PA Regulatory Authority
To ensure informed regulation of the PA profession, avoid unnecessary restrictions that are anticompetitive and limit patient care, PAs must have meaningful participation in the regulation of their profession.
The PA regulatory structure varies state by state. PAs may be regulated by a separate PA Board, have a designated seat on the medical board, and/or have a PA Committee. It is vital that PAs have input on PA licensing, discipline, and regulation, like all other healthcare professions, such as physicians, nurses, physical therapists, and many more.
This map is intended to be a broad snapshot of the regulatory environment for PAs; please review state specific information in AAPA’s state law profile or contact the state advocacy team.
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- Reduced
- Moderate
- Advanced
- Optimal
Please note, several states have both an allopathic and osteopathic medical board. At this time, both boards currently fall into the same category listed above.
Practice Categories
- Optimal – Fully autonomous PA board that handles all licensing, discipline, and regulatory functions related to PAs in the state.
- + denotes state(s) with a fully autonomous PA board with a PA-majority membership.
- Advanced – PA board with partial autonomy over licensing, discipline, and regulatory functions related to PAs in the state.
- Moderate – PA committee with some limited autonomy over licensing, discipline, and regulatory functions or a voting PA member on the medical board.
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- * denotes state(s) with a PA on the board that is subject to restrictions
- Reduced – PA participation is limited to an advisory capacity only.