License Requirements for Physician Assistants

Any use of the title "physician assistant" within New York State requires licensure.

To be licensed as a physician assistant in New York State you must:

• be of good moral character;
• be at least 21 years of age;
• meet education requirements; and
• meet examination requirements.

You must submit an application for licensure and the other forms indicated, along with the appropriate fee, to the Office of the Professions at the address specified on each form. It is your responsibility to follow up with anyone you have asked to send us material.

The specific requirements for licensure are contained in Title 8, Article 131-B, Section 6541 of New York's Education Law and Part 60 of the Commissioner's Regulations.

You should also read the general licensing information applicable for all professions.

The fee for licensure is $115 ($70 Application Fee, $45 First Three-Year Registration Fee).

The fee for a limited permit is $105 (the limited permit fee is not refundable).

Fees are subject to change. The fee due is the one in law when your application is received (unless fees are increased retroactively). You will be billed for the difference if fees have been increased.

• Do not send cash.
• If you apply for licensure electronically using the online Application for Licensure, you will be required to pay by credit card.
• Other payments must be made by personal check or money order payable to the New York State Education Department. Your cancelled check is your receipt.
• Mail any required forms and fees to the indicated address on the form.

Please Note: Payment submitted from outside the United States should be made by check or draft on a United States bank and in United States currency; payments submitted in any other form will not be accepted and will be returned.

Individuals who withdraw their licensure application may be entitled to a partial refund.

• For the procedure to withdraw your application, contact the RPA Unit at opunit2@nysed.gov or by calling 518-474-3817 ext. 260 or by fax at 518-402-2323.
• The State Education Department is not responsible for any fees paid to an outside testing or credentials verification agency.

If you withdraw your application, obtain a refund, and then decide to seek New York State licensure at a later date, you will be considered a new applicant, and you will be required to pay the licensure fee and meet the licensure requirements in place at the time you reapply.

To meet the professional education requirement for licensure as a physician assistant, you must have completed high school or its equivalent and you must present satisfactory evidence of completion of a program for the training of physician assistants that is approved by the New York State Education Department as licensure qualifying or accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) or a program that is determined by the Department to be the substantial equivalent of a licensure qualifying or accredited program.

For a program for the training of physician assistants to be determined substantially equivalent to a licensure qualifying or accredited program, it must include:

• at least 32 semester hours of classroom work; and
• 40 weeks (1,600 clock hours) of supervised clinical training.

Please note: Graduates of medical programs cannot be licensed as physician assistants based solely on medical education. All applicants for registered physician assistant licensure must fulfill the educational requirements outlined above.

Infection Control and Barrier Precautions:

Every practicing physician assistant must complete approved coursework or training appropriate to the professional's practice in infection control and barrier precautions, including engineering and work practice controls, to prevent the transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and the hepatitis B virus (HBV) in the course of professional practice. See additional information and a list of approved providers for this training.

You must pass the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE), a computer examination, that is administered by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA).

For more information regarding the examination, including sample questions, costs, dates, application forms, or to have scores transferred to the New York State Education Department, you may call NCCPA at 678-417-8100, visit their Web site at www.nccpa.net or write to:

National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants
12000 Findley Road
Suite 200
Duluth, GA 30097-1409.

Reasonable Testing Accommodations

For specific information about reasonable testing accommodations for the PANCE exam, contact NCCPA as described above.

If you are or have been licensed/certified in another jurisdiction(s), you must request the licensing authority of the jurisdiction(s) to provide verification of your licensure/certification on Form 3 - Verification of Licensure/Certification in Another Jurisdiction. You must meet all requirements for licensure in New York State.

A limited permit allows an individual who has satisfied all requirements for licensure as a physician assistant except the examination requirement to practice as a physician assistant under appropriate supervision while meeting the requirement. Appropriate supervision is the direct supervision of a currently registered New York State licensed physician.

A limited permit is valid for one year or until notification by the New York State Education Department of denial of your application for licensure. Your permit may be extended for one year. To request an extension of your limited permit you must submit a new Application For Limited Permit (Form 5) and a fee of $105. You may apply for a limited permit by submitting Form 5 and fee of $105 at the same time or anytime after you submit your Application for Licensure (Form 1), licensure fee of $115, and evidence of satisfactory education.