California · guide
Physician assistant licensing in California
Read from Physician Assistant Board of California. Last verified 2026-09-15.
The sequence
| Step | What it involves |
|---|---|
| PA license | Application filed with the Physician Assistant Board of California, with NCCPA certification evidence. |
| Supervision or collaboration record | Named physician relationship recorded with the board or held on file, per state rule. |
| Prescriptive authority | Granted with the license or by separate application, depending on the state. |
| Controlled substance registration | State registration where required, then DEA. |
What the numbers say
- A practice agreement with a supervising physician must exist before the first patient encounter.
Source: Physician Assistant Board of California. Last verified 2026-09-15. Where a national summary and a board disagree, we publish the board.