If you’re a physician, physician assistant, or other health professional, you must ensure that you maintain a valid and active medical license to practice your field in the state of Pennsylvania.
Besides compliance, having an active license adds credibility and reliability to your profession.
If you want to check your license status, check out this step-by-step guide to navigating the Pennsylvania physician license lookup online.
Key Takeaways
- Pennsylvania’s license lookup helps verify healthcare professionals regulated by state boards.
- Search by name, license number, or location; check for disciplinary actions or status updates.
- License profiles show issue date, expiration, specialty, and any penalties or other licenses.
- Licenses expire December 31 of even-numbered years; renewals can be managed via PALS system.
Table of Contents
What Is the Pennsylvania Licensing System Verification Service?
The Pennsylvania medical licensing lookup helps you verify occupational and health professionals practicing in the state. It lets you search for license information on practitioners and businesses regulated by the Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs.
You can access the database via the Pennsylvania Licensing System (PALS) Verification page. It’s the only primary source of license verification by the Pennsylvania Department of State.
This lookup portal is part of the Department of State’s professional and occupational licensing services to protect the public from fraudulent and unethical practitioners.
Who Manages the Pennsylvania Medical License Lookup Database?
The Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs of the Pennsylvania Department of State manages the license lookup and all its information.
However, when it comes to regulating license applications, Pennsylvania has 29 boards and commissions ensuring that applicants meet their profession’s standards before being licensed to work.
Pennsylvania’s State Board of Medicine regulates the licensure, registration, and certification of licensed physicians, physician assistants, nurse-midwives, respiratory therapists, radiology technicians, athletic trainers, acupuncturists, oriental medicine practitioners, perfusionists, and behavioral specialists.
Who Can Use Pennsylvania’s License Verification Page?
Health professionals can use the page to check their or another practitioner’s license status and information.
Meanwhile, employers, institutions, and patients can use the lookup page to verify credentials and check for any previous disciplinary actions by the Board.
Patients can also use the website to file complaints against fraudulent and unethical practitioners.
How to Verify Licenses Using the Pennsylvania Medical License Lookup
If you want to check a physician or physician assistant license, go to Pennsylvania’s lookup page and follow these steps to verify a licensee.
Enter Professional Information
When you visit the page, you can see various search criteria you can use. Choose if you’re searching for a person, facility, disciplinary action, or provider, and enter one or more pieces of information in the search fields.
The criteria include the Board or Commission, license type, license number, name, city, state, zip, county, and country. Unlike some other verification systems, this lookup page lets you find professionals in another state and country.
It’s recommended to enter the license number to quickly narrow down your search to a specific professional. Then, click the ‘Search’ button to see the results. You may click the ‘Clear’ button to remove all your entries and begin a new search.
Check Search Results
The results will appear below the search fields. The table shows the professional’s full name, license number, Board or Commission, license type, status, and address.
Clicking on the full name will show a new tab page providing other license details, such as the license’s specialty type, status effective date, issue date, expiration date, and last renewal.
You’ll see any disciplinary actions below the license information. If the licensee incurred any penalty, a table will show a download icon, the license number, full name, license type, file number, and the disciplinary action that happened.
Note that you can download discipline documents by clicking on the download icon in the Disciplinary Action section. If there’s no penalty, the section will be empty.
If the professional has multiple licenses, the ‘Other License Details’ section will appear below the page.
Print or Request Certification of License
On the licensee’s profile, you’ll see three icons in the upper right of your License Information section.
Clicking the bell icon lets you subscribe to the licensee or page. A pop-up will appear, prompting you to log in to your PALS account.
Meanwhile, clicking the printer icon enables you to automatically download a PDF file of the licensee’s profile. You may then print the downloaded document.
Lastly, selecting the blue seal icon lets you electronically order a license verification. You must log in to your PALS account to access the page. Follow the instructions and pay the $15 fee.
The Board will then send the recipient an electronic document and a secure link. Check out the website’s Verification/Certification of License Request page for more details.
Keep Your License Compliant and Updated with Physicians Thrive
Professional licenses in Pennsylvania expire on December 31 of every even-numbered year (excluding Medical Doctor – Training licenses). The State Board of Medicine mails renewal notices to your latest address two to three months before expiring.
Check Pennsylvania’s lookup page to ensure the date of your license’s expiration and see any requirements that need your compliance.
If you’re about to apply for or renew a medical license in Pennsylvania, consider seeking the help of a Licensing Consultant. A Consultant can help you review, navigate, and obtain your licensure requirements for a hassle-free process.
For more information, don’t hesitate to ask Physicians Thrive’s Licensing Consultant today! Our Consultants can help you get or renew your medical license in Pennsylvania and other states.
