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Kentucky CME requirements
Continuing medical education and license renewal rules for clinicians licensed in Kentucky, 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
- Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure
- License renewal
- Every 1 year
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.
Board-approved course required At least one topic must come from a course the board has approved, and a general CME course may not count. Check the board’s approved list before you buy.
- Total hours
- 60 hours every 3 years, with at least 30 in Category 1 or the equivalent
- License renewal
- Every 1 year
Required topics
| Topic | Hours | How often | Applies to | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opioid & controlled-substance prescribing | 4.5 | Every cycle | DEA registrants Board-approved course required | KASPER, pain management, addiction disorders |
| HIV/AIDS | 2 | Every cycle | Everyone | HIV/AIDS, every 10 years (confirm) |
| Domestic violence | 3 | Every cycle | Everyone | One-time within first 3 years of licensure (confirm) |
Notes. 60 hours per 3 years, at least 30 Category 1. Also a one-time pediatric abusive head trauma hour for some licensees. Details need confirming.
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.
Board-approved course required At least one topic must come from a course the board has approved, and a general CME course may not count. Check the board’s approved list before you buy.
- Total hours
- 60 hours every 3 years, with at least 30 in Category 1 or the equivalent
- License renewal
- Every 1 year
Required topics
| Topic | Hours | How often | Applies to | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opioid & controlled-substance prescribing | 4.5 | Every cycle | DEA registrants Board-approved course required | KASPER, pain management, addiction disorders |
| HIV/AIDS | 2 | Every cycle | Everyone | HIV/AIDS, every 10 years (confirm) |
| Domestic violence | 3 | Every cycle | Everyone | One-time within first 3 years of licensure (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
- 5 hours every year
- License renewal
- Every 1 year
Required topics
| Topic | Hours | How often | Applies to | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmacology | 5 | Every cycle | Everyone | Annual; 5 contact hours in pharmacology each Nov 1 to Oct 31 |
| Pain management | 3 | Every cycle | DEA registrants | Of the 5 pharmacology hours, 3 must be pain management or addiction disorders for APRNs with a DEA registration and a KASPER account |
| Alzheimer's / dementia | 1 | Every cycle | Everyone | One-time, all nurses; actively licensed as of 7/15/2024 must finish by 10/31/2027 (separate page, kbn.ky.gov Content-Specific CE) |
Notes. Kentucky APRN CE is annual (Nov 1 to Oct 31): at least 5 pharmacology contact hours per year; APRN national certification satisfies the 14-hour RN requirement. APRNs authorized to certify medicinal cannabis need 3 additional hours per year (no matching topic key).
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. 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
- 100 hours every 2 years
- License renewal
- Every 1 year
Required topics
| Topic | Hours | How often | Applies to | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opioid & controlled-substance prescribing | 7.5 | Every cycle | DEA registrants | Controlled substance diversion, pain management, addiction disorders or KASPER; only if authorized to prescribe or administer controlled substances, counted within the 100 |
| Child abuse recognition | 1.5 | Every cycle | Everyone | Pediatric abusive head trauma, within first two years of licensure; counts toward the 100 |
Notes. 201 KAR 9:360: 100 hours per 2-year cycle approved by AMA, AOA, AAFP, AAPA or board. 12 hours addiction medicine if authorized for buprenorphine products. Regulation title also covers Alzheimer's and other dementia content (hours not read). Confirm with the board.
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
- 5 hours every year
- License renewal
- Every 1 year
Required topics
| Topic | Hours | How often | Applies to | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmacology | 5 | Every cycle | Everyone | Annual; 5 contact hours in pharmacology each Nov 1 to Oct 31 |
| Pain management | 3 | Every cycle | DEA registrants | Of the 5 pharmacology hours, 3 must be pain management or addiction disorders for APRNs with a DEA registration and a KASPER account |
| Alzheimer's / dementia | 1 | Every cycle | Everyone | One-time, all nurses; actively licensed as of 7/15/2024 must finish by 10/31/2027 (separate page, kbn.ky.gov Content-Specific CE) |
Notes. Kentucky APRN CE is annual (Nov 1 to Oct 31): at least 5 pharmacology contact hours per year; APRN national certification satisfies the 14-hour RN requirement. APRNs authorized to certify medicinal cannabis need 3 additional hours per year (no matching topic key). Applies to all APRN roles including CRNAs under the Kentucky Board of Nursing APRN page.
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 1 year
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 and BYU lists show Kentucky as a state where anesthesiologist assistants work, and a search summary of KRS 311.840 to 311.862 indicates Kentucky regulates them through the Board of Medical Licensure's physician assistant framework (a PA practicing as an anesthesiology assistant) rather than a separate AA license. CE hours were not found.
Plan this renewal
Use the free opioid CME planner to see the controlled-substance rules for Kentucky 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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