A summary of South Dakota’s collaboration, agreement, filing, supervision, prescribing, and specialty rules for PAs and the physicians who collaborate with them.
Collaborating Physician Required? Yes, unless the PA is certified by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants and has filed an affidavit with the board attesting to at least 6,000 practice hours.
Physician Involvement: Low
Agreement Name: Collaborative agreement
On-Site Requirements: None
Chart Review: None
Controlled Substances: No state-specific prescribing requirements for PAs
Reduced Supervision / Transition Requirements: 6,000 practice hours plus current national certification. The PA files an affidavit with the board attesting to the hours. Out-of-state experience counts.
South Dakota PA Collaboration Requirements Summary
South Dakota requires a PA to practice under a collaborative agreement with a South Dakota-licensed physician unless the PA qualifies for an exemption. That exemption turns on two things: national certification and an affidavit filed with the board attesting to at least 6,000 practice hours. Where an agreement is required, it must be created on the board’s approved form and approved by the board before the PA sees patients — South Dakota is one of the few states where approval, not just filing, comes first. Ongoing obligations are minimal: no chart review, no meeting cadence, no availability standard, and no supervision documentation. This page covers South Dakota’s rules on the collaborative relationship, the collaborative agreement, board filing, ongoing compliance, prescribing, and specialty and telehealth requirements.
Source: S.D. Codified Laws 34-4A-1.1(1)
Type of Collaborative Relationship
South Dakota requires a collaborative agreement with a South Dakota-licensed physician unless the PA is nationally certified and has filed an affidavit attesting to at least 6,000 practice hours. Physician involvement is low throughout: the state sets no chart review, no meeting cadence, no on-site presence requirement, and no availability standard. What the state does require is process — a board-approved agreement on the state’s form, in place before the PA sees patients.
Source: S.D. Codified Laws 34-4A-1.2
What is a PA’s scope of practice in South Dakota?
A PA’s practice in South Dakota runs through the collaborative agreement, which sets the terms and conditions governing the collaboration between the PA and the physician. That agreement must be created on the board’s approved form and may include other information the board requires.
Do PAs need a collaborating physician in South Dakota?
Yes, unless the PA qualifies for the exemption. A PA may practice without a collaborative agreement if they are certified by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants and have filed an affidavit with the board attesting to completion of at least 6,000 practice hours.
Can PAs practice independently in South Dakota?
Yes, once the PA holds national certification and has filed the 6,000-hour affidavit with the board. Until then, a board-approved collaborative agreement is required before seeing patients.
How many PAs can a physician collaborate with in South Dakota?
South Dakota sets no limit on the number of PAs a physician may collaborate with.
Who can be a collaborating physician in South Dakota?
A physician licensed in South Dakota. Both the PA and the collaborating physician must hold South Dakota licenses and have a board-approved practice agreement on file before the PA sees patients. South Dakota sets no additional experience or specialty requirement.
Are there proximity or in-person requirements in South Dakota?
No, South Dakota sets no distance, travel, or on-site presence requirement. South Dakota also sets no standard for how quickly or by what means the collaborating physician must be reachable.
Collaboration Agreement Requirements
South Dakota’s written agreement is called a collaborative agreement, and using the board’s approved form is mandatory for any PA who is not exempt. The agreement must contain the terms and conditions governing the collaboration between the providers, along with any other information the board requires. It is signed by the PA and a licensed physician, and the PA must keep a copy on file at their primary practice site. South Dakota sets no review or renewal schedule and requires no backup physician.
Source: S.D. Admin Code 20:52-01:03
What must be included in a PA collaborative agreement in South Dakota?
The agreement must contain the terms and conditions governing the collaboration of the providers, plus any other information the board requires. A PA who is not exempt must use a form approved by the State Board of Medical and Osteopathic Examiners to create the agreement.
What is the collaborative agreement called in South Dakota?
It is called a collaborative agreement. South Dakota provides the required form.
Who has to sign the collaborative agreement in South Dakota?
The PA and a licensed physician. The signature requirement applies to a PA who has not filed an affidavit with the board attesting to completion of at least 6,000 practice hours.
