How to verify a Michigan therapist license (LARA license lookup)

Picture this: you have found a therapist whose profile feels right. The tone is warm, the photo is kind, and the bio mentions exactly what you are going through. Before you share the most tender parts of your life, it is reasonable to check one thing. Is this person licensed in Michigan, and is that license in good standing? It takes about two minutes, and it is free.

Looking for the tool itself? LARA’s free search is here: MiPLUS Search for Licensee. The same search covers most health professions licensed by LARA’s Bureau of Professional Licensing, including nurses, physicians, counselors and therapists.

What is the LARA license lookup?

LARA is Michigan’s Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. Its Bureau of Professional Licensing licenses health professionals, including marriage and family therapists, professional counselors, social workers and psychologists. On LARA’s “Find / Verify a Licensed Professional or Business” page, each health profession links to the same public search in MiPLUS, the state’s professional licensing system. LARA describes it as a free online licensee search that is a simple way to verify a licensee, the issue date and expiration date of a license, and any disciplinary action.

Other kinds of licenses, such as builders, child care providers or cannabis businesses, use different LARA search tools, which you can reach from the same Find / Verify page.

How to look up a Michigan therapist license, step by step

1. Open the search. Go to LARA’s Find / Verify a Licensed Professional or Business page and choose your profession under Health Professionals (for example, Marriage & Family Therapy or Counseling), or open the MiPLUS Search for Licensee page directly.
2. Choose the license type. Use the License Type menu. For therapists, common options include Marriage and Family Therapist, Marriage and Family Therapist Educational Limited, Licensed Professional Counselor, Limited Licensed Counselor, Masters Social Worker, Masters Social Worker Limited, Psychologist and Masters Limited Psychologist.
3. Enter what you know. The form accepts a license number, first and last name, organization name and county. A license number gives the most exact match. If you search by name, try the last name alone first in case of spelling differences or a name change.
4. Open the record. Select the matching person and check that the name, license type and location make sense.
5. Read the details. Note the license status, issue date, expiration date and whether any disciplinary action is listed.

LARA’s search page carries an important disclaimer: the information is updated once a day, and users are responsible for confirming that it is still accurate, current and complete.

What do the license details mean?

License type

The type tells you the profession and the stage. A “limited” or “educational limited” type means the person is licensed to practice under supervision while completing requirements for the full license. For marriage and family therapists, Michigan law requires a limited licensee to practice only under the supervision of a fully licensed marriage and family therapist (MCL 333.16903). Learn more in what is an LLMFT, and compare professions in therapist credentials explained.

Status and expiration date

You want a current, active license with an expiration date in the future. Limited licenses renew more often: a Michigan marriage and family therapist educational limited license renews every year, while the full LMFT license renews every three years, according to LARA’s licensing guides. If the status shows anything other than active, or the expiration date has passed, ask the therapist about it or call LARA’s telephone verification line at 517-241-0199.

The search page also explains two statuses from the COVID-19 emergency. “Temporary Foreign Waiver” and “Temporary Emergency” licenses were issued during the emergency, and LARA states they become null and void under the conditions it describes, despite the expiration date shown.

Disciplinary action

LARA says the search shows any disciplinary action. A past action does not automatically mean a therapist is unsafe today, but you deserve to know about it and to ask.

How to check for disciplinary actions in more depth

• Disciplinary Action Reports. LARA publishes Health License Disciplinary Action Reports, organized by fiscal year, listing the licensee’s name, license number, type of action, effective date and the general nature of the complaint. Older reports from 1993 to 2017 are available through the Library of Michigan.
• Phone. LARA lists telephone verification at 517-241-0199.
• Written request. You can request administrative documents through LARA’s FOIA Coordinator, PO Box 30004, Lansing, MI 48909, or LARAFOIAInfo@michigan.gov.

Do you need a certified license verification?

Most people do not. An employer, insurer or another state’s board may require a certified verification, which LARA issues for $15 per license through MiPLUS. For choosing a therapist, the free online search is enough.

Why an NPI number is not proof of a license

You may see a 10-digit National Provider Identifier (NPI) on a therapist’s profile or receipt. You can look it up in the federal NPPES NPI Registry at npiregistry.cms.hhs.gov. An NPI is a standard identifier used in health care billing. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services states plainly that having an NPI does not ensure a provider is licensed or credentialed. Use the NPI Registry to confirm billing details, and use LARA to confirm the license.

Red flags when checking a therapist’s credentials

• You cannot find the person in LARA’s search under any spelling or license type.
• The license type in LARA does not match the letters on their website.
• The license is expired, or the status is not active, without a clear explanation.
• Someone markets “marriage counseling” or uses titles like “family therapist” or “marital therapist” without a Michigan license. Michigan law restricts those titles to people authorized under the marriage and family therapy statute (MCL 333.16903).
• A limited licensee presents themselves as practicing independently, which Michigan law does not allow for limited licensed marriage and family therapists.
• The therapist offers only an NPI number when you ask about licensure.

If something seems wrong, ask. A trustworthy therapist will welcome the question.

How to file a complaint about a licensed therapist

LARA accepts complaints about health professionals, including marriage and family therapists, counselors, social workers and psychologists, online through MiPLUS. Its Bureau of Professional Licensing complaint page also links to a citizen’s guide and explains what information is required and what happens after a complaint is filed.

Verifying a license is a good first step, not the only one

A license tells you someone met the state’s minimum standards. It does not tell you whether they are the right fit for you. For that, read how to find a couples therapist, which covers training, consultation questions and fit. You are also welcome to look up any therapist on this site, including Iryna Morhunova-Sutton, using the steps above.