Read the board’s record for your doctor

• Ask for the full professional name and the licence or registration details.
• Write down the state where you expect to be during the visit.
• Ask which board’s search covers that professional role.

For a visit by video, phone or messages, often called telehealth, your location matters. According to guidance checked September 26, 2026, the doctor must have permission to provide care at your location, in whichever state you visit from. A licence is the usual permission; state rules allow limited exceptions. Ask the service to confirm what applies to your visit.

Doctors can use an agreement between states, called the interstate medical compact, to apply faster for separate state licences. As of September 26, 2026, it does not give them a nationwide licence.

• Check that the name and professional type match the person you were given.
• Read the status, dates, restrictions and any linked public action.
• Ask the board for help interpreting an entry that you cannot follow.

The letters MD or DO describe a doctor’s medical degree; DO stands for doctor of osteopathic medicine. In some states, DO licences are held by a different board from MD licences. Ask your doctor where to look for their record.

The Federation of State Medical Boards is the publisher of the board list linked in Further reading. That list leads to boards in states and territories.

• Tell the service where you will actually be before the visit.
• If you plan to travel, ask whether care can continue from that place.
• Keep the answer with the doctor’s details.