New Jersey PA Collaboration Requirements Summary

New Jersey requires every PA to practice under a supervising (collaborating) physician through a written delegation agreement, and treats the PA as acting on the physician’s behalf in all practice-related activities. Involvement is standard day to day: supervision must be continuous, but the physician does not have to be physically present as long as the two stay reachable by electronic or other communication. The agreement does most of the work — the physician decides in it whether charts need review and countersignature, and if the answer is no, the agreement has to say so outright. Controlled substances are where involvement steps up: the PA must consult the physician before adjusting a dose or initiating a prescription. This page covers New Jersey’s rules on collaboration, the delegation agreement, board filing, ongoing compliance, prescribing, and specialty and telehealth requirements.

Source: N.J. Stat. Ann. § 45:9-27.17(d)

Type of Collaborative Relationship

New Jersey requires PAs to practice under a supervising physician at all times, with no route to independent practice and no transition pathway. Supervision must be continuous, but it does not require the physician on-site — staying in contact electronically satisfies the standard. A PA’s authority is whatever the physician delegates, it must fall within that physician’s own scope of practice, and one physician may supervise up to four PAs at a time.

Source: N.J. Stat. Ann. § 45:9-27.18(b)

What is a PA’s scope of practice in New Jersey?

A PA’s scope of practice is what the supervising physician delegates, and it must fall within that physician’s own scope of practice. The delegation agreement must describe the PA’s role in the practice, including any specific aspects of care that require consulting the physician first. The physician and PA must also make sure the PA’s scope of practice is identified and that what gets delegated matches the PA’s level of competence.

Do PAs need a collaborating physician in New Jersey?

Yes. Every PA must practice under a supervising physician with a written delegation agreement in place. In all practice-related activities, New Jersey treats the PA as acting on behalf of the supervising physician.

Can PAs practice independently in New Jersey?

No. New Jersey has no independent or autonomous practice option for PAs, and no hours- or years-based pathway that reduces supervision over time.

How many PAs can a physician collaborate with in New Jersey?

A physician may supervise no more than four PAs at any one time. A physician may apply to the Board to alter that ratio. The cap limits simultaneous supervision, not the number of delegation agreements a physician may enter into.

Who can be a collaborating physician in New Jersey?

The supervising physician must hold a plenary New Jersey medical license and be in good standing, and the PA’s duties must fall within that physician’s scope of practice. In a multi-specialty practice, a separate delegation agreement may be executed for each specialty, signed by all the delegating physicians supervising the PA in that specialty area. A single global agreement covering a whole multi-specialty practice is not permitted.

Are there proximity or in-person requirements in New Jersey?

No — New Jersey sets no geographic, travel, or on-site presence requirement. Supervision must be continuous, but that does not mean the physician has to be physically present, provided the physician and PA maintain contact through electronic or other means of communication.

Collaboration Agreement Requirements

New Jersey’s written agreement is called a delegation agreement, and the state provides no template — the required contents come from statute. Both the physician and the PA sign and date it annually, and it must be updated whenever the practice or the PA’s role changes. A copy must be kept at the practice site and provided to the Physician Assistant Advisory Committee.

Source: N.J. Stat. Ann. § 45:9-27.17(e)

What must be included in a PA collaborative agreement in New Jersey?

The delegation agreement must state that the physician will supervise the PA in accordance with New Jersey’s PA laws and rules, describe the PA’s role in the practice including any aspects of care requiring prior consultation with the physician, and list the locations where the PA may practice. It must also state whether the physician requires personal review and countersignature of patient charts and records — and the timeframe for completing that review — with an explicit statement if neither is required. Separately, the physician and PA must ensure the PA’s scope of practice is identified, access to the physician is defined, and an evaluation process is established.

What is the collaborative agreement called in New Jersey?

It is called a delegation agreement. New Jersey does not provide a sample form or template.

Who has to sign the collaborative agreement in New Jersey?

The supervising physician and the PA must both sign and date it. In a multi-specialty practice, all delegating physicians supervising the PA in a given specialty must sign that specialty’s agreement.

How often must the agreement be reviewed or renewed in New Jersey?

Annually. The delegation agreement must be signed and dated each year by both the physician and the PA, and updated as necessary to reflect any changes in the practice or in the PA’s role.

Is a backup physician required in New Jersey?

No — New Jersey sets no specific requirement for a backup or substitute supervising physician.

Board Filing Requirements

New Jersey requires the delegation agreement to be provided to the Physician Assistant Advisory Committee and kept on file there, as well as at the practice site. The PA may begin practicing once it is filed — there is no approval wait. The PA must also notify the Committee of their supervising physician and that physician’s license number, and report any change within 30 days.

Source: N.J.A.C. § 13:35-2B.3(b)

Do you have to file the collaborative agreement with the board in New Jersey?

