Can Anesthesiologist Assistants Practice in Tennessee?
Yes — CAAs are licensed in Tennessee.
Tennessee enacted CAA licensure in May 2025 (HB 979, Public Chapter 509), and the Board of Medical Examiners has been licensing CAAs since January 1, 2026. Applications are live through the state's LARS portal. Practicing or using the CAA title without a license is a Class B misdemeanor.
Where CAAs can practice nearby
CAAs can also practice in 5 of Tennessee's 8 neighboring states.
CAA Programs in Tennessee
1 campus offers CAA master's training in Tennessee.
Lipscomb University — Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
- Degree & Length
- MS in Anesthesiology · 28 mo
- CASAA Deadline
- Not yet posted
- Tuition
- $163,000
- Admissions Tests
- MCAT or GRE accepted, MCAT preferred; competitive applicants typically score above the 50th percentile.
Need to compare required biology, chemistry, and physics coursework across programs?
Open Prerequisites Matrix →Supervision & Practice Authority in Tennessee
Supervision Requirements
CAAs practice under a licensed anesthesiologist through a written supervising agreement kept at every practice location. The anesthesiologist must be immediately available to intervene; no concurrent-supervision ratio appears in the statute.
State Context & Regulatory Notes
Licensing is fully operational: applications run through the state's LARS portal and require NCCAA certification, and the law is codified as Title 63, chapter 21. Permanent board rules went through an April 2026 rulemaking hearing and July 2026 review after initial emergency rules; the final effective date is not yet confirmed, but practice is unaffected. The act also seats a licensed AA on the Board of Medical Examiners.
Statutory Summary
- Legal Authority
- Tenn. Code Ann. § 63-21-101 et seq. (Pub. Ch. 509, 2025)
- Effective
- 2026
- Practice Mechanism
- Licensed
Legislative Activity in Tennessee
1 bill on record (1 enacted). Enacted and failed bills stay listed as history.
Anesthesiologist assistant licensure; hospital employment of physicians
enacted (Public Chapter 509)
Last action: Signed by Governor May 21, 2025; licensure provisions effective Jan 1, 2026