All 50 states have enacted legislation establishing some type of regulatory mechanism for physician assistants.
Every state has a unique set of requirements and procedures.
However, some states use the terms registration or certification for PAs who are authorized to practice in the state. Forty-six states plus the District of Columbia and Guam allow physicians to delegate prescriptive authority to PAs. If you plan to work for a branch of the federal government, it is your responsibility to make sure that you are appropriately credentialed by your federal employer before you begin work. Two distinct statutory models have emerged. One type of law, referred to as the general delegatory statute, stipulates in the state's medical practice act the physician's right to delegate tasks to an appropriately trained assistant.