New Jersey physician non-compete law
New Jersey enforces reasonable physician non-competes.
New Jersey treats a reasonable physician non-compete as binding, so assume yours will apply and negotiate the scope down before you sign. Restrictions that tend to stand here run about 10–20 miles and 12–24 months; terms beyond that are the most vulnerable. Narrow the radius to the specific sites where you practiced, shorten the term, and ask for a defined buyout as a release valve.
- Posture
- Enforceable (common-law reasonableness)
- Last reviewed
- 2026-06-10
- Radius that tends to stand
- 10–20 miles
- Term that tends to stand
- 12–24 months
These are the general rules for New Jersey. 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
Community Hospital Group, Inc. v. More (2005, N.J. Supreme Court (183 N.J. 36)) — Physician-hospital restrictive covenant is not per se unenforceable, but the 30-mile/2-year geographic scope was reduced (to ~13 miles) as excessive and injurious to patient care given a neurosurgeon shortage; enforcement requires no harm to patient care.
The detailed picture
No NJ non-compete statute exists; physician non-competes are governed by common-law reasonableness (Solari/Whitmyer three-prong test), and the NJ Supreme Court has specifically held physician restrictive covenants are NOT per se unenforceable but require a heightened public-interest/patient-care analysis under which courts blue-pencil overbroad terms (e.g., More reduced a 30-mile scope to ~13 miles to protect patient access). A broad statutory ban (A5708/S4385, would void most non-competes except senior executives >=$151,164, with a 12-month cap) and a separate physician-specific restriction bill (S4068) were both pending in the 2024-25 session but FAILED to pass before that session ended ~Jan 12-13, 2026. A new general ban bill (S1407) was reintroduced Jan 13, 2026 in the 2026-27 session and referred to the Senate Labor Committee, but is NOT enacted. Common-law reasonableness still controls; typical upheld terms run ~10-20 miles for up to two years, subject to reduction where they would impair patient access to care.
Common questions
Are physician non-competes enforceable in New Jersey?
New Jersey enforces reasonable physician non-competes.
How far and how long can a New Jersey physician non-compete reach?
Restrictions that tend to stand here run about 10–20 miles and 12–24 months; terms beyond that are the most vulnerable. The radius and term in your specific contract decide how it lands — check your own clause.
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.