A summary of Wisconsin’s collaboration, agreement, filing, supervision, prescribing, and specialty rules for NPs and the physicians who collaborate with them.
Collaborating Physician Required? Yes
Physician Involvement: Low
Agreement Name: None
On-Site Requirements: None
Chart Review: Not required
Controlled Substances: Allowed, with limits
Reduced Supervision / Transition Requirements: As of September 1, 2026, independent practice after 3,840 practice hours
Wisconsin NP Collaboration Requirements Summary
Wisconsin nurse practitioners with prescriptive authority must maintain a documented collaborative relationship with a physician (or dentist). The state requires no formal written agreement. An independent practice pathway opens for applications beginning September 1, 2026. Physician involvement is low: the NP simply collaborates with at least one physician or dentist through modern communication and documents that the relationship exists, with no meetings, chart review, or on-site presence required. Qualifying NPs can move to fully independent practice after meeting the required hours.
Source: Wis. Admin. Code § N 8.10
Type of Collaborative Relationship
Wisconsin NPs with prescriptive authority must maintain a documented collaborative relationship with a physician or dentist, but the state requires no formal written agreement and imposes very light ongoing obligations. Physician involvement is minimal — the NP collaborates with at least one physician or dentist through modern communication and documents that the relationship exists. Wisconsin also has an independent practice pathway that opens for applications beginning September 1, 2026, for NPs who meet the required hours.
Source: Wis. Admin. Code § N 8.10
What is an NP’s scope of practice in Wisconsin?
Wisconsin NPs practice within their training, education, and experience, and those with prescriptive authority must work in a documented collaborative relationship with a physician or dentist. There is no formal collaborative agreement, and an independent practice pathway opens beginning September 1, 2026.
Do NPs need a collaborating physician in Wisconsin?
Yes, for now. NPs with prescriptive authority must maintain and document a collaborative relationship with at least one physician or dentist. Beginning September 1, 2026, qualifying NPs may apply to practice independently, without collaborating with a physician or dentist.
Can NPs practice independently in Wisconsin?
Yes, through a pathway that opens September 1, 2026. An NP who meets the required practice hours and is verified by the Board may practice independently, without supervision or collaboration. Until an NP is approved, a documented collaborative relationship is required for prescriptive authority.
How many NPs can a physician supervise in Wisconsin?
No limit. Wisconsin sets no ratio cap on how many NPs a physician may collaborate with.
Who can be a collaborating physician in Wisconsin?
At least one of the health care professionals the NP collaborates with must be a physician or dentist. Wisconsin sets no additional qualifications for the collaborating physician in the source.
Are there proximity or in-person requirements in Wisconsin?
No, Wisconsin sets no geographic or travel requirement.
Collaboration Agreement Requirements
Wisconsin does not require a written collaborative agreement. Instead, an NP with prescriptive authority must document that a collaborative relationship with a physician or dentist exists; the state provides no template and does not specify how the relationship should be documented. There are no signature, storage, backup-physician, or review requirements.
Source: Wis. Admin. Code § N 8.10(7)
What must be included in an NP collaborative agreement in Wisconsin?
No agreement is required. Wisconsin does not mandate a written collaborative agreement; the NP must only document that a collaborative relationship with a physician or dentist exists, and the state gives no guidance on how to document it.
What is the collaborative agreement called in Wisconsin?
There is no named agreement. Wisconsin requires a documented collaborative relationship rather than a formal collaborative agreement.
Who has to sign the collaborative agreement in Wisconsin?
No one. Wisconsin sets no signature requirement, because no written agreement is required.
How often must the agreement be reviewed or renewed in Wisconsin?
There is no review or renewal requirement, since Wisconsin does not require a written agreement. NPs with prescriptive authority must, however, submit evidence of malpractice insurance to the Board annually.
Is a backup physician required in Wisconsin?
No, Wisconsin does not require a backup physician.
Board Filing Requirements
Wisconsin does not require an NP to file a collaborative agreement with the board. There is no agreement to file and no recurring collaboration filing; the main annual obligation is that NPs with prescriptive authority submit evidence of malpractice insurance to the board each year. Independent practice, beginning September 1, 2026, requires a separate application.
Source: Wis. Admin. Code § N 8.08(5)
Do you have to file the collaborative agreement with the board in Wisconsin?
No. Wisconsin does not require a collaborative agreement to be filed; the NP only documents that a collaborative relationship exists. NPs with prescriptive authority must, however, annually submit evidence of malpractice insurance to the board.
Can an NP start practicing as soon as they file in Wisconsin?
There is no collaborative agreement to file, so this does not apply in the usual sense. An NP prescribes once the board grants the certificate to prescribe; to practice independently (beginning September 1, 2026), a separate application and board verification are required.
What are the termination and notice requirements in Wisconsin?
None. Wisconsin sets no termination-notice requirement for the collaborative relationship.
Collaboration Compliance
Wisconsin imposes almost no ongoing collaboration obligations. There is no required meeting cadence, chart review, chart co-signing, or documentation beyond documenting that the collaborative relationship exists; the one standard is that the NP and at least one physician or dentist collaborate through modern communication techniques.
Source: Wis. Admin. Code § N 8.10(2)
How many charts must a collaborating physician review in Wisconsin?
No fixed number. Wisconsin does not require chart review or chart co-signing.
How often must an NP and collaborating physician meet in Wisconsin?
No set cadence. Wisconsin does not require scheduled meetings.
How long must collaboration records be kept in Wisconsin?
Wisconsin sets no specific retention period for collaboration records. The NP must document that a collaborative relationship exists, but the state does not specify how or for how long.
Prescribing Rules
Wisconsin NPs may prescribe once the board grants a certificate to prescribe (as an “advanced practice nurse prescriber”). Controlled-substance prescribing carries specific limits: certain Schedule II amphetamine and stimulant-type drugs are barred except for named conditions, and anabolic steroids for athletic or nonmedical use are prohibited. Wisconsin does not require a state DEA registration.
Source: Wis. Admin. Code § N 8.06
Can an NP prescribe controlled substances in Wisconsin?
Yes, with some limits. An NP with a board-granted certificate to prescribe may prescribe controlled substances, but certain Schedule II amphetamine/stimulant drugs and anabolic steroids for non-medical use are restricted.
Can an NP prescribe Schedule II drugs in Wisconsin?
Yes, with restrictions. Wisconsin NPs may prescribe Schedule II drugs generally, but may not prescribe amphetamines or sympathomimetic-amine drugs classified as Schedule II except for specific uses.
What schedule drugs can an NP prescribe in Wisconsin?
Wisconsin NPs with a certificate to prescribe may prescribe across drug schedules, subject to two limits: Schedule II amphetamine/sympathomimetic-amine stimulants are barred except for specific conditions, and anabolic steroids may not be prescribed for non-medical purposes.
Does an NP need a DEA license in Wisconsin?
Wisconsin does not require a state DEA registration.
Can an NP prescribe independently in Wisconsin?
Yes, once independent practice is available as of September 1, 2026. Wisconsin does not require physician co-signing of prescriptions, and an NP approved for independent practice may prescribe without collaborating with a physician or dentist. Until then, prescriptive authority requires a documented collaborative relationship.
Specialty & Telehealth Requirements
Wisconsin sets no telehealth-specific or specialty-specific collaboration requirements.
Source: Wis. Stat. § 441.09(3m)(b)
Are there telehealth or telemedicine requirements for NPs in Wisconsin?
No, Wisconsin sets no telehealth-specific collaboration requirements.
Are there specialty-specific requirements for NPs in Wisconsin?
No, Wisconsin sets no specialty-specific requirements.
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