Yes. The delegation agreement must be provided to the Physician Assistant Advisory Committee and kept on file by the Committee, in addition to being kept on file at the practice site. Updated agreements must be provided as well.

Can a PA start practicing as soon as they file in New Jersey?

Yes. New Jersey does not require Committee approval before the PA begins practicing.

What are the termination and notice requirements in New Jersey?

The PA must report any change in supervising physician to the Physician Assistant Advisory Committee within 30 days. The PA must also file notification of their supervising physician and that physician’s license number — submitting the delegation agreement satisfies this if it contains both. New Jersey provides no grace period if a supervising physician unexpectedly becomes unavailable.

Collaboration Compliance

New Jersey leaves most ongoing oversight to the delegation agreement rather than fixing it in rule. The supervising physician decides whether chart review and countersignature are required and states the timeframe in the agreement; if neither is required, the agreement must say so explicitly. There is no meeting cadence, but supervision must be continuous, the two must stay reachable by electronic or other communication, and a process for evaluating the PA’s performance must be in place.

Source: N.J. Stat. Ann. § 45:9-27.18(e)

How many charts must a collaborating physician review in New Jersey?

There is no fixed chart count — the supervising physician decides. The delegation agreement must record whether the physician requires personal review of all patient charts and records and countersignature of all medical services, including prescribing and administering medication, along with the timeframe for completing that review. If no review or countersignature is required, the agreement must specifically state that.

How often must a PA and collaborating physician meet in New Jersey?

New Jersey sets no specific meeting requirement. Supervision must be continuous, though, and the physician and PA must maintain contact through electronic or other means of communication. The physician and PA must also establish a process for evaluating the PA’s performance.

How long must collaboration records be kept in New Jersey?

New Jersey sets no specific retention period and no separate supervision documentation requirement. The current delegation agreement must be kept on file at the practice site and on file with the Physician Assistant Advisory Committee.

Prescribing Rules

PAs in New Jersey may order, prescribe, dispense, and administer medications and medical devices to the extent the supervising physician delegates. Controlled substances in Schedules II through V are permitted if the physician has authorized it and the PA has registered with the federal DEA. What sets New Jersey apart is the structure: a PA’s controlled-substance authority is built around the physician’s prescription — continuing or reissuing one the physician wrote, adjusting a dose after consulting the physician, or initiating one after consulting.

Source: N.J.A.C. § 13:35-2B.12(c)

Can a PA prescribe controlled substances in New Jersey?

Yes, in Schedules II through V, if the supervising physician has authorized it. The PA must also have registered with and obtained authorization from the federal DEA and any other appropriate state and federal agencies.

Can a PA prescribe Schedule II drugs in New Jersey?

Yes — New Jersey does not single out Schedule II for exclusion or a separate limit. The same conditions apply across Schedules II through V: the physician must have authorized it, and the PA may continue or reissue a prescription the physician wrote, adjust a dose after consulting the physician, or initiate one after consulting.

What schedule drugs can a PA prescribe in New Jersey?

Schedules II through V, plus non-controlled medications and medical devices — all to the extent the supervising physician delegates. New Jersey sets no special prescription pad requirements for PAs.

Does a PA need a DEA license in New Jersey?

Yes, a PA must register with and obtain authorization from the federal DEA to order or prescribe controlled substances. New Jersey’s rules also reference authorization from any other appropriate state and federal agencies rather than setting out a separate state controlled-substances credential.

Can a PA prescribe independently (without physician sign-off) in New Jersey?

No. All prescribing happens to the extent the supervising physician delegates, and individual prescriptions require countersignature if the delegation agreement calls for it. For controlled substances, the PA must consult the physician before adjusting a dose or initiating a prescription — with one exception: a PA may initiate a controlled substance without prior consultation as part of a treatment plan for a patient with a terminal illness, meaning a life expectancy of 12 months or less as determined by the supervising physician.

Specialty & Telehealth Requirements

New Jersey sets no telehealth-specific or specialty-specific requirements for PAs. The standard collaboration, agreement, filing, compliance, and prescribing rules apply the same way regardless of specialty or how care is delivered.

Source: N.J.A.C. § 13:35-2B (general PA requirements; New Jersey’s PA rules contain no specialty- or telehealth-specific provision)

Are there telehealth or telemedicine requirements for PAs in New Jersey?

No — New Jersey sets no specific telehealth or telemedicine requirement for PAs. The state’s availability standard already contemplates remote contact: the physician and PA may satisfy continuous supervision by staying in touch electronically rather than in person.

Are there specialty-specific requirements for PAs in New Jersey?

No — New Jersey sets no specialty-specific requirement for PAs. Specialty does shape the arrangement in one way, though: the PA’s duties must fall within the supervising physician’s scope of practice, and a multi-specialty practice needs a separate delegation agreement for each specialty rather than one covering the whole practice.