How often must the agreement be reviewed or renewed in South Dakota?
South Dakota sets no review or renewal schedule for the collaborative agreement.
Is a backup physician required in South Dakota?
No, South Dakota sets no backup or alternate physician requirement.
Board Filing Requirements
South Dakota requires the collaborative agreement to be filed with and approved by the board before the PA sees patients. Both the PA and the collaborating physician must hold South Dakota licenses and have that board-approved agreement on file first. There is no recurring filing requirement, but a PA who is not exempt must notify the board in writing when a collaborative agreement terminates.
Source: S.D. Admin Code 20:52-01:05
Do you have to file the collaborative agreement with the board in South Dakota?
Yes, and it must be approved. The completed form goes to the board office, and no additional documents are required for the relationship itself. A PA must also keep a copy at their primary practice site.
Can a PA start practicing as soon as they file in South Dakota?
No — the agreement must be board-approved and on file with the board office before the PA sees patients. Filing alone is not enough.
What are the termination and notice requirements in South Dakota?
A PA who is not exempt from the collaborative agreement requirement must notify the board in writing when a collaborative agreement terminates. South Dakota allows no grace period for an unexpected termination.
Collaboration Compliance
South Dakota sets no ongoing compliance obligations once a collaborative agreement is in place. There is no chart review requirement, no meeting cadence, no chart co-signature requirement, no availability standard, and no supervision documentation. The one continuing obligation is recordkeeping: the PA must keep a copy of the collaborative agreement on file at their primary practice site.
Source: S.D. Codified Laws 34-4A-1.1
How many charts must a collaborating physician review in South Dakota?
None — South Dakota requires no chart review. There is no chart co-signature requirement and no supervision documentation requirement either.
How often must a PA and collaborating physician meet in South Dakota?
South Dakota sets no required meeting cadence. The terms and conditions governing collaboration are set in the agreement itself rather than by the state.
How long must collaboration records be kept in South Dakota?
South Dakota sets no retention period for collaboration records. A PA for whom a collaborative agreement has been signed must keep a copy of that agreement on file at their primary practice site.
Prescribing Rules
South Dakota’s master regulatory data records no state-specific prescribing requirements for PAs. There is no state controlled-substance registration, no additional credential for prescriptive authority, no separate conditions on controlled-substance prescribing, and no prescription form requirements. What a PA may prescribe follows from the terms of the collaborative agreement, where one applies.
Can a PA prescribe controlled substances in South Dakota?
South Dakota’s master regulatory data sets no additional state requirements for PA controlled-substance prescribing. There is no extra credential, no state registration, and no heightened oversight requirement tied to controlled substances.
Can a PA prescribe Schedule II drugs in South Dakota?
South Dakota’s master regulatory data does not address drug schedules individually for PAs.
What schedule drugs can a PA prescribe in South Dakota?
South Dakota’s master regulatory data sets no schedule-by-schedule limits on PA prescribing. Where a collaborative agreement applies, its terms and conditions govern the collaboration between the PA and the physician.
Does a PA need a DEA license in South Dakota?
South Dakota imposes no state controlled-substance registration requirement on PAs. Federal DEA registration requirements apply independently of state law and are not addressed in South Dakota’s rules. South Dakota sets no prescription form or prescription pad requirements.
Can a PA prescribe independently (without physician sign-off) in South Dakota?
South Dakota requires no physician sign-off, co-signature, or prescription-level review. A PA who is nationally certified and has filed the 6,000-hour affidavit practices without a collaborative agreement at all.
Specialty & Telehealth Requirements
South Dakota’s master regulatory data does not address telehealth-specific or specialty-specific requirements for PAs. The standard collaboration, agreement, and filing rules apply across settings and specialties.
Are there telehealth or telemedicine requirements for PAs in South Dakota?
South Dakota sets no telehealth-specific requirement for PAs in the master regulatory data. South Dakota also sets no in-person or proximity requirement that telehealth would need an exemption from.
Are there specialty-specific requirements for PAs in South Dakota?
South Dakota sets no specialty-specific requirements for PAs in the master regulatory data.
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