Physician non-compete laws by state

Alabama voids contracts restraining a 'lawful profession' except as the statute allows, and preserves the court-recognized professional exemption. Under that exemption, the Alabama Supreme Court has held covenants restraining a physician's practice void. The rule is case law, not a physician-specific statute.

Alaska has no non-compete statute and no physician-specific rule. Courts apply common-law reasonableness; under Data Management v. Greene (1988), an overbroad covenant is reasonably altered and enforced unless the employer fails to prove it was drafted in good faith.

No physician-specific statute. Noncompetes are judged case by case for reasonableness; the Arizona Supreme Court (Valley Medical Specialists v. Farber, 1999) strictly construes physician covenants, weighing patients' choice of doctor, and courts may strike severable terms but not rewrite them.

Since Act 232 of 2025, a noncompete ancillary to employment that restricts a physician (MD or DO) from practicing within the physician's scope of practice is void. Covenants tied to a business sale or other non-employment relationships fall outside this statute.

Non-competes are void for nearly all workers, including physicians, regardless of where or when signed. Exceptions: sale of a business or of an owner's entire interest, and partnership/LLC dissolution or departure. Since 2026, competition bans in private-equity or hedge-fund practice-management deals are also void.

For covenants entered or renewed on or after Aug. 6, 2025, noncompetes and customer non-solicits restricting the practice of medicine (including PAs), advanced practice nursing or dentistry are void, with no high-earner exception. Owner and sale-of-business covenants remain allowed, with limits.

Physician noncompetes must be reasonable and, since July 1, 2016, are capped at one year and 15 miles from the primary practice site. They are unenforceable if the employer terminates without cause or lets a non-ownership contract expire without a comparable renewal offer.

Covenants not to compete in employment, partnership or corporate agreements between/among physicians that restrict practice in a locale or for a period after the agreement ends are void; other provisions, including reasonable damages tied to termination (which may relate to competition), remain enforceable.

DC bans noncompetes for workers below an indexed pay threshold. Noncompetes for physicians qualifying as 'medical specialists' (2026: compensation at least $270,274) may run up to 730 days if they state scope and geography and are provided 14 days in advance.

Noncompetes are generally enforceable if reasonable and supported by a legitimate business interest (§ 542.335). A physician covenant is void where one entity employs or contracts with all physicians of that specialty in the county. The 2025 CHOICE Act excludes health care practitioners.

No physician-specific rule. Georgia's Restrictive Covenants Act allows post-employment noncompetes for listed employee types, including professionals, if reasonable in time, area, and scope; two years or less is presumed reasonable. Courts may modify overbroad covenants.

No physician-specific rule. HRS § 480-4 bans non-compete and non-solicit clauses only for technology-business employees; other covenants, including physicians', are judged for reasonableness. Sale-of-business, partner-withdrawal and trade-secret covenants are expressly permitted if reasonable.

Idaho Code § 44-2701 et seq. permits non-competes with 'key employees' and 'key independent contractors' if reasonable in duration, area and scope. Up to 18 months is presumed reasonable; longer requires added consideration. Courts must modify overbroad terms. No physician-specific statute.

No physician-specific rule. Under the Freedom to Work Act, noncompetes are void for employees earning $75,000 a year or less and also require adequate consideration, written advice to consult an attorney and 14 days' review. The threshold rises to $80,000 on January 1, 2027.

Indiana prohibits noncompetes for primary care physicians (agreements from July 1, 2023) and between any physician and a hospital, hospital parent, affiliated manager or hospital system (agreements originally entered from July 1, 2025). Other physician noncompetes must include buyout, patient-notice and records terms.

No general noncompete statute; courts apply reasonableness. A 2026 law requires a policy barring noncompetes in University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics employment contracts with physicians, PAs, ARNPs, RNs, LPNs and pharmacists entered, extended or renewed from June 2, 2026.

