How to Check a New York Psychiatrist's or Therapist's License
Short answer
You can check any New York psychiatrist, nurse practitioner, psychologist or therapist on the State Education Department's online verification search. Pick the profession, enter the name or license number, and look for a status of Registered with a current "registered through" date. Board certification and physician discipline are separate checks, done through the certifying board and the Department of Health.
In crisis or thinking about suicide? Call or text 988 now (in New York City it reaches NYC 988). If you are in immediate danger, call 911.
This guide is not enough if
- You or someone else is in danger right now. Call or text 988, or call 911.
- You want to know whether a clinician is a good fit for you. A license check cannot tell you that.
- You have a concern about care you already received. Use the state complaint routes in this guide, not only a lookup.
- Your clinician practices in another state. Each state runs its own license search.
Why a two-minute check is worth doing
You found a psychiatrist or therapist you like, and their profile lists a string of letters. Before a first visit, many people want to know two things: is this person licensed in New York, and is the license in good standing right now. You can answer both yourself in a couple of minutes.
New York licenses most health professions through the State Education Department's Office of the Professions (NYSED). Its online verification search lets the public look up the records of licensees in more than 50 professions. If you want to know what each set of letters means, our article on what clinician credentials mean explains them. This guide is about checking them.
How to run the search
The search is at the NYSED verification search (opens in a new tab). NYSED's help page gives these steps:
- Get the exact name and license type. A clinician should be able to give you their license number if you ask.
- Pick one profession. NYSED says its medicine and osteopathy listing covers physicians, including MDs and DOs. Nurse practitioners have their own listing, and NYSED notes that every NP must also be licensed and registered as a registered nurse.
- Enter the last name, a space, then the first name. Do not use a comma. If you are unsure of the spelling, enter the first few letters of the last name.
- Or enter the full six-digit license number. Add zeros in front if the number is shorter.
- Open the record by clicking the license number.
- No match? NYSED says to make sure you picked the right profession and to try spelling variations. A name like O'Neil may appear as O'Neil, O Neil or ONeil.
What the result tells you
A record shows the person's name, city and state, profession, license number, date of licensure and registration status. The city is there to help you identify the right person. NYSED says a licensee does not need a New York address to be authorized to practice in the state.
Status is the line that matters most. NYSED says a professional must be licensed and registered to practice in New York. A record may instead read Inactive (the person told the state they will not practice here), Not Registered (registration lapsed without explanation), or License Suspended, Revoked or Surrendered after disciplinary action.
Registered through is the date the current registration ends, on the last day of that month. Physicians register for two-year periods and most other professions for three-year periods. If the status is anything other than Registered, that date is the last day the person was registered to practice in New York.
Some records also show an additional qualification, such as an insurance reimbursement privilege for some social workers. NYSED says a blank line there should not be read as limiting the person's regular practice. A physician's record does not list specialties, so the license alone will not tell you that a doctor is a psychiatrist.
| Your question | Where to check | What to look for |
|---|---|---|
| Is this person licensed in New York now? | NYSED Office of the Professions verification search | Status of Registered and a "registered through" date that has not passed |
| Does this therapist practice under supervision? | The NYSED record, then ask the clinician | LMSW or a limited permit such as MHC-LP; ask who the supervisor is and look up that license too |
| Is this psychiatrist board certified? | ABPN verifyCERT | Certification in psychiatry, plus any subspecialty such as child and adolescent psychiatry |
| Is this nurse practitioner certified in psychiatry? | NYSED nurse practitioner record, and the national certifying body | Ask which NP specialty they hold; national certification from a body such as ANCC |
| Has this doctor been disciplined? | NYS Department of Health, OPMC | Board orders, actions or misconduct charges listed since 1990 |
| Has another licensee been disciplined? | NYSED summaries of Regents actions | Disciplinary cases listed from January 1994 onward |
Matching the title to the right record
A few titles are easy to mix up. Here is what to look for, briefly; the credentials article has the details.
- Psychiatrist (MD or DO): search the physician (medicine) listing. Psychiatry is a specialty, so check board certification separately (see below).
- Psychiatric nurse practitioner: search Nurse Practitioner. New York certifies NPs in specific specialty areas, and Psychiatry is one of them. It is fair to ask which specialty a clinician is certified in.
- LMSW vs LCSW: NYSED says an LMSW may provide clinical social work (diagnosis, psychotherapy and assessment-based treatment planning) only under supervision. An LCSW may provide those services without supervision.
- LMHC vs MHC-LP: an MHC-LP holds a limited permit. NYSED says a permit lets someone who has met every licensing requirement except the exam or experience practice under supervision, at a specific site, with a qualified supervisor. A permit is valid for two years and may be extended. NYSED says the supervisor reviews the assessment and treatment of each client the permit holder sees.
- Psychologist and LMFT: pick the matching profession and search by name, the same way.
