How to Check a New York State Nursing License

• Visit https://www.op.nysed.gov/verification-search to check the status of a New York State nursing license.
• Enter the nurse's full name or license number.
• You can also contact the New York State Board of Nursing at (518) 474-3817, extension 120.

Getting the Proper Info

Get the nurse's correct name. You will need the correct spelling of the nurse's name. Make sure it is the same spelling (and name) that nurse used when he or she got the license. You can search with only 3 letters of each name (the first and last), but it's better to have the full name. If you're an employer, ask the nurse you are checking for this information. You can also pull it from the person's job application. Even if you're not an employer, you should ask the person for this information if you feel the need to check his or her license. You can also pull it from the person's name tag, if he or she has one. You may want to check someone's license if you don't feel they're acting in a professional manner.

Ask for the license number. It may be easier to find the correct license if you have the actual license number. You have the option of putting in either the name or the license number. In fact, this option may be more accurate, as more than one nurse with the same name may have a license in the state.

Find out the exact license the person has. While the nurse's aide, licensed practical nurse (LPN), and registered nurse (RN) licenses are fairly straightforward, the nurse practitioner license is divided into subcategories. For instance, you can choose from "Nurse Practitioner - Adult Care" or "Nurse Practitioner - College Health."

Understand why it's important. Like most states, employers in New York are required by state law to verify employees' licenses, including nurse's aides. The state of New York monitors searches to make sure employers are performing the proper checks.

Checking the License

Go to the website. You can check for a nurse's license on the website for the New York State Education Department. It has databases where you can look up licenses by profession. You can find the proper site at https://www.op.nysed.gov/verification-search. Note that you must use a different website for nurse's aides. The website is https://registry.prometric.com/registry/public. You can also call 1-800-918-8818. Both of these websites are free to use.

Pick how you want to enter the information. You can either enter the name or the license number. The website has separate search fields for each one. When you enter the name, put the last name in first. Add a comma and a space, and enter the first name. The last name must have at least three characters. That means that even if the person's last name only has two characters, you should add a third character in the form of a space. On the nurse's aide website, you'll also choose either the certificate number or the nurse's name. This website has separate fields for last name, first name, and middle name.

Choose the correct profession. When searching for a nurse's license, you must find the proper license on the drop-down menu. You can choose LPN, RN, or a variety of types of nurse practitioners. On the nurse's aide website, the profession is already chosen for you.

Search through the results. Hopefully, you'll be lucky and only have one or two results. If you have more, you may need to sift through them to find the right one. If you get no results, you may want to check the spelling or number again to make sure you put the information in correctly. If you're positive that you've entered the information in correctly, that may mean that the person you are searching for is not registered in New York State. When results are displayed, you can click on the desired name or license number to view detailed information including the original date the license was registered, additional qualifications, and the current status of the license.

Contact the New York State Board of Nursing. If you can't verify the license through the website, you can try contacting the the Board of Nursing directly. You can call (518) 474-3817, extension 120. You can also visit them at Education Bldg., 89 Washington Avenue, 2nd Floor West Wing, Albany, NY 12234.

Use the online Nurses License Verification. Another way you can verify a license is through a national database at Nursys License Verification. Visit www.nursys.com and click on "Search Quick Confirm," where you can search in pretty much the same way as you used the New York State system. However, you also must choose a state for the license.