Physician Assistant Licensure Compact
Allied Health

The Physician Assistant Licensure Compact and What It Means for PAs

The Physician Assistant Licensure Compact (PA Compact) promises a game-changing shortcut that allows PAs to obtain one multistate license and practice in other member states without obtaining multiple single-state licenses as they’ve done in the past. 

Compact licensure isn’t new to registered nurses (RNs) and licensed practical/vocational nurses (LPN/LVNs), who’ve benefited from the Nurse Licensure Compact for the last 25 years. Advanced practice providers haven’t had the privilege yet. The Advanced Practice RN Compact only has 4 of the required 7 states needed to put it into effect. However, the PA Compact reached the 7-state threshold in May 2024, with Compact privileges projected to begin in early 2026. 

Below you’ll find everything you need to know about the PA Licensure Compact, including who’s eligible, which states have joined, how long full rollout will take and the steps you can start today to stay ahead of the curve. Keep reading to see how this new framework could expand your PA career options and improve patient access nationwide.

What’s the Physician Assistant Licensure Compact?

The PA Compact is an interstate occupational licensure compact among member states that mutually recognize a PA’s license issued by their home state, eliminating duplicate licenses. Under the Compact, eligible physician assistants, also recognized as physician associates, can apply for a Compact privilege in each member state where they want to provide services.

This agreement will help improve access to healthcare for patients and ease healthcare provider shortages while giving PAs more freedom to practice in multiple states, expanding their career opportunities. A Compact privilege will be especially helpful for PAs who provide telehealth to patients residing in a state different than their own.

Why the PA Compact Matters

Healthcare’s evolving fast and staying licensed everywhere you’re needed shouldn’t slow you down. The PA Compact tackles today’s biggest mobility pain points so you can focus on patients rather than paperwork. The following table demonstrates how the Compact helps with various challenges.

Challenge How the Compact Helps
Growing demand for PA services across state lines Easily apply for practice privileges, so PAs can respond where they’re needed most
Slow endorsement processes PAs submit a single application to the Compact Commission to gain practice privileges in each member state they intend to practice
Inconsistent disciplinary data sharing Central data system safeguards patients and flags adverse actions
Telehealth growth Clarifies jurisdiction (patient’s location) while speeding credentialing

Eligibility Checklist for PAs

Before you can leverage the PA Compact for seamless multistate practice, you must satisfy every eligibility safeguard the Commission sets. These standards protect patients, uphold professional credibility and support qualified PAs on their career journeys. To qualify for and request a compact privilege, you must meet the following requirements:

  • Hold an active, unencumbered PA license issued by a Compact member state (Qualifying License)
  • Graduate from an Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA)-accredited program or another program specifically authorized by the Commission
  • Maintain current National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) certification
  • Have a clean criminal record without any felony or relevant misdemeanor convictions
  • Have never had a suspension or revocation of a controlled substance license or permit
  • Possess a unique identifier assigned by the Commission
  • Keep every state license or Compact privilege clear of limitations or restrictions
  • Satisfy the jurisprudence requirements of each state that issues a Compact privilege 
  • Pay any state-specific fees where a Compact privilege is being sought
  • Report any adverse action taken by any state that’s not a Compact member to the PA Licensure Compact Commission within 30 days of the action being taken

Pro tip: Keep your NCCPA certification and state license renewal deadlines in sync. A lapse in either will deactivate every Compact privilege until you’re current again. 

Also, don’t forget that you must follow any prescriptive-authority rules and physician supervision requirements in the state of practice, which is the state where the patient lives, if you’re providing remote or telehealth care.

How the Compact Works

  1. Hold a Qualifying License: The state where you have your primary residence and already hold an unencumbered PA license must be a Compact state. This license becomes your Qualifying License.
  2. Apply once to the Commission: Submit identity documentation, background check and attestations through the central data system for verification and approval.
  3. Select remote states: Choose member states where you plan to practice and pay the Commission fee plus any remote-state privilege fees.
  4. Follow local scope rules: In each remote state, you must adhere to that state’s PA practice act, supervision requirements and any unique prescriptive rules, which can vary by state.
  5. Keep everything current: Expiration or discipline of your QL automatically suspends every practice privilege until resolved.

PA Compact Timeline

Compact Timeline at a Glance

Expect roughly 18 to 24 months from the activation threshold (April 2024) until you can actually request a Compact privilege. The following table provides an overview of what’s already occurred and what’s still on the horizon.

Phase Key Actions Estimated Window
Commission Formed Member states appoint commissioners, elect an executive committee and adopt bylaws Completed Sept 2024
Create Rules & Bylaws Draft, debate and adopt foundational rules (e.g., rulemaking, qualifying-license process) Initial Bylaws adopted 9/24/24 
Build Data & Reporting System Select a vendor and develop the platform, then onboard state boards to a shared platform that verifies licensure status and disciplinary history 12–18 months from commission launch
Open Privilege Applications PAs apply for Compact privileges in member states and the Commission verifies eligibility and issues privileges accordingly Target: Early 2026 

Current PA Compact Member States

More states have joined the PA Compact since the first 7 enacted legislation to activate the Compact and more could join by the time applications for Compact privilege open in 2026. As of May 29, 2025, the following 17 states have enacted the PA Compact:

In 2025, the following 10 states had active bills introducing legislation to join the Compact: 

Benefits for PAs, Employers and Patients

The PA Licensure Compact creates distinct advantages across healthcare, from the provider to the health system to the patients. It speeds credentialing, widens talent access and safeguards patients, all while lowering the administrative load on clinicians and employers alike. Here are just a few ways every link in the healthcare chain benefits.

