Supreme Court ruling in NC Dental Board case fuels push for deregulation in professional licensing

It's become commonplace to hear that occupational licensing has led to a quagmire of over-regulation and excessive fees, with licensing boards more interested in their profession's well-being than protecting the public. Proponents of less regulation believe pro-competitive reform would reduce red tape for prospective licensees, lower barriers to job growth, and create more opportunities for entrepreneurs' businesses to bloom. Advocates for traditional professional regulation, on the other hand, defend it as necessary for many occupations in order to protect the public and ensure licensees are appropriately qualified to practice their profession. Some point out that deregulation proponents selectively highlight occupations with licensing requirements that seem blatantly excessive given the mundane obligations of the job, but their broader anti-regulation agenda could potentially target even regulation of professions like medicine, psychology, accounting, dentistry, and architecture.

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