Verify a lawyer
Search directory records by name, or go directly to the official licensing resources below. Directory results are not a live license check and may be incomplete or outdated.
Official attorney lookups by state
Record what you checked
For your private notes, record the lawyer’s name, issuing authority, registration number, official page address, status shown and the date you checked it. Ask the office to explain any mismatch before relying on a listing.
Do not infer specialist certification, admission to a particular court, availability or suitability from a directory badge. Read the cross-state hiring checklist.
For context, the ABA’s Model Rule 5.5 addresses multijurisdictional practice. Model rules are a reference framework; the rules adopted by the relevant jurisdiction govern.
How do I check a lawyer’s current license?
Use the relevant official licensing authority’s lookup. Match the full name and registration number where available, then read the status, restrictions and disciplinary information the authority makes public. Available fields differ. If the result is unclear, contact the authority; no match in this directory is not proof that a person is unlicensed.
What does a registration number tell me?
It helps distinguish people with similar names within the issuing authority’s records. The identifier’s name and format vary. A number copied into a profile does not prove identity, current status or permission to handle your particular matter.
Can a lawyer handle work involving another state?
Authorization depends on the work and the jurisdiction. Ask the lawyer which license, court admission or other authorization applies and whether any permission is still pending. An office address or a video consultation does not answer that question.
State-by-state: reading the official record
What each state's official directory shows and how to read it, written from the directory itself.