This care card's answer
Check permission where you are.
As of September 26, 2026, U.S. telehealth guidance ties a doctor's licence or other permission to the state where the patient is during care.
In some states, registration gives doctors with a licence from elsewhere permission to provide online care there. The conditions differ by state.
Limited exceptions may cover advice from one doctor to another, or follow-up with a current patient during temporary travel. Each state decides which exceptions apply.
Ask the service which permission covers your visit, then check its answer with the medical board in the state where you will be during care.
Check the answer before travelling.
Ask whether the service can see you from your destination. A service that worked while you were at home may need a different answer when your location changes.
Keep the clinician's full name and licence details with your visit notes. Ask which state board holds the record you need to check.
Separate the visit from the parcel.
Most states require an out-of-state pharmacy to hold a licence or permit issued by the patient's state before sending that patient medicine.
Ask the service to explain both the prescribing permission and the pharmacy's shipping permission. They answer different questions.
Take this to the conversation
What licence, registration or exception permits this visit in the state where I will be?
Ask for the answer in plain words. Keep it with your visit notes.
Notes behind this answer
- HHS: getting started with licensure
HHS means the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
- HHS: care across state lines
Explains how a doctor licensed in another state can get permission for your online visit.
- FDA: online pharmacy checks
Explains why a pharmacy's state permission matters too.