How to Find a Doctor's DEA Number

Written by Angela Campbell

25 October, 2017

When searching for a new doctor, many people like to research his qualifications and licensing before deciding whether or not to place their family’s health and trust in him. When a doctor is licensed through the Drug Enforcement Administration, it means he has agreed to obey the Controlled Substances Act, which authorizes him to prescribe and handle controlled substances 1. If you want to verify whether a specific doctor is licensed through the DEA to legally prescribe medications, there are ways to find and verify her DEA license number.

How to find a doctor's DEA license number

Call and ask. Because the DEA itself does not release physician registration to the general public, the easiest way to determine a physician’s DEA license is to call his office and ask for it.

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Check with your state medical board. You can attempt to verify the doctor’s licensing status through his practicing state's medical board. A listing of state medical boards is available on the American Medical Association Web site (see Resources).

Search online 2. While some online databases are free, most either charge a fee or require you to be a professional using the service. For instance, you can search the Nationwide Directory of Medical Licenses on Lexis.com. Under Public Records, follow to People, Business & Asset Locators, then License Locator on the menu. There should be an option for Professional Licenses. This contains licensing information about doctors and dentists from all states. Although individual documents may vary in content, most contain a physician’s DEA, Tax-ID and UPIN numbers.

Because the DEA itself does not release physician registration to the general public, the easiest way to determine a physician’s DEA license is to call his office and ask for it.
Although individual documents may vary in content, most contain a physician’s DEA, Tax-ID and UPIN numbers.