MarinCountyGuide

Top 10 Best Doctors in Marin County, California (Updated 2026)

This list shows the best doctors near you in Marin County, California, with the address, phone number and website for each.

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Doctors in California are licensed by the Medical Board of California, or by the Osteopathic Medical Board of California if the doctor is an osteopathic physician (DO). Before a first visit, look the doctor up on the state's DCA License Search. A physician profile shows license status, discipline, felony convictions, malpractice judgments and hospital discipline. Board certification is separate and voluntary. About 4 percent of Marin County residents have no health insurance coverage, according to the Census Bureau.

Who licenses doctors in California

The Medical Board of California licenses physicians and surgeons, the license held by a medical doctor (MD). An osteopathic physician (DO) holds a physician's and surgeon's certificate from a different agency, the Osteopathic Medical Board of California.

Other providers listed alongside doctors answer to their own boards. Each one below is a separate board in the DCA License Search, the lookup tool run by the California Department of Consumer Affairs.

Provider California licensing board
Physician and surgeon (MD) Medical Board of California
Osteopathic physician and surgeon (DO) Osteopathic Medical Board of California
Doctor of podiatric medicine (DPM) Podiatric Medical Board of California
Optometrist California State Board of Optometry
Physician assistant Physician Assistant Board
Nurse practitioner Board of Registered Nursing, which certifies nurse practitioners who already hold a California registered nurse license

How to check a doctor's license

The Medical Board's License Verification page links to the DCA License Search. Each DCA record shows whether a license is current, expired or has been subject to disciplinary action such as suspension or revocation.

  1. Open the DCA License Search and pick Medical Board of California. For a DO, pick Osteopathic Medical Board of California.
  2. Search by name or license number. The Medical Board's own page also offers a search by city or county.
  3. Read the primary status. The Board defines Current as licensed and able to practice medicine in California unless the secondary status says otherwise. Delinquent means the renewal fee has not been paid and the physician cannot practice.
  4. Scroll to the bottom of the profile, where the Board links the documents for any action it has taken.

What a physician profile shows

The Medical Board publishes a guide to its physician profile. It says a profile contains all the information available to the Board that the law allows it to post about a physician.

Item on the profile What the Medical Board says about it
Administrative disciplinary action Any action the Board has taken against the license, such as an accusation, probation or a public reprimand.
Felony conviction Remains on the profile indefinitely.
Malpractice judgment A judgment rendered against the physician by a civil court. Remains indefinitely.
Malpractice settlements Remain during each five-year period that the licensee has 3 or 4 settlements.
Hospital discipline Hospital privileges terminated or revoked for a medical disciplinary cause or reason.

Some records are confidential by law. The Board lists complaints made to it, its investigations, and pending or dismissed malpractice cases as information that would not appear on a profile. Those malpractice cases, it adds, may be available at the local county courthouse. County offices are covered on the Marin County government and services page.

Board certified is not a state license

Specialty and board certification details on a profile are reported by the physician, and the Medical Board says it has not verified them. Its questions and answers on physician credentials describe certification as a voluntary process granted by a member board of the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS), a private organization, or another equivalent board. Certification is not required for a physician to practice.

State law does control the phrase in advertising. Under Business and Professions Code section 651, a physician may not advertise as board certified unless the certifying body is an ABMS member board or one of the other boards the statute recognizes. The ad must also give the full name of the certifying board.

Medical records and complaints about a doctor

Under Business and Professions Code section 2266, physicians must keep patient records for at least seven years after the last date of service. The Medical Board's answers on medical records cover a doctor who moves, retires or dies. There is no central repository for records. The Board suggests getting the physician's address of record from the license lookup or from its Consumer Information Unit at 1-800-633-2322, then writing to that address to request a copy.

Complaints about an MD go to the Medical Board's Central Complaint Unit. The Board's File a Complaint page says complaints must be in writing except in special circumstances, and can be sent online, by mail or by fax. It has no jurisdiction over billing or fee disputes, general business practices or personal conflicts, unless the behavior interferes with the safe delivery of health care. Complaints about a DO go to the Osteopathic Medical Board instead.

Health insurance in Marin County

About 4 percent of Marin County residents have no health insurance coverage, according to the Census Bureau's American Community Survey, table B27010. Covered California describes itself as a free service that connects Californians with health insurance under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Applicants may qualify for a discount on a plan or for the state's Medi-Cal program.

The California Department of Managed Health Care regulates health care service plans. Health and Safety Code section 1368.02 tells members to use the plan's own grievance process first. They may call the department at 1-888-466-2219 about an emergency, or about a grievance that the plan has not resolved or that is more than 30 days old. The same section describes Independent Medical Review as an impartial review of a plan's medical necessity decisions.

The health section of the directory also lists dentists, physical therapists, therapists and pharmacies in Marin County.

Questions about doctors in Marin County

Who licenses doctors in Marin County?

The Medical Board of California licenses physicians and surgeons (MD) across the state, including in Marin County. Osteopathic physicians (DO) hold certificates from a separate agency, the Osteopathic Medical Board of California. Podiatrists, optometrists, physician assistants and nurse practitioners each answer to their own state board. All of those boards appear in the DCA License Search.

Does a doctor need a license in California?

Yes. Business and Professions Code section 2052 makes it a public offense to diagnose, treat, operate for or prescribe for a physical or mental condition in California without a valid, unrevoked and unsuspended certificate. The section also allows acts that a person is authorized to perform under a certificate from another provision of law.

How do I check a California doctor's license?

Go to the Medical Board of California's License Verification page and choose Physician and Surgeon. It opens the DCA License Search, where you can search by name or license number, or by city or county. For an osteopathic physician (DO), the Medical Board says to contact the Osteopathic Medical Board of California. The Medical Board's toll-free number is (800) 633-2322.

How do I file a complaint against a doctor in California?

File with the Medical Board of California's Central Complaint Unit online, by mail or by fax. The Board says complaints must be in writing except in special circumstances, and each doctor needs a separate form. It has no jurisdiction over billing or fee disputes, office policies or appointment times. The toll-free number is (800) 633-2322.

Does a doctor have to be board certified in California?

No. The Medical Board of California says board certification is a voluntary process and is not required for a physician to practice. State law does limit the phrase. Physicians may not advertise that they are board certified unless the certifying board is an American Board of Medical Specialties member board or an equivalent board the law recognizes.

How do I get my medical records if my doctor retires?

The Medical Board of California says there is no central repository for medical records. Get the doctor's address of record from the Board's license lookup or by calling 1-800-633-2322, then write to the doctor there and ask for a copy. The doctor has 15 days from receiving your letter to send the records, if they are still available.

How this list is put together

Listings come from public business profiles and from businesses that add themselves. We leave out profiles that show signs of being lead-generation fronts and not local firms, and businesses that have closed. Listings marked "Claimed" are run by the business itself, which checked its own details, and they appear first. If your business is missing, add it here.

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