Guide · Pennsylvania Licensing System
Pennsylvania Medical License Lookup: How to Verify a Physician's License
Every Pennsylvania physician's license is on the Department of State's Pennsylvania Licensing System (PALS), which it updates daily. Here is how to search it, what each status means, and how MDs and DOs renew.
Care Contacts · October 19, 2026 · 6 min read · Board facts checked against the Pennsylvania Department of State's pages, October 2026
Quick answer
Pennsylvania Department of State
Search PALS, the Pennsylvania Licensing System, by the physician's name or license number under the State Board of Medicine for an MD or the State Board of Osteopathic Medicine for a DO. The license record shows the status, the expiration date and any disciplinary action.
- Updated:
- Daily
- Search by:
- Name or license number
- Primary source:
- Yes
- Both boards, weekdays 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.:
- 1-833-DOS-BPOA
- Documents, State Board of Medicine:
- ST-MEDICINE@PA.GOV
- Documents, State Board of Osteopathic Medicine:
- ST-OSTEOPATHIC@PA.GOV
- Lookup:
- pals.pa.gov
Other Pennsylvania License Lookups
PALS covers the 29 boards of the Department of State's Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, so the same search verifies nurses, pharmacists, physical therapists, dentists and physician assistants. Choose the board, then search.
- Open lookup
State Board of Nursing
Registered and practical nurses, CRNPs, clinical nurse specialists and CRNAs
On PALS, updated daily: choose the State Board of Nursing.
- Open lookup
State Board of Pharmacy
Pharmacists
On PALS, updated daily: choose the State Board of Pharmacy.
- Open lookup
State Board of Physical Therapy
Physical therapists and physical therapist assistants
On PALS, updated daily: choose the State Board of Physical Therapy.
- Open lookup
State Board of Dentistry
Dentists
On PALS, updated daily: choose the State Board of Dentistry.
- Open lookup
State Board of Medicine or State Board of Osteopathic Medicine
Physician assistants
On PALS: Medical Physician Asst under the State Board of Medicine, or Osteopathic Physician Assistant under the State Board of Osteopathic Medicine.
How to Use the Pennsylvania Licensing System (PALS) License Lookup
Five steps on the Department of State's own lookup, from the search to an official verification.
Open the license search
Go to the Pennsylvania Licensing System's license search, the Department of State's verification service for every license its boards issue.
Tip: Search results can point to the PALS login help, which asks for a Social Security number. That page finds a licensee's own account; the license search asks for none.
License Search, Pennsylvania Licensing SystemChoose the board and search
Choose Person, then the State Board of Medicine for an MD or the State Board of Osteopathic Medicine for a DO, and enter the license number or the physician's name. One field is enough; the search also takes the city, the state, the ZIP code and the county.
Open the license record
Select the physician's name. The record lists the license type and number, the status and the date it took effect, the issue date, the expiration date and the last renewal.
Check the disciplinary actions
Read the Disciplinary Action Details on the record. PALS shows whether the licensee has ever faced disciplinary action by the board, including suspension, fines or other penalties.
Tip: Read them even when the status is Active: the record lists disciplinary actions apart from the status.
Verify for credentialing
The Department of State calls PALS a primary source for verifying license credentials and updates it daily. A verification for another state's licensing agency costs $15 for the status or $25 for a certification of records, and the physician requests it from the license record.
Verification of Licensure, Pennsylvania Licensing System
License record · Pennsylvania Licensing System
- Board/Commission
- State Board of Medicine
- License Type
- Medical Physician and Surgeon
- Specialty Type
- —
- License Number
- MD000000
- Status
- Active
- Status Effective Date
- 01/01/2025
- Issue Date
- 07/01/2015
- Expiration Date
- 12/31/2026
- Last Renewal
- 12/15/2024
- Disciplinary Action Details
- None found
Invented values. The field names are the Pennsylvania Licensing System's own, from a license record on its search; the record also lists any prerequisite license and the next renewal.
