How do I check the clinician?

License: permission to practice

Start with the clinician’s full name and license type. Ask for the license number to help match the right person.

A board record can show whether a doctor has a license and whether the board has disciplined them. Discipline means the board took a step against the doctor over a rule or care problem. The record gives no rating of how good the care is.

MD and DO: use the matching search

An MD is a medical doctor, with the letters MD after their name. Arizona Medical Board’s Doctor Search links to license details and public board orders. These orders are written decisions by the board, including decisions about discipline.

A DO is also a doctor. Osteopathic doctor is the name for this type of doctor, with the letters DO after their name. Arizona licenses DOs through a separate board with a Find your DO search.

Nurse practitioner and PA: different records

For a nurse practitioner, check two records: the nursing license and a separate certificate showing the board recognizes that person’s nurse practitioner role. That second record is called an advanced-practice certificate.

Arizona’s Nursing Board links to checks for both records.

Ask the board which care the certificate allows and whether it covers prescribing the proposed medicine.

A PA, or physician assistant, has an Arizona board with PA Search and license verification links.

History: an empty box is not the whole story

Under Arizona’s record rules checked October 6, 2026, a board website may leave out parts of the public history. You can request more public records from the board.

A blank list of discipline on the website may leave out older decisions or complaints. Ask the board about the records it can share.

If the record does not match what you were told, ask the board what additional records are available.