Check a Washington health care credential
Type the credential number as it is printed, or the surname. 553,932 active credentials, 169 credential types, updated from the Department of Health file of 2026-08-20.
Checking hundreds at a time? Pro access resolves a whole list, and the datasets are published with their prices — from USD 300 a month for the stream of changes.
What this answers, and what it does not
One question: is this credential real, what kind is it, and when does it run out? You arrive with the number or the name already in hand, and you leave with one record. There is no ranking here, no rating, and no way to browse for a provider — that is deliberate.
The Department of Health publishes this data as « a primary source for verification of credentials », extracted from its live database at 2:00 a.m. and republished at 10:00 a.m. every day. This site is a faster, plainer way through the same file. For a certified copy, or for a disciplinary document, go to the Department’s own search.
The absence of information in the Provider Credential Search system doesn’t imply any recommendation, endorsement or guarantee of competence of any healthcare professional. The presence of information in this system doesn’t imply a provider isn’t competent or qualified to practice.
Washington issues four different things, and the word matters
Most states say « license » for everything. Washington does not, because it does not issue one thing.
| Form of credential | Active credentials | Share |
|---|---|---|
| License | 304,441 | 55.0% |
| Certification | 145,796 | 26.3% |
| Registration | 74,135 | 13.4% |
| Permit | 883 | 0.2% |
| Endorsement | 197 | 0.0% |
| Trainee | 1,833 | 0.3% |
| Other credential | 26,630 | 4.8% |
The clearest case is nursing assistance, which exists as a certification (59,078 active) and as a registration (25,386 active) at the same time. In ordinary speech both are « a CNA ». They are not the same credential. What each form is.
The biggest professions
| Profession | Active credentials | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurse License | 106,983 | 19.3% |
| Nursing Assistant Certification | 59,078 | 10.7% |
| Physician And Surgeon License | 31,099 | 5.6% |
| Nursing Assistant Registration | 25,386 | 4.6% |
| Medical Assistant Certification | 20,392 | 3.7% |
| Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner License | 18,863 | 3.4% |
| Dental Assistant Registration | 17,158 | 3.1% |
| Emergency Medical Technician Certification | 14,905 | 2.7% |
| Medical Assistant Phlebotomist Certification | 14,526 | 2.6% |
| Mental Health Counselor License | 12,609 | 2.3% |
| Counselor Agency Affiliated Registration | 12,416 | 2.2% |
| Pharmacist License | 11,304 | 2.0% |
| Massage Therapist License | 10,993 | 2.0% |
| Pharmacy Assistant License | 10,772 | 1.9% |
| Pharmacy Technician Certification | 10,038 | 1.8% |
| Licensed Practical Nurse | 9,895 | 1.8% |
| Social Worker Independent Clinical License | 9,624 | 1.7% |
| Radiologic Technologist Certification | 8,453 | 1.5% |
| Physical Therapist License | 8,159 | 1.5% |
| Medical Assistant Registration | 7,667 | 1.4% |
All 169 credential types · The renewal calendar · What the disciplinary flag means · How this site is built