Nurse Practitioner Prescriptive Authority by State (2026)
Nurse practitioner prescriptive authority by state for Schedule II drugs like Adderall: 45 of 51 jurisdictions verified word for word against the law.
Published
Nurse practitioner prescriptive authority by state comes down to one hard question: can a nurse practitioner prescribe Schedule II drugs, the class that includes Adderall, Vyvanse and Ritalin? In most states, yes. We read the statute, regulation or board rule for all 50 states and DC and verified 45 of them word for word. In 25 of those, the official text covers Schedule II prescribing with no stimulant limit. Another 14 allow it with a supply cap or a Schedule II condition, 5 allow it only in narrow settings, and Oklahoma bars it.
The other 6 jurisdictions are reported as exactly what we found. In District of Columbia, Maryland, Nebraska, New York and Vermont, the official text never names Schedule II for nurse practitioners, so we list "no statutory restriction found" rather than a yes. Tennessee is "not published" because we could not read its law from an official source.
All 50 states and DC, read from official statute, rule or board text on October 8, 2026. Select a state to jump to its row.
- Yes, no Schedule II limit in the text25
- Yes, with a Schedule II condition9
- Yes, with a supply cap5
- Only in narrow settings or cases5
- No1
- No statutory restriction found5
- Not published1
Nurse Practitioner Prescriptive Authority by State: All 51 Jurisdictions
Find your state below. The bold answer is about Schedule II stimulants specifically, because that is where state law actually differs. Most charts stop at "can prescribe controlled substances," which hides the part that matters. Each row also notes the physician involvement attached to prescribing, as the text we verified describes it, and links the official source.
Nurse practitioner prescriptive authority for Schedule II stimulants in all 50 states and DC. Each answer links the official statute, regulation or board document it was read from, verified October 8, 2026. Open "Statute text" for the operative words.
| State | Can an NP prescribe Schedule II stimulants? |
|---|---|
| AlabamaAla. Admin. Code r. 540-X-20-.02, -.07 (Limited Purpose Schedule II Permit); r. 540-X-8-.08, -.11; QACSC for Schedules III-V | Yes, with a Schedule II permit. A nurse practitioner needs a Limited Purpose Schedule II Permit, issued with a board-approved list of the specific Schedule II drugs the practice will use, limited to drugs customarily used in the collaborating physician’s specialty.Physician involvement: Collaborative practice agreement with a physician.Statute text"A specific practice formulary listing the specific Schedule II controlled substances to be prescribed, administered or authorized for administration by the PA, CRNP, or CNM shall be submitted with the application for the LPSP and shall be approved by the Board prior to issuance of the LPSP." "Only those Schedule II controlled substances which are generally and customarily used in the specialty practice of the supervising physician with whom the PA is registered or the specialty practice of the collaborating physician with whom the CRNP/CNM has a collaborative agreement will be approved by the Board to be prescribed, administered or authorized for administration pursuant to the LPSP." Ala. Admin. Code ch. 540-X-20, Limited Purpose Schedule II Permit (rev. 2/13/23) |
| Alaska12 AAC 44.445; AS 08.68.705; 12 AAC 44.440 | Yes. The Board of Nursing can authorize an APRN to prescribe Schedule II through V controlled substances. The only supply cap in the text covers opioids.Physician involvement: None: the regulation calls the APRN a licensed independent practitioner.Statute text"the board may authorize an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) to prescribe and dispense schedule II - V controlled substances in accordance with applicable state and federal laws if an applicant ..." |
| ArizonaAriz. Admin. Code R4-19-512(B)-(C); R4-19-511(E); A.R.S. 32-1601(23); A.R.S. 32-1606(B)(13); A.R.S. 32-3248.01 | Yes. A nurse practitioner with a DEA registration may prescribe Schedule II controlled substances, without refills. Arizona’s other Schedule II limits are written for opioids.Physician involvement: None found in the rules or statute read.Statute text"An RNP, CNM, or CNS with a DEA registration number may prescribe, but may not exceed the limitations of each certification: 1. A Schedule II controlled substance" (R4-19-512(C)(1)) Arizona Administrative Code Title 4, Chapter 19 (Board of Nursing), Supp. 24-4 |
| Arkansas17 CAR § 123-604 | Only to continue a physician’s prescription. An APRN may prescribe a Schedule II stimulant only if a physician started the prescription, saw the patient within the past six months, and the APRN is treating the same condition.Physician involvement: Not in the text we verified.Statute text"The APRN is authorized to prescribe Schedule II drugs that are classified as stimulants once the following criteria are met: (i) The prescription was originally initiated by a physician; (ii) The physician has evaluated the patient within six (6) months before the APRN issues a prescription; and (iii) The prescription by the APRN is to treat the same condition as the original prescription." |
| CaliforniaCal. Bus. & Prof. Code 2836.1(c), (d), (f), (g); 2837.103 | Yes, under a patient-specific protocol. Under standardized procedures, Schedule II drugs must be furnished under a patient-specific protocol the physician approves. A nurse practitioner who completes the three-year, 4,600-hour transition can prescribe without that, in the settings § 2837.103 names.Physician involvement: Physician supervision through standardized procedures until the § 2837.103 transition.Statute text"When Schedule II or III controlled substances, as defined in Sections 11055 and 11056, respectively, of the Health and Safety Code, are furnished or ordered by a nurse practitioner, the controlled substances shall be furnished or ordered in accordance with a patient-specific protocol approved by the treating or supervising physician." Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code 2836.1 |
