State Scope of Practice Laws

Scope of practice laws for medical assistants may vary by state.

Key States  |  Review the key states listed below for specific language pertaining to medical assisting scope of practice.

Your State  |  For specific questions regarding your state, submit your query below.

Key State Scope of Practice Laws

Alabama

• Letter Regarding Delegable Duties in Alabama
• Alabama BON Administrative Code, Chapter 610-x-6: Standards of Nursing Practice

Alaska 
Alaska State Medical Board: Standards for Delegation of Routine Duties

Arizona

• Arizona Revised Statues 32-1456: Medical assistants; use of title; violation; classification
• Notice of Final Rulemaking: Title 4. Professions and occupations, Chapter 16
• Content Requirements for CAAHEP Accredited Medical Assisting Programs

Arkansas

• Act 472: An Act to Authorize Physicians and Podiatrists to Delegate the Performance of Some
• Simple Procedures to Employees; and for Other Purposes
• Regulation 31: Physician Delegation Regulation

California
Medical Board of California: Frequently Asked Questions—Medical Assistants

Colorado 

• Letter Regarding Delegable Duties in Colorado
• Rules Regarding the Delegation and Supervision of Medical Services to Unlicensed health Care Providers

Connecticut 

• Connecticut Department of Public Health: Medical Assistant Information
• Donald Balasa, “Connecticut COVID-19 Crisis Necessitates Medical Assistants Administering Vaccinations,” Legal Eye: On Medical Assisting (blog), December 15, 2020.

Delaware
Letter Regarding Delegable Duties in Delaware

District of Columbia
Letter Regarding Delegable Duties in the District of Columbia

Florida

• 2019 Florida Statutes: 458.3485 Medical Assistant
• Florida Board of Medicine: Ruling on Delegation of IV Infusion Therapy
• Florida Administrative Code, 64B8-2.001

Georgia
Medical Assistant Law and Rules

Hawaii
Letter Regarding Delegable Duties in Hawaii

Idaho
Letter Regarding Delegable Duties in Idaho

Illinois

• Administrative Code, Section 1285.335 Physician Delegation of Authority
• Illinois Medical Practice Act
• Illinois Nurse Practice Act

Indiana
Letter Regarding Delegable Duties in Indiana

Iowa

• Letter Regarding Delegable Duties in Iowa
• Donald Balasa, "Clinical Task Delegation in Iowa," Legal Eye: On Medical Assisting (blog), May 6, 2020.

Kansas
Letter Regarding Delegable Duties in Kansas

Kentucky

• Letter Regarding Delegable Duties in Kentucky
• Memo Regarding "Use of Medical Assistants in the Prescription Refill Process - Kentucky Law"

Louisiana

• Letter Regarding Delegable Duties in Louisiana
• Louisiana Administrative Code Professional and Occupational Standards: Delegation of Medication
• Administration to Unlicensed Assistive Personnel in Outpatient Clinic Settings

Maine
Maine Revised Statutes: 3270-A. Assistants

Maryland

• Code of Maryland Regulations: 10.32.12
• Donald Balasa, “COVID-19 Vaccination in Maryland,” Legal Eye: On Medical Assisting (blog), January 25, 2021.

Massachusetts

• Board of Registration in Medicine 243 CMR 2.00: Licensing and the Practice of Medicine; FAQs on BORIM Regulation Chapter 2.00 "Licensing & The Practice of Medicine"
• Circular Letter DCP 16-12-664: Immunization Administration by Medical Assistants
  Acts (2016) Chapter 234: An Act Increasing Access to Immunization

Michigan

• Letter Regarding Delegable Duties in Michigan
• Public Health Code of Michigan: Act 368 of 1978, Section 333.16215 Delegation of acts, tasks, or functions to licensed or unlicensed individual; supervision; rules; immunity; third party reimbursement or worker's compensation benefits
• Public Health Code of Michigan: Act 368 of 1978, Section 333.16109 Definitions; S to T
• Donald Balasa, “Permissible Delegation of Influenza Vaccination Administration in Michigan,” Legal Eye: On Medical Assisting (blog), November 18, 2020.

Minnesota
Letter Regarding Delegable Duties in Minnesota

Mississippi
Letter Regarding Delegable Duties in Mississippi

Missouri
Letter Regarding Delegable Duties in Missouri

Montana

• Montana Code Annotated, 37-3-104: Medical Assistants—Guidelines
• Administrative Rules of Montana: 24.156.401 Medical Assistant—Delegation and Supervision

Nebraska 

• Letter Regarding Delegable Duties in Nebraska
• Nebraska Medication Aide Overview
• Nebraska Medication Aide Application

Nevada

• Nevada Statutory Language; Nevada Regulation Language of the Board of Medical Examiners
• Nevada Nurse Practice Act: Chapter 632

New Hampshire
New Hampshire Board of Medicine: Board’s Position on Supervision of Medical Assistants

Statement from Legal Counsel Balasa: This is no longer policy of the New Hampshire Board of Medicine. However, because no other position statement of the NH Board of Medicine has been issued, this document provides some guidance on what physicians are permitted to delegate to unlicensed professionals such as medical assistants.

