A physician assistant cannot practice without a state license, and in most states that license does not get issued until an applicant clears a criminal history check. Separately, the hospital, clinic, or group that hires the PA runs its own screening and a credentialing review before the person ever sees a patient. These are related but different processes, and employers who confuse them often miss a step. This guide walks through how state medical and PA boards handle fingerprinting, what the national data sources cover, and what an employer still has to do on its own under the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
Licensure runs through a state medical or PA board, not a single national body
Physician assistants are licensed state by state, usually by a medical board, a board of medicine, or a dedicated physician assistant board that works alongside it. There is no single national license. An applicant typically has to show graduation from an accredited PA program, pass a national certifying exam, and submit to the state board’s own background screening before the license is granted. The exact criminal history process, and who runs it, is set by each state and can differ even between neighboring states.
Fingerprint and criminal history rules vary by state board
Where a fingerprint based criminal history check applies, it is usually a condition of the initial license application, not an optional add on. The table below reflects what four state boards publish on their own licensing pages as of this writing. Requirements change, so an employer or applicant should always confirm current rules directly with the board.
| State | Licensing agency | Fingerprint or criminal history check | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | Texas Medical Board / Texas Physician Assistant Board | Applicants submit fingerprints through the board’s designated vendor as part of licensure, and may request a pre licensure criminal history evaluation before applying | Texas Medical Board, PA license application |
| California | Physician Assistant Board | State law requires a full set of fingerprints and a criminal history record check through the Department of Justice and FBI before licensure, typically completed by Live Scan | California Physician Assistant Board, licensure page |
| Florida | Board of Medicine | State law now requires electronic fingerprinting for this profession, and the application cannot be approved until that screening is complete | Florida Board of Medicine, physician assistant licensing |
| New York | Office of the Professions | Applicants must attest to good moral character under the licensing statute; the board’s published requirements page does not describe a separate fingerprint based criminal history check for this profession | New York Office of the Professions, PA license requirements |
Notice that New York’s own page does not list a fingerprint step for physician assistants, while Texas, California, and Florida all do. Where a board’s published rule does not mention fingerprinting, do not assume one exists or try to guess at the process. State requirements for the same profession can genuinely differ, and the correct answer is to check the actual board page, not to average the other states.
NCCPA certification is a separate credential from state licensure
Most states require a physician assistant applicant to hold, or be eligible for, national certification from the body that administers the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam before the state board will issue a license. That certification confirms clinical competency and requires periodic recertification activity to stay current. It is not the same thing as the state license, and it does not replace the state’s own criminal history review. An employer verifying a PA candidate should confirm both the active state license and the current certification status, since either one can lapse independently of the other.
Federal checks that sit alongside state licensure
Three federal sources matter for anyone hiring or credentialing a physician assistant, and none of them substitute for the state license check.
The National Practitioner Data Bank collects reports on medical malpractice payments, and on certain adverse licensure, clinical privilege, and professional society actions taken against practitioners, including physician assistants. Hospitals and some other health care entities are required to query it as part of credentialing; it is not a general public background check tool and access is restricted by federal rule. More detail on what the data bank collects and who may query it is published by the National Practitioner Data Bank.
Separately, the HHS Office of Inspector General maintains the List of Excluded Individuals and Entities. A person or entity on that list is excluded from participating in federally funded health care programs, and any provider that bills Medicare or Medicaid for a PA’s services needs to confirm the PA is not on it. The current list and search tool are published by the HHS Office of Inspector General, LEIE exclusions database.
If a physician assistant’s scope of practice includes prescribing controlled substances, that PA generally needs an individual registration with the Drug Enforcement Administration, separate from the state license and separate from any supervising physician’s registration. Registration status and the application process are described by the DEA Diversion Control Division, registration overview.
Hospital and employer credentialing goes further than the license check
A current, unrestricted license is the floor, not the whole review. Hospitals and larger medical groups run their own credentialing process that typically verifies education, training, work history, malpractice history, references, and the NPDB and OIG checks described above, on a cycle that repeats every couple of years rather than only at hire. A clinic running a background check and a hospital’s credentialing committee running privileging review are doing two different jobs that both have to pass before a PA treats patients. Confusing the two, or assuming one covers the other, is a common and avoidable gap.
What the employer still has to do under the FCRA
When an employer orders a criminal history, license verification, or other consumer report on a PA candidate through a background screening company, that triggers obligations under the Fair Credit Reporting Act that exist separately from anything the state board does. Before ordering the report, the employer must provide a clear, standalone written disclosure and get the candidate’s written authorization. If the employer is considering not hiring, or taking another adverse action, based on what the report shows, it must send a pre adverse action notice with a copy of the report and a copy of the Summary of Rights, give the candidate a reasonable opportunity to respond, and only then send the adverse action notice if it proceeds. What a background check actually surfaces depends on the records available and state law, including state rules on how far back certain records can be reported, so employers should not assume every report will show every record or treat any report as a guarantee of a clean or a problem history. The Federal Trade Commission’s guidance for employers walks through these FCRA duties in more detail at FTC, Using Consumer Reports: What Employers Need to Know.
For most clinical roles it also makes sense to confirm whether a drug test is required by the employer’s own policy or by a facility’s contract terms, and whether the role involves driving between sites, which would call for a motor vehicle record check. Neither of those is mandated nationwide for physician assistants by federal law; they are decisions the hiring organization makes based on the job itself.
Getting the state license and credentialing pieces right is only part of building a defensible hiring process. Reveal Background works with health care employers on the consumer reporting side of that process, structured around FCRA disclosure, authorization, and adverse action requirements, at Reveal Background.
Two related reads on this site cover adjacent ground: Credentialing vs Background Checks in Healthcare: Why You Need Both explains how the two reviews differ in more depth, and Healthcare Exclusion Screening: OIG LEIE and SAM Checks goes further into exclusion list screening for any health care hire, not only physician assistants.
Frequently asked questions
Does every state fingerprint physician assistants before issuing a license?
No. Many states, including Texas, California, and Florida, require a fingerprint based criminal history check as part of PA licensure. Other states may not describe that same step on their licensing pages. The rule varies by state, so the applicable state board’s own page is the source to check, not an assumption based on other states.
Is NCCPA certification the same as a state license?
No. National certification confirms the PA passed a national certifying exam and maintains ongoing certification activity. The state board issues the actual license to practice, usually after confirming that certification along with its own education and background screening requirements. A PA needs both an active license and current certification to practice without restriction.
What does the National Practitioner Data Bank cover for physician assistants?
It collects reports on medical malpractice payments and certain adverse licensure, clinical privilege, and professional society actions. Hospitals and other eligible entities query it mainly during credentialing. It is not a general public background check and access is limited by federal rule.
Do physician assistants need their own DEA registration?
If their role includes prescribing controlled substances, generally yes, they need an individual DEA registration, separate from a supervising physician’s registration. The exact scope depends on state law and the practice setting.
What must an employer do before running a background check on a PA candidate?
Under the FCRA, the employer must give the candidate a clear written disclosure and get written authorization before ordering the report, and if it plans to take adverse action based on the results, it must send a pre adverse action notice with a copy of the report and the Summary of Rights, allow time to respond, then send the adverse action notice if it proceeds.
Will a background check always show a physician assistant’s full criminal history?
Not necessarily. What is reportable depends on the sources checked and state law, including state limits on how far back certain records can be reported. Employers should not assume a single report captures every record in every state.
This article is general information, not legal or medical advice. State and federal rules change, and employers should confirm current requirements with the relevant licensing board or legal counsel before making hiring decisions.
