Doctor registration number check: NMC and State Council, step by step

A doctor's registration number is the fastest way to confirm they're legally allowed to practise in India. The short answer: search it for free on the National Medical Commission's Indian Medical Register, or the State Medical Council that issued it, and match the full record, not just the number. Here's exactly how, and what it means if it doesn't match.

What is a doctor's registration number?

It's the number a State Medical Council issues when someone first registers to practise modern (allopathic) medicine, after MBBS or a further qualification like MD or MS. The National Medical Commission's Indian Medical Register brings these state-level records together into one searchable national list.

Note: AYUSH practitioners (Ayurveda, Homeopathy, Unani, Siddha) are registered with separate councils and generally won't appear on the allopathic NMC register, even if they're genuinely qualified in their own system.

How to check a doctor's registration number online, step by step

1. Get the registration number. Check the prescription, letterhead, or clinic signboard. A number is far more reliable than searching by name alone.
2. Search the NMC Indian Medical Register. Open the official register (free) and enter the registration number.
3. Match the whole record, name, qualification, and registration year, against the number. Don't stop at the number alone; one mistyped digit can land on someone else's record entirely.
4. No match on NMC? Try the State Medical Council. Older registrations and some specialities sit only with the state council that issued them. Our Verify a Doctor tool can point you to it, or upload a prescription and we'll read the details off the stamp for you.

A registration number confirms someone is on the record. It is not a rating of how good they are at medicine.

NMC register or State Medical Council, which do I search first?

Start with the NMC Indian Medical Register, it's the single national list. If you don't find a match, the State Medical Council that issued the number is your next stop, especially for older registrations that haven't been fully migrated online yet. A few, by state:

• Haryana (Haryana Medical Council): see our Gurugram verification guide.
• Delhi (Delhi Medical Council): see our Delhi verification guide.
• Maharashtra (Maharashtra Medical Council): see our Mumbai verification guide.
• Karnataka (Karnataka Medical Council): see our Bengaluru verification guide.
• Telangana (Telangana State Medical Council): see our Hyderabad verification guide.
• Tamil Nadu (Tamil Nadu Medical Council): see our Chennai verification guide.
• West Bengal (West Bengal Medical Council): see our Kolkata verification guide.
• Maharashtra (Maharashtra Medical Council): see our Pune verification guide.
• Uttar Pradesh (Uttar Pradesh Medical Council): see our Noida verification guide.
• Chandigarh / Punjab (Punjab Medical Council (and related regional registers)): see our Chandigarh verification guide.

I only have the doctor's name, not the number

That's a different, less reliable search, especially with a common name. We've written a separate guide: finding a doctor's registration number by name. Or skip the typing entirely: upload a prescription on our Verify tool and we'll extract the registration number from the stamp for you.

How to read the registration number format

Formats vary by council, most combine a state or council code with a number, but the exact pattern differs state to state and has changed over the decades. Don't rely on the shape of the number alone to judge whether it "looks real." Always confirm the full record, name, qualification and year, on the official register instead of pattern-matching the digits.

What if the number doesn't match or isn't found?

• Unable to verify is not proof someone is unqualified. Pre-digitisation gaps, spelling variants, and AYUSH councils sitting outside the NMC register are all common, innocent explanations.
• Try the State Medical Council directly before drawing any conclusion.
• If you genuinely suspect someone is practising without qualifications, don't accuse them publicly, report it through official channels. Our Complaints tool helps you find the right door.

Quick FAQ

General information only, not medical or legal advice. Always confirm details on official NMC / State Medical Council sites. Disclaimer: Kunwer Sachdev has no association with Su-Kam Power Systems Ltd. in its current form, having ceased to be its Managing Director and Promoter following insolvency proceedings under the IBC, 2016 (NCLT resolution, 2019–2022).