Federal Court Upholds California Ban on Nurse Practitioners Using “Doctor” Title in Clinical Settings
Abstract: A September 2025 federal ruling in Palmer et al. v. Bonta et al. upheld California Business and Professions Code § 2054, affirming that only licensed physicians (MDs and DOs) may use the title “Doctor” or the prefix “Dr.” in clinical or advertising contexts. The decision preserves physician-exclusive title usage, ... Read more
Laura Turner
Updated February 10, 2026 by Laura Turner
