License data and public records: what’s available and what isn’t

Professional and occupational licensing records are public records. States publish them so that consumers, employers, and other professionals can confirm who is authorized to practice. USLicenseCheck aggregates that public data and makes it searchable in one place.

Where the data comes from

Some states publish a machine-readable open-data feed that updates daily; others publish a downloadable file on a periodic schedule. We load the official data as published and note, on each state page and on our Data Sources page, exactly which source we use and how often it refreshes. We do not buy third-party lists or invent records.

What license data usually includes

• The license or credential number, type, and issuing board or profession.
• The current status and expiration date.
• The licensee’s name and, in many states, a city, state, and ZIP.
• Sometimes issue and effective dates, and whether a board action exists.

What it does not include

License data is not a background check. It does not contain criminal history, credit information, Social Security numbers, or private personal details, and it should not be treated as any of those. It also reflects the state’s data as of the last publication — status can change before the next refresh.

Corrections

Because we mirror the state’s published data, any correction to a specific license has to be made at the source. Contact the issuing state board; once their published record updates, our copy follows on the next refresh.