Physician Assistant State Licensing: Everything you Need to Know

As a freshly minted new graduate PA there are four steps you have to complete to move successfully from program to practice:

Become nationally certified (by the NCCPA via the PANCE)
Obtain a state license in the state you wish to practice
Obtain an NPI number
Obtain a federal DEA number

As a practicing PA, you must renew your current PA license.

Today we are going to look at #2 in this list: obtaining (and renewing) a physician assistant license in the state you wish to practice.

The process starts with your state licensing board.

Interactive map of physician assistant state licensing boards

Statutory and Regulatory Requirements for Initial Licensure and License Renewal

All states require that:

PAs graduate from an accredited PA program and
Pass the PANCE

Not all states require you have NCCPA certification to get your state license.

The chart below indicates PA licensure requirements in each state and the District of Columbia. Initial requirements apply to the initial license sought in a jurisdiction and are found in the first three columns following the jurisdiction.

License renewal requirements are found in the final column. Nearly every jurisdiction requires either a minimum number of continuing medical education (CME) hours, current certification by National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA), or both as a condition of license renewal.

Some jurisdictions impose additional requirements for applicants who have had an extended break from clinical practice. For these provisions, check the state licensing authority Web site.

wdt_ID	Jurisdiction	Graduate From Accredited PA Program	Passage of NCCPA Exam (PANCE)	Current NCCPA Certification	Renewal Requirements
1	Alabama	X	X		CME
2	Alaska	X	X	X	NCCPA
3	Arizona	X	X	X	CME
4	Arkansas	X	X		CME
5	California	X	X		CME OR NCCPA
6	Colorado	X	X
7	Connecticut	X	X	X	NCCPA
8	Delaware	X	X		CME
9	District of Colombia	X	X		CME
10	Florida	X	X		CME
11	Georgia	X	X		CME
12	Hawai	X	X	X	NCCPA
13	Idaho	X	X	X	NCCPA
14	Illinois	X	X	X
15	Indiana	X	X	X	NCCPA
16	Iowa	X	X		CME
17	Kansas	X	X		CME
18	Kentucky	X	X	X	NCCPA
19	Louisiana	X	X	X	NCCPA
20	Maine	X	X	X	CME
21	Maryland	X	X		CME
22	Massachusetts	X	X		CME
23	Michigan	X	X
24	Minnesota		X	X	CME OR NCCPA (RX)
25	Mississippi	X	X	X	CME
26	Missouri	X	X	X	CME
27	Montana	X	X		NCCPA
28	Nebraska	X	X		CME OR NCCPA
29	Nevada	X	X	X	CME
30	New Hampshire	X	X	X	NCCPA
31	New Jersey	X	X		CME
32	New Mexico	X	X	X	NCCPA (CME FOR DEA)
33	New York	X	X		INECTION CONTROL TRAINING
34	North Carolina	X	X		CME
35	North Dakota		X	X	CME AND NCCPA
36	Ohio	X	X	X	NCCPA (CME FOR RX)
37	Oklahoma	X	X		CME
38	Oregon	X	X		NCCPA FOR SCH.II RX
39	Pennsylvania	X	X	X	NCCPA
40	Rhode Island	X	X		CME
41	South Carolina	X	X	X	NCCOA
42	South Dakota	X	X		CME OR NCCPA
43	Tennessee	X	X		CME OR NCCPA
44	Texas	X	X	X	CME
45	Utah	X	X		CME OR NCCPA
46	Vermont	X	X		CME OR NCCPA
47	Virginia	X	X	X	NCCPA
48	Washington	X	X		CME OR NCCPA
49	West Virginia	X	X	X	NCCPA
50	Wisconsin	X	X	X
51	Wyoming	X	X	X	NCCPA
	Jurisdiction	Graduate From Accredited PA Program	Passage of NCCPA Exam (PANCE)	Current NCCPA Certification	Renewal Requirements

You Must Pay to Play

Every state has their own rules, their own set of fees, process and timeline for application and renewal.

Arizona, for example, has a $125 application fee and a $370 license fee.
Texas has a $220 licensure fee as well as a registration fee of $276 good for 12 months. Here is an example of their online application.

Remember, these fees are going to be on top of your $731 DEA license fee which must be renewed every three years and an NCCPA certification maintenance fee of $150 every two years.

You can talk to your employer about covering some of these expenses, and it may be something worth discussing before you sign the contract.

The entire process usually takes 2-3 months to complete, so you want to get started early.

License Renewals

In my home state of California, the renewal fee is $300 and is paid on a recurring basis every two years.

It is illegal to practice as a physician assistant with an expired license.

Approximately ten weeks prior to the expiration date of your physician assistant license, a renewal notice will be mailed via U.S. mail to your address of record.

You are responsible for renewing your license even if you don’t receive a renewal notice. There are usually two options for license renewal, by mail or online.

Failure to Renew

Practicing as a physician assistant without a renewed license may lead to disciplinary action against your license.

There is usually no renewal grace period. Licenses not renewed by the expiration date are considered "delinquent."