What Each License Status Means
Each meaning comes from the State Board of Medicine's regulations or the Medical Practice Act, and links the text behind it.
| Status | What it means |
|---|---|
| Active | The physician holds a current registration and may practice in Pennsylvania. The registration renews every two years. Pennsylvania Code, Title 49, Chapter 16 |
| Unregistered | The renewal fee was not paid on time, so the license moved to unregistered status. The physician may not practice until the back fees and penalties are paid. Pennsylvania Code, Title 49, Chapter 16 |
| Inactive | The physician told the board in writing that they were going inactive. They may not practice until they register again, and they are exempt from continuing medical education. Pennsylvania Code, Title 49, Chapter 16 |
| Suspended | The board has suspended the license, and the physician may not practice while it is suspended. A temporary suspension lasts until the board lifts it, and no longer than 180 days. Medical Practice Act of 1985 |
| Revoked | The board has revoked the license. The physician may apply for reinstatement after at least five years and must meet every licensing requirement again, the exam included. Medical Practice Act of 1985 |
A license that is not renewed on time moves to unregistered status automatically, and the physician may not practice in Pennsylvania until the current fee is paid.
Pennsylvania Medical License Renewal and Expiration
Pennsylvania physicians renew every two years: $360 for an MD license and $450 for a DO license. This is what happens around each renewal.
- NoticeAbout 60 days beforeThe State Board of Medicine emails MDs a renewal notice about 60 days before the license expires.
- ExpiresDec 31 or Oct 31, even yearsMD licenses expire December 31 of every even-numbered year, and DO licenses October 31 of even-numbered years.
- Education100 hoursEach two-year renewal needs 100 hours of continuing medical education, at least 12 of them in patient safety or risk management.
- UnregisteredAfter the deadlineA license not renewed on time is placed in unregistered status automatically, and the physician may not practice until the fee is paid.
- RestoreBack fees and penaltiesRegistration returns once the back fees and penalties are paid, with a notarized affidavit and a resume. After more than four years away, the board may require an interview.
Pennsylvania Physicians in Numbers
From the State Board of Medicine's and the State Board of Osteopathic Medicine's license files, which we load every week.
- Active physician licenses, MD and DO, October 2026
- 59,800
- New licenses, Oct 2025 to Sep 2026
- 5,184
- October 2025: 470
- November 2025: 362
- December 2025: 329
- January 2026: 398
- February 2026: 377
- March 2026: 425
- April 2026: 413
- May 2026: 445
- June 2026: 492
- July 2026: 534
- August 2026: 472
- September 2026: 467
- Philadelphia16,904
- Pittsburgh8,417
- Allentown1,886
- Reading912
- Erie845
As of October 2026, from the two boards' license files. Cities are the license's practice address.
Across the six professions our report counts, Pennsylvania has the second most active licenses per resident of any state, after New York. See every state in our 2026 report
Questions About Pennsylvania Medical Licenses
Looking up a license
- Who licenses physicians in Pennsylvania?
- Two boards of the Department of State: the State Board of Medicine licenses medical doctors, and the State Board of Osteopathic Medicine licenses doctors of osteopathic medicine. Both also regulate physician assistants.
- How do I look up a doctor's license in Pennsylvania?
- Search PALS, the Pennsylvania Licensing System: choose the State Board of Medicine for an MD or the State Board of Osteopathic Medicine for a DO, and enter the license number or the doctor's name. The Department of State updates the data daily.
- How do I look up a physician assistant's license in Pennsylvania?
- On PALS, the same search as physicians: choose the State Board of Medicine for a medical physician assistant, or the State Board of Osteopathic Medicine for an osteopathic physician assistant.
- How do I look up a nurse's license in Pennsylvania?
- On PALS too: choose the State Board of Nursing, which licenses registered and practical nurses, CRNPs, clinical nurse specialists and CRNAs.
- Is a Pennsylvania medical license public record?
- Yes. The Medical Practice Act of 1985 has the board record every license in a record open to public inspection, and PALS shows each license's status and disciplinary actions.
- What does a Pennsylvania license record show?
