NLM CPT Code Search API
National Library of Medicine · Health
NLM Clinical Tables search for CPT (Current Procedural Terminology) codes used for outpatient billing. Returns CPT code numbers and descriptions. Note: Full CPT code set requires AMA license; this API provides searchable descriptions.
Authentication
No authentication requiredFree to use with no key needed.
Sample Requests
GET
Search CPT codes
Search CPT procedure codes by description text
https://clinicaltables.nlm.nih.gov/api/cpt/v3?df=code,name&sf=code,name&terms=knee arthroscopy&maxList=10
Hover any highlighted part to learn what it does
curl -X GET "https://clinicaltables.nlm.nih.gov/api/cpt/v3?df=code%2Cname&sf=code%2Cname&terms=knee%20arthroscopy&maxList=10"
import requests
params = {
"df": "code,name",
"sf": "code,name",
"terms": "knee arthroscopy",
"maxList": "10"
}
response = requests.get(
"https://clinicaltables.nlm.nih.gov/api/cpt/v3",
params=params,
)
print(response.json())const url = new URL('https://clinicaltables.nlm.nih.gov/api/cpt/v3');
url.searchParams.set('df', 'code,name');
url.searchParams.set('sf', 'code,name');
url.searchParams.set('terms', 'knee arthroscopy');
url.searchParams.set('maxList', '10');
const response = await fetch(url);
const data = await response.json();
console.log(data);package main
import (
"fmt"
"io"
"net/http"
"net/url"
)
func main() {
baseURL, _ := url.Parse("https://clinicaltables.nlm.nih.gov/api/cpt/v3")
q := baseURL.Query()
q.Set("df", "code,name")
q.Set("sf", "code,name")
q.Set("terms", "knee arthroscopy")
q.Set("maxList", "10")
baseURL.RawQuery = q.Encode()
targetURL := baseURL.String()
req, _ := http.NewRequest("GET", targetURL, nil)
client := &http.Client{}
resp, _ := client.Do(req)
defer resp.Body.Close()
body, _ := io.ReadAll(resp.Body)
fmt.Println(string(body))
}require "net/http"
require "json"
uri = URI("https://clinicaltables.nlm.nih.gov/api/cpt/v3")
uri.query = URI.encode_www_form({
"df" => "code,name",
"sf" => "code,name",
"terms" => "knee arthroscopy",
"maxList" => "10"
})
http = Net::HTTP.new(uri.host, uri.port)
http.use_ssl = uri.scheme == "https"
req = Net::HTTP::Get.new(uri)
res = http.request(req)
puts JSON.parse(res.body)<?php
$url = "https://clinicaltables.nlm.nih.gov/api/cpt/v3?" . http_build_query([
"df" => "code,name",
"sf" => "code,name",
"terms" => "knee arthroscopy",
"maxList" => "10"
]);
$opts = ["http" => [
"method" => "GET",
]];
$ctx = stream_context_create($opts);
$res = file_get_contents($url, false, $ctx);
print_r(json_decode($res, true));Postman Setup Guide
- No API key required — open NIH service
- In Postman, GET https://clinicaltables.nlm.nih.gov/api/cpt/v3/search
- Add params: sf=code,name and df=code,name and terms={description text}
- Search by description keyword (e.g. "knee arthroscopy") or partial code
- Full CPT licensing from AMA required for production use in commercial products
What can you build with NLM CPT Code Search API?
NLM CPT Code Search API is a Health API. Developers commonly use health APIs for:
- accessing medical reference data and drug information
- building patient-facing health tracking apps
- integrating with EHR and telemedicine platforms
- looking up ICD codes and clinical terminology
- powering wellness and fitness applications
No authentication required. This API is open — no signup or key needed. Ideal for quick prototypes and public-facing features. NLM CPT Code Search API is free to use, making it a low-risk choice to experiment with.
New to APIs? Read our beginner's guide · Learn about API keys · What is REST?