefore not independently verified by the Board of Healing Arts.

Check your doctor's discipline history:

  • Once you've found your doctor, look under the tabs "KSBHA Actions," "Health Care Facility Privilege Actions" and "Other Public License Actions" for details on discipline. 

How to submit a complaint: 

  • Find details about how to file a complaint here for details on how to file a complaint. 
 

Kentucky

How to check if your doctor's Kentucky license is active:

Check your doctor's discipline history:

  • Once you've found your doctor, look at "Board Action" to see if there has been any action taken by the board. For more details on any board action you must submit a written request. 

How to submit a complaint: 

  • Find details about how to file a grievance with the Kentucky Medical Board here.
 

Louisiana

How to check if your doctor's Louisiana license is active:

Check your doctor's discipline history:

How to submit a complaint: 

  • Find details about how to file a complaint here.
 

Maine

How to check if your doctor's Maine license is active:

Check your doctor's discipline history:

How to submit a complaint: 

  • Find details about how to file a complaint here.
 

Maryland

How to check if your doctor's Maryland license is active:

Check your doctor's discipline history:

  • Once you've found your doctor's profile, scroll down to "Known Disciplinary Actions." 

How to submit a complaint: 

  • Find details about how to file a complaint here.
 

Massachusetts

How to check if your doctor's Massachusetts license is active:

Check your doctor's discipline history:

  • Once you've found your doctor, click through to their physician profile and scroll to the bottom where it lists "Disciplinary and/or Massachusetts Criminal Actions."

How to submit a complaint: 

  • Find details about how to file a complaint here.
 

Michigan

How to check if your doctor's Michigan license is active:

Check your doctor's discipline history:

  • For discipline history prior to 2016, go here to review disciplinary action reports by year.

  • For discipline history from 2016 to present, go here to review disciplinary action reports by month.

How to submit a complaint: 

  • Find details about how to file a complaint here.
 

Minnesota

How to check if your doctor's Minnesota license is active:

Check your doctor's discipline history:

  • Once you've found your doctor's profile, disciplinary actions by Minnesota and any other states will be listed under "License Information."

How to submit a complaint: 

  • Find details about how to file a complaint here.
 

Mississippi

How to check if your doctor's Mississippi license is active:

Check your doctor's discipline history:

  • Once you've found your doctor's profile, any disciplinary documents will be listed under "Public Records." 

How to submit a complaint: 

  • Find details about how to file a complaint here.
 

Missouri

How to check if your doctor's Missouri license is active:

  • Go to Missouri Division of Professional Registration and select "Active Licensee Search."

  • Select the type of doctor you are looking for from the "Profession Name" drop-down. If your doctor doesn't turn up, search their name under the "Nonactive Licensee Search."

Check your doctor's discipline history:

  • Once you've found your doctor, click "Detail" to see their current discipline status

How to submit a complaint: 

  • Find details about how to file a complaint here.
 

Montana

How to check if your doctor's Montana license is active: 

Check your doctor's discipline history:

  • Once you've found your doctor look at their license details under "Discipline."

How to submit a complaint: 

  • Find details about how to file a complaint here.
 

Nebraska

How to check if your doctor's Nebraska license is active: 

Former discipline history: 

  • Once you've found your doctor look at their license details under "Disciplinary/Non-Disciplinary Information." 

How to submit a complaint:

  • Find details about how to file a complaint here.
 

Nevada

How to check if your doctor's Nevada license is active: 

Former discipline history: 

  • Once you've found your doctor, scroll to "Board Actions" to see if they have a history of discipline.

How to submit a complaint:

  • Find details about how to file a complaint here.
 

New Hampshire

How to check if your doctor's New Hampshire license is active: 

Former discipline history: 

  • Once you've found your doctor, look at their license details under "Remarks."

How to submit a complaint:

  • Find details about how to file a complaint here.
 

New Jersey

How to check if your doctor's New Jersey license is active:

Former discipline history: 

  • Once you've found your doctor, look under "Board Actions" for any history of discipline by the Board of Medical Examiners.

How to submit a complaint:

  • Find details about how to file a complaint here.
 

New Mexico

How to check if your doctor's New Mexico license is active:

Former discipline history: 

How to submit a complaint:

  • Find details about how to file a complaint here.
 

