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Iowa CME requirements
Continuing medical education and license renewal rules for clinicians licensed in Iowa, 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
- Iowa Board of Medicine
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
- 40 hours every 2 years, with at least 40 in Category 1 or the equivalent
Required topics
| Topic | Hours | How often | Applies to | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pain management | 2 | Every cycle | Everyone | Chronic pain management for those who treat chronic pain |
| Child abuse recognition | 2 | Every cycle | Everyone | Child and dependent adult abuse mandatory-reporter training; approx. every five years (confirm) |
Notes. 40 hours per 2 years. Mandatory-reporter hours and frequency not fully certain.
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
- 40 hours every 2 years, with at least 40 in Category 1 or the equivalent
Required topics
| Topic | Hours | How often | Applies to | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pain management | 2 | Every cycle | Everyone | Chronic pain management for those who treat chronic pain |
| Child abuse recognition | 2 | Every cycle | Everyone | Child and dependent adult abuse mandatory-reporter training; approx. every five years (confirm) |
Notes. Copied from the MD block as a planning default; the osteopathic rules were not separately confirmed. Confirm 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. Always confirm with the board before you rely on it.
- Total hours
- 36 hours every 3 years
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. Iowa Admin. Code 481-619.2 (Nursing CE, effective 6/4/25): renewal needs 36 contact hours (or 3.6 CEUs) per renewal period, and national certification or recertification counts as the 36 hours; 481-621.3(5) ties the ARNP licence expiry to the RN licence, and 481-621.6(3) says the cycle is three years. ARNPs who prescribed opioids in the cycle complete 2 hours on the CDC chronic-pain opioid guideline (counts toward the 36). Iowa's separate mandatory-reporter training is not recorded here. Maintain national certification at all times (481-621.4(2)).
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
- 100 hours every 2 years, with at least 50 in Category 1 or the equivalent
Required topics
| Topic | Hours | How often | Applies to | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opioid & controlled-substance prescribing | 2 | Every cycle | DEA registrants | CDC chronic-pain opioid prescribing guideline, for PAs who prescribed opioids during the renewal cycle |
Notes. Iowa Admin. Code 481-782.2 (Board of Physician Assistants CE rule): 100 hours per biennium, at least 50 Category I (AAPA, AMA, AOA, AAFP or ACCME-accredited) and the remaining 50 Category I or II as accepted by NCCPA; up to 50 hours carry over; no CE for the first renewal after initial licensure. PAs who prescribed opioids in the cycle complete 2 hours on the CDC opioid prescribing guideline (counts toward the 100).
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
- 36 hours every 3 years
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. Iowa Admin. Code 481-619.2 (Nursing CE, effective 6/4/25): renewal needs 36 contact hours (or 3.6 CEUs) per renewal period, and national certification or recertification counts as the 36 hours; 481-621.3(5) ties the ARNP licence expiry to the RN licence, and 481-621.6(3) says the cycle is three years. ARNPs (CRNAs are ARNPs in Iowa, 481-621.2) who prescribed opioids in the cycle complete 2 hours on the CDC chronic-pain opioid guideline (counts toward the 36). Iowa's separate mandatory-reporter training is not recorded here. Maintain NBCRNA certification at all times (481-621.4(2)).
Plan this renewal
Use the free opioid CME planner to see the controlled-substance rules for Iowa 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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