Methodology

Data Collection

We collect license data directly from official state regulating authorities through:

• Bulk CSV downloads from licensing board websites
• Public API endpoints where available
• Official public records

Snapshots & Events

Each time we sync data from a source, we create a snapshot of all records. We also track events when changes are detected between syncs:

• Status Changed - License moved from active to expired (or vice versa)
• Expiration Updated - License expiration date was updated
• New License - New license record added

Freshness Calculation

We display freshness indicators to help you understand how current our data is:

• Fresh - Data synced within the last 48 hours
• Slightly Stale - Data is 3-7 days old
• Stale - Data is more than 7 days old

Status Normalization

Each regulating authority uses different status labels. We normalize these to a standard set:

• Active - License is valid and in good standing
• Expired - License has passed its expiration date
• Suspended - License has been temporarily suspended
• Revoked - License has been revoked
• Inactive - License is not currently active

Ambiguous Matches

When searching by name, multiple licenses may match. We display all potential matches and recommend verifying with the license number for exact matches. Common name variations (e.g., "Bob" vs "Robert") may result in multiple results.