No physician-specific statute. Courts may enforce physician noncompetes found reasonable under a four-factor test (Weber v. Tillman, 1996): legitimate business interest, burden on the physician, public welfare, and time and territory. K.S.A. 50-163 (amended 2025) presumes certain written non-solicitation covenants enforceable.

No statute addresses physician noncompetes. Courts generally enforce covenants that are reasonable in duration, geography, and purpose, and may modify overbroad terms.

Physician noncompetes must name parishes and generally last no more than two years after employment. Under a 2024 law, restraints cannot extend beyond three years (primary care) or five years (other physicians) from the initial contract's start; later contracts with that employer cannot include noncompetes.

Since July 29, 2026, employers may not require or permit noncompetes with health care practitioners, including physicians, lacking an ownership interest in the employing entity; applies to agreements entered or renewed on or after that date. Owners' noncompetes must be reasonable and recognize patient choice.

For licensed health care workers providing direct patient care (including physicians), noncompetes are void if total annual compensation is $350,000 or less; above that, limited to 1 year and 10 miles. Applies to agreements executed on/after July 1, 2025.

Contract provisions restricting a registered physician's right to practice medicine in any geographic area for any period after the professional relationship ends are void and unenforceable; the rest of the contract survives. Similar statutes cover nurses and social workers.

No physician-specific rule. MCL 445.774a permits employee noncompetes that protect reasonable competitive business interests and are reasonable in duration, geographic area and type of work; courts may limit an unreasonable covenant and enforce it as limited.

Covenants not to compete in agreements entered on or after July 1, 2023 are void and unenforceable for all employees and independent contractors, including physicians. Exceptions: sale of a business and anticipated dissolution. Nonsolicitation and nondisclosure agreements fall outside the ban.

No statute addresses physician non-competes. Courts generally enforce non-competes that are reasonable in duration and geographic scope, with the employer bearing the burden of proof.

No physician-specific statute. Non-competes are governed by common law and are generally enforceable if reasonable in time and area and needed to protect trade secrets or customer (patient) contacts. RSMo 431.202 separately governs employee non-solicitation covenants.

For contracts made or renewed on or after Jan. 1, 2026, physicians of all specialties cannot be restricted from practicing anywhere, for any period, after leaving, or from treating or soliciting the employer's current patients. Exceptions: practice sales and declining-balance repayment provisions.

No physician-specific statute. Under Nebraska Supreme Court decisions, a post-employment noncompete must be reasonable. It is generally limited to clients the employee actually did business with and had personal contact with, and courts have generally declined to rewrite overbroad covenants.

No physician-specific statute. Under NRS 613.195, noncompetes are void unless supported by valuable consideration, no broader than needed, not unduly harsh, and proportionate. They cannot bind hourly-only employees or bar serving unsolicited former clients, and courts must revise overbroad covenants.

Restrictions on a licensed physician's right to practice in any geographic area for any period after the relationship ends are void in contracts entered or renewed on or after August 5, 2016. Similar statutes cover nurses, APRNs (2025), and physician associates (2026).

No physician-specific noncompete statute. Courts assess physician restrictive covenants for reasonableness (protecting legitimate employer interests, avoiding undue hardship, and not harming the public interest, including patient access) and may narrow overbroad terms (Community Hospital Group v. More, 2005).

Noncompete provisions restricting covered health care practitioners, including physicians, from providing clinical services are unenforceable once the agreement or employment ends. The law excludes agreements among practice owners, shareholders, partners or directors, and does not bar limited nonsolicitation, nondisclosure, repayment and reasonable liquidated-damages provisions.

No statute specific to physician noncompetes. Courts generally enforce them only if reasonable in time and area, necessary to protect legitimate employer interests, and not unduly harsh.

No physician-specific statute. G.S. 75-4 requires non-competes to be in writing and signed. Courts generally enforce reasonable covenants, may strike but not rewrite overbroad terms, and have refused enforcement where it would substantially harm public health, such as specialist shortages.

