Physician assistants in North Carolina are licensed by the North Carolina Board of Medical Examiners, which sets its own application, fees and processing times. Every state requires current NCCPA certification and a degree from an ARC-PA accredited program; what varies is the supervision or collaboration agreement, the prescriptive authority granted, and how long the board takes. North Carolina has enacted the PA Licensure Compact, which will eventually let a PA licensed in one member state practice in the others on a compact privilege rather than a separate application. It is not usable yet: the Compact Commission is still building the data system and projects the first privileges for early 2027. Until then a North Carolina license is obtained the ordinary way, and enacting the compact changes nothing about today's application.
North Carolina PA License Requirements
Current NCCPA certification — a passing PANCE score and certification in good standing. This is the single gate every state shares, and the compact will require it too.
A degree from a physician assistant program accredited by ARC-PA at the time it was conferred.
Fingerprint-based criminal background check.
A documented supervision or collaboration agreement with a physician. North Carolina sets its own terms for what that agreement must contain, how many PAs one physician may cover, and whether experience hours reduce the requirement — North Carolina Board of Medical Examiners publishes the current form.
Verification of every other PA license you hold or have held, including any lapsed ones. Undisclosed prior licenses are among the most common causes of a stalled file.
Disclosure of any disciplinary action, in any jurisdiction, ever.
Separate state controlled-substance registration in addition to your federal DEA number. The two are not interchangeable, and the state registration is frequently the step that delays a start date.
How Much Does an North Carolina PA License Cost?
| Fee | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | $325 | Raised from $250 effective 1 October, authorised through the state budget. |
| Annual renewal | $200 | Raised from $140 at the same time. |
Fees are subject to change
Fees are set by each board and change without much notice — several of the amounts below moved during 2026. The fee you owe is the one in force when the board receives your application, not the one published when you plan it. We confirm the current schedule before filing; treat these as a planning figure, not a quote.
Source: North Carolina Medical Board — checked 2026-09-07.
Fees above are paid to the North Carolina board and NCCPA. Our service fee is separate — see pricing.
We handle the North Carolina application end-to-end.
Eligibility screening, document prep, board follow-ups, and tracking — so you don't lose a board meeting cycle to a missing form.
View full pricingHow Long Does It Take to Get an North Carolina PA License?
Typical Processing
Two to four months from a complete filing is common, though boards vary widely and none of them commit to a date. Very little of that is the board reading your file — it is fingerprint results, transcripts in transit, and verification of prior licenses.
Recommended Lead Time
Start at least four months before your intended start date, and get the collaborating physician named early — several states will not issue until that agreement is on file, which turns a parallel step into a blocking one.
This is a compact member state, which does not shorten anything today: no privileges are being issued until early 2027 at the earliest. Plan around the license.
What Working with Us Costs
Transparent, a la carte service fees. The state board and NCCPA fees listed above are paid directly to those organizations. Our concierge fee is separate and is the only thing you pay us.
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