For Physician Assistants

  • Faster onboarding for travel or locum tenens assignments
  • Expanded telehealth reach without extra red tape
  • Reduced licensing costs and fewer renewal cycles

For Health Systems & Staffing Agencies

  • Shorter time-to-fill for urgent coverage gaps
  • Simplified compliance tracking via the Commission’s data system
  • Greater candidate pools spanning multiple states

For Patients

  • Improved access to PA-delivered care, especially in rural or underserved regions
  • Better continuity when snowbirds or college students see the same PA across state lines
  • Assurance that every participating board shares adverse-action data in real time

How States Join the Compact

States wanting to join the PA Compact must follow specific steps, some of which must be done before they introduce model legislation to their own legislative process. These requirements ensure each state meets baseline standards before it begins issuing Compact privileges. For example, states must require applicants for a PA license to pass a national exam, such as the NCCPA’s Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE) and complete continuing education once they’re licensed. States must also fully implement and require a criminal background check for applicants.

Once a state meets all the requirements to join, it must: 

  1. Introduce the model legislation: Lawmakers must pass legislation with the Compact language kept verbatim (substantive changes risk exclusion).
  2. Implement an effective date and appropriations: States set an effective date and budget for compact operations.
  3. Appoint a commissioner: States typically appoint a PA board member or administrator as their Compact commissioner.

To participate in the Compact, states must also agree to grant Compact privileges to PAs holding a Qualifying License in any member state. They must also agree to comply with the Compact Commission’s rules, participate in the Commission’s Data Collection System and have a mechanism in place for receiving and investigating complaints against licensed PAs and those applying for a PA license. States are allowed to charge a fee to PAs for Compact privileges.

PA Compact FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions About the PA Compact

Does the PA Compact replace individual state licenses?
The PA Compact doesn’t replace individual state licenses. You must still hold at least one state license, which is your Qualifying License and anchors every compact privilege.

Will prescriptive authority transfer automatically under the PA Compact?
Prescriptive authority doesn’t transfer automatically with a PA Compact privilege. The PA Compact only authorizes PAs to practice in member states, but they must follow each remote state’s rules on prescription authority. According to the American Medical Association, 44 states authorize PAs to prescribe Schedule II-V medications, 6 states don’t allow PAs to prescribe Schedule II drugs and Kentucky doesn’t allow them to prescribe Legend drugs. 

What happens to my PA Compact privileges if I move?
You must report your move to the PA Compact Commission within 30 days. All your privileges in member states expire if you move to a non-Compact state. If you move to another Compact state, apply for a new Qualifying License, then reapply for privileges in the states where you want to practice.

Can non-Compact states see my physician assistant discipline history?
Only Compact member boards have direct access to your PA discipline history through the Compact Commission’s data-sharing system. However, non-member state boards may still acquire this information from other sources.

Do I still need a supervising or collaborating physician in a state of practice that requires it if my home state doesn’t?
The PA Compact preserves collaboration and supervision requirements set by each participating state, so if a state of practice requires supervision or collaboration with a physician, you must follow that rule anytime you’re practicing in that state. The state of practice is the state where the patient is located/where you’re providing services, when you’re not both located in the same state.

Action Plan for Forward-Thinking PAs

  • Track your state’s bill: If you live outside the 17 states that have enacted legislation to join the Compact, follow your legislature’s 2025 Compact bill and voice support.
  • Audit your credentials: Confirm that your NCCPA certification is current, continuing medication education (CME) is on track and background check is spotless. Fix any issues now that could keep you from obtaining Compact privileges later.
  • Bookmark the PA Compact Toolkit: It contains one-pagers, model legislation and webinar replays you can share with employers.
  • Talk with recruiters: Let agencies know you’re Compact-ready. They’ll be eager to have a list of clinicians who can step across borders quickly.
  • Stay alert for Commission updates: Privilege applications could open as early as late 2025 but may be early 2026. Either way, being ready on day one potentially means more career opportunities.

The PA Licensure Compact is moving from concept to reality. With 17 states already on board and infrastructure work underway, multistate practice could soon be a few clicks away. Keep your credentials clean, watch your state’s legislative calendar and position yourself to seize expanded career options as soon as the Compact launches.

Explore your travel PA job options on Vivian Health to see what opportunities might be available once Compact privileges become active.

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Moira K. McGhee

Moira K. McGhee has been a professional writer, editor and content manager for over 20 years, She strives to help support the empowerment of nurses and other healthcare professionals in their pursuits to find top-notch travel, staff, local contract and per diem positions faster and easier than ever.

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