State Medical Boards Limiting Who Can Be Called ‘Doctor’

Whether a non-physician can use the title “doctor” in a healthcare setting depends on the state. Only physicians (MDs and DOs) can use the title freely everywhere, and some states, like California, make it a misdemeanor for anyone else to use “Dr.” in connection with healthcare practice. Other states, like Georgia, let doctoral-level providers use the title as long as they disclose that they are not a medical doctor. A third group, including Indiana, leaves the general title alone but reserves specific medical specialty titles for physicians. There is no federal rule, so a nurse practitioner, chiropractor, physical therapist, or psychologist who holds a doctoral degree has to check the law in each state where they practice.

The Three State Approaches

No federal law governs who may be called “doctor” in healthcare, so the rules come entirely from state statutes and licensing boards. State laws fall into three broad categories.

Outright Prohibition

California has one of the strictest laws in the country. Section 2054 of the Business and Professions Code makes it a misdemeanor for anyone to use the title “doctor” or the prefix “Dr.” in connection with healthcare practice without holding a valid physician and surgeon certificate.1California Legislative Information. BPC Section 2054 The statute has been on the books since at least 1937. It carves out exceptions for providers whose own licensing acts authorize the title and for people whose use of “doctor” is not associated with any claim of practicing medicine, but those exceptions have proven narrow. In one case, a nurse practitioner with a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree was fined more than $20,000 and faced the potential loss of her nursing license for using “Dr.” on business materials.

Disclosure and Transparency

Georgia took a different path with its Health Care Practitioners Truth and Transparency Act. Rather than banning the title, Georgia requires any non-physician who uses “doctor” in a clinical setting to clearly state that they are not a medical doctor or physician. The law also requires practitioners to wear an identifier during all patient encounters displaying their name and the type of license or degree they hold, and healthcare facilities must post notices in reception areas identifying the types of practitioners on staff.2Justia Law. Georgia Code 43-1-33 – Advertisement, Signage New York has considered similar legislation that would require photo identification name tags showing the practitioner’s license type in large, bold lettering.

Specialty Title Restrictions

Indiana leaves the general “doctor” title alone but prohibits non-physicians from using roughly 40 medical specialty titles and abbreviations. Terms like “cardiologist,” “dermatologist,” “anesthesiologist,” and “oncologist” are reserved for physicians. The law also bars healthcare professionals from using advertising that misrepresents their profession, education, or skills. This approach targets the narrower concern that a non-physician might use a specialty title to imply physician-level training in a particular area.

The legislative direction is toward more regulation. Multiple states have introduced or passed truth-in-advertising bills in recent years, and providers who practice across state lines need to confirm the rules in each jurisdiction.

Non-Physicians With Doctoral Degrees

The professionals most affected by these laws all hold legitimate doctoral degrees but are not MDs or DOs. Whether they can use “doctor” in a clinical setting depends on state law and, in some cases, on their own profession’s licensing act.

  • Nurse Practitioners (DNP). The Doctor of Nursing Practice is a terminal clinical degree. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing describes it as the highest level of nursing practice preparation.3American Association of Colleges of Nursing. AACN Fact Sheet – DNP
  • Chiropractors (DC). Four years of graduate education focused on diagnosing and treating conditions affecting the muscles, bones, and nerves.
  • Physical Therapists (DPT). The Doctor of Physical Therapy is now the standard entry-level degree. In states with title restrictions, DPTs who use “doctor” must also identify themselves as a physical therapist, as in “Dr. Jane Doe, PT, DPT.”
  • Naturopathic Doctors (ND). A four-year graduate program requiring at least 4,100 hours of classroom and clinical training at an accredited naturopathic medical school.4Bastyr University. Becoming a Licensed Naturopathic Doctor: Chapter 2
  • Audiologists (AuD). A clinical doctorate covering hearing and balance assessment, treatment, and rehabilitation.5California State University, Northridge. Audiology, Au.D.
  • Psychologists (PhD/PsyD). Both are doctoral-level degrees that can lead to licensure as a psychologist. PsyD programs tend to emphasize clinical work; PhD programs tend to emphasize research.6American Psychological Association. Doctoral Degrees in Psychology: How Are They Different, or Not So Different?
  • Optometrists (OD). Federal law classifies optometrists as “physicians” for Medicare purposes, a definition in place since 1986. Some state laws still restrict their use of the “doctor” title outside optometric practice.
  • Pharmacists (PharmD). The Doctor of Pharmacy has been the standard entry-level degree since the early 2000s, and PharmDs face similar questions in clinical settings.

Dentists, podiatrists, and the professions above whose own licensing statutes expressly authorize the title generally fall within state-law carve-outs. The exact scope of those carve-outs varies, which is why checking the specific statute matters.

What Compliance Looks Like in Practice

For non-physicians practicing in a state with title regulation, compliance typically involves some combination of the following.

  • Name badge identification. Many transparency laws require an identifier worn during all patient encounters that shows the practitioner’s name and the type of license or degree they hold. Some proposed bills specify large, bold lettering for the license type.
  • Verbal disclosure. In states like Georgia, a non-physician who uses “doctor” must tell each patient that they are not a medical doctor. This applies to every clinical encounter, not just the first visit.
  • Advertising and marketing materials. Advertisements, signage, business cards, and letterhead typically must include the practitioner’s specific license type alongside any use of “doctor” or “Dr.” In prohibition states like California, non-physicians generally cannot use the title in advertising at all.
  • Office signage. Healthcare facilities may need to post notices in reception areas identifying the types of practitioners who work there.

If a patient or licensing board alleges that a provider misrepresented themselves as a physician, the provider usually has to show that they took adequate steps to clarify their credentials. Keeping documentation of compliance efforts, including photos of posted signage, copies of advertising materials, and notes about verbal disclosures, is practical insurance against enforcement actions.

Penalties for Violations

Consequences vary by state but can be severe. California treats violations of Section 2054 as a misdemeanor.1California Legislative Information. BPC Section 2054 Across states with active enforcement, civil fines range from a few thousand dollars to more than $20,000, and licensing boards can impose discipline up to and including license revocation. The nurse practitioner fined over $20,000 in California faced potential loss of her nursing license on top of the monetary penalty. Enforcement has historically been light in some states, but the financial and career exposure makes compliance worth taking seriously.

Where the Law Is Headed

The most significant federal test of a title-restriction law was Palmer v. Bonta, a First Amendment challenge to California’s Section 2054. Three nurse practitioners with DNP degrees argued that the statute suppressed truthful speech about their credentials. Pacific Legal Foundation represented them. On September 19, 2025, U.S. District Judge Jesus G. Bernal granted summary judgment for the state and dismissed the case with prejudice, treating use of the “doctor” title in a clinical context as commercial speech subject to the government-friendly test from Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corp. v. Public Service Commission.7Pacific Legal Foundation. Palmer v. Bonta – Opinion on Motions for Summary Judgment8Legal Information Institute. Commercial Speech The AMA and the California Medical Association filed an amicus brief supporting the state.9American Medical Association. Federal Court Agrees: NPs Can’t Call Themselves Doctor

The ruling strengthens the legal footing for similar laws elsewhere. An appeal to the Ninth Circuit could change that picture, and as of early 2026 whether the plaintiffs will appeal remains to be seen. In the meantime, the practical rule for any non-physician with a doctoral degree is the same it has been: check the statute in your state, follow the disclosure requirements if they apply, and do not assume that a degree alone gives you the right to the title in a clinical setting.