After a license has been in "delinquent" status for five years, the license is automatically canceled. A canceled license may not be reactivated by simply paying delinquent fees and penalties. The physician assistant must apply for a new license and meet the current licensure requirements.

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Stephen Pasquini PA-C Physician Assistant

Stephen has been a family practice PA since 2004 and is the creator of The PA Life, Smarty PANCE Board Review, and PASchoolfinder websites. A National Health Service Corps Scholar and a graduate of The University of Medicine and Dentistry of NJ (Rutgers) PA Program and the University of Washington in Seattle, WA. Stephen's goal is to provide one-of-a-kind online resources for those interested in or practicing in the PA profession, to promote better access to healthcare for all, and to foster universal recognition/awareness of the PA profession. Read more about Stephen.

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Physician Assistant Physician Associate CASPA Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE) Physician Assistant National Recertifying Examination (PANRE) PA School Interviews PA School Admissions PA School Personal Statements

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Webinar: Crafting Your Best PA School Personal Statement

Hosted by Stephen Pasquini PA-C, Deanna Matzen

About this webinar Are you applying to PA school but worried about writing a compelling personal statement that will grab the admissions committee’s attention? Do you want to learn the secrets of crafting a PA school essay that stands out from the crowd and showcases your personality, motivation, and fit for PA school? If so, then you don’t want to miss our webinar on Crafting Your Best PA School Personal Statement. In this webinar, you will learn the following: What a personal statement is and how schools use them. You will understand the purpose and expectations of writing a personal statement and how schools use this information during the admission process. What to do before you start writing. You will learn how to prepare and organize your thoughts, research, and brainstorm your strengths and achievements. A successful structure for your personal statement. You will learn how to craft a clear, coherent, and compelling narrative that showcases your personality, motivation, and fit for their program. Common mistakes to avoid. You will learn how to polish your personal statement and avoid errors that could undermine your credibility or impact. By joining this webinar, you will gain valuable insights and tips on how to write a personal statement that increases your chances of admission to your desired PA school. You will also have the opportunity to ask questions and get feedback from our experienced PA school coaches. Don’t miss this chance to learn how to write your best PA school personal statement. Register now and secure your spot for this webinar. You won’t regret it!

Comments

Stephanie Christine says

August 24, 2021 at 6:43 am

Hello!
I just wanted to reach out and say your PANCE/PANRE review is amazing! I took my second recertification exam a little over a year ago and used your Podcast to study, along with a class. I did better on that exam, after using your study method, than I did on my first exam right after PA school! Your podcast totally prepared me in a way that the 5 day prep class alone did not. I walked out confident and was so amazed that I beat both my PANCE and previous PANRE scores by a lot. And I’ve been in Dermatology my entire career…so the fear of Cardio, Pulmonary, etc. is real! I recommend this to every student I mentor or PA I meet that is taking their boards! Thank you!

- Stephen Pasquini PA-C says
  
  August 24, 2021 at 6:57 am
  
  You are amazing, Stephanie!
  
  Thank’s so much for your kind words and all your support. It means the absolute world tom me! Congratulations on your success!!
  
  Warmly,
  
  Stephen Pasquini PA-C
  
  - Tim says
    
    July 2, 2022 at 5:44 am
    
    I completely disagree. There is ZERO evidence and proof for us to keep taking the boards again and again. This is not about our knowledge nor about quality of care. This will prove this any time when the NCCPA decides to make us take them for free. The NCCPA and all they want is our money. The NCCPA has done nothing for us. We deserve to go and a complete accounting where is our money and salaries. You should look every board members and look at their own states, none of them even require their own state to be re certified. This is a complete scam and we should push to get rid of the NCCPA They are worthless
    
    - Stephen Pasquini PA-C says
      
      July 3, 2022 at 7:48 am
      
      You certainly are not alone in your feelings regarding recertification, Tim. I used to be part of the Q6-year recertification cycle and have taken the PANRE 3 times! (Yuk!!) It’s never fun, and as you mentioned, it is a costly, stressful, (and timely) endeavor. Every time I prepare for the PANRE, I must admit that it is a refresher of many of the topics I have forgotten over the years. I am unsure if that has ever translated directly into better patient care, but I have found myself having a better appreciation for ABGs and heart murmurs! And I am sure you agree that the review that comes with recertification is much different than what we learn while attending a CME conference or with self-study CME. With the advent of the new PANRE-LA, it looks as though there is zero intention from the NCCPA to remove the recertification process (and why would they?) only to make it a bit more accessible. It would be nice to have evidence showing that recertification testing improves patient outcomes. According to the NCCPA, the evidence is there, which the AAPA disputes. The AAPA has expressed a desire in the past to eliminate the recertification exam. So, who knows, maybe that day is coming in the next 10-15 years.
      
      P.S. I did find this article from 2016 from the South Carolina Academy of PAs that you may find interesting: https://www.scapapartners.org/news/272567/NCCPA-Update-on-Recertification-Process-.htm
      
      Stephen Pasquini PA-C
      
Melanie says

June 16, 2021 at 3:34 pm

Hi
I’m in Nyc and I’m changing jobs. How do I change my supervising physician for my license?
Beside license and malpractice, is there anything else that needs to be changed?