| ColoradoC.R.S. 12-255-112(3)(a), (4)(b), (6); C.R.S. 12-30-109(1)(a); 3 CCR 716-1, Rule 1.15(B), 1.15(I)(1) | Yes. An APRN with prescriptive authority may prescribe Schedule II through V within their role and population focus. New prescribers complete a 750-hour mentorship.Physician involvement: 750-hour prescribing mentorship, then none.Statute text"Upon receiving Provisional Prescriptive Authority, the APRN is legally authorized to prescribe medications and controlled substances schedules II-V to patients appropriate to the APRN's Role and, if applicable, Population Focus." (Rule 1.15(B)) Colorado Revised Statutes 2026, Title 12 (Office of Legislative Legal Services via leg.colorado.gov 2026 CRS Titles for Download) |
| ConnecticutConn. Gen. Stat. 20-87a(b)(2)-(3); 20-94b | Yes, at a level set with a physician for 3 years. For the first three years of licensure, the written collaboration with a physician must set the level of Schedule II and III drugs the APRN may prescribe. After three years and 2,000 hours, the APRN can prescribe without it.Physician involvement: Written collaboration with a physician for 3 years and 2,000 hours.Statute text"Relative to the exercise of prescriptive authority, the collaboration between such advanced practice registered nurse and a physician shall be in writing and shall address the level of schedule II and III controlled substances that such advanced practice registered nurse may prescribe" |
| Delaware24 Del. C. 1935(a)(1), (b)(1), (c); 24 Del. C. 1936 [Repealed] | Yes. Full practice and prescriptive authority come with the APRN license, including controlled substances under state and federal law.Physician involvement: None: collaborative agreements were repealed in 2021.Statute text"Prescribe, procure, administer, store, dispense, and furnish over the counter, legend and controlled substances pursuant to applicable state and federal laws" (24 Del. C. 1935(b)(1)) Delaware Code Title 24, Chapter 19 (Nursing), 1935 APRN authority and duties |
| District of Columbia17 DCMR 5910.1-5910.3; D.C. Official Code 3-1206.01(a), 3-1206.04(1), 48-901.02(20) | No statutory restriction found. The D.C. Code lets an APRN prescribe and repealed the protocol and collaboration sections in 2024. A regulation, 17 DCMR 5910.1, names Schedules II through V, but it still refers to the repealed protocol, so we do not treat it as a settled grant.Physician involvement: None in the current statute: protocol and collaboration sections repealed in 2024.Statute text"A nurse-practitioner shall have authority to prescribe those drugs on Schedules II through V established pursuant to the District of Columbia Uniform Controlled Substances Act of 1981" (17 DCMR 5910.1) "that are authorized by the protocol under which the nurse-practitioner is practicing." (17 DCMR 5910.1) 17 DCMR 5910 Prescribing Controlled Substances (DC Register / DCMR, Office of Documents) |
| FloridaFla. Stat. 464.012(3), (4)(e), (6)(a); Fla. Stat. 464.0123 | Yes, 7-day cap (psychiatric nurses exempt). Schedule II prescriptions are limited to a 7-day supply, except psychiatric medications prescribed by psychiatric nurses. For patients under 18, psychiatric controlled substances are reserved to APRNs who are psychiatric nurses.Physician involvement: Protocol with a supervising physician.Statute text"The formulary must also limit the prescribing of Schedule II controlled substances as listed in s. 893.03 to a 7-day supply, except that such restriction does not apply to controlled substances that are psychiatric medications prescribed by psychiatric nurses as defined in s. 394.455." "The formulary must restrict the prescribing of psychiatric mental health controlled substances for children younger than 18 years of age to advanced practice registered nurses who also are psychiatric nurses as defined in s. 394.455." |
| GeorgiaO.C.G.A. § 43-34-25(d.1), as summarized by the Georgia Composite Medical Board (June 24, 2024) | Only named opioids, in emergencies. Since July 2024 a delegating physician can extend Schedule II authority only for hydrocodone or oxycodone, in emergencies, up to a five-day supply, for adults. No stimulant is included.Physician involvement: Nurse protocol agreement with a delegating physician.Statute text"43-34-25(d.1) creates a new delegable authority related to specific Schedule II Controlled Substances. o Issuance of prescription drug orders for hydrocodone, oxycodone, or compounds thereof in emergency situations" |
| HawaiiHRS § 457-8.6(c)(1); HAR ch. 16-89, Exhibit A (Exclusionary Formulary, Aug. 2016) | Yes. A qualified APRN may prescribe controlled substances within their specialty, except drugs on the board’s exclusionary formulary. The formulary excludes stimulants only when they are prescribed for obesity.Physician involvement: Not in the text we verified.Statute text"Prescribe and administer over the counter drugs, legend drugs, and controlled substances pursuant to this chapter and to chapter 329" (HRS 457-8.6(c)(1)) "Stimulants and hormones for treatment of obesity;" (HAR 16-89 Exhibit A) Hawaii Revised Statutes § 457-8.6 (Hawaii State Legislature) |
| IdahoIDAPA 24.34.01 sections 010.25, 200.04.a and 200.05.b (Rules of the Idaho Board of Nursing); Idaho Code section 54-1402(1) | Yes. APRNs may prescribe pharmacologic agents, which the board rule defines to include Schedule II through V controlled substances.Physician involvement: None: the rule calls the APRN a licensed independent practitioner.Statute text"Pharmacologic agents include legend and Schedule II through V controlled substances." IDAPA 24.34.01 Rules of the Idaho Board of Nursing (eff. 3-28-23 text) |
