The Indiana Attorney General's Office investigates and prosecutes complaints against licensed professionals. There are 32 boards and committees that regulate licensed professionals, including doctors, nurses, pharmacists, nursing home administrators, veterinarians, real estate professionals, real estate appraisers, plumbers, cosmetologists, and architects.
The Office of the Attorney General investigates consumer complaints to determine if there has been a violation of the standards of practice of regulated professionals. If the Office determines that a practitioner has violated the standards of practice of his or her profession, the Office will bring an administrative complaint to the Board that governs the profession and will seek discipline against the practitioner’s license. If an emergency situation exists, where there is a clear and immediate danger to the public health and safety if a practitioner is able to practice, the Office can also file a Summary Suspension Petition to suspend a practitioner’s license for 90 days. If granted, a Summary Suspension can be renewed every 90 days after a hearing, or by agreement.
If the Board takes action in granting a Summary Suspension or taking other action against the practitioner’s license, that should be reflected on the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency’s website.
If you have a complaint against a licensed professional you can file a complaint online or by calling 1.800.382.5516 or 317.232.6330.
If you have documents to support your claim, it is important that you send copies of them to us. Please do not send original documents.
Once your information is received you will receive an acknowledgment letter. Please allow adequate time for our office to notify you.
A notification letter of the complaint will be sent to the licensee the complaint was issued against asking for a response. The case will then be investigated and could be submitted to the appropriate board or committee for review.
The Attorney General’s Office cannot, by law, comment on whether consumer complaints regarding licensing matters have been filed or provide any information regarding the status of any potentially filed consumer complaints. Under Indiana Code 25-1-7-10(a), the Office is required to keep the consumer complaints and any information regarding any complaints confidential until filing with the appropriate Board or Committee.
(Indiana Code provided below):
- Except as provided in section 3(b) or 3(c) of this chapter, all complaints and information pertaining to the complaints shall be held in strict confidence until the attorney general files notice with the board of the attorney general's intent to prosecute the licensee.
(b) A person in the employ of the office of the attorney general, the Indiana professional licensing agency, or any person not a party to the complaint may not disclose or further disclosure of information concerning the complaint unless the disclosure is:
(1) required under the law;
(2) required for the advancement of an investigation; or
(3) made to a law enforcement agency that has jurisdiction or is reasonably believed to have jurisdiction over a person or matter involved in the complaint.