Alabama Board of Medical Examiners · PA

50 hours. Every 2 years. Tied to your calendar year.

A source-verified guide to Alabama's CME requirements for PAs — hours, mandatory topics, audit rules, and exemptions.

Updated April 2026Sourced from ABME~5 min read

Compiled by Atlas CME from official board sources · Last updated April 17, 2026

Mandatory topics

For PAs, 50 hours is the total CME requirement. Alabama also requires a set of one-time topics that count toward the 50-hour total.

Professional Boundaries & Conduct[1]
2 hrs
One-time
All actively licensed PAs must complete the 2-hour 'Navigating Professional Boundaries in Medicine' course provided free by PBI Education. The original deadline was December 31, 2025. PAs licensed after that date must complete within 12 months of initial licensure.
View sourceVerbatim from source
“Beginning in 2025, all actively licensed physicians, physician assistants, and anesthesiologist assistants are required to complete the two-hour on-demand course provided to Alabama licenses for free by PBI Education entitled "Navigating Professional Boundaries in Medicine." The course must be completed by December 31, 2025.”
ALBME CME Requirements PageSee source [1] in Primary Sources
Atlas CME tracks each of these mandatory topics against your Alabama cycle automatically. Start tracking free →
Conditional requirements

These rules apply only when the trigger described under each card is met (for example, holding a state-issued controlled substance registration or treating a specific patient population). Each cites the underlying statute or rule directly.

ConditionalOpioid/Substance Use[1]
4 hrs
Biennial

PAs who hold a Qualified Alabama Controlled Substances Certificate (QACSC) to prescribe, administer, or authorize Schedule III-V controlled substances

View sourceVerbatim from source
“Obtain four AMA PRA Category 1 credits every two years through a”
ALBME CME Requirements Page — QACSC RenewalSee source [1] in Primary Sources
ConditionalCollaborative/Supervisory Practice CME[1]
Hrs vary
Custom

PAs in a registration agreement / supervisory practice with a physician

View sourceVerbatim from source
“In 2021, the Board added a requirement for collaborating/supervising physicians and assistants to physicians to obtain continuing medical education (CME) prescribed by the Board.”
ALBME CME Requirements Page — Collaborative/Supervisory Practices (extends effective date to Jan. 1, 2025 and look-back from 48 to 60 months); rule layer: Ala. Admin. Code r. 540-X-7-.16(6) (registration qualification) — "(6) Effective January 1, 2024, obtain continuing education prescribed by the Board of Medical Examiners regarding the rules and statutes governing supervised practice in Alabama, not more than forty-eight (48) months prior to or within twelve (12) months of registration to a physician." Rule text (last amended eff. Dec. 13, 2021) predates the board's announced extensions; the board page is the more recent enforcement statement and controls. Neither layer states an hour count, and the 60-month look-back supports the model here as a per-registration qualification rather than a recurring renewal cycle.See source [1] in Primary Sources
Accepted credit

Credit must come from an organization accredited by the ACCME, AMA, Alabama Medical Association, or AAFP. ACGME residency or fellowship time accrues toward the requirement. Teaching or presenting accredited CME can satisfy a portion of required hours.

Credit systemNotes
AMA PRA Category 1
Board-stated PA requirement is '50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits or equivalent every two years.' Credits from ACCME-accredited providers or Medical Association of the State of Alabama.SourceALBME CME Requirements Page FAQ[1]
AOA Category 1-A
AOA Category 1-A accepted as 'equivalent' to AMA PRA Category 1 per the Board's equivalence list.Sourcehttps://www.albme.gov/resources/licensees/continuing-medical-education/licensure-cme-requirement[1]
AAFP Prescribed
AAFP 'prescribed hour' credits accepted as equivalent.Sourcehttps://www.albme.gov/resources/licensees/continuing-medical-education/licensure-cme-requirement[1]
ABMS Maintenance of Certification
ABMS board certification and MoC process accepted as equivalent.SourceALBME CME Requirements Page's joint 'equivalent credits' FAQ. Note: this credit type is not listed in the PA-specific rule's own equivalence list (Ala. Admin. Code r. 540-X-7-.29(3)(a)-(f)) — the board page's FAQ is shared with the physician chapter, so confirm applicability with the Board if relying on this credit type specifically.[1]
AAPA Category 1
AAPA Category I CME Credits from organizations accredited by the Education Council of the American Academy of Physician Assistants.SourceAla. Admin. Code r. 540-X-7-.29(3)(e). Not listed on the board page's joint equivalence FAQ — the rule is the controlling PA-specific source.[2]
ACOG cognates and board-designated programs
ACOG-designated cognates; documented attendance at grand rounds; programs designated equivalent by the Alabama Board of Medical Examiners.SourceALBME CME Requirements Page's joint FAQ[1]
Advanced life support courses
max 2 hrs
Nationally recognized advanced life support/resuscitation certification courses not otherwise accredited for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit, for a maximum of two (2) Category 1 credits per course. Basic life support (BLS) courses are excluded. Effective January 1, 2014.SourceAla. Admin. Code r. 540-X-7-.29(3)(f).[2]
Documentation & audit

Physicians are responsible for retaining CME documentation and producing it on request. Requirements include course title, dates, hours, sponsoring organization, and accrediting body.