Contracts restraining anyone from exercising a lawful profession, trade or business are void, which covers physician employment noncompetes. Exceptions: sellers of business goodwill, and owners agreeing on dissolution, dissociation or sale of an ownership interest, within a reasonable area.

No Ohio statute specifically governs physician non-competes. Under Raimonde v. Van Vlerah, courts generally enforce restrictions no greater than needed to protect the employer, not unduly harsh on the employee, and not injurious to the public, and may modify overbroad terms.

Oklahoma generally voids employee noncompetes for all workers, including physicians; former employees may compete but may be barred from directly soliciting the former employer's established customers. Restraints are otherwise void except in sale-of-goodwill and partnership-dissolution agreements. No physician-specific statute.

Since June 9, 2025, non-competes restricting the practice of medicine or nursing are generally void between physicians, PAs, NPs or naturopaths and any person, MSO or hospital, including pre-existing agreements. Narrow exceptions: owners of 1.5%+, documented recruitment investment (3-5 year cap), non-clinical roles.

Health care practitioner noncompetes entered into after the Act's January 1, 2025 effective date are void, except an employer may enforce one lasting one year or less if the practitioner was not dismissed. Expense-recovery and ownership/sale covenants are carved out; patient notice required.

Any contractual restriction on a physician's right to practice medicine is void, including post-employment geographic limits and limits on treating or soliciting the employer's current patients. Exception: purchase-and-sale of a physician practice, up to five years. APRNs have parallel protection.

No statute governs physician non-competes. Courts generally enforce reasonable covenants, including physician covenants, but will not rewrite or narrow overbroad restrictions.

Contract provisions entered on or after July 1, 2023 that restrict a listed practitioner, including physicians, from practicing after employment or a partnership ends are voidable. Exceptions: sale of a practice or interest, and patient non-solicitation within the general two-year, defined-area limits.

Statute deems healthcare-provider noncompetes reasonable if written, two years or less, and limited to the greater of 10 miles or the county (or to the employer's facilities). Emergency physicians excluded. A 2026 general law adds time presumptions and bans noncompetes for employees earning under $70,000.

Physician noncompetes signed or renewed on/after Sept. 1, 2025 must include a buyout capped at annual salary and wages, last no more than one year, cover no more than five miles, and be clearly written; void if physician is involuntarily discharged without good cause.

Since May 6, 2026, no person may enter a non-compete with a licensed healthcare worker, including physicians; such agreements are void. Non-solicitation agreements cannot stop a worker from telling patients their current or future workplace. Exceptions: severance agreements and sale-of-business covenants.

Voids any provision restricting where or for how long a licensed health care provider, including a physician, may practice after leaving, in contracts entered into on or after July 1, 2026. Also voids limits on telling patients about a move.

For agreements entered into or renewed on/after July 1, 2026, employers may not enter into, enforce, or threaten to enforce noncompetes with health care professionals, including physicians. Sale-of-business covenants, recruitment-cost repayment, and limited customer non-solicitation provisions remain allowed.

Until June 30, 2027, RCW 49.62 allows non-competes, including physicians', only if disclosed in writing at hiring and the worker's earnings exceed annual thresholds ($126,858.83 employees; $317,147.09 contractors in 2026); over 18 months presumed unreasonable. No physician-specific rule.

Physician noncompetes are limited to one year and 30 road miles from the primary place of practice, and are void if the employer terminates the physician. Applies to contracts entered, modified, renewed or extended on/after July 1, 2017; owner and practice-sale contracts exempt.

No physician-specific rule. Wis. Stat. § 103.465 enforces employee noncompetes only if reasonably necessary to protect the employer; a covenant imposing any unreasonable restraint is void entirely, even as to parts that would be reasonable.

Since July 1, 2025, Wyoming voids most noncompetes for all workers. A separate provision voids covenants in physician employment, partnership or corporate agreements restricting practice of medicine after termination; other contract terms remain enforceable. Applies to contracts entered on or after July 1, 2025.