New Jersey

• New Jersey Board of Medical Examiners: 13:35-6.4
• Letter Regarding Delegable Duties in New Jersey
• Donald Balasa, “COVID-19 Vaccination in New Jersey,” Legal Eye: On Medical Assisting (blog), January 27, 2021.

New Mexico
61-6-17. Exceptions to act

New York

• Practice Information: Utilization of Medical Assistants
• Donald Balasa, “Nasopharyngeal Swabbing for COVID-19 Testing in New York,” Legal Eye: On Medical Assisting (blog), May 27, 2020.

North Carolina

• Delegable Duties: Letter Regarding Section 90-18(c)(13) of the North Carolina Statutes
• Office Practice Setting: UAP Delegation
• North Carolina Medical Board: Delegating Medical Tasks to Unlicensed Personnel
• North Carolina Medical Board: Delegation Appropriateness Table

North Dakota

• Letter Regarding Delegable Duties in North Dakota
• Initial Medication Assistant III Application
• North Dakota Administrative Code 54-07-15: Medication Administration by a Medical Assistant III

Ohio

• Ohio Administrative Code: 4731.053 Administrative Rules for Physician's Delegation of Medical Task
• Ohio Administrative Code: 4731-23: Delegation of Medical Tasks
• Ohio Administrative Code 4723-13-05: Criteria and standards for a licensed nurse delegating to an unlicensed person
• Ohio Administrative Code 4723.48 Delegation of authority to administer certain drugs
• Ohio Administrative Code 4723.489 Delegated authority to administer drugs
• State Medical Board of Ohio: Letter Regarding Physician Delegation of IV Catheter
• Ohio Administrative Code 4730.203 Delegation of administration of drug

Oklahama 
Letter Regarding Delegable Duties in Oklahoma

Oregon

• Letter Regarding Delegable Duties in Oregon
• Oregon Medical Board Statements of Philosophy: Use of Unlicensed Healthcare Personnel

Pennsylvania

• Letter Regarding Delegable Duties in Pennsylvania
• Subchapter G. Medical Doctor Delegation of Medical Services

Rhode Island

• Letter Regarding Delegable Duties in Rhode Island
• Guidelines Regarding Scope of Practice, Supervision, and Minimum Expectations of Conduct of Medical Assistants

South Carolina

• Letter Regarding Delegable Duties in South Carolina
• South Carolina Medical Practice Act: Delegation to Unlicensed Professionals
• The Supervision of Unlicensed Personnel and the Corporate Practice of Medicine

South Dakota 

Information to come.

Tennessee

• Letter Regarding Delegable Duties in Tennessee
• Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners Policy Statement: Delegation of Medical Services
• Donald Balasa, “Delegation of COVID-19 Vaccinations in Tennessee,” Legal Eye: On Medical Assisting (blog), December 11, 2020.

Texas

• Letter Regarding Delegable Duties in Texas
• Texas Occupations Code, Title 3, Chapter 157: Authority of Physician to Delegate Certain Medical Acts

Utah

• Letter Regarding Delegable Duties in Utah
• Utah Medical Practice Act, Part 1: General Provisions
• General Rule of the Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing

Vermont
Letter Regarding Delegable Duties in Vermont

Virginia

• Virginia Board of Medicine: Injections by Trained Individuals Now Allowed
• Letter Regarding Delegable Duties in Virginia
• Code of Virginia § 54.1-3408. Professional Use by Practitioners

Washington

• Washington State Department of Health: Medical Assistant—Frequently Asked Questions
• Donald Balasa, “The Delegation of Off-Site Blood Draws in WA,” Legal Eye: On Medical Assisting (blog), January 6, 2021.

West Virginia

• Delegation of Medication Administration by an Advance Practice Registered Nurse
• Criteria for Determining Scope of Practice for Licensed Nurses and Guidelines for Determining Acts that May Be Delegated or Assigned by Licensed Nurses
• Letter Regarding Delegable Duties in West Virginia

Wisconsin
Letter Regarding Delegable Duties in Wisconsin

Wyoming
Letter Regarding Delegable Duties in Wyoming

Scope of Practice in Your State

AAMA CEO and Staff Legal Counsel Donald A. Balasa, JD, MBA, can inform you about the laws in your state governing medical assistants' scope of practice and other issues that you may be considering as you staff your office.