Authority and scope
Check the professional and concern
The Nursing Board identifies registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, certified registered nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, and licensed dietitian-nutritionists within its professional scope. Complaints can also concern suspected unlicensed practice. Use the professional’s actual license category; this guide does not establish Nursing Board jurisdiction over every aide or every advanced practice title.
Supporting guidance: State Board of Nursing ↗File a complaint against a Pennsylvania licensed professional ↗
How the official source says to file
- Use the PALS online complaint route or the Department’s Statement of Complaint form. Complete required information about yourself, the professional, and the allegations.
- For the paper route, sign the verification and submit to Professional Compliance Office, Department of State, P.O. Box 69522, Harrisburg, PA 17106-9522, or fax 717-705-2882. Complete the records authorization when applicable.
- Provide relevant supporting documents and keep copies. The form explains that submitted material is not returned. Its witness and records-release portions may require additional identifying information and signatures.
Supporting guidance: Statement of Complaint form ↗File a complaint against a Pennsylvania licensed professional ↗
What this route may not provide
The Department says that in most instances it cannot obtain monetary restitution for a complainant. A licensing complaint therefore should not be treated as a promise of reimbursement or compensation. The Board and Department review alleged professional law violations.
Supporting guidance: File a complaint against a Pennsylvania licensed professional ↗
Do not guess about confidentiality
The paper form requests identity and contact information. It describes investigative records as confidential and privileged; that does not establish anonymous filing. If you submit an impact statement in a formally charged case, the statement and your identity will be public and the respondent will receive a copy.
Supporting guidance: Statement of Complaint form ↗File a complaint against a Pennsylvania licensed professional ↗
Ask the Department promptly; a filing deadline was not established.
The checked complaint instructions do not establish a nursing complaint filing deadline. Ask the Department promptly about applicable limits. Investigation duration varies; processing estimates do not extend a filing period.
Supporting guidance: Statement of Complaint form ↗File a complaint against a Pennsylvania licensed professional ↗
What may happen after filing
The Professional Compliance Office reviews jurisdiction and possible legal violations. Investigators may interview people and obtain records, followed by prosecutorial review. Some cases resolve through a consent agreement approved by the Board. Formal disciplinary outcomes are public; when a case closes without formal discipline, confidentiality can limit explanations supplied to the complainant.
Supporting guidance: Statement of Complaint form ↗File a complaint against a Pennsylvania licensed professional ↗
Prepare a reviewable submission
State the concern you want reviewed, then add a short chronology, best supporting records, factual consequences, and a specific request for review.
Read the linked authority and process information ↗
Sources and scope
Some agency-linked forms and destinations could not be read. Source-check dates apply to the material listed below; they do not establish that every linked portal was inspected or a complaint submitted.
File a complaint against a Pennsylvania licensed professional ↗
PALS and paper routes, monetary restitution limitation, review stages, and victim impact statements.
Source checked: September 19, 2026
Statement of Complaint form ↗
Mail and fax, complaint verification, authorization, document copies, and investigative confidentiality.
Source checked: September 19, 2026
State Board of Nursing ↗
RN, LPN, CRNP, CNS, LDN, and unlicensed practice jurisdiction.
Source checked: September 19, 2026
Source check: September 19, 2026. This records a review of the linked material, not a decision about your case. No clinical or legal reviewer is identified for this guide. Confirm current instructions with the receiving authority.