| Illinois225 ILCS 65/65-40(d) and 65/65-43(c)(3)-(4) (Illinois Nurse Practice Act) | Yes, 30-day cap until full practice authority. Under a collaborative agreement, the physician must name each Schedule II drug delegated, and each prescription is limited to 30 days. An APRN with full practice authority, after 4,000 clinical hours and 250 hours of continuing education, prescribes Schedules II through V without that delegation.Physician involvement: Collaborative agreement until full practice authority.Statute text"Any prescription must be limited to no more than a 30-day supply, with any continuation authorized only after prior approval of the collaborating physician." "This delegation must identify the specific Schedule II controlled substances by either brand name or generic name." 225 ILCS 65/65-43 Full practice authority (ILGA) |
| IndianaIC 25-23-1-19.5(b); 848 IAC 5-1-1 | Yes. The Board of Nursing authorizes qualified APRNs to prescribe drugs including controlled substances. Neither the statute nor the board rule singles out Schedule II or stimulants.Physician involvement: Practice agreement with a licensed practitioner, or hospital privileges.Statute text"authorized to prescribe drugs, including controlled substances (as defined in IC 35-48-1.1-7) in accordance with IC 25-1-9.3" (IC 25-23-1-19.5(b)) Indiana Code 2026, IC 25-23-1-19.4 and 19.5 (Indiana General Assembly) |
| IowaIowa Admin. Code r. 481-621.4(3), 621.6, 621.7 (Board of Nursing rules, transferred from 655-Chapter 7 effective 6/4/25) | Yes. An ARNP may prescribe controlled substances within their role and population focus, and must use a treatment agreement when prescribing one continuously.Physician involvement: None found in the board rules read.Statute text"An ARNP licensed by the board may prescribe, administer, or dispense prescription drugs or devices, including controlled substances, within the ARNP's role and population foci and consistent with applicable state and federal laws." 481 IAC Chapter 621 Advanced registered nurse practitioners (IAC Supplement 6/11/25, filed ARC 9164C eff. 6/4/25) |
| KansasK.S.A. 65-1130(d)(1) and (d)(3) | Yes. An APRN may prescribe any drug consistent with their role and population focus, with controlled substances governed by the state controlled substances act and DEA registration.Physician involvement: None since July 2022.Statute text"Any drug that is a controlled substance shall be prescribed, procured or administered in accordance with the uniform controlled substances act." |
| KentuckyKRS 314.011(8)(a); KRS 314.042(15), (17); 201 KAR 20:057 Sections 7 and 10 | Yes, 72-hour cap (some psychiatric NPs get 30 days). Schedule II prescriptions other than hydrocodone combinations are limited to a 72-hour supply without refill. A psychiatric-mental health APRN working in a licensed health facility or a regional mental health program may write psychostimulants for 30 days.Physician involvement: Controlled-substance collaborative agreement (CAPA-CS), waivable after 4 years.Statute text"Prescriptions issued by advanced practice registered nurses for Schedule II controlled substances classified under KRS 218A.060, except hydrocodone combination products as defined in KRS 218A.010, shall be limited to a seventy-two (72) hour supply without any refill." "Prescriptions issued under this subsection for psychostimulants may be written for a thirty (30) day supply only by an advanced practice registered nurse certified in psychiatric-mental health nursing who is providing services in a health facility as defined in KRS Chapter 216B or in a regional services program for mental health or individuals with an intellectual disability as defined in KRS Chapter 210." KRS 314.011 Definitions (LRC, eff. June 27, 2025) |
| LouisianaLAC 46:XLVII.4513(D)(2)(b)(i)-(vi); LAC 46:XLVII.4516; La. R.S. 37:913(3)(b), (8) | Yes, with board approval and a physician agreement. The board approves controlled-substance privileges individually, and the collaborative agreement must spell out how controlled substances are used. Prescribing is limited to the collaborating physician’s specialty.Physician involvement: Collaborative practice agreement on the board’s template.Statute text"controlled substances which may be prescribed by an APRN shall include schedule II, III, IV and V. Controlled substances shall be limited to, consistent with, and exclusively within the parameters of the practice specialty of the collaborating physicians" (LAC 46:XLVII.4513(D)(2)(b)(iii)) "The collaborative practice agreement shall delineate controlled substances utilization, which specifies the circumstances, limitations and extent to which such substances may be prescribed or distributed" (LAC 46:XLVII.4513(D)(2)(b)(iv)) Louisiana Administrative Code Title 46, Part XLVII (Nurses), Division of Administration, current docx |
| Maine32 M.R.S. section 2102(2-A); 02-380 CMR Ch. 8, Sec. 7(1)(B) | Yes. A certified nurse practitioner may prescribe controlled drugs in Schedules II through V with a DEA number.Physician involvement: 24 months of supervised practice, then none.Statute text"Regardless of the schedules indicated on the certificate issued by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the certified nurse practitioner and certified nurse-midwife shall prescribe only those controlled drugs from schedules II/IIN, III/IIIN, IV, and V." 32 M.R.S. 2102 Definitions (Maine Legislature) |
| MarylandMd. Code, Health Occ. 8-101, 8-508; COMAR 10.27.07.03, 10.27.07.07; Md. Code, Crim. Law 5-101 | No statutory restriction found. Nurse practitioners practice independently and prescribe drugs under the board’s rules. The text we read never names Schedule II or controlled substances as a grant or a limit for NPs, beyond keeping a separate file of Schedule II prescriptions.Physician involvement: None: practice is defined as independent.Statute text"Authorized to prescribe drugs under regulations adopted by the Board" (Health Occ. 8-508(a)(3)(ii)) "maintain a separate file for Schedule II prescriptions for a period of at least 5 years" (Health Occ. 8-508(d)(4)) Md. Code, Health Occupations 8-101 Definitions |
