How to check the NMC register in the UK
Search the NMC register free at nmc.org.uk by PIN or full name to see if a UK nurse, midwife or nursing associate may practice.
Short answer: To check a nurse, midwife or nursing associate in the UK, use the free "Search the register" tool on the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) website, nmc.org.uk, and search by their PIN or by first and last name. The result shows their registration status, location, expiry date, register entry, start date and recorded qualifications, plus any restriction, caution or suspension.
What the NMC register is
The NMC is the independent regulator for nurses and midwives in the UK, and for nursing associates in England. It says it regulates "more than 867,000" professionals. Its register "shows who can practise as a nurse or midwife in the UK, or as a nursing associate in England".
Anyone can search it for free, and employers also have a separate tool for checking several people at once.
Step by step: using the NMC search
- Go to nmc.org.uk and open "Search the register" (under Registration).
- Accept the website cookies. The NMC says the search will not work, and may show "Please verify you are not a robot", if cookies are blocked.
- Enter the PIN if you have it. Every person on the register has a unique PIN, and the NMC says a professional "should tell you their PIN, when asked".
- If you have no PIN, enter the first and last name. You cannot search by first name alone, and more than one person may share a name.
- Open the matching entry and check that the name, register entry and location fit the person you are checking.
- Note the date the NMC shows for the data. On November 15, 2026, the page said results were "accurate to 14 November 2026".
Employers have a separate tool, Employer confirmations, that checks up to 10 PINs at once. It needs a login, which the employer requests from the NMC.
What each status means
The NMC publishes a glossary of the status words. In short:
| Status | Can the person practice? | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Registered | Yes | On the register with no restrictions or cautions |
| Caution order | Yes, without restriction | Set by a final order of a fitness to practise panel. It lasts one to five years. |
| Warning | Shown on the register | A public marking of a serious concern, without a hearing. Published for 12 months. |
| Not currently practising | Has told the NMC they stopped | Stays on the register until the current period expires |
| Conditions of practice order | Yes, but restricted | Conditions set by a final order of a panel, for one to three years |
| Interim conditions | Yes, but restricted | Temporary conditions while the NMC investigates or an appeal runs |
| Undertakings | Agreed limits | Steps the person agreed to take to address a clinical risk |
| Sanction pending | Depends | A final sanction that starts after the 28 day appeal period |
| Interim suspension order | No | Suspended while the NMC investigates |
| Suspended by an FtP panel | No | Suspended for a fixed period after a fitness to practise (FtP) hearing |
| Removed by an FtP panel | No | Struck off or removed from the register |
| Voluntarily removed | No | Removed by agreement while a fitness to practise question was open |
Other details on an entry are simpler. "Recorded qualifications" lists qualifications added to the registration. "No Recorded Qualifications found" only means no additional qualifications were added; it is not a warning.
One limit matters: names of people struck off, removed or suspended before 1 January 2008 are not shown, "although the orders may still be in place and valid". The NMC gives more information on request.
Where to report a concern
If you think a nurse, midwife or nursing associate is putting patients or the public at risk, use the official NMC route: the "Raise a concern" page at nmc.org.uk. It has separate forms for members of the public, employers, colleagues, self-referrals and other organizations.
If someone claims to be registered when they are not, or uses a protected title without the right to it, the NMC handles this under its Registration Enforcement policy. Contact RegistrationInvestigations@nmc-uk.org.
What to do next
- Ask for the person's PIN and search with it.
- Save the date of your search with your notes, because statuses can change.
- For a nurse licensed in the United States, use a different tool: see Nursing license lookup.
Common questions
Does the register show home addresses?
The result shows a "geographical location". The NMC's list of result fields does not include a home address.
Does it cost anything to search?
No. The NMC says you can search the register for free. Only the employer tool needs a login.
Can I check a UK nurse on Nursys?
No. Nursys holds US board records only. UK registration is checked on the NMC register.
Sources
- Nursing and Midwifery Council, Search the register: https://www.nmc.org.uk/registration/search-the-register/ (checked November 15, 2026)
- Nursing and Midwifery Council, How to search the register: https://www.nmc.org.uk/registration/search-the-register/how-to-use-search-the-register/ (checked November 15, 2026)
- Nursing and Midwifery Council, Employer confirmations: https://www.nmc.org.uk/registration/employer-confirmations/ (checked November 15, 2026)
- Nursing and Midwifery Council, Raise a concern: https://www.nmc.org.uk/concerns-nurses-midwives/raise-a-concern/ (checked November 15, 2026)
- Nursing and Midwifery Council, Misrepresentation: https://www.nmc.org.uk/registration/search-the-register/misrepresentation/ (checked November 15, 2026)
- NCSBN, Nursys Verification for Endorsement FAQs: https://www.nursys.com/Help/FAQ.aspx?KEY=NLV (checked November 15, 2026)