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Will New Jersey enact a law limiting physician non-competes by December 31, 2027?
Forecast 2026-10-21 · resolves by 2027-12-31
Non-compete laws · NJ
New Jersey physician non-compete law
As of October 21, 2026, New Jersey has no statute specific to physician non-competes; general non-compete law and court decisions apply.
No physician-specific statuteChecked 2026-10-21 · medium confidence
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). (Community Hospital Group, Inc. v. More, 183 N.J. 36 (2005))
Who it covers
All employees under common law. No statute specific to physicians or other clinicians was identified.
Notes
Community Hospital Group v. More (2005) reaffirmed that physician covenants are not per se unenforceable and narrowed the geographic area to protect the public. The absence of a 2025-2026 enactment could not be confirmed in the Legislature's bill database.
Bills that have not become law
Non-compete bills from the 2025 and 2026 sessions that had not become law as of 2026-10-21, furthest along first. A bill that died has to be filed again to move in 2027. The 2027 session starts 2027-01-12 and ends 2028-01-11 (end of the 2026-2027 session).
- A5708 / S4385 (2024–2025) · All workers
Ban on noncompetes except senior executives and sale of business; retroactive for most workers
Committee action · Died. A5708 reported by Assembly Labor and referred to Assembly Regulated Professions 2025-12-04; S4385 in Senate Labor; expired 2026-01-13
- A1647 (2026–2027) · Physicians
Voids physician geographic restrictive covenants, with exceptions (30+ physician system-to-system moves, FQHC 5-mile/4-year, unique incentives)
Introduced · Still pending · alive in 2027. Introduced, referred to Assembly Health Committee 2026-01-13; no Senate companion listed
- A1829 / S1407 (2026–2027) · All workers
Bans new noncompetes for all workers and voids existing ones for non-senior-executives ($151,164 senior-executive exception)
Introduced · Still pending · alive in 2027. Both introduced 2026-01-13 and referred to Assembly Labor / Senate Labor; no further action
- S4386 (2024–2025) · All workers
Prohibits non-compete clauses and no-poach agreements
Introduced · Died. Introduced and referred to Senate Labor 2025-05-19; expired 2026-01-13
- A1819 / S4068 (2024–2025) · Physicians
Predecessor of A1647: restricts restrictive employment covenants for physicians (synopsis says physicians and nurses)
Introduced · Died. A1819 referred to Assembly Health 2024-01-09; S4068 referred to Senate Health 2025-01-30; no committee action; expired when session ended 2026-01-13
Sources
- Community Hospital Group, Inc. v. More, 183 N.J. 36 (2005) (court)
- Becker's Hospital Review, Physician noncompete crackdown: A 50-state guide (Oct 2026) (secondary)
- Becker's ASC, The state-by-state noncompete crackdown: 15 updates (Jul 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?
Outlook for New Jersey
Dated forecasts, scored when they resolve. All forecasts and the track record →
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 New Jersey.