California State Medical Board

What does the Medical Board do?

The Medical Board of California is a state government agency which licenses and disciplines medical doctors. The Board provides two principal types of services to consumers: public-record information about California-licensed physicians, and investigation of complaints against physicians.

To inquire about a physician, consumers can call the Board to find out if the doctor's license is current and renewed, and also whether there have been any administrative-related actions against the doctor. Although the Board is not a physician-referral service and cannot direct consumers to a physician in their community, it has some suggestions on how to select a doctor

If a doctor has been the subject of Board charges, or has had administrative-related action taken, you may obtain a copy of the public-record documents from the Board's Web site or request a copy be sent to you.

If consumers have a problem with a physician or other health professional regulated by the Medical Board, a complaint can be filed. If the problem appears to be a violation of the law, the Board will investigate it and, if a violation is confirmed, take legal action against the licensee.

Some doctors have addiction or abuse problems with alcohol or drugs. The Board operates a program to help such doctors recover from addiction.

The Board offers several publications to assist patients with serious medical conditions including breast and prostate cancer, dealing with inappropriate sexual behavior by physicians or other health practitioners, donating blood prior to having surgery, and other topics.