Before you start online therapy
How to Verify a Therapist’s License
To verify a therapist’s license, search the official state licensing board by the provider’s name or license number. Check the license type, current status, and any restrictions. For online therapy, confirm that the provider can see you in the state where you will be during sessions.
A Therapy Expanded guide · Created by Meghan Gilliland, LCSW · Updated
Step-by-step
Therapist license lookup: six steps to verify a license
A license lookup helps you confirm the provider’s identity and current license status. Use these steps before your first appointment or when your location or provider’s information changes.
Start with your session location
Use the state where you will physically be during the appointment. If you expect to attend from more than one state, check each location with the provider.
Identify the provider’s license type
Look for the professional credential after the provider’s name, such as LCSW, LMFT, LPC, or LMHC. Ask which license they use to provide your care. The board guide below can help you choose the right search.
Open the official board’s lookup tool
Find the state board for that profession and look for “Verify a license” or “License lookup.” Use the board’s record to check the information in a profile, advertisement, or directory listing.
Search by name or license number
Enter the full name or license number and select the correct profession if asked. Follow the lookup tool’s formatting instructions. If no record appears, ask which name is listed on the license.
Review the status and restrictions
Match the name, license type, number, and state. Check the current status and expiration date, if shown. Review any restrictions, disciplinary actions, or linked board orders. Contact the board if you are unsure what a status means.
Confirm anything that is unclear
Ask which license or authorization allows the provider to see you in your session state. If a record is missing, expired, inactive, or restricted, clarify it with the provider and board before starting care.
Official verification resources
Which licensing board should you check?
Choose the provider’s profession below, then find your state’s licensing board. These professional organizations link to board websites or contact information. Complete the license check through the board’s official lookup tool.
| Provider and credentials | Board to check | Find your state’s board |
|---|---|---|
| Clinical social workerLCSW, LICSW, and other state-specific titles | State social work board or a combined behavioral health board | Social work board lookups ASWB |
| Professional counselorLPC, LPCC, LMHC, LCPC, and related titles | State counseling board or a combined behavioral health board | Counseling board directory NBCC |
| Marriage and family therapistLMFT and related state titles | State marriage and family therapy board or a combined board | Marriage and family therapy boards AMFTRB |
| PsychologistPsychologist license; often PhD or PsyD | State psychology board | Psychology board lookups ASPPB |
| PsychiatristPhysician license: MD or DO | State medical board or osteopathic medical board | Medical and osteopathic boards FSMB |
| Psychiatric nurse practitionerPMHNP; state license may say APRN, NP, or another title | State nursing board; check the advanced practice credential | Nursing board directory NCSBN |
| Physician assistantPA; may use PA-C after their name | State physician assistant board or medical board | PA licensing board resources AAPA |
A degree or certification is not the same as a state license. For example, PhD and PsyD are degrees, and PA-C is a certification. Ask for the provider’s state license type and number if the letters after their name are unclear.
Prefer to start with your state? Browse online therapy by state for provider listings and state-specific license verification resources where available.
Online therapy across state lines
Check where you will be during sessions
Your home address and your provider’s office address do not tell the whole story. For online therapy, the provider needs a license or other valid authorization for the state where you are physically located during the appointment.
If you travel, move, attend college out of state, or split time between homes, tell your provider before your location changes.
Some providers use a compact privilege, telehealth registration, or another permitted pathway. Ask how to verify that authorization as well as their underlying license.
Read our guide to online therapy across state lines or find providers licensed in multiple states.
If the record is missing or unclear
What if you cannot find the license?
A missing search result can mean you have the wrong name, state, or board. It does not automatically mean the provider is unlicensed. Try these next steps:
- Ask for the exact details. Request the name on the license, license type, number, state, and board website.
- Check for another authorization. A compact privilege or telehealth registration may appear in a separate lookup.
- Contact the board. Ask how to interpret an expired, inactive, suspended, probationary, or restricted record.
If the information still does not match, resolve it before starting care or choose a provider whose license and authorization you can verify.
Common questions
Questions about verifying a therapist’s license
What is the best website to verify a therapist’s license?
The best place to verify a therapist’s license is usually the official state licensing board or license lookup website for the provider’s profession. Search by the provider’s full name, license number, profession, and the state where you will be located during sessions.
Does a therapist have to live in my state to see me online?
Not always. A provider may live in one state and be licensed or otherwise authorized to see clients in another. What usually matters is whether the provider is permitted to provide care in the state where you are physically located during the session.
What if I travel or move during online therapy?
Tell your provider before you travel, move, attend school out of state, or split time between states. Your location during the session can affect whether care can continue. If you know you may meet from more than one state, ask the provider whether they are licensed or authorized in each location.
Can I verify a psychiatrist or medication management provider the same way?
Yes, but you may need a different licensing board. Psychiatrists are usually licensed through a state medical board. Psychiatric nurse practitioners are usually verified through a state nursing board. Physician assistants are usually verified through a medical board or physician assistant board. Use the provider’s license type to find the correct board. You can also browse online medication management providers by state and then verify the appropriate medical, nursing, or physician assistant license.
Does Therapy Expanded verify provider licenses for me?
Therapy Expanded is a directory that helps you search for online mental health providers by state, specialty, care type, and other filters. Before starting care, you should confirm a provider’s current license status with the appropriate state licensing board or ask the provider how to verify their license.
What should I do if a license is expired, inactive, or does not match?
Ask the provider for clarification before booking. There may be a name difference, renewal delay, or another license involved. If the issue is not resolved clearly, contact the licensing board or choose a provider whose license status you can verify.
Can a therapist be licensed in more than one state?
Yes. Some therapists and mental health providers hold licenses in more than one state. Others may rely on compact privileges, telehealth registrations, temporary practice rules, or other authorization pathways. Before starting care, ask which license or authorization the provider is using for the state where you will be located.
After checking the license
Ask whether the provider is a good fit
License verification is one part of choosing care. You may also want to ask about the provider’s experience with your concern, therapy approach, availability, fees, and insurance.
Before your first appointment
- Are you accepting new clients, and what will sessions cost?
- What experience do you have with my concerns?
- How do you handle privacy and online appointments?
- What is your cancellation policy?
- What happens if I move or travel?
Find online care for your state
Start with the state where you will attend sessions. Compare providers, contact them about fit and availability, and verify their license before beginning care.
Need urgent support? If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. Visit our crisis and mental health resources page for additional support.