Delaware physician non-compete law
Physician non-competes are generally not enforceable in Delaware.
If your contract is governed by Delaware law, a physician non-compete is generally void — the state does not let an employer restrict where you practice after you leave. The clause may still appear in your contract; that alone does not make it enforceable. Confirm the restriction is tied to employment (not the sale of a practice or an ownership stake), and don't let an unenforceable clause talk you out of a move it cannot actually block.
- Posture
- Physician non-competes void by statute
- Last reviewed
- 2026-06-10
- Radius that tends to stand
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- Term that tends to stand
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Governing law: 6 Del. C. § 2707
These are the general rules for Delaware. Your contract's exact radius, term, and buyout decide how it actually lands. See how your own clause compares — free.
Check your contract — free →A case that shaped this
Michael Dunn, M.D. v. FastMed Urgent Care, P.C. (2019, Del. Ct. of Chancery (C.A. No. 2018-0934-MTZ)) — Chancery (V.C. Zurn, Aug. 30, 2019) held § 2707 voids only restrictions on practicing medicine/treating patients, not an equity-sale restrictive covenant barring the physician from competing in the urgent-care business; the covenant expressly carved out his ability to practice as a physician, so it did not violate § 2707. Motion to dismiss granted.
The detailed picture
Under 6 Del. C. § 2707 (enacted 1983; no 2023-2026 amendments), any covenant-not-to-compete provision of an employment, partnership, or corporate agreement between and/or among physicians that restricts a physician's right to practice medicine in a particular locale and/or for a defined period after termination is VOID. All other provisions remain enforceable at law, including provisions requiring payment of damages "reasonably related to the injury suffered" — and such damages "may include, but not be limited to, damages related to competition." The statute is physician-specific by its terms and does not extend to nurses, dentists, therapists, or APPs (no broader healthcare-worker ban has been enacted in DE).
Common questions
Are physician non-competes enforceable in Delaware?
Physician non-competes are generally not enforceable in Delaware. Governing law: 6 Del. C. § 2707.
My Delaware contract still has a non-compete — does that matter?
A clause can appear in a contract without being enforceable. Under Delaware law a physician employment non-compete is generally void, so confirm the restriction is not tied to a practice sale or ownership interest, and check your own contract's exact wording.
Other states
General legal information, not legal advice. Non-compete enforceability turns on the exact wording of your contract and your circumstances; this page describes the state's general posture as last reviewed 2026-06-10.