| MassachusettsM.G.L. c. 112, 80E; M.G.L. c. 94C, 1 ("practitioner" (d)), 7(f), 9(a) | Yes. Nurse practitioners are practitioners under the controlled substances act and may prescribe under guidelines with a supervisor until they complete two years of supervised practice.Physician involvement: Prescribing guidelines with a supervisor for 2 years, then independent.Statute text"A nurse practitioner registered pursuant to subsection (f) of section 7 and authorized by section 80E of chapter 112 to distribute, dispense, conduct research with respect to or use in teaching or chemical analysis a controlled substance in the course of professional practice or research in the commonwealth" (M.G.L. c. 94C, 1 ("Practitioner" (d))) M.G.L. c. 112, 80E (nurse practitioners and psychiatric nurse mental health clinical specialists: prescriptive authority) |
| MichiganMCL 333.17211a(1)(b), (2); Mich. Admin. Code R 338.119 | Yes, only as a physician-delegated act. An APRN may prescribe Schedule II through V controlled substances only as a delegated act of a physician, under a written authorization the physician reviews every year.Physician involvement: Physician delegation for controlled substances.Statute text"Subject to subsection (2), a controlled substance included in schedules 2 to 5 of part 72, as a delegated act of a physician." (MCL 333.17211a(1)(b)) "The delegating physician shall review and update a written authorization on an annual basis" (R 338.119(2)) MCL 333.17211a (Michigan Legislature PDF) |
| MinnesotaMinn. Stat. 148.235, subd. 7a(2), 7b; Minn. Stat. 148.211, subd. 1c | Yes. APRNs may prescribe controlled substances with no schedule or drug carve-out, subject to DEA requirements.Physician involvement: 2,080 hours under a collaborative agreement, then none.Statute text"prescribe, procure, sign for, record, administer, and dispense over-the-counter, legend, and controlled substances, including sample drugs" (148.235 subd. 7a(2)) |
| Mississippi30 Miss. Admin. Code Pt. 2840, R. 1.4(C), 1.5(A), 1.5(E) | Yes (weight-loss limits only). Board-authorized APRNs may prescribe Schedules II through V. The stimulant limits in the rule apply to weight loss, not to ADHD.Physician involvement: Collaborative relationship with a physician.Statute text"authorized APRNs may prescribe Schedules II, III, IV, or V." (Rule 1.5(A)) "The APRN shall not prescribe any Schedule II controlled substance for the exclusive treatment of obesity, weight control, or weight loss." (Rule 1.5(E)(1)) Mississippi Board of Nursing, Title 30 Part 2840 Advanced Practice (board .gov PDF) |
| Missouri§ 334.104.2 RSMo | Only hydrocodone, never stimulants. A collaborative practice arrangement may delegate Schedule II authority only for hydrocodone, plus a separate hospice provision. Stimulants are not included.Physician involvement: Collaborative practice arrangement with a physician.Statute text"Collaborative practice arrangements may delegate to an advanced practice registered nurse, as defined in section 335.016, the authority to administer, dispense, or prescribe controlled substances listed in Schedules III, IV, and V of section 195.017, and Schedule II - hydrocodone" |
| MontanaARM 24.159.1461(1), 24.159.1406(1)(b)(ii), 24.159.1464(4), (6) | Yes. An APRN granted prescriptive authority by the board may prescribe legend and controlled substances, with no schedule or drug carve-out.Physician involvement: None found: practice may be independent or collaborative.Statute text"Only an APRN granted prescriptive authority by the board may prescribe, procure, administer, and dispense legend and controlled substances" (ARM 24.159.1461(1)) ARM 24.159.1461 (rules.mt.gov) |
| NebraskaNeb. Rev. Stat. 38-2315(2)(c); 38-2314.01; 28-401(21); 28-414(1) | No statutory restriction found. The NP statute grants general prescriptive authority and the state controlled substances act counts NPs as practitioners, but no sentence in the NP Act names Schedule II.Physician involvement: 2,000-hour transition-to-practice agreement, then none.Statute text"Practitioner means a physician, a physician assistant, a dentist, a veterinarian, a pharmacist, a podiatrist, an optometrist, a certified nurse midwife, a certified registered nurse anesthetist, a nurse practitioner" (28-401(21)) "Prescribing therapeutic measures and medications relating to health conditions within the scope of practice." (38-2315(2)(c)) Neb. Rev. Stat. 38-2315 |
| NevadaNRS 632.237(2)(c), (3); NRS 639.2351(1) | Yes, after 2,000 hours or under a protocol. An APRN may not prescribe a Schedule II drug until they have 2 years or 2,000 hours of clinical experience, unless a collaborating physician has approved a protocol.Physician involvement: A collaborating physician’s protocol for Schedule II until 2 years or 2,000 hours.Statute text"shall not prescribe a controlled substance listed in schedule II unless:" (NRS 632.237(3)) "The advanced practice registered nurse has at least 2 years or 2,000 hours of clinical experience; or" (NRS 632.237(3)(a)) NRS 639.2351 (Nevada Legislature) |
| New HampshireRSA 326-B:11, III and III-a | Yes. APRNs have plenary authority to prescribe controlled drugs within their scope. Prescribing Schedule II through IV drugs by telemedicine requires an evaluation at least once a year.Physician involvement: None: the statute grants plenary authority.Statute text"An APRN shall have plenary authority to possess, compound, prescribe, administer, and dispense and distribute to clients controlled and non-controlled drugs within the scope of the APRN's practice as defined by this chapter." (RSA 326-B:11, III) |
