The Board consists of 13 members – 11 appointed by the Governor and two appointed by the General Assembly upon the recommendations of the Speaker and President Pro Tempore. Eight of the 13 are licensed physicians, one is a licensed physician assistant (PA), one is an approved nurse practitioner (NP), and three are members of the public with no financial or professional interest in a health service or profession.

All Board members serve three-year terms. State law limits members to serving two full, consecutive terms on the Board. 

View the current Board.

Board FAQs

Each licensee has a public facing licensee information page that is found on the Board's website via the Licensee Search function. 

You can access and edit your licensee profile by logging into the Licensure Gateway. 

Once logged in, you can add practice information, educational credentials, certifications, area(s) of practice, memberships, honors, awards, academic appointments and publications, and more.

Licensees are encouraged to make use of the many optional categories of information and to also upload a photo.

Under NC law, licensees are required to report certain information to the Board. This includes:

• Certain criminal convictions
• Regulatory actions
• Malpractice 
• Adverse privileging actions

Additionally, G.S. § 90-5.4 requires licensees to report sexual misconduct with a patient, fraudulent prescribing, drug diversion or theft of any controlled substance by a licensee of the Board.

Refer to the Guide to Reporting Adverse Information for more details.

The Medical Practice Act is chapter 90 of the NC General Statute on medicine and allied health occupations. Chapter 90 is the law that governs the practice of medicine in the state of North Carolina. 

The rules of the NC Medical Board are created through the Office of Administrative Hearings and are part of the North Carolina Administrative Code, chapter 32, title 21, Occupational Licensing Boards and Commissions. The Office of Administrative Hearings maintains its own electronic catalog of administrative rules. OAH’s website includes a complete historical account of the rules, which includes repealed rules, as well as a chronological history of amendments. Visit OAH’s version of the NCMB rules by clicking on the links below.

• Physicians
• Physician assistants
• Anesthesiologist assistants
  
• Corporations
• Limited liability companies

The North Carolina Medical Board’s (“Board”) position statements are interpretive statements that attempt to define or explain the meaning of laws or rules that govern the practice of physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners licensed in North Carolina. The categories are listed below and you can find them here.

1. Introduction
2. Patient-Licensee Relationships
3. Privacy, Confidentiality, & Medical Board Records
4. Prescribing
5. Guidance on Procedures and Treatments
6. Caring for Patients at End-of-Life
7. Licensees & the Health of the Community
8. Professional Self-Regulation
9. Professional Working Relationships
10. Fees & Charges

All licensees are required by law to keep current home, practice, and email addresses on file with the Board. Licensees should update this information with the Board within 60 days of any changes. Click here to learn more.

Licensees of the Board are required to regularly renew or “register” their licenses in order to maintain the right to practice. Most licensees of the Board, including physicians and physician assistants, renew annually. Click the links below for additional information on renewals.

• Physician renewal
• Resident renewal
• Physician Assistant renewal
• Anesthesiology Assistant renewal
• Perfusionists
• Polysomnographic Technologist

CME Requirements for: 

1. Physicians (at least 60 hours of Category I CME completed over a three-year cycle)
2. Physician Assistants (at least 50 hours of Category I CME completed over a two-year cycle)

CME FAQs

Board notices are published on the home page of our website and are to alert licensees on a variety of topics including rule discussions, public health alerts, and various licensee obligations.

Our issue briefs are topic specific deep dives into areas that our licensees need to know about. Some of them are listed below:

• Duty to Report Sexual Misconduct
• Duty to Report Controlled Substance Prescribing Misconduct
• Filling out death certificates
  
• CS CME

Topics in depth are a collection of guides and other resources with detailed information about specific topics related to NCMB policies and other select subjects.

The Forum is the flagship publication of the Board and is produced bi-monthly in a digital format. The Forum covers a variety of topics of interest and is the primary way the Board shares news, policies, health-related subjects, and disciplinary actions.

Medical regulation is an important but complicated topic. The MedBoard Matters podcast highlights important issues in medicine and medical regulation and can help our licensees stay more informed in an easy-to-digest format. Our top 5 podcasts are listed below.

1. Patient dismissals: Preserving patient welfare when cutting ties
2. Don't be fooled by licensing board scams
3. Clinicians’ critical role in protecting children from abuse
4. Cultural Competence in Medicine
5. Signing a death certificate: Why it matters

The Board regularly engages on social media. Follow us on:

• X (formally Twitter)
• Facebook
• LinkedIn 

The Board publishes videos on our website and to our YouTube channel.

Check out our video on the 2023 Annual Report.

The Board is pleased to provide speakers to address professional audiences on a variety of topics. Click link to request a speaker.

General Information/Current Initiatives

• Responsible Opioid Prescribing
• Supervision of Advanced Practice Providers
• Avoiding License Application Issues
• Avoiding Regulatory Problems
• Licensee Addiction/Abuse

FAQs

Thriving, healthy medical professionals are those best suited to provide high quality patient care. In that spirit, the Board has compiled resources for licensees that explore the diverse topic of clinician wellness. Find them listed here.

Need Help Immediately?
Dial 911 or contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or visit them online.

North Carolina Professionals Health Program