Virginia physician non-compete law
Virginia enforces physician non-competes within defined limits.
Virginia 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 15–25 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 now (common-law reasonableness); statewide physician non-compete ban effective July 1, 2026 (prospective)
- Last reviewed
- 2026-06-10
- Radius that tends to stand
- 15–25 miles
- Term that tends to stand
- 12–24 months
Governing law: Va. Code § 40.1-28.7:8 (as amended by HB 627 / companion SB 128, 2026), eff. July 1, 2026
These are the general rules for Virginia. 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
Home Paramount Pest Control Cos. v. Shaffer (2011, Va. Supreme Court) — Reaffirmed Virginia's strict, no-blue-pencil scrutiny of non-competes (function/geography/duration each independently reasonable) and struck an overbroad restraint as unenforceable (overruling its own 1989 Rector decision). Pre-statute common-law backdrop, now largely displaced for physicians by the 2026 ban.
The detailed picture
CURRENT STATUS (as of review): physician non-competes remain enforceable under common-law reasonableness for agreements entered before the effective date below; the ban is prospective and not retroactive. Effective July 1, 2026, Virginia amends Va. Code § 40.1-28.7:8 (via HB 627 and companion SB 128) to prohibit any employer from entering into, enforcing, or threatening to enforce a non-compete against a \"health care professional,\" defined as anyone licensed/registered/certified by the Board of Medicine, Nursing, Counseling, Optometry, Psychology, or Social Work — which expressly includes physicians (Board of Medicine). Note: professionals licensed only by other boards (e.g., Dentistry, Pharmacy, Physical Therapy) are NOT covered by this specific ban. The ban is not retroactive (agreements entered/amended/renewed before July 1, 2026 are unaffected), and carveouts remain for non-competes tied to a bona fide sale of business, narrowly drawn non-solicitation (material-contact customers / same-or-similar services), and repayment of recruitment-related costs (relocation, signing/retention bonuses) for professionals employed under five years; departing professionals also retain the right to notify patients of their new location. Violations carry a $10,000 civil penalty per violation plus a private right of action with attorney/expert fees. Separately, SB 170 makes general non-competes unenforceable against employees discharged without cause absent disclosed severance.
Common questions
Are physician non-competes enforceable in Virginia?
Virginia enforces physician non-competes within defined limits. Governing law: Va. Code § 40.1-28.7:8 (as amended by HB 627 / companion SB 128, 2026), eff. July 1, 2026.
How far and how long can a Virginia physician non-compete reach?
Restrictions that tend to stand here run about 15–25 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.