Alaska State Medical Board · MD

50 hours. Every two years. Tied to your license expiration.

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

Updated April 2026Sourced from ASMB~7 min read

Reviewed by Doug Doehrman, MD · Last reviewed April 17, 2026

Mandatory topics

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

Opioid / controlled substances[1]
2 hrs
Biennial
At least 2 of the 50 required hours must cover pain management and opioid use and addiction. Universal requirement, but the Board's FAQ explicitly waives it for licensees who certify they do not hold a valid federal DEA registration (see exemptions). These 2 hours count toward (not on top of) the 50-hour total.
View sourceVerbatim from source
“of the continuing medical education hours required under (1) of this subsection, at least two hours must be specific to pain management and opioid use and addiction.”
12 AAC 40.200(a)(2)See source [1] in Primary Sources
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Accepted credit

Credit must come from an organization accredited by the ACCME, AMA, Alaska 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
AMA PRA Category 1 Credit from ACCME-accredited providers. Courses must be category 1 of AMA-approved education.Source12 AAC 40.200(b)(1)[1]
AOA Category 1-A
DOs only
Category 1 or 2 of AOA-approved education — includes Category 1-A.Source12 AAC 40.200(b)(2)[1]
AOA Category 2
DOs only
AOA Category 2 credit explicitly accepted.Source12 AAC 40.200(b)(2)[1]
Board-approved credit
CPME-approved credit (for podiatrists). Equivalency pathways under 12 AAC 40.210 — residency participation, initial board certification/recertification, or current AMA/AOA Physician's Recognition Award — may satisfy the requirement in full.Source12 AAC 40.200(b)(3)[1]
ABMS Maintenance of Certification
Board certification or recertification by an AMA- or AOA-recognized specialty board during the licensing period treated as equivalent.Source12 AAC 40.210[1]
Documentation & audit

Random computer-generated audits are conducted after renewal.[2] Licensees must retain CME documentation for at least four years.[2]

Waivers & exemptions

Physicians renewing in 'Retired' status are not required to complete the 50-hour CME requirement. Reactivating a retired-status license later does require 50 hours of CME earned within the two years immediately before the reactivation application.[1]

Physicians without an active DEA registration may request a waiver of the 2-hour pain management and opioid education requirement until they apply for a DEA number.[2][1]

The board may grant an extension of time for licensees unable to meet CME due to illness, disability, family emergency, or active military duty.[2] Extenuating circumstances include debilitating or long-term personal or immediate-family illness or injury.

Newly licensed physicians have a prorated first cycle. A physician first issued a license on or after January 1 of the second year of the biennium only needs to attest to the 2-hour pain management and opioid requirement at the first renewal, not the full 50 hours.[1]

FAQ
How many CME hours do Alaska physicians need?
Alaska physicians need 50 hours of approved continuing medical education per biennial renewal cycle.[2] The regulation expresses this as "an average of 25 credit hours... during each year of the previous license period," which works out to 50 hours across the two-year cycle.[1] At least two of those hours must specifically address pain management and opioid use and addiction for any physician who holds a federal DEA registration.[2] The same 50-hour total applies to MDs, DOs, and podiatrists, all of whom are regulated by the Alaska State Medical Board under a single CME rule.
Are there mandatory CME topics in Alaska?
Yes, but only one. Alaska requires at least two hours of education in pain management and opioid use and addiction per biennial cycle.[2] The requirement applies to any licensee who holds a DEA registration. Physicians without an active DEA number can check a waiver box on the renewal form certifying that fact, which suspends the two-hour rule until they later apply for a DEA registration.[1] Beyond this single content area, Alaska does not mandate specific topics. There are no separate ethics, cultural competency, or suicide-prevention hours.
Where can I check my Alaska medical license renewal date?
Every Alaska physician license expires on the same day: December 31 of even-numbered years.[1] You can verify your current status, expiration date, and any open conditions through the Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing public license search, or by logging into the MY LICENSE self-service portal that the division uses for renewals. The board mails or emails one renewal notice at least 30 days before expiration, but failure to receive that notice does not extend the deadline. The responsibility to renew on time is on the licensee, and there is no grace period after December 31.
Does an Alaska physician without a DEA registration still have to take opioid CME?
No, not while they remain without DEA registration. The two-hour pain management and opioid education requirement is waived on request for any licensee who certifies on the renewal form that they do not currently hold a valid federal DEA registration.[2][1] The renewal application includes a dedicated checkbox for this waiver. The moment a physician applies for a DEA number, however, the two-hour requirement takes effect and must be satisfied in the cycle in which the DEA registration becomes active.
Do Alaska residents and board-certified physicians get any CME credit without taking courses?
Yes. Alaska regulation treats several activities as equivalent to the Category 1 CME requirement in full.[2] Participation in an accredited residency program during the licensing period counts, as does initial board certification or recertification by an AMA- or AOA-recognized specialty board during the period, and holding a current Physician's Recognition Award from the AMA or AOA. Any of these pathways can substitute for the 50-hour obligation entirely, which is particularly useful for residents holding an active Alaska license and for physicians who happen to recertify during an even-year renewal window.
Do Alaska MDs and DOs have different CME requirements?
No. Alaska does not maintain a separate osteopathic licensing board — DOs and MDs are both licensed by the Alaska State Medical Board and subject to the same CME requirements (50 hours per renewal cycle).[2]

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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. Frequently Asked Questions — Alaska State Medical Board
    Primary sourceAccessed 2026-04-21
    Show verbatim text
    “Alaska law requires an average of 25 hours of Category I AMA- or AOA-or CPMR approved continuing education hours for each year of the licensing period (two-year licensing cycle). Of which 2 hours must be related to opioid education. At the time of renewal, the licensee must attest to compliance with the CME requirements.”ASMB FAQ
    “of the continuing medical education hours required under (1) of this subsection, at least two hours must be specific to pain management and opioid use and addiction.”12 AAC 40.200(a)(2) · Effective 2017-07-26
  2. 12 AAC 40.200 — Continuing Medical Education Requirements (ASMB Medical Statutes and Regulations, April 2025)
    Primary sourceAccessed 2026-04-19
    Show verbatim text
    “As a condition of license renewal, each physician, osteopath, or podiatrist must document satisfactory completion of continuing medical education as follows: (1) at least 50 hours of continuing medical education for each biennial period; and (2) of the continuing medical education hours required under (1) of this subsection, at least two hours must be specific to pain management and opioid use and addiction.”12 AAC 40.200

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 Alaska State Medical Board, 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's medical board before relying on any information presented here.

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