Primary source verification (PSV) directory
Official and industry sources credentialing teams use to verify identity, licensure, education, board certification, DEA registration, adverse actions and exclusions. Filter by category, role or cost.
Other licenses & verification elements
- Non-physician licenses. Verify every license with the issuing state board for that profession (for example dental, podiatry, psychology, social work, counseling, chiropractic, pharmacy or therapy boards). National indexes in the directory above help you find the right board: ASWB (social work board lookups), ASPPB (psychology boards), FCLB CIN-BAD (chiropractic board actions), NABP Verify (pharmacists) and NBCC (national counselor certification). Nurses and APRNs: Nursys. Physicians: the State directory.
- State controlled substance registration (CDS/CSR). See State controlled substance registration below and the DEA State Licensing Boards directory.
- Education, training & IMGs. AMA Physician Profiles, ECFMG certification verification, FCVS, ACGME and school directories are on Education. Hospital affiliation verification (NAMSS PASS) is on Affiliations.
- Work history & peer references. Use the work history / employment verification request and peer reference request templates.
- Malpractice coverage & claims history. Query the NPDB and see Malpractice verification for carrier contacts and loss runs.
- NPI applications & updates. Providers update their record in NPPES; see the For Providers guide. Use the NPI Registry to verify.
State controlled substance registration (CSR / CDS)
Some states require practitioners to hold a state controlled substance registration in addition to a DEA registration. States use different names, such as CSR, CDS registration, BNDD registration or MCSR. Massachusetts's health department says "well over half of the states" require one, and that in those states DEA won't issue a registration until the state registration is valid.
How to check
- Find out whether the practitioner's state issues its own registration. The DEA State Licensing Boards directory lists each state's licensing board phone numbers, including a controlled substance ("CONT SUB") contact where a state has one.
- Verify the registration with the issuing state agency: its online lookup if it has one, or a written or phone verification.
- Verify the DEA registration separately, and record both expiration dates.
The table lists only state pages we opened and checked on Oct 24, 2026. It isn't a complete list of states that require registration. For any other state, start with the DEA directory or the state's licensing board.
| State | Agency | Official page | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | Department of Consumer Protection, Drug Control Division | Practitioner CSR FAQ ↗ (opens in new tab) | |
| Illinois | Dept. of Financial & Professional Regulation (IDFPR) | Controlled substance licenses ↗ (opens in new tab) | |
| Maryland | Office of Controlled Substances Administration (OCSA) | CDS registration ↗ (opens in new tab) | Public lookup: CDS search. Maryland requires PDMP registration before CDS registration. |
| Massachusetts | Dept. of Public Health | MCSR for practitioners ↗ (opens in new tab) | Massachusetts also has a state-only Schedule VI. |
| Missouri | Bureau of Narcotics & Dangerous Drugs (BNDD) | BNDD registration ↗ (opens in new tab) | Public lookup: registrant search. |
| Oklahoma | Bureau of Narcotics & Dangerous Drugs Control (OBNDD) | Registration ↗ (opens in new tab) | Lookup in the OBNDD online portal. OBNDD lists $140 a year for practitioners, and all registrations expire Oct 31. |
Criminal background checks
NAMSS's Industry Credentialing Standards (voluntary) recommend a County Criminal Search and a National Criminal Search covering at least the past seven years, including each county where the applicant lived or worked, at initial credentialing. Some states and employers have their own requirements, so check your policy and state law.
If a background-check company runs the report
A report from a background-check company is a "consumer report" under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). For employment decisions, the joint EEOC/FTC guide says you must:
- Tell the applicant in writing, in a stand-alone notice (not inside the application), that you may use the report, and get their written permission.
- Before taking an adverse action, give them a pre-adverse action notice with a copy of the report and "A Summary of Your Rights Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act."
- After taking an adverse action, give them an adverse action notice that names the company that supplied the report.
- Follow equal employment opportunity laws: apply the same standards to everyone.
Background Checks: What Employers Need to Know (EEOC/FTC) ↗ (opens in new tab)
The guide is written for employers. Ask counsel how these rules apply to medical staff applicants who aren't your employees.
APP supervising & collaborating agreements
Whether an advanced practice provider (APP) needs a supervising or collaborating physician depends on state law and the provider type.
- Nurse practitioners. AANP's State Practice Environment map sorts states into three groups. Full practice: NPs practice under the board of nursing's licensure authority alone. Reduced practice: state law requires a career-long collaborative agreement, or limits the setting of at least one element of NP practice. Restricted practice: state law requires career-long supervision, delegation or team management.
- Physician assistants and other APRNs (such as CRNAs and nurse midwives). Check the state licensing board's rules for supervision or collaboration. PA professional resources: AAPA (American Academy of Physician Associates) (opens in new tab).
What to collect (general practice, check your policy)
- A copy of the signed supervising or collaborating agreement, or practice protocol, when state law requires one
- Confirmation that each named physician holds current privileges at your organization, if your bylaws require it
- Proof the agreement is filed with or approved by the state board, where the state requires that
- A note to update the file whenever the supervising or collaborating physician changes
Life support certifications
Which courses are required (for example BLS, ACLS, PALS, ATLS or NRP) is set by your bylaws, department criteria and privileges. Verify the card with the organization that issued it, and record the expiration date. The verification tools are in the directory above under "Life support certifications":
- AHA: verify eCards by code (up to 20 at a time).
- American Red Cross: find a certificate by email, name and date, or certificate ID.
- ATLS (American College of Surgeons): verification is by request. Status lasts 4 years from course completion. During the 6-month grace period for a refresher, the provider is not considered verified.
- NRP (American Academy of Pediatrics): have the provider send their eCard from the AAP system, or scan its QR code. Online-only "NRP" cards aren't official.