New York

How to check if your doctor's New York license is active: 

Former discipline history: 

How to submit a complaint:

  • Find details about how to file a complaint here
 

North Carolina

How to check if your doctor's North Carolina license is active: 

Former discipline history: 

  • Once you've found your doctor, look under "Actions - Adverse and Administrative."

  • You can also see if there has been any malpractice reported against the doctor.

How to submit a complaint: 

  • Find details about how to file a complaint here.
 

North Dakota

How to check if your doctor's North Dakota license is active: 

Former discipline history: 

  • Once you've found your doctor, look under "Discipline History" on their profile.

How to submit a complaint: 

  • Find details about how to file a complaint here.
 

Ohio

How to check if your doctor's Ohio license is active: 

Former discipline history:

  • Once you've found your doctor, see if there is any discipline listed under "board action" on their profile. If so, go to Ohio Medical Board.

  • Once there, search by year and month.

How to submit a complaint:

 

Oklahoma

How to check if your doctor's Oklahoma license is active: 

Former discipline history:

  • Once you've found your doctor, look under "Disciplinary History" on their profile.

How to submit a complaint:

  • Find details about how to file a complaint here.
 

Oregon

How to check if license is active: 

Former discipline history:

  • Once you've found your doctor, look under "Board Orders" for any history of discipline.

  • If your doctor does have discipline listed, you may be able to find more details about it by looking at the list of Oregon Medical Board Actions. Actions are organized by year and month.

How to submit a complaint:

  • Find details about how to file a complaint here.

 

Pennsylvania

How to check if your doctor's Pennsylvania license is active: 

Former discipline history:

How to submit a complaint: 

  • Find details about how to file a complaint here.

 

Rhode Island

How to check if your doctor's Rhode Island license is active: 

Former discipline history:

How to submit a complaint: 

  • You can submit a complaint about a particular doctor via their license details page.

 

South Carolina

How to check if your doctor's South Carolina license is active: 

Former discipline history:

How to submit a complaint: 

  • Find details about how to file a complaint here.
 

South Dakota

How to check if your doctor's South Dakota license is active: 

Former discipline history:

How to submit a complaint: 

  • Contact the South Dakota Board of Medical and Osteopathic Examiners at SDBMOE@state.sd.us or 605-367-7781.
 

Tennessee

How to check if your doctor's Tennessee license is active: 

Former discipline history:

How to submit a complaint: 

  • Find details about how to file a complaint here.
 

Texas

How to check if your doctor's Texas license is active:

Former discipline history: 

  • Once you've found your doctor's profile, you can see any actions taken by the Texas Medical Board as well as medical malpractice investigations.

How to submit a complaint:

  • Find details about how to file a complaint here.

 

Utah

How to check if your doctor's Utah license is active:

Former discipline history:

How to submit a complaint:

  • Find details about how to file a complaint here.

By Allison Elyse Gualtieri
 

Vermont

How to check if license is active:

  • Go to Vermont License Lookup.

  • Narrow your search by type of doctor and then click on "details" to see the license of their status.

Former discipline history:

How to submit a complaint:

  • Find details about how to file a complaint here.

By Allison Elyse Gualtieri
 

Virginia

How to check if your doctor's Virginia license is active: 

Former discipline history:

  • Once you've found your doctor's profile, look under "additional public information." If it says "yes," click through to see details.

How to submit a complaint:

  • You can complete the online complaint form, or submit it via email, fax or in person.
 

Washington

How to check if your doctor's Washington state license is active: 

Former discipline history:

  • Once you've found your doctor, look under "Enforcement Action."

  • For details about any action taken against their license, contact the Washington State Department of Health at hsqa.csc@doh.wa.gov. A license number or a first and last name are required to look up a doctor.

How to submit a complaint:

  • Find details about how to file a complaint here.
 

West Virginia

How to check if your doctor's West Virginia license is active: 

Former discipline history:

  • Once you've found your doctor, look under "Discipline/Board Action History."

How to submit a complaint:

  • Find details about how to file a complaint here.

 

Wisconsin

How to check if your doctor's Wisconsin license is active:

Former discipline history:

  • Once you've found your doctor, look under the tab labeled "Orders" for any disciplinary action taken by the board.

How to submit a complaint:

  • Find details about how to file a complaint here.
 

Wyoming

How to check if your doctor's Wyoming license is active:

Former discipline history:

How to submit a complaint:

  • Find details on how to file a complaint here.


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