Board certification and discipline are separate checks
Board certification is a professional credential, not a state license. For psychiatrists, the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN) runs verifyCERT, which lets you look up ABPN-certified physicians by name, specialty or location. Psychiatric nurse practitioners may hold national certification from a body such as the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), which says members of the public seeking verification should contact its Customer Care Center.
Discipline records sit in two places. For physicians and physician assistants, NYSED's help page says the Department of Health has responsibility for discipline. The Health Department's Office of Professional Medical Conduct (OPMC) lists physicians and physician assistants disciplined since 1990, those under a non-disciplinary board order, and those served with misconduct charges. Its page also links to the New York State Physician Profile, where doctors report their education, specialty and legal actions.
For psychologists, nurse practitioners, social workers and counselors, NYSED says you can search summaries of Regents actions on professional discipline, with cases from January 1994. If you have a concern about a clinician, NYSED has a professional misconduct complaint form (opens in a new tab), and OPMC (opens in a new tab) takes complaints about physicians.
When a license check is not the next step
A license sets a floor. It does not show how someone works, whether they have treated your concern, or whether you will feel comfortable with them. Once the record checks out, the questions in our Brooklyn psychiatrist article usually tell you more. If you are already in care and unsure about the plan, a second opinion guide may fit better than a lookup.
If medication is part of the question, see who can prescribe in New York. For video visits, the clinician generally needs to be licensed where you are during the session; telehealth rules in New York covers that. If you are in crisis, call or text 988, or call 911, and see crisis hotlines.
Mind Body Seven's team includes psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, psychologists, and licensed and supervised therapists. Each clinician's credentials are listed on the team page, and you can look any of them up yourself. To start care, see psychiatry in Brooklyn.
Frequently asked questions
What does "not registered" mean on a New York license lookup?
NYSED uses Not Registered when a registration has lapsed without explanation. To practice in New York, a professional must be licensed and registered. The "registered through" date then shows the last day the person was registered. A lapse can be a paperwork issue, so you can ask the clinician about it before you book.
Why can't I find my psychiatrist's specialty on the NYSED lookup?
NYSED says the additional qualification line on a record does not include practice specialties for physicians. A psychiatrist holds the same medical license as any other doctor. To confirm the specialty, you can use ABPN verifyCERT for board certification or the New York State Physician Profile, which the Department of Health links from its OPMC page.
Can a therapist licensed in another state see me by video in New York?
NYSED's telepractice guidance says a practitioner must hold a New York license, or be otherwise authorized, when serving a patient located in New York. So a clinician licensed only elsewhere generally cannot treat you while you sit in New York. Our guide to telehealth rules in New York covers the details.
Where do I report a concern about a New York therapist or psychiatrist?
If anyone is in danger, call 911 first. For psychologists, nurse practitioners, social workers, counselors and other NYSED-licensed professionals, the Office of the Professions has an online professional misconduct complaint form. For physicians and physician assistants, the Department of Health's Office of Professional Medical Conduct investigates complaints and has its own filing page.
Does a nurse practitioner's lookup show their prescribing?
NYSED's help page says nurse practitioners may qualify to write prescriptions after showing specified education in pharmacology, and that some records list an additional qualification. A blank line there should not be read as limiting regular practice. If prescribing matters to you, ask the NP directly; our guide on who can prescribe explains the New York rules.
Next: take the next step
When you are ready, read more about how Mind Body Seven can help, in Brooklyn or by telehealth across New York State, or request a consultation and an Intake Coordinator will follow up.
Sources
- NYSED Office of the Professions: Help with Online Verifications
- NYSED: Social Work Frequently Asked Questions
- NYSED: Mental Health Counselor License Requirements (limited permits)
- NYSED: Nurse Practitioner Certification Requirements
- NYS Department of Health: Physician and Physician Assistants Disciplinary and Other Actions
- ABPN: Patients and Credentialers
- ANCC: Verifying an ANCC Nursing Certification
- NYSED: Telepractice guidance for mental health practitioners
Recent changes
- May 29, 2026: New York's Education Law section 6902, as published by the NY Senate in its May 29, 2026 revision, keeps the rule that nurse practitioners with more than 3,600 hours of practice do not need a written collaborative agreement with a physician in effect until July 1, 2030. NY Senate: Education Law section 6902
- June 24, 2024: New York began issuing a three-year diagnostic privilege to qualified licensed mental health counselors, marriage and family therapists and psychoanalysts. NYSED: Diagnostic Privilege for Certain Mental Health Practitioners
Reviewed by Dr. Beata Lewis, MD, Founder and Clinical Director, board-certified in adult psychiatry, child and adolescent psychiatry, and integrative medicine on November 8, 2026. Facts checked against the sources above on November 8, 2026. This guide is general education, not medical advice, a diagnosis or a treatment plan, and reading it does not make you a patient of Mind Body Seven. For advice about your situation, talk with a licensed clinician.