Can Anesthesiologist Assistants Practice in Kentucky?
Yes — CAAs are licensed in Kentucky.
Kentucky authorizes CAA practice through a physician assistant license from the Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure: you are licensed as a PA and practice as an 'anesthesiology assistant' under KRS 311.862 (since July 2002). Your supervising anesthesiologist must be present at induction and emergence and cannot run another anesthetic concurrently.
Where CAAs can practice nearby
CAAs can also practice in 4 of Kentucky's 7 neighboring states.
CAA Programs in Kentucky
Accredited training options and pathways for applicants from Kentucky.
No CAA programs are currently located in Kentucky
While Kentucky does not have an in-state CAAHEP-accredited program campus, prospective students from Kentucky attend accredited master's programs across the United States. Graduates of any accredited program are eligible to sit for the NCCAA board exam and practice in Kentucky or any other authorized state.
Compare cohort sizes, tuition, and deadlines across all active campuses.
Check required science, math, and general courses for every campus.
Step-by-step guidance from undergrad prep and shadowing to licensing.
Supervision & Practice Authority in Kentucky
Supervision Requirements
The supervising anesthesiologist must be physically present in the room during induction and emergence, cannot be running another anesthetic at the same time, and must stay available for immediate return (KRS 311.862(3)). A physician may supervise at most four PAs at one time (KRS 311.854(10)).
State Context & Regulatory Notes
A note on titles: Kentucky has no standalone AA license. The statute regulates a physician assistant practicing as an 'anesthesiology assistant' (created 2002, amended 2006 to convert certification to PA licensure), so entrants must meet PA licensure requirements plus graduation from an accredited anesthesia training program; the statute's drafting on program length is dated, so confirm current credentialing mechanics with KBML. A 2026 law (SB 116) rewrote the surrounding PA framework, moving supervision to a board-filed supervision agreement and authorizing alternate supervising physicians, but left the anesthesia-specific induction and emergence requirements untouched.
Statutory Summary
- Effective
- 2002
- Practice Mechanism
- Licensed
Legislative Activity in Kentucky
1 bill on record (1 enacted). Enacted and failed bills stay listed as history.
Rewrite of the physician assistant supervision framework (KRS 311.840–311.858); anesthesia requirements of KRS 311.862 expressly preserved
Enacted
Last action: Signed by Governor April 10, 2026