Canadian · Professional Licensing
BC physician lookup.
Every physician licensed to practise medicine in British Columbia is regulated by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC (CPSBC). Unlike Ontario's CPSO, BC doesn't hand a consumer-facing "registration number" out on prescription pads — verification runs on the physician's name, with CPSBC's own Directory as the only place that's ever actually confirmed.
Important, up front: CPSBC's public Directory is searched by name (or by an MSP billing number if you already have one from a referral or prescription) — there's no separate public licence number to type in or validate offline. This page explains how the search works and links straight to CPSBC's own live Directory.
How BC identifies a physician
CPSBC is the college that licenses and regulates physicians, surgeons, physician assistants and associate physicians in BC under the Health Professions and Occupations Act. It doesn't publish a consumer-facing "CPSBC number" the way Ontario's CPSO number works. Instead, its Directory is searched primarily by:
- Last and first name — the standard way to find a doctor
- MSP number — the Medical Services Plan billing number a physician's referral letter, prescription pad or billing may carry
- City/town, practice type, specialty, status, gender and languages spoken, as narrowing filters
Because there's no publicly documented checksum or fixed format for either identifier, a name or number that "looks right" tells you nothing on its own — only a live search of CPSBC's Directory confirms current status.
Verify a doctor's license
Search the Directory by name (recommended) or by MSP number. CPSBC states the Directory is dynamic, pushed in real time from the College's own registry, and shows legal name, licence status and practice type, business contact details, and any public practice conditions or regulatory actions.
Why you'd check a BC physician's license
The most common reasons someone searches CPSBC's Directory: confirming a new family doctor or specialist is actually licensed before a first appointment, an employer or clinic verifying a physician's credentials before hiring, checking that a referral came from a real, currently-licensed doctor, and confirming there's no public discipline or practice restriction before choosing a provider.
What the Directory actually shows
Under BC's Health Professions and Occupations Act, CPSBC must publish a licensee's full legal name, licence status and practice type, business contact details where available, any practice conditions, and any regulatory actions. The Directory doesn't show whether a doctor is accepting new patients, and it redacts information CPSBC considers an unreasonable invasion of a licensee's privacy.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a CPSBC number like Ontario's CPSO number?
No standalone public "CPSBC number" is issued for consumer use the way CPSO's number works in Ontario. CPSBC's Directory is searched by the physician's name, or by their MSP billing number if you already have one.
What's an MSP number?
An MSP (Medical Services Plan) number is a billing number assigned to a BC practitioner, sometimes printed on a referral letter, prescription pad or billing statement. CPSBC's Directory can search by it, but name search is the more reliable route for most people.
What if a doctor doesn't show up in the Directory?
They may not be currently licensed to practise in BC, may be registered under a different legal name, or their licence may have lapsed. Try broadening the search (drop the city or specialty filter), or contact CPSBC directly if you still can't find them.
Format explainer only — not a verification tool
This page explains how BC identifies physicians and how CPSBC's Directory search works. It does not check anyone's licence status, and nothing you might type here is transmitted anywhere. Use the official CPSBC Directory linked above to confirm a physician is currently licensed.