| New JerseyP.L.2026, c.6 (C.45:11-49), approved March 30, 2026 | Yes. An APN prescribes controlled dangerous substances under joint protocols with a physician, which decide whether the physician must be consulted first. After 5,000 hours in primary or behavioral health, no protocol is required.Physician involvement: Joint protocols until 5,000 hours (behavioral health included), then none.Statute text"the collaborating physician and advanced practice nurse shall address in the joint protocols whether prior consultation with the collaborating physician is required to initiate a prescription for a controlled dangerous substance" (C.45:11-49 c.(1)) "shall be authorized to practice without a joint protocol with a collaborating physician, provided that: (a) the advanced practice nurse has more than 5,000 hours of licensed, active, advanced nursing practice in a role with the applicable population focus" (C.45:11-49 h.(1)) New Jersey P.L.2026, c.6, approved March 30, 2026 (New Jersey Legislature) |
| New Mexico16.12.2.12(L)(4)-(5) NMAC (CNP practice and prescriptive authority) | Yes. Certified nurse practitioners with prescriptive authority may prescribe Schedules II through V within their clinical specialty, with a state and a DEA registration.Physician involvement: None: the CNP makes independent decisions.Statute text"CNPs who have fulfilled requirements for prescriptive authority may prescribe and distribute dangerous drugs including controlled substances contained in Schedules II through V of the Controlled Substances Act within their clinical specialty and practice setting." (16.12.2 NMAC CNP practice (5)) |
| New YorkN.Y. Educ. Law 6902(3); N.Y. Pub. Health Law 3302(27), 3333(1). 10 NYCRR 80.1 and 80.67 unread. | No statutory restriction found. Nurse practitioners prescribe under a practice agreement, or independently after 3,600 hours, and the controlled substances law covers anyone licensed to prescribe them. The statute never names NPs and Schedule II together, and the health department regulation that would settle it could not be read.Physician involvement: Practice agreement until 3,600 hours, then none.Statute text"Prescriptions for drugs, devices and immunizing agents may be issued by a nurse practitioner, under this paragraph and section six thousand nine hundred ten of this article, in accordance with the practice agreement and practice protocols" (Educ. Law 6902(3)(a)(ii)) "a nurse practitioner, certified under section sixty-nine hundred ten of this article and practicing for more than three thousand six hundred hours shall not be required to comply with the requirements of paragraph (a) of this subdivision relating to collaboration with a physician, a written practice agreement and written practice protocols" (Educ. Law 6902(3)(b)) N.Y. Education Law 6902 (NY Senate Open Legislation, official) |
| North Carolina21 NCAC 36 .0809(b)(2); 21 NCAC 36 .0810; N.C. Gen. Stat. 90-18.2 | Yes, as set in the collaborative agreement. Nurse practitioners may prescribe Schedules II through V as the collaborative practice agreement establishes, and the supervising physician must hold DEA schedules equal to or greater than the NP’s.Physician involvement: Collaborative practice agreement with a supervising physician.Statute text"Controlled Substances (Schedules II, IIN, III, IIIN, IV, V) defined by the State and Federal Controlled Substances Acts may be procured, prescribed, or ordered as established in the collaborative practice agreement" (21 NCAC 36 .0809(b)(2)) "the primary supervising physician(s) shall possess a schedule(s) of controlled substances equal to or greater than the nurse practitioner's DEA registration" (21 NCAC 36 .0809(b)(2)(C)) 21 NCAC 36 .0809, NC Office of Administrative Hearings |
| North DakotaN.D.A.C. 54-05-03.1-10 | Yes. APRNs with prescriptive authority may prescribe controlled substances once they hold their own DEA registration.Physician involvement: None: the physician collaboration rule is repealed.Statute text"The licensee may prescribe, administer, sign for, dispense over-the-counter, legend, and controlled substances, and procure pharmaceuticals, including samples following state and federal regulations." |
| OhioOhio Rev. Code 4723.481(B), (C)(1)-(3); Ohio Adm. Code 4723-9-10(D) | Only in listed settings, otherwise 72 hours for terminal patients. Outside fifteen listed settings, an NP may prescribe a Schedule II drug only to a terminal patient, after a physician started it, for 72 hours. The settings include hospitals, community mental health providers, FQHCs, and an outpatient behavioral health practice where the NP collaborates with a physician the practice employs.Physician involvement: Standard care arrangement with a collaborating physician.Statute text"Except as provided in division (C)(2) or (3) of this section, a clinical nurse specialist, certified nurse-midwife, or certified nurse practitioner may prescribe to a patient a schedule II controlled substance only if all of the following are the case:" (4723.481(C)(1)) "A site where a behavioral health practice is operated that does not qualify as a location otherwise described in division (C)(2) of this section, but only if the practice is organized to provide outpatient services for the treatment of mental health conditions, substance use disorders, or both, and the clinical nurse specialist, certified nurse-midwife, or certified nurse practitioner providing services at the site of the practice has a standard care arrangement and collaborates with at least one physician who is employed by that practice;" (4723.481(C)(2)(n)) Ohio Rev. Code 4723.481, codes.ohio.gov |
| OklahomaOklahoma Board of Nursing, Exclusionary Formulary P-50B | No. The Board of Nursing’s exclusionary formulary bars APRNs from prescribing all Schedule I and II controlled substances.Physician involvement: Not in the text we verified.Statute text"All Schedule I and II Controlled Dangerous Substances" |
