Your rights / Your license
Your license: when a board complaint arrives
Practical steps from clinicians who have been through it, and the board for your state. The board's own rules decide the process, so read them first.
Every rule here was read on the statute, regulation or agency page it cites. Checked November 10, 2026.
General information, not legal advice. Laws change and your facts decide how they apply. Before you act, confirm with the agency listed here or with an employment lawyer or your union representative.
What to do first (our advice)
- A complaint to the board is not a finding against you. Read the letter for the deadline to respond and what the board is asking for.
- Do not ignore it and do not send a long explanation the same day. Many clinicians call their malpractice carrier first, since some policies cover license defense, then a lawyer who handles board cases.
- Keep your own notes of the event while they are fresh, without patient identifiers, and do not change any chart.
- If your state runs an alternative-to-discipline or peer assistance program, ask about it early.
- Know what you must report yourself, such as arrests or discipline in another state, by reading your board's rules and your renewal questions.
Find your board
Each state page names the licensing body and links its site. Nursing boards are on the nursing pages; EMS offices are on the EMS pages.
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EMS offices by state
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