A source-verified guide to Iowa's CME requirements for PAs — hours, mandatory topics, audit rules, and exemptions.
Compiled by Atlas CME from official board sources · Last updated April 17, 2026
Iowa has no state-mandated topic requirements beyond the 100-hour total.
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.
PAs who prescribed opioids during the renewal cycle
“A licensee who has prescribed opioids to a patient during the renewal cycle will complete a”
PAs who examine, attend, counsel, or treat children in Iowa
“examines, attends, counsels or treats children in Iowa will indicate on the renewal”
PAs who examine, attend, counsel, or treat dependent adults in Iowa
“who, in the course of employment responsibilities, examines, attends, counsels or treats adults in Iowa shall indicate on the renewal application completion of training in dependent adult abuse identification and reporting as required”
Credit must come from an organization accredited by the ACCME, AMA, Iowa 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 system | Notes |
|---|---|
AAPA Category 1 PAs onlymin 50 hrs | At least 50 of the 100 hours must be Category I. AAPA Category 1 is explicitly accepted toward this minimum.SourceIAC 481—782.3(2)a[1] |
AMA PRA Category 1 | AMA PRA Category 1 credit from ACCME-accredited providers counts toward the 50-hour Category I minimum.SourceIAC 481—782.3(2)a[1] |
AOA Category 1-A | AOA Council on CME credits accepted toward the Category I minimum.SourceIAC 481—782.3(2)a[1] |
AAFP Prescribed | AAFP Prescribed credit accepted toward the Category I minimum.SourceIAC 481—782.3(2)a[1] |
NCCPA Category 2 credits PAs onlymax 50 hrs | Up to 50 of the 100 biennial hours may come from NCCPA-accepted Category II sources.SourceIAC 481—782.3(2)b[1] |
Board-approved credit PAs only | Current NCCPA certification is an explicit alternative to documenting the 100-hour CE total — proof of certification satisfies the board's general CME requirement at audit or renewal.SourceIAC 481—782.3(2)c[1] |
PAs should retain CE certificates for at least 4 years.[6] A percentage of licensees are randomly audited after each renewal cycle.
First-time licensees are exempt from CE requirements for their initial license renewal period.[4]
Military service waiver available for mandatory reporter training requirements.
Extension or exemption from some or all CE requirements for documented physical or mental disability or illness.
Hardship waiver available at board discretion for significant hardship in meeting training requirements.
Atlas CME tracks your hours, maps them to your state requirements, and reminds you before your your license anniversary renewal.
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.
“A licensee who has prescribed opioids to a patient during the renewal cycle will complete a”IAC 481—782.3(2)d
“examines, attends, counsels or treats children in Iowa will indicate on the renewal”IAC 481—780.8(4)a (formerly 780.9(4)a). Re-verified 2026-07-03 (current IAC 6/24/26 ed.): TRIENNIAL cadence — 'section 232.69(3)“b” in the previous three years or condition(s) for waiver of this requirement as identified' — and HHS curriculum — 'The course(s) will be the curriculum provided by the department of health and human services.'
“The biennial license renewal period for a license to practice as a physician assistant shall begin on October 1 and end on September 30 two years later. … A licensee who, in the scope of professional practice or in the licensee's employment responsibilities, examines, attends, counsels or treats children in Iowa shall indicate on the renewal application completion of training in child abuse identification and reporting. … A licensee who, in the course of employment responsibilities, examines, attends, counsels or treats adults in Iowa shall indicate on the renewal application completion of training in dependent adult abuse identification and reporting. … The course(s) shall be the curriculum provided by the Iowa department of human services.”IAC 481-780.9
“who, in the course of employment responsibilities, examines, attends, counsels or treats adults in Iowa shall indicate on the renewal application completion of training in dependent adult abuse identification and reporting as required”IAC 481-780.9(4)(b) (now 481—780.8(4)b, current IAC 6/24/26 ed.) — 'of training in dependent adult abuse identification and reporting as required' (by Iowa Code section 235B.16(5)) + TRIENNIAL cadence 'in the previous three years or condition(s) for waiver of'
“The biennial continuing education compliance period will extend for a two-year period beginning on October 1 of each year and ending on September 30 two years later. Each biennium, each licensee will be required to complete a minimum of 100 hours of continuing education approved by the board. Licensees who complete continuing education hours in excess of the requirements for renewal may apply up to 50 percent of the required hours to the following renewal period. Licensees may apply a maximum of 50 hours from the previous renewal period.”IAC 481-782.2 · Effective 2025-06-18
“The licensee will complete a minimum of 50 hours of credit designated as Category I by the American Academy of Physician Assistants, the American Medical Association, the American Osteopathic Association Council on Continuing Medical Education, the American Academy of Family Physicians or other organizations accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME). … Licensees who maintain certification by the NCCPA may show proof of meeting the board's CME requirements by providing proof of current certification by the NCCPA for the time period being reviewed or audited.”IAC 481-782.3 · Effective 2024-07-03