| OregonOAR 851-055-0078(5)(a); OAR 851-055-0070(3)(f); ORS 678.375(4) | Yes. APRNs may prescribe Schedules II through V at the level on their own DEA certificate.Physician involvement: None found in the statute and rules read.Statute text"APRNs must only prescribe the controlled substances from Schedules II–V, at the level provided for on their DEA certificate." (OAR 851-055-0078(5)(a)) OAR 851-055-0078, Oregon Secretary of State |
| Pennsylvania49 Pa. Code 21.284(b), (d)(1) | Yes, 30-day cap. A nurse practitioner may write a Schedule II prescription for up to a 30-day supply, as identified in the collaborative agreement.Physician involvement: Prescriptive authority collaborative agreement with a physician.Statute text"A CRNP may write a prescription for a Schedule II controlled substance for up to a 30-day supply as identified in the collaborative agreement." (21.284(d)(1)) |
| Rhode IslandR.I. Gen. Laws 5-34-49(d), (e); 216-RICR-40-05-3 section 3.7(B), (D)(2) | Yes. Certified nurse practitioners may prescribe Schedules II through V. A separate subsection for APRNs with a psychiatric/mental health focus includes Schedule II stimulants but excludes other Schedule II drugs, so stimulants are covered either way.Physician involvement: None found in the statute or rule read.Statute text"Prescription of legend medications and prescription of controlled substances from Schedules II, III, IV, and V that are established in regulation" (R.I. Gen. Laws 5-34-49(d)(1)) "Shall include prescription of certain psychotropic and certain legend medications, controlled substances from Schedule II classified as stimulants, and controlled substances from Schedule III and IV that are prescribed in regulations;" (R.I. Gen. Laws 5-34-49(e)(1)) R.I. Gen. Laws 5-34-49 |
| South CarolinaS.C. Code Ann. 40-33-34(C), (D), (F)(1)(d)-(f) (as amended by 2024 Act No. 120, eff. Mar. 11, 2024) | Yes, 30-day cap, if listed in the agreement. Schedule II nonnarcotics, which include the ADHD stimulants, must be listed in the practice agreement, and each prescription is limited to 30 days. The five-day cap in the same statute covers narcotics only.Physician involvement: Practice agreement with a physician.Statute text"may include Schedule II nonnarcotic substances if listed in the practice agreement and as authorized by Section 44-53-300, provided, however, that each such prescription must not exceed a thirty-day supply" |
| South DakotaS.D. Codified Laws 36-9A-12(4)(b); 36-9A-4(4)-(5); 36-9A-1(8) | Yes. Certified nurse practitioners may prescribe controlled drugs on Schedule II.Physician involvement: Collaborative agreement until 1,040 practice hours.Statute text"Prescribe, procure, administer, and furnish pharmacological agents, including over the counter, legend, and controlled drugs or substances listed on Schedule II in chapter 34-20B" (36-9A-12(4)(b)) |
| TennesseeTenn. Code Ann. 63-7-123; Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1000-04, 0880-06 | Not published. We could not read Tennessee’s statute or board rules from an official source, so we make no claim about it.Physician involvement: Not published. |
| TexasTex. Occ. Code 157.0511(a), (b), (b-1); 157.0512(a), (c), (f); 157.054 | Only in hospitals or hospice. A physician may delegate Schedule II prescribing only in a hospital facility-based practice (an admission of 24 hours or more, or the emergency department) or for a hospice patient. Outpatient ADHD care is neither.Physician involvement: Prescriptive authority agreement with a supervising physician.Statute text"(b-1) A physician may delegate the prescribing or ordering of a controlled substance listed in Schedule II as established by the commissioner of the Department of State Health Services under Chapter 481 , Health and Safety Code, only:" (Tex. Occ. Code 157.0511(b-1)) Texas Occupations Code Chapter 157, Subchapter B (Texas Legislative Council statute server) |
| UtahUtah Code Ann. 58-31b-803(1) (eff. 5/6/2026); 58-31b-302(2) | Yes. APRNs may prescribe Schedule II through V controlled substances. The five-day limits in the same section apply only to nurse anesthetists.Physician involvement: None found in the section read.Statute text"Subject to Subsection (2) , a licensed advanced practice registered nurse may prescribe or administer a prescription drug including, a Schedule II-V controlled substance." (58-31b-803(1)) Utah Code 58-31b-803 (effective 5/6/2026) |
| Vermont26 V.S.A. 1572(4), 1613(a); 18 V.S.A. 4201(26); Vt. Bd. of Nursing Admin. Rules 9-8, 9-17 | No statutory restriction found. APRNs may prescribe medical, therapeutic or corrective measures, and APRN orders count as prescriptions for regulated drugs, but no operative sentence names Schedule II or controlled substances for APRNs.Physician involvement: Collaborating-provider agreement for 24 months and 2,400 hours.Statute text"is licensed and authorized to perform acts of medical diagnosis and to prescribe medical, therapeutic, or corrective measures under administrative rules adopted by the Board." (26 V.S.A. 1572(4)) "�Prescription� means an order for a regulated drug made by a physician, physician assistant, advanced practice registered nurse, dentist, or veterinarian licensed under this chapter to prescribe such a drug" (18 V.S.A. 4201(26)) 26 V.S.A. 1572 |
| VirginiaVa. Code Ann. 54.1-2957.01(A), (B), (E)(2); 54.1-2957(I) | Yes, unless the practice agreement excludes it. APRNs may prescribe Schedules II through VI. Until a nurse practitioner earns the three-year independent designation, the practice agreement must list which controlled substances they may and may not prescribe.Physician involvement: Practice agreement until 3 years of full-time experience.Statute text"a licensed advanced practice registered nurse shall have the authority to prescribe Schedule II through Schedule VI controlled substances and devices as set forth in Chapter 34" (54.1-2957.01(A)) "Such written or electronic practice agreements shall include the controlled substances the advanced practice registered nurse is or is not authorized to prescribe and may restrict such prescriptive authority as described in the practice agreement." (54.1-2957.01(B)) |
