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California CME requirements
Continuing medical education and license renewal rules for clinicians licensed in California, as recorded by MedLicense for planning.
Planning aid only. MedLicense is not legal or compliance advice. Boards change rules between cycles, so confirm every requirement with the board before you rely on it.
- Licensing board
- Medical Board of California
- License lookup
- Public license verification
- License renewal
- Every 2 years, based on end of your birth month
MD CME requirements
Reviewed 2026-10-31 This entry was last reviewed on 2026-10-31. That date records our own review and is not a board approval. Some details below are marked for confirmation, so treat those as unverified until the board confirms them. Always confirm with the board before you rely on it.
- Total hours
- 50 hours every 2 years, with at least 50 in Category 1 or the equivalent
- License renewal
- Every 2 years, based on end of your birth month
Required topics
| Topic | Hours | How often | Applies to | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pain management | 12 | Once | Everyone | One-time: 12 hours of pain management and end-of-life care, due by the second license renewal |
| Implicit bias | No minimum | Every cycle | Everyone | Cultural/linguistic competency and implicit bias content must be incorporated into CME courses; no separate hour minimum |
Notes. 50 hours per 2 years, all Category 1 (AMA PRA, or prescribed credit such as AAFP). If more than 25% of patients are 65+, 20% of CME must be geriatrics. Geriatric and one-time pain/end-of-life rules need confirmation against the Board.
DO CME requirements
Not yet verified Not yet verified, confirm with the board. This entry has not been checked against the board’s own published rules.
- Total hours
- 100 hours every 2 years, with at least 50 in Category 1 or the equivalent
- License renewal
- Every 2 years, based on end of your birth month
- Board for this profession
- Osteopathic Medical Board of California
Required topics
No mandated topics are recorded for this profession in this state. That is not the same as the board having none, so confirm with the board.
Notes. Osteopathic Medical Board of California: 100 hours per 2 years, at least 50 AOA Category 1-A. Confirm any mandated topics with the board.
NP CME requirements
Reviewed 2026-11-01 This entry was last reviewed on 2026-11-01. That date records our own review and is not a board approval. Some details below are marked for confirmation, so treat those as unverified until the board confirms them. Always confirm with the board before you rely on it.
- Total hours
- 30 hours every 2 years
- License renewal
- Every 2 years, based on end of your birth month
Required topics
| Topic | Hours | How often | Applies to | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Implicit bias | 1 | Every cycle | Everyone | One hour in the first two years after initial licensure, Board-approved course |
| Geriatric medicine | 6 | Every cycle | Everyone | NPs whose primary-care panel is over 25% age 65+ must take 6 of the 30 hours in gerontology, dementia or care of older patients |
Notes. 30 contact hours every 2 years for all RNs including NPs; Board-recognized providers only. Page did not address furnishing or Schedule II course requirements; confirm with the board.
PA CME requirements
Reviewed 2026-11-01 This entry was last reviewed on 2026-11-01. That date records our own review and is not a board approval. Always confirm with the board before you rely on it.
- Total hours
- 50 hours every 2 years
- License renewal
- Every 2 years, based on end of your birth month
Required topics
No mandated topics are recorded for this profession in this state. That is not the same as the board having none, so confirm with the board.
Notes. 16 CCR 1399.615: 50 hours of approved CME every two years; the requirement is deemed met by current NCCPA certification at renewal. Records kept four years.
CRNA CME requirements
Reviewed 2026-11-01 This entry was last reviewed on 2026-11-01. That date records our own review and is not a board approval. Always confirm with the board before you rely on it.
- Total hours
- 30 hours every 2 years
- License renewal
- Every 2 years, based on end of your birth month
Required topics
No mandated topics are recorded for this profession in this state. That is not the same as the board having none, so confirm with the board.
Notes. 16 CCR 1451 and the BRN page require 30 hours of Board-recognized continuing education every two years for every RN licensee. A CRNA in California holds an RN license with a CRNA certificate and the BRN sets no separate CRNA CE rule in the pages read.
CAA CME requirements
Not yet verified Not yet verified, confirm with the board. This entry has not been checked against the board’s own published rules.
- Total hours
- Not recorded, and the renewal cycle is not recorded
- License renewal
- Every 2 years, based on end of your birth month
Required topics
No mandated topics are recorded for this profession in this state. That is not the same as the board having none, so confirm with the board.
Notes. Secondary source; confirm with the board. The CU Anschutz AA program list (states where AAs work by license, regulation or certification, or by physician delegation) and the BYU 2023 list of authorized states do not include California, so no state licensure for anesthesiologist assistants was found. Not read on a board or statute page.
Plan this renewal
Use the free opioid CME planner to see the controlled-substance rules for California next to other states, or the license cost calculator to estimate fees. Read how multi-state CME works if you hold more than one license.
Nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurse anesthetists and anesthesiologist assistants usually also maintain national certification, which has its own cycle. The recertification basics guide explains how that fits alongside state rules.
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