NP Prescriptive Authority By State

What a nurse practitioner can prescribe depends on state law. Many states let NPs administer, dispense, prescribe, and procure medications. Others require a collaborative practice agreement with a physician, cap the duration of a prescription (five-day or 30-day supplies, for example), or limit the types and purposes of the drugs an NP can prescribe.

What Prescriptive Authority Means

The American Association of Nurse Practitioners sorts prescriptive authority into three categories:

• Full practice lets NPs prescribe independently.
• Reduced practice may require a collaborative agreement with a physician or limit which medications an NP can prescribe.
• Restricted practice requires physician supervision or delegation when prescribing controlled substances.

Each state's board of nursing regulates NP prescriptive and practice authority. Federal law sorts controlled substances into schedules by abuse potential:

• Schedule II: high abuse potential, including amphetamine, codeine, and hydrocodone.
• Schedule III: less potential, including products with limited Schedule II drugs, such as acetaminophen with codeine.
• Schedule IV: lower still, including barbital and alprazolam (Xanax).
• Schedule V: lowest potential, including preparations with limited quantities of narcotics and stimulants.

Prescriptive Authority by State

The table below reflects DEA data from December 2022. Designations change, so confirm current rules with your state board of nursing or the AANP before relying on them.

State	Prescriptive Authority	Notes
Alabama	Schedule II-V	Administer and prescribe II-V. Special permit required for II.
Alaska	Schedule II-V	Administer, dispense, prescribe, and procure II-V.
Arizona	Schedule II-V	Administer, order, prescribe, and procure II-V.
Arkansas	Schedule II-V	Administer, order, and prescribe III-V. Prescribe II hydrocodone products with a collaborative agreement or per Arkansas Act 593.
California	Schedule II-V	Administer, dispense, and prescribe II-V. Continuing education required.
Colorado	Schedule II-V	Prescribe II-V. May dispense and administer samples.
Connecticut	Schedule II-V	Administer, dispense, prescribe, and procure II-V.
Delaware	Schedule II-V	Administer, dispense, prescribe, and procure II-V.
District of Columbia	Schedule II-V	Prescribe II-V.
Florida	Schedule II-V	Administer, dispense, and prescribe II-V per state law.
Georgia	Schedule III-V	Administer, dispense, and prescribe III-V.
Hawaii	Schedule II-V	Administer and prescribe II-V.
Idaho	Schedule II-V	Administer, dispense, prescribe, and procure II-V.
Illinois	Schedule II-V	Administer, dispense, and prescribe II-V. 30-day supply for II.
Indiana	Schedule II-V	Administer, dispense, prescribe, and procure II-V.
Iowa	Schedule II-V	Administer, dispense, prescribe, and procure II-V.
Kansas	Schedule II-V	Administer, dispense, prescribe, and procure II-V per collaborative agreement.
Kentucky	Schedule II-V	Prescribe II-V.
Louisiana	Schedule II-V	Dispense and prescribe II-V for attention deficit disorder only.
Maine	Schedule II-V	Administer, dispense, prescribe, and procure II-V.
Maryland	Schedule II-V	Administer, dispense, prescribe, and procure II-V.
Massachusetts	Schedule II-V	Administer, prescribe, and procure II-V.
Michigan	Schedule II-V	Prescribe II-V. No CDS certificate required. II limited to 90-day supply and requires a physician's letter.
Minnesota	Schedule II-V	Administer, dispense, prescribe, and procure II-V.
Mississippi	Schedule II-V	Administer, dispense, prescribe, and procure II-V.
Missouri	Schedule II-V	Administer, dispense, prescribe, and procure II-V with a collaborative agreement. Five-day supply only for II-III; II hydrocodone products only. Requires controlled substance, BNDD, and professional licenses.
Montana	Schedule II-V	Administer, dispense, prescribe, and procure II-V.
Nebraska	Schedule II-V	Administer, dispense, prescribe, and procure II-V.
Nevada	Schedule II-V	Administer, dispense, prescribe, and procure II-V.
New Hampshire	Schedule II-V	Administer, dispense, prescribe, and procure II-V per formulary.
New Jersey	Schedule II-V	Prescribe II-V.
New Mexico	Schedule II-V	Dispense, prescribe, and procure II-V (testosterone).
New York	Schedule II-V	Administer, dispense, prescribe, and procure II-V.
North Carolina	Schedule II-V	Dispense, prescribe, and procure II-V; II-III limited to 30-day supply.
North Dakota	Schedule II-V	Administer, dispense, prescribe, and procure II-V.
Ohio	Schedule II-V	Administer, dispense, prescribe, and procure II-V.
Oklahoma	Schedule III-V	Prescribe III-V.
Oregon	Schedule II-V	Administer, dispense, prescribe, and procure II-V.
Pennsylvania	Schedule II-V	Prescribe II-V. II limited to 30-day supply; III-V limited to 90-day supply.
Rhode Island	Schedule II-V	Administer, dispense, prescribe, and procure II-V.
South Carolina	Schedule II-V	Prescribe II-V. II limited to five-day supply; 2N limited to 30-day supply.
South Dakota	Schedule II-V	Administer, dispense, prescribe, and procure II-V.
Tennessee	Schedule II-V	Administer, dispense, prescribe, and procure II-V.
Texas	Schedule II-V	Administer and prescribe II-V. Order and prescribe II for hospital or hospice only.
Utah	Schedule II-V	Administer, dispense, prescribe, and procure II-V per formulary.
Vermont	Schedule II-V	Administer, dispense, prescribe, and procure II-V.
Virginia	Schedule II-V	Administer, dispense, prescribe, and procure II-V.
Washington	Schedule II-V	Administer, dispense, prescribe, and procure II-V.
West Virginia	Schedule II-V	Prescribe II. Administer, dispense, and prescribe III-V.
Wisconsin	Schedule II-V	Administer, dispense, prescribe, and procure II-V.
Wyoming	Schedule II-V	Administer, dispense, prescribe, and procure II-V.

Source: U.S. DOJ and DEA Diversion Control Division, December 2022.

As of that data, NPs who meet state-specific requirements could prescribe Schedule II-V drugs in every state except Georgia and Oklahoma, which limited NPs to Schedule III-V.

Getting Prescriptive Authority as an NP

Requirements vary by state. Some grant prescriptive authority as part of licensing; others add steps that depend on whether the state allows full, reduced, or restricted practice. Generally you apply to the federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and meet all state requirements, including active licensing, any supervisory or collaborative agreement, and applicable continuing education. NPs file DEA Form 224 for mid-level practitioners.

Think carefully about the address on your DEA application. NPs in restricted practice states must list their practice address on both the DEA application and their license. If you change employers or take a leave, the DEA will not renew your registration without evidence of a new position and a supervising agreement.

Collaborative Practice Agreements

Some reduced practice states require a collaborative agreement spelling out the working relationship between the physician and the NP, including the terms of prescriptive authority. More restrictive states may require physician supervision for practice and prescribing. These relationships can support communication and outcomes, but as NPs have grown more specialized, many states have expanded their independence.

NPs currently have full practice authority in 27 states plus Washington, D.C., with several U.S. territories also granting it. The remaining states split between reduced and restricted practice, requiring collaborative agreements, physician oversight, or other limits. Check with the AANP for the current count and your state's status.