Executive Credential Verification Directory

1. Start with duties, not initials

Define the work before defining the check. A CFO or controller may claim a CPA license without needing public-accountancy practice authority for every corporate duty. Legal leaders may need state bar authorization, including jurisdiction-specific in-house counsel rules. A PE license matters for regulated engineering work; it is not a universal requirement for software engineering executives.

For financial services, identify whether the person actually performs activities requiring securities or investment-adviser registration. HR certifications from SHRM or HRCI and PMI project-management certifications are professional credentials, not government licenses. Label each qualification required, preferred or not applicable, and explain its connection to the job. Do not add unnecessary barriers simply because a registry exists.

2. Agree a permission-first verification plan

Tell the candidate which claims you will verify, why they matter and who will see the result. Obtain permission and request the exact designation, issuing authority, jurisdiction and license or certification number. Confirm the name under which the record was issued, including relevant name changes, without collecting unrelated sensitive information.

Public access does not remove your privacy responsibilities, although consent rules differ by source and jurisdiction. If a third-party background-report provider is involved, assess applicable disclosure, written authorization and adverse-action requirements with counsel. Do not treat this directory as legal advice or as a substitute for a compliant screening process. Candidates should have a clear contact for questions and corrections.

3. Use the issuer or licensing authority

Choose the applicable category below. For CPA and PE checks, national association directories help locate the relevant state or territorial board; the board remains the licensing authority. For lawyers, NCBE provides admission-agency contacts, not a nationwide active-license registry. Ask the jurisdiction for its authoritative status service rather than rely on voluntary lawyer listings.

Use FINRA BrokerCheck for relevant brokerage registrations and SEC IAPD for adviser information. A firm record is not an individual's registration. For SHRM, HRCI and PMI, use the issuer's own directory. Follow each site's terms and verification instructions. These links open external services whose availability and privacy policies differ; this page neither queries them nor transfers your filter entries.

4. Interpret results before drawing conclusions

Match identifiers, not just names. Read current status, jurisdiction, credential type and any stated update date. Active, inactive, expired and retired are different outcomes; determine which matters for the actual duties. NASBA's participating boards update at different intervals, and PMI holders can opt out of public listings.

A missing record is not proof of a false claim. Name variations, coverage limits, update delays and technical failures require follow-up. Ask the candidate for an issuer-verifiable alternative or contact the authority through its official channel. Treat allegations differently from final findings, review relevant restrictions and allow correction or explanation before making a decision. Record unresolved checks as unresolved, not failed.

5. Keep the decision fair and the record private

Apply the same role-relevant checks at the same hiring stage to comparable candidates. Avoid protected-characteristic assumptions or unrelated personal-history searches. Credentials are one input alongside demonstrated leadership, references and job evidence, not an automatic hiring score.

Download the editable CSV log to record the source, check date, reviewer, status and necessary follow-up in your approved hiring system. Candidate-specific fields start blank. Keep only information necessary to explain the decision, restrict access and follow your retention schedule. Do not scrape registries, publish candidate records or circulate raw reports beyond authorized reviewers. Recheck time-sensitive licenses before regulated duties begin when appropriate, and document any not-applicable decision.

Free editable downloads

No signup required. CSV files open in Excel, Google Sheets, or Numbers. Markdown (.md) files are editable text documents. Use “Print / save as PDF” for a shareable copy of this guide.

Keep completed worksheets confidential. Browser tools do not submit or save your entries to our servers. Export your work before closing or refreshing; store downloaded candidate information according to your organization’s access and retention policies.

Common questions

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