| WashingtonRCW 18.79.250(2) ('advanced registered nurse practitioner' until June 30, 2027; 'advanced practice registered nurse' after); RCW 18.79.240(1)(s) | Yes. Nurse practitioners may prescribe Schedules II through IV within the scope of practice the Nursing Commission defines.Physician involvement: None found in the statutes read.Statute text"Prescribe legend drugs and Schedule V controlled substances, as defined in the Uniform Controlled Substances Act, chapter 69.50 RCW, and Schedules II through IV subject to RCW 18.79.240 (1) (r) or (s) within the scope of practice defined by the board" (18.79.250(2)) |
| West VirginiaW. Va. Code § 30-7-15a | Yes. The only Schedule II limit is a three-day cap on narcotics, and the statute says there are no other limitations on APRN prescribing.Physician involvement: Not in the text we verified.Statute text"three-day supply of a Schedule II narcotic" "There are no other limitations on the prescribing authority of an advanced practice registered nurse" |
| WisconsinWis. Stat. 441.09(2)(a), (3m)(a)-(b), (6)(a)1. and 4.; 961.01(19)(a); Wis. Admin. Code N 8.06(2)-(3) | Yes, for listed uses including ADHD. A board rule limits APRN prescribing of Schedule II amphetamines to listed uses. ADHD and narcolepsy are on the list.Physician involvement: Collaboration with a physician until 3,840 hours of APRN practice.Statute text"May not prescribe, dispense or administer any amphetamine, sympathomimetic amine drug or compound designated as a schedule II controlled substance pursuant to the provisions of s. 961.16 (5) , Stats., to or for any person except for any of the following:" (N 8.06(3)) "Treatment of hyperkinesis, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder." (N 8.06(3)(c)) Wis. Stat. 441.09 |
| WyomingWyo. Stat. Ann. 33-21-120(a)(i)(A); 33-21-158 | Yes. APRNs may prescribe any prescriptive medication except Schedule I drugs.Physician involvement: None found in the statute read.Statute text"May prescribe, administer, dispense or provide nonprescriptive and prescriptive medications including prepackaged medications, except schedule I drugs as defined in W.S. 35-7-1013 and 35-7-1014;" (33-21-120(a)(i)(A)) |
Which States Restrict Nurse Practitioner Schedule II Prescribing?
Six states make routine outpatient stimulant prescribing unavailable to most nurse practitioners. They do it in different ways, and the differences matter if you're deciding where to practice.
Oklahoma is the only flat bar. The Board of Nursing's exclusionary formulary lists what an APRN with prescriptive authority may not prescribe, and it opens with "All Schedule I and II Controlled Dangerous Substances." There is no setting or condition that turns it back on.
Texas, Missouri and Georgia never reach stimulants. Texas lets a physician delegate Schedule II prescribing only in a hospital or for a hospice patient, which leaves out every outpatient clinic. Missouri's collaborative practice statute delegates Schedule II authority for hydrocodone only. Georgia's 2024 change, as the Composite Medical Board summarized it, covers hydrocodone and oxycodone in emergencies. In all three, a nurse practitioner gained some Schedule II authority without gaining any ability to treat ADHD with it.
Arkansas lets you continue but not start. Under 17 CAR § 123-604, an APRN may prescribe a Schedule II stimulant only if a physician started it, saw the patient within six months, and the APRN is treating the same condition.
Ohio depends on where you work. Ohio Rev. Code § 4723.481 lets a nurse practitioner prescribe a Schedule II drug only to a terminal patient, after a physician started it, for 72 hours. Those limits lift in fifteen listed settings, including hospitals, community mental health services providers and federally qualified health centers. One of the fifteen is written for psychiatric practice: an outpatient behavioral health practice, but only if the nurse practitioner "has a standard care arrangement and collaborates with at least one physician who is employed by that practice." A PMHNP in a solo practice whose collaborating physician works elsewhere does not fit it.
States That Cap Schedule II Supply for Nurse Practitioners
In Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and South Carolina, a nurse practitioner can write a stimulant prescription in an ordinary clinic, but the law limits how much at a time. Two of the caps are short enough to change how care works, and two of them carve out psychiatric nurses.
Supply caps that reach Schedule II stimulants, shortest first. Each cap applies per prescription.
| State | Cap | Who it does not bind |
|---|---|---|
| Kentucky | 72 hours | Psychiatric-mental health APRNs in a licensed facility or regional mental health program (30 days for psychostimulants) |
| Florida | 7 days | Psychiatric nurses prescribing psychiatric medications |
| Illinois | 30 days | APRNs with full practice authority |
| South Carolina | 30 days | No one: the drug must also be listed in the practice agreement |
| Pennsylvania | 30 days | No one: the prescription must be identified in the collaborative agreement |
Kentucky's 72-hour limit, in KRS 314.011(8)(a), reaches every Schedule II drug except hydrocodone combinations, so Adderall is in it. Florida's § 464.012(6)(a) sets the formulary cap at 7 days. Illinois limits a delegated Schedule II prescription to 30 days until the nurse practitioner earns full practice authority. South Carolina and Pennsylvania both cap at 30 days and tie the drug to the physician agreement.
