How to check any California injector's licence in two minutes
California publishes every medical and nursing licence in a free public register. Here is how to look up the person who will be injecting you, in about two minutes.
The short answer
California publishes every physician, registered nurse and nurse practitioner licence in a free public register. Search the person's name at mbc.ca.gov for physicians, or rn.ca.gov for nurses. You will see the licence number, its status, and any public disciplinary action. It takes about two minutes and you do not need an account.
Who is allowed to inject in California
This surprises people, so it is worth stating plainly.
May inject: physicians (MD, DO), physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and registered nurses.
May not inject, under any level of supervision: licensed vocational nurses and medical assistants. This is an absolute prohibition in California, not a grey area and not something a supervising physician can authorise.
Nurse practitioners and registered nurses inject under physician supervision. Supervision in California does not require the physician to be standing in the room. It requires standardised procedures developed and approved with the physician, and the physician to be available by phone or electronic communication while the patient is being seen.
Since January 2026, nurse practitioners holding the AB-890 independent designation may practise without that supervision.
How to run the check
1. Get the full name and the credential. "Mallory" is not enough. You want the name as it appears on the licence, and the letters after it — RN, NP, PA, MD, DO.
2. Choose the right register. Physicians and surgeons: Medical Board of California. Registered nurses and nurse practitioners: Board of Registered Nursing.
3. Search the surname. Add a first name if the surname is common. The register returns licence number, licence type, status, issue date, expiry, and any public discipline.
4. Read the status field. You want *Current* or *Active*. Anything else — delinquent, expired, probation, revoked — is worth asking about before you book.
5. Check the medical director too, not only the injector. The physician responsible for the protocols is a licence you can verify independently.
What the register will not tell you
A licence is a floor, not a recommendation. It confirms the person is permitted to inject in California and shows any public discipline. It says nothing about how many times they have treated your particular concern, how they handle a complication, or what product they use.
Those are separate questions, and they are covered in questions to ask before choosing an injector and how to tell whether your neurotoxin is genuine.
Ours, if you want to start there
Joel Pengson, MD, is the physician responsible for every protocol used at Redefyn Aesthetics. His licence is public at the Medical Board of California.
Mallory David, MSN, FNP-BC, is a board-certified family nurse practitioner and performs the injections. Her licence is public at the Board of Registered Nursing.
We publish both because a claim you can check is worth more than a claim you cannot.
Questions people ask.
Is the register really free?
Yes. Both boards publish licence verification publicly with no account and no fee.
What if I cannot find the person?
Check the spelling and try the surname alone. If they still do not appear in either register, ask them directly which licence they hold and which board issued it. Not appearing is a reason to ask, not a conclusion on its own.
Can a medical assistant inject if a doctor is supervising?
No. In California, medical assistants and licensed vocational nurses may not perform injectable treatments under any level of supervision.
Does the physician have to be in the building?
No. California supervision requires standardised procedures approved with the physician and the physician available by phone or electronic communication — not physical presence. A physician who is regularly on site is doing more than the minimum.
What does "board certified" mean for a nurse practitioner?
It is a national certification in a specialty, held in addition to the state licence. FNP-BC is family practice. It is a separate credential from the licence itself, and both are worth checking.
Reviewed by the Redefyn Aesthetics Medical Director · August 2026