PMHNP · pathways
Where Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners can practice independently, and what it takes
Three groups: full authority from licensure, conditional authority after a defined transition period, and supervision for the life of the practice.
Full practice authority (18)
Independent from licensure. A physician relationship is optional here.
Conditional independence (20)
Authority arrives after a transition period the statute defines. The conditions below are the feed's summary; each state page has the full rule and its source.
| State | Conditions for independent practice |
|---|---|
| Arkansas | ≥6,240 hours of practice under a collaborative practice agreement; Full Independent Practice Credentialing Committee (FIPCC) approval |
| California | Identical to `np` — PMHNP is not a distinct CA licensing category, just a national certification (e.g. ANCC PMHNP-BC) qualifying a nurse for NP licensure under the same §2836.1/§2837.103/§2837.104 framework |
| Connecticut | ≥3 years licensed and practicing as an APRN; ≥2,000 hours performing advanced-practice nursing activities in collaboration with a physician (§20-87a(3)) |
| Delaware | ≥2 years of collaborative practice; ≥4,000 hours of clinical practice with a physician or experienced APRN in the PMHNP population focus |
| Illinois | ≥4,000 hours of clinical practice under a written collaborative agreement after first attaining national certification; ≥250 hours of continuing education/training; a notarized full-practice-authority attestation filed with IDFPR |
| Kentucky | same ≥4-year CAPA-NS and ≥4-year CAPA-CS thresholds as general NPs (KRS 314.042) — no separate PMHNP pathway or timeline exists |
| Louisiana | Same unconfirmed hours-based CPA exemption referenced in the general `np` entry (LA Admin. Code tit. 46 §7911.A.5) — Louisiana's APRN framework does not differentiate PMHNPs from other NP population foci. |
| Massachusetts | 2 years of supervised practice under mutually-agreed guidelines with a Qualified Healthcare Professional (244 CMR 4.07), OR ≥3 years of independent-practice authority already held in another state/territory; submission of a Board attestation — independence is not automatic upon hitting the threshold |
| Maryland | Same 18-month first-time-NP mentorship as general NPs — see that entry; Maryland's Nurse Practice Act doesn't set a separate threshold for the psychiatric-mental-health population focus. |
| Maine | Same 24-month supervised-practice pathway as general NPs — see that entry; Maine's APRN statute doesn't set a separate threshold for the psychiatric-mental-health population focus. |
| Nebraska | ≥2,000 hours of practice under a transition-to-practice, collaborative, integrated, or independent-practice arrangement (or combination) — identical threshold to general NP |
| New Jersey | >5,000 hours of licensed, active advanced nursing practice in the behavioral health population focus; providing behavioral healthcare (not elective aesthetic/cosmetic services) |
| Nevada | ≥2,000 hours of practice under a collaborative agreement — identical threshold to general NP |
| New York | Same 3,600-hour threshold as `np` — PMHNP is a certified specialty area within the general NP credential, not a separate license |
| Oklahoma | ≥6,240 hours of supervised clinical practice, then Board of Nursing approval — identical threshold to general NP under H.B. 2298 |
| South Dakota | same 1,040-hour threshold as general `np` |
| Virginia | equivalent of ≥3 years full-time clinical experience — same 5,400-hour figure as general NP (1,800 hrs/year × 3, per 18VAC90-30-86; see that entry's note on the ≈4,500-hour figure some secondary sources repeat in error); attestation from a patient care team physician who supervised the experience, or (per H.B. 971, eff. 7/1/2024) an 'attesting nurse practitioner' who has held autonomous-practice status ≥3 years |
| Vermont | ≥2 years and ≥2,400 hours of practice under a collaborative agreement (≥1,600 hours over ≥12 months if adding a second APRN certification) |
| Wisconsin | ≥3,840 hours of professional RN practice over ≥24 months; ≥3,840 hours of advanced practice in the PMHNP's Recognized Role while working with a physician or dentist immediately available for consultation, over ≥24 months |
| West Virginia | for prescribing specifically: ≥3 years in a documented collaborative relationship with granted prescriptive authority, then Board of Nursing approval |
Supervision required (14)
No experience- or hours-based pathway. The physician agreement lasts for the life of the practice.