A new North Dakota law changes how physician assistants can legally practice in-state—and it affects any business that hires or contracts with them.
Most construction and trades business owners don't realize that a recent North Dakota bill quietly reshapes the rules around hiring physician assistants. If your company operates a clinic, urgent care center, staffing agency, or any health-related service that employs or contracts with PAs, HB1622 creates a new compliance requirement you need to understand now.
Effective upon filing with the Secretary of State, HB1622 amends North Dakota Century Code Section 43-17-02.1 (Section 2, Page 2) to establish a single, clear rule: any physician assistant practicing in North Dakota must hold either a current North Dakota license or a valid privilege under the Physician Assistant Licensure Compact.
In plain terms: before a PA can see patients or provide services in your facility or under your contract in North Dakota, you must verify they have one of these two credentials. No exceptions. No grandfather clauses.
The practical impact depends on your hiring model. If you've been contracting with out-of-state PAs or considering it, the law now requires them to either:
Option 1: Obtain a full North Dakota PA license (the traditional route), or
Option 2: Hold a compact privilege—a streamlined credential available through the Physician Assistant Licensure Compact once it activates.
The compact pathway is the significant change here. It's designed to reduce friction and cost for businesses hiring PAs from other states by eliminating the need for a separate, full ND license. Instead of managing multiple state licenses, you verify one compact privilege. This can lower hiring delays and administrative overhead, especially for staffing agencies and multi-state operators.
If you employ or contract with physician assistants:
Audit your current workforce. Verify that every PA on your payroll or contract roster holds either a current ND license or—once the compact is active—a valid compact privilege. If someone doesn't have either, they cannot legally practice in North Dakota under this law.
Update your hiring process. Before onboarding a new PA, add a verification step: confirm their credential status. The compact will provide a lookup mechanism once it's operational.
Document compliance. Keep records showing you verified each PA's license or compact privilege. Failure to do so exposes your business to regulatory action by the North Dakota Medical Board or relevant licensing authority.
HB1622 becomes effective upon filing with the Secretary of State. The Physician Assistant Licensure Compact itself activates upon enactment by the state. During the transition period, PAs must hold a North Dakota license; once the compact is live, they can hold either a ND license or a compact privilege.
The law is straightforward, but the compliance burden falls on employers and contractors. Verify credentials now, and plan your hiring strategy around the compact option once it's available.
For a detailed, business-specific guide to HB1622 compliance, contact your local trade association or the North Dakota Medical Board.