- The board, the license type and number, the status and the date it took effect, the issue and expiration dates, the last and next renewal, any prerequisite license, and any disciplinary action.
- How current is PALS?
- The Department of State updates PALS daily, with data taken directly from the Pennsylvania Licensing System database.
- Does PALS show disciplinary history?
- Yes. PALS shows whether a licensee has ever faced disciplinary action by their board, including license suspension, fines or other penalties, and says so when it finds none.
- How do I contact the State Board of Medicine?
- Call 1-833-DOS-BPOA, Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., or create a ticket from the board's page for questions about a license. The board receives documents such as letters of good standing and employment verifications at ST-MEDICINE@PA.GOV, and the State Board of Osteopathic Medicine at ST-OSTEOPATHIC@PA.GOV.
Verification and credentialing
- How do I get an official verification of a Pennsylvania license?
- The physician requests it from the license record on PALS: $15 for a verification of status or $25 for a certification of records. The board sends it with a secure link, and only to another state's licensing agency.
- Can credentialing teams use PALS?
- Yes. The Department of State says PALS is considered a primary source for verification of license credentials, and it updates the data daily.
- Is Pennsylvania in the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact?
- Yes. Since July 7, 2025, doctors who live in Pennsylvania can apply through the compact to care for patients in more than 30 other states and U.S. territories.
Renewal and expiration
- How often do Pennsylvania physicians renew?
- Every two years. MD licenses expire December 31 of every even-numbered year and DO licenses October 31 of even-numbered years, and the State Board of Medicine emails MDs a renewal notice about 60 days before.
- How much does it cost to renew a Pennsylvania medical license?
- $360 for an MD license without restriction, under the board's fee schedule in the Pennsylvania Code, and $450 for a DO license.
- How many CME hours does a Pennsylvania physician need to renew?
- 100 hours every two years. An MD needs at least 20 in AMA PRA Category 1 and a DO at least 20 in AOA Category 1-A. Both need at least 12 in patient safety or risk management, 2 in child abuse recognition and reporting, 2 in pain management, addiction or opioid prescribing if they prescribe or dispense, and, since May 1, 2026, 2 in organ and tissue donation once within five years.
- What happens when a Pennsylvania medical license expires?
- The license moves to unregistered status automatically, and the physician may not practice in Pennsylvania until the current fee is paid. Returning takes the back fees and penalties, a notarized affidavit and a resume, and after more than four years away the board may require an interview.
- Is there an inactive status for physicians in Pennsylvania?
- Yes. A physician who tells the board in writing goes on inactive status, receives no renewal forms, is exempt from continuing medical education and may not practice until registering again.
For recruiters
Reach Pennsylvania Physicians Directly
Search 59,800 licensed Pennsylvania physicians, with a personal email for 47,302 and a cell phone for 43,594.
Sources
- 1.Pennsylvania Licensing System, License Search. Checked October 2026.
- 2.Pennsylvania Licensing System, PALS Login Assistance. Checked October 2026.
- 3.Pennsylvania Department of State, Verify a Professional or Occupational License. Checked October 2026.
- 4.Pennsylvania Licensing System, Verification of Licensure Instructions. Checked October 2026.
- 5.Pennsylvania Department of State, Boards and Commissions. Checked October 2026.
- 6.Pennsylvania State Board of Medicine. Checked October 2026.
- 7.State Board of Medicine, Renewal Information. Checked October 2026.
- 8.State Board of Medicine, Continuing Medical Education Requirements for Medical Doctors (PDF). Checked October 2026.
- 9.Pennsylvania State Board of Osteopathic Medicine. Checked October 2026.
- 10.State Board of Osteopathic Medicine, Renewal Information. Checked October 2026.
- 11.State Board of Osteopathic Medicine, Continuing Medical Education Requirements for Osteopathic Physicians (PDF). Checked October 2026.
- 12.Pennsylvania Code, Title 49, Chapter 16, State Board of Medicine. Checked October 2026.
- 13.Medical Practice Act of 1985, Act 112. Checked October 2026.