States That Attach a Schedule II Condition
Nine states allow nurse practitioners to prescribe stimulants without a supply cap but add a condition that applies to Schedule II or controlled substances specifically, on top of whatever general collaboration the state requires.
- A permit or an approved list: Alabama requires a Limited Purpose Schedule II Permit with a board-approved list of the specific drugs. Louisiana approves controlled-substance privileges one APRN at a time.
- A physician's protocol or delegation: California requires a patient-specific protocol for Schedule II drugs under standardized procedures. Michigan allows Schedule II through V only as a delegated act of a physician.
- The agreement sets the scope: Connecticut's collaboration must set the level of Schedule II drugs for the first three years. North Carolina and Virginia prescribe controlled substances as the collaborative or practice agreement establishes.
- Experience first: Nevada bars Schedule II prescribing until a nurse practitioner has 2 years or 2,000 hours of clinical experience, unless a collaborating physician approves a protocol.
- Listed uses only: Wisconsin's board rule, Wis. Admin. Code N 8.06(3), limits Schedule II amphetamines to named indications. ADHD and narcolepsy are on the list, so the rule rarely touches psychiatric practice, but any use not on the list is off limits.
Do Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners Have Different Prescribing Authority?
Usually not. Prescribing laws mostly treat advanced practice nurses as one category, so a PMHNP and a family nurse practitioner in Texas have the same Schedule II authority. We found three states where the psychiatric specialty changes the answer.
Kentucky lets only an APRN certified in psychiatric-mental health nursing, working in a licensed health facility or a regional mental health program, write psychostimulants for 30 days instead of 72 hours. Florida exempts psychiatric medications prescribed by psychiatric nurses from its 7-day cap, and reserves psychiatric controlled substances for patients under 18 to APRNs who are psychiatric nurses. Rhode Island gives certified nurse practitioners Schedules II through V, and in a separate subsection gives APRNs with a psychiatric/mental health focus Schedule II stimulants but not other Schedule II drugs. Stimulants are covered either way.
If you're a PMHNP student, Kentucky and Florida are the two states where the setting and certification you choose decide whether you can write a normal ADHD prescription.
Prescriptive Authority Isn't the Same as Practice Authority
Most state-by-state charts sort states into the AANP's full, reduced and restricted practice categories. That classification answers whether a physician must be involved in a nurse practitioner's practice at all. It does not answer which drug schedules a nurse practitioner can write for, and the two don't line up.
We joined the AANP classification to our verified rows. Of the 23 full-practice jurisdictions with a verified answer, 2 still bar, narrow, cap or condition Schedule II prescribing (Connecticut and Nevada). Every one of the 10 restricted-practice states we verified limits Schedule II in some way, but the limits run from a 30-day cap to a flat bar. So the practice-authority map points in the right direction, but it can't tell you whether your state's limit is a cap, a permit or a ban, and it misses the full-practice states that still set Schedule II terms. Our state requirements lookup covers practice authority, and this page covers the drug schedules.
How We Verified Each State
We verified 45 of 51. The rules we held every row to:
- Official text only. Every answer comes from the state legislature's code, the state's official administrative code, or the board's own document. Mirrors such as Cornell's Legal Information Institute, Justia and FindLaw were used to find section numbers and never cited. Colorado and Louisiana were first researched through mirrors and re-pulled from official sources before they counted.
- Verbatim, checked by script. We saved the raw text of every source and quote the operative sentence in the table. A script confirmed that each quote appears word for word in the saved text. A summary of a statute, including one written by a search tool, is not a source we cite.
- Silence is not a yes. Where the official text grants general prescriptive authority but never names Schedule II or controlled substances for nurse practitioners, the row says "no statutory restriction found." That covers District of Columbia, Maryland, Nebraska, New York and Vermont. In DC a regulation does name Schedules II through V, but it still refers to a physician protocol the statute repealed in 2024, so we don't treat it as settled.
- Unreadable means not published. Tennessee's code is hosted on a commercial portal we could not read, and its board rules returned errors, so we make no claim about it.
Some official sites only render in a browser. Indiana's code and Arkansas's rules were read that way, and their text is quoted exactly like the rest. Every row was checked on October 8, 2026. Laws in this area change most legislative sessions. Georgia changed in 2024, New Jersey in March 2026 and Utah in May 2026. Treat your state board of nursing as the binding answer.
What This Means If You're Choosing Where to Practice
If you're heading into psychiatric practice, you'll treat ADHD, and the stimulants used for it are Schedule II drugs. In 20 of the 45 jurisdictions we verified, the law shapes how you write that prescription, from a 30-day cap to a flat bar. That belongs on your list next to salary and licensure when you compare states, and it's worth asking any employer how they handle Schedule II before you sign.
For the patient side of the same question, our guide on whether a nurse practitioner can prescribe Adderall walks through what each restriction means for someone with ADHD. Our overview of what a PMHNP can prescribe covers the rest of the formulary, and you can compare PMHNP programs by state once you know where you want to practice.
PMHNP questions, answered
Can nurse practitioners prescribe controlled substances?+
Which states do not allow nurse practitioners to prescribe Schedule II drugs?+
Can a PMHNP prescribe Adderall in every state?+
Is prescriptive authority the same as full practice authority?+
How often does this information change?+
Every figure on this page traces to a primary source.
- [1] State statutes, regulations and board documents for all 50 states and DC (110 official sources), each linked with its operative text quoted in that state’s row of the table above Verified 2026-10-08
- [2] AANP State Practice Environment: the full, reduced and restricted practice classification used for the practice-authority cross-check Verified 2026-10-08
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