Non-compete laws · CT
Connecticut physician non-compete law
As of October 21, 2026, Connecticut law allows physician non-competes only within limits, including at most 15 miles and 12 months.
Allowed with physician-specific limitsChecked 2026-10-21
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. (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 20-14p (Covenants not to compete involving physician))
Limits in the law
- Maximum distance
- 15 miles
- Maximum duration
- 12 months
- Valid only if necessary to protect a legitimate business interest, reasonably limited in time, geography and practice restrictions, and consistent with law and public policy; the party seeking enforcement bears the burden of proof
- 15 miles is measured from the primary site where the physician practices (a single office, facility or location agreed by the parties and defined in the covenant)
- Unenforceable if the employer terminates the relationship without cause
- Unenforceable if a contract not made in anticipation of a partnership or ownership agreement expires and is not renewed, unless the employer made a bona fide renewal offer on the same or similar terms before expiration
- For covenants entered, amended, extended or renewed on or after Oct 1, 2023: unenforceable if the physician declines a proposed material change to compensation terms at extension/renewal and the employer then lets the contract expire or terminates without cause
- Each covenant must be separately and individually signed by the physician
Who it covers
Physicians licensed under C.G.S. ch. 370; covenants entered into, amended, extended or renewed on or after July 1, 2016. Parallel rules for physician assistants (§ 20-12k) and APRNs (§ 20-101d) apply to covenants on or after Oct 1, 2023, without the small-group-practice carve-out.
Exceptions
- The Oct 2023 compensation-change rule does not apply to covenants with a group practice of not more than 35 physicians that is majority-owned by physicians
Effective date
The current rule took effect 2023-07-01.
Notes
The caps apply to covenants entered, amended, extended or renewed on or after July 1, 2016. P.A. 23-97 added the compensation-change rule (covenants on or after Oct. 1, 2023) and parallel rules for PAs and APRNs. In Sala v. Premier Imaging Holdings (Conn. App. Ct., Aug. 2026, as reported), the court upheld vacating an arbitration award that enforced a two-year physician covenant.
Sources
- Conn. Gen. Stat. § 20-14p (Covenants not to compete involving physician) (statute)
- Conn. Gen. Stat. § 20-12k (physician assistants) (statute)
- Conn. Gen. Stat. § 20-101d (advanced practice registered nurses) (statute)
- 2026 Supplement to the General Statutes, ch. 370 (no 2025-session change to § 20-14p) (statute)
- HB 5492 (2026) bill status — not enacted (bill)
- Becker's Hospital Review, Physician noncompete crackdown: A 50-state guide (Oct 6, 2026) (secondary)
Questions to ask about your contract
- Is the radius measured from your practice site or from every location the employer owns?
- Does the restriction apply if the employer terminates you without cause?
- Is there a buyout, and how is the amount calculated?
- What does your state's law say about physician non-competes?
Not legal advice. This page summarizes the law as written. Whether a particular agreement is enforceable depends on its wording, when it was signed and court decisions. Ask an attorney licensed in Connecticut.