Before a first endocrinology visit, it's reasonable to want to know who you'll be seeing. That's especially true when several clinicians may be involved: an endocrinologist for a thyroid or diabetes concern, a surgeon if an operation comes up, a pediatric specialist for a child, or a clinician at an online weight-management or hormone service. In Washington, the core check is free and takes a few minutes.
This guide covers the state license check using official Washington tools. It doesn't evaluate doctors, and a clean record is not a recommendation. Sources are listed at the end.
Key points
- The Washington Medical Commission is the state medical board.
- The Department of Health's Provider Credential Search is the public lookup tool, and it provides copies of legal disciplinary actions taken after July 1998, unless prohibited by law.
- Physician assistant license verifications are on Provider Credential Search; the Commission no longer sends them by email or paper.
- For bulk checks, Washington's Open Data Portal uses the same source data.
License and board certification are separate checks
A state license and board certification answer different questions, and you check them in different places. This page covers the license side, which we've verified against official Washington sources.
We're holding back step-by-step board-certification instructions until we've confirmed them on the certifying boards' own websites. In the meantime, you can ask the clinic which specialty board certified the physician, and check whether the clinician's bio on the health system's website mentions it.
Who does what in Washington
The Washington Medical Commission is the state medical board of Washington. The public lookup itself is run by the Washington State Department of Health through its Provider Credential Search.
The two connect in a way that matters for verifications. The Commission's verification requests page says it no longer provides email or paper license verifications for physician assistants; those are available on Provider Credential Search instead.
| Question | Where to look |
|---|---|
| Does this clinician hold a Washington credential? | DOH Provider Credential Search |
| Are there legal disciplinary actions on record? | DOH Provider Credential Search, which provides copies of actions taken after July 1998, unless prohibited by law |
| Is a physician assistant licensed? | DOH Provider Credential Search |
| Who is the state medical board? | Washington Medical Commission |
| I need to check many providers at once | Washington's Open Data Portal, Health Care Provider Credential Data |
Step by step: checking an endocrinologist
- Get the full name from an official sourceUse the clinician's bio on the health system's website or your appointment confirmation. Note middle names or initials and the credential letters after the name.
- Open Provider Credential SearchGo to the Washington State Department of Health's Provider Credential Search page.
- Search and match carefullyCommon names can return more than one result. Match the full name and credential type to the person you'll see rather than taking the first result.
- Confirm the credential typeMake sure the credential matches what the clinic told you, for example physician or physician assistant.
- Review any disciplinary documentsIf documents are listed, open and read them rather than relying on a summary. The search provides true and correct copies of legal disciplinary actions taken after July 1998, unless prohibited by law.
- Write down what you foundNote the date you checked. Records can change, so check again if a lot of time passes before a procedure or a change in care.
Start the search on the Department of Health's Provider Credential Search page.
Endocrine-specific situations
When surgery is part of the plan
Endocrine care can involve more than one physician. Virginia Mason, for example, describes an endocrine surgery service for operations on the thyroid gland, the parathyroid glands and tumors of the pancreas. If surgery comes up, the surgeon is a separate person to look up, in addition to the endocrinologist who referred you.
Pediatric endocrinology
The Seattle Children's endocrinology clinic cares for children and teens with growth, puberty, diabetes and other hormone and gland concerns. When you book, ask for the full name of the clinician your child will see so you can run the same search.
Visits with a physician assistant
If a visit is scheduled with a physician assistant, Provider Credential Search is where to verify the license. The Medical Commission no longer sends email or paper license verifications for physician assistants and points people to the online search instead.
Online weight-management, thyroid and hormone services
If you're considering an online service for weight management, thyroid or hormone care, look up the clinician who will actually treat you, not just the company. Provider Credential Search shows whether that person holds a Washington credential. If the service doesn't name its clinicians, ask for the full name before your visit.
Bulk checks with Washington's open data
If you need to check many providers at once, perhaps as a practice manager onboarding staff, a researcher or someone maintaining a directory, the Department of Health suggests Washington's Open Data Portal for high-volume lookups. It uses the same source data as Provider Credential Search.
The relevant data set is Health Care Provider Credential Data, which showed an update date of September 20, 2026 when we checked it. For a single doctor, Provider Credential Search is the simpler route.
What a license lookup won't settle
A license check is a floor, not a full picture. On its own, it won't answer:
- Whether a clinician is a good fit for you or your child
- Whether they're accepting new patients
- Whether they're in network for your insurance
- Whether they're board certified (see the note above)
For booking and insurance questions, see the appointment guide. For where Seattle's endocrinology clinics are and what each says it treats, see the clinic guide.
If a record doesn't match
If you can't find a clinician, or the details don't match what you were told, first check the spelling and any former names, then ask the clinic to confirm the clinician's full legal name and credential type. For questions about physician licensing in Washington, the Washington Medical Commission's licensing page is the official starting point.
Frequently asked questions
How do I check a doctor's license in Washington?
Use the Washington State Department of Health's Provider Credential Search. Search by the clinician's name and match the record carefully to the person you'll see.
Can I see disciplinary actions against a Washington physician?
Provider Credential Search provides true and correct copies of legal disciplinary actions taken after July 1998, unless prohibited by law.
What is the Washington Medical Commission?
It's the state medical board of Washington.
How do I verify a physician assistant's license?
The Medical Commission no longer provides email or paper license verifications for physician assistants. Those verifications are available on Provider Credential Search.
Can I check many providers at once?
Yes. The Department of Health suggests Washington's Open Data Portal for high-volume lookups. Its Health Care Provider Credential Data set uses the same source data as Provider Credential Search.
How do I check if my endocrinologist is board certified?
We're confirming the official board-certification lookup steps before publishing them. For now, ask the clinic which specialty board certified the physician.
Sources
- Licensing — Washington Medical Commission
- Verification requests — Washington Medical Commission
- Provider Credential or Facility Search — Washington State Department of Health
- Health Care Provider Credential Data — Washington State Open Data Portal
- Endocrine surgery — Virginia Mason Franciscan Health
- Endocrinology clinic — Seattle Children's