A Guide on Using the WA State License Lookup in 2024

Verifying the licenses of the professionals involved in new employment agreements or service contracts ensures that you’re working with qualified people. This helps you avoid legal complications or financial losses.

Ensuring your staff or partners are fully licensed also improves your malpractice insurance premiums, helps you command higher reimbursement rates, and allows for regulatory compliance.

How can you perform a WA state license lookup? Read on to learn the exact steps.

Key Takeaways

• The WA State License Lookup verifies medical professionals, facilities, and insurance providers’ credentials.
• Search by name, license number, or facility details to check status and compliance.
• Lookup results show license number, status, expiration, disciplinary actions, and medical school information.
• If a license is invalid, confirm with the Department of Health or file a complaint.

What Is the WA State License Lookup?

The WA state license lookup is an online directory that helps you verify the credentials of professionals and facilities in the state of Washington required to hold state-issued licenses, such as:

• Medical doctors, nurses, physician assistants, dentists, and pharmacists
• Health and medical insurance professionals
• Hospitals or health facilities

There are separate directories for professionals and facilities:

• For medical professionals, use the Washington Medical License Lookup
• For insurance professionals, use the Washington Insurance License Lookup
• For health facilities, use the Washington Healthcare Facility Search

Who Can Use the WA State License Lookup?

Anyone can access the WA state license lookup to find information on licensed medical and healthcare professionals. Here are the people who typically use it:

1. Healthcare professionals—If you’re a doctor, physician assistant, or another medical professional, you can use the lookup to ensure your colleagues and new hires are properly licensed and meet state regulations.
2. Employers or business partners—If you’re hiring a healthcare provider or partnering with one, you can use the lookup to quickly verify if they have the medical license required to work in WA.
3. Government agencies—They use the lookup to ensure that health professionals and facilities remain compliant with the law.

What Information Is Available in the License Lookup?

You can find the following information in the WA state license lookup:

1. License number and status
2. Issue and expiration dates
3. Medical school and attendance dates
4. ACSD/QACSC number, the date of issue, and the date of expiration
5. CVMs/CRNPs and PAs/AAs registered to physicians
6. Disciplinary actions

You will not be provided full addresses, birth dates, patient complaint history, malpractice case information, or any investigation-related information to ensure confidentiality.

If you’re using the facility lookup, you’ll get the following information:

• Facility name
• Address
• Owner’s name
• License number
• Facility status (active/inactive)
• Facility type
• License expiry date

How to Perform a WA State License Lookup for Health Professionals

Here’s how you can perform a WA state license lookup for health professionals:

1. Visit the Department of Health Website

Navigate to the Washington Medical License Lookup. Here’s what you’ll see:

2. Select the Credential Criteria

Select the credential type of the health professional you’re looking to verify. Here are some of the options:

3. Enter Other Credential Details

Enter the health professional’s first and last name and credential number, then hit “Search.”

How to Perform a WA State License Lookup for Health Facilities

Here’s how to check whether the facility you’re looking to work at holds a valid license:

1. Navigate to the Washington Healthcare Facility Search

This is what you’ll see:

2. Choose Facility Type

Select the facility type from the drop-down and enter the facility name, city, and county. Here’s an example:

3. Click Search

Once you click search, here’s what you’ll see:

4. Explore More Details

Click on the license number to find details about the facility’s licensure status.

Steps to Take if a License Is Not Valid

What do you do if the license of the medical professional or facility you’ll be working with/in isn’t valid? Take the following steps:

1. Reach out to the WA Department of Health

Contact the Department of Health’s customer service at 360-236-4700 or email them to verify that the license is truly invalid. They can help you understand if the license is pending approval or needs to be issued.

2. File a Complaint or Provide Feedback

Once you’ve confirmed that the professional or facility license is actually invalid, report this unlicensed practice through the Department of Health’s Health Systems Quality Assurance Complaint Intake Form.

If you’re reporting a provider, you’ll have to provide information about their credentials, first and last names, address, city, and state. If you’re reporting a facility, you’ll need to provide this information along with your employment status, department, unit, and other details.

Protect Your Financial and Professional Interests with Physicians Thrive

If you’ve received a job offer as a healthcare professional in Washington, doing your due diligence is necessary to avoid fines, legal issues, and penalties. A WA state license lookup helps you verify license-related information, so you can make the right decision.

Once you’ve verified the relevant licenses, the next step is to ensure your contract works for you. This is where we come in.

At Physicians Thrive, we understand the fine print of physician contracts and help you walk through the negotiation process so it comes out in your favor. Our team helps you protect your financial and professional interests.

Want to learn more about how we can support your next career move? Reach out to our team today!