Waivers & exemptions

PAs who received their initial Alabama license during the current calendar year are exempt from the CME requirement for that year.[1]

PAs deployed in active U.S. military service are exempt for the calendar year of deployment.[1]

PAs who have applied for and received a Board-approved disability waiver are exempt.[1]

FAQ
How many CE hours do Alabama PAs need?
Alabama physician assistants must complete 50 hours of approved continuing medical education every two calendar years.[1][3] This biennial requirement took effect January 1, 2025, replacing the previous annual 25-hour requirement.[4] The change was made at the request of the Physician Assistant Advisory Committee to align with the national PA CME accreditation cycle. Credits cannot be rolled over from one biennial period to the next, so PAs need to track their hours carefully within each two-year window.
Are there mandatory CE topics for PAs in Alabama?
Alabama has targeted topic mandates rather than universal ones. PAs who hold a Qualified Alabama Controlled Substances Certificate (QACSC) must complete 4 Category 1 credits every two years in controlled substance prescribing and advanced pharmacology.[5] All actively licensed PAs must complete a one-time 2-hour course on professional boundaries in medicine.[1] Alabama SB 14 (2025) directed the Board to begin rulemaking by June 20, 2025 on a 1-hour-per-biennium nutrition and metabolic health CE requirement for PAs in family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, and OB/GYN; as of the October 2024 Admin Code revision no implementing rule has been published. PAs in the affected specialties should monitor the Board's rulemaking notices.
Where can I check my Alabama PA license renewal date?
The Alabama Board of Medical Examiners manages PA licensing through albme.gov.[3] PA licenses renew annually on or before January 1, even though the CME cycle is biennial. Renewal notices are sent to the address of record, but PAs are responsible for tracking their own deadlines. After February 1, late renewers must provide actual proof of CME credits earned in the preceding 24 months rather than simply certifying compliance.[3]

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Other roles in Alabama

Physician Assistants CME requirements in other states

Sources & Citations

Every mandatory topic and conditional requirement above cites the underlying statute or rule. Numbered references below correspond to the bracketed citations next to each requirement.

  1. Continuing Medical Education Requirements for Licensees -- Alabama Board of Medical Examiners
    Primary sourceAccessed 2026-04-16
    Show verbatim text
    “Assistants to Physicians must obtain fifty (50) AMA PRA Category 1 Credits or equivalent every two years. … You are exempt from the CME requirement if you: … Received your initial license this calendar year. Have applied for and received from the Board a disability waiver. … Are a member of any branch of the armed services of the United States and are deployed for military service; the exemption is for the calendar year in which you are deployed.”ALBME CME Requirements Page
    “Beginning in 2025, all actively licensed physicians, physician assistants, and anesthesiologist assistants are required to complete the two-hour on-demand course provided to Alabama licenses for free by PBI Education entitled "Navigating Professional Boundaries in Medicine." The course must be completed by December 31, 2025.”ALBME CME Requirements Page
    “Obtain four AMA PRA Category 1 credits every two years through a”ALBME CME Requirements Page — QACSC Renewal
    “In 2021, the Board added a requirement for collaborating/supervising physicians and assistants to physicians to obtain continuing medical education (CME) prescribed by the Board.”ALBME CME Requirements Page — Collaborative/Supervisory Practices (extends effective date to Jan. 1, 2025 and look-back from 48 to 60 months); rule layer: Ala. Admin. Code r. 540-X-7-.16(6) (registration qualification) — "(6) Effective January 1, 2024, obtain continuing education prescribed by the Board of Medical Examiners regarding the rules and statutes governing supervised practice in Alabama, not more than forty-eight (48) months prior to or within twelve (12) months of registration to a physician." Rule text (last amended eff. Dec. 13, 2021) predates the board's announced extensions; the board page is the more recent enforcement statement and controls. Neither layer states an hour count, and the 60-month look-back supports the model here as a per-registration qualification rather than a recurring renewal cycle.
  2. Alabama Administrative Code Rule 540-X-7-.29 — Continuing Medical Education, Physician Assistant (full rule text)
    Primary sourceAccessed 2026-07-02
    Show verbatim text
    “(1) Effective January 1, 2025, every two calendar years, each physician assistant licensed by the Board must earn not less than fifty (50) hours of AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ or the equivalent as defined in this rule of continuing medical education as a condition precedent to receiving his or her annual renewal of license, unless he or she is exempt from the minimum continuing medical education requirement.”Ala. Admin. Code r. 540-X-7-.29
  3. PA/AA License / Registration -- Alabama Board of Medical Examiners
    Primary sourceAccessed 2026-04-16
    Show verbatim text
    “Licenses are renewed annually on or before Dec. 31. 50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits or equivalent are required every 2 years. … Between Jan. 1 and Jan. 31, submit a completed application, pay the fee, and certify completion of the required CME credits. Feb. 1 and thereafter, submit a completed application, pay the fee, and submit proof of completion of the required CME credits earned within the preceding 24 months.”ALBME PA/AA Licensing Page
  4. Change to PA/AA CME Requirement -- Alabama Board of Medical Examiners
    Primary sourceAccessed 2026-04-16
    Show verbatim text
    “Beginning Jan. 1, 2025, the continuing medical education requirement for Physician Assistants and Anesthesiologist Assistants will change from obtaining 25 credits annually to obtaining 50 credits every two years. This change was made at the request of the Physician Assistant Advisory Committee due to PAs and AAs' national accreditation CME cycle being biennial.”ALBME Press Release — PA/AA CME Change
  5. QACSC Requirements -- Alabama Board of Medical Examiners
    Primary sourceAccessed 2026-04-16
    Show verbatim text
    “Obtain four AMA PRA Category 1 credits every two years through a Board-approved course regarding the prescribing of controlled substances. Have a current registration to access the Prescription Drug Monitoring Databank. Have a current Drug Enforcement Administration registration.”ALBME QACSC Requirements Page

This page is provided for general educational purposes and reflects the best available information as of the last reviewed date above. CME requirements change. Atlas CME is not affiliated with the Alabama Board of Medical Examiners, or any other state medical board, licensing authority, or professional organization. Physicians are solely responsible for verifying their own current CME requirements directly with their state medical board before relying on any information presented here.

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