How many CME hours do Kansas physicians need?
Kansas physicians must complete 50 CME credits in the 18 months immediately preceding their license renewal date. Of those 50 credits, at least 20 must be Category I (formal structured educational activities) and at least 1 must be Category III (an activity covering pain management, opioid prescribing, or the K-TRACS prescription monitoring program). The remaining credits may be Category II (informal health-related activities). Physicians who missed prior renewal cycles may alternatively certify 100 credits over the preceding 30 months or 150 credits over the preceding 42 months, each with proportionally scaled minimums. Physicians renewing for the first time after initial Kansas licensure are fully exempt from the CME certification requirement.
What is Category III CE and how do I satisfy it?
Category III is Kansas's designation for CME that addresses acute or chronic pain management, appropriate opioid prescribing, or use of a prescription drug monitoring program — specifically K-TRACS, Kansas's PDMP. To qualify as Category III, an activity must be delivered in an internet or live format and must also meet all the standards for Category I or Category II credit. One Category III hour per 18-month cycle is required for every Kansas physician. These hours count within the overall 50-hour total — they are not additive. Most ACCME-accredited courses targeting opioid prescribing or pain management, delivered online or in-person, will qualify as Category III as long as the provider designates them appropriately.
When does my Kansas medical license renew?
Kansas license renewal depends on your branch of practice. Licenses to practice medicine and surgery (MD) expire on June 30 of each year. Licenses to practice osteopathic medicine and surgery (DO) expire on September 30 of each year. Both renew annually. The Kansas State Board of Healing Arts sends renewal notices at least 30 days before the expiration date by mail to the licensee's address of record. The 18-month CME lookback window is measured backward from your specific renewal date — not from a fixed calendar date.
What happens if I am audited?
The Kansas State Board of Healing Arts may audit any licensee who certifies CME completion on their renewal application. The board sends a written request and the licensee must respond with documentation within 30 days. Acceptable documentation includes either a verification of completion from an organization with standards at least as stringent as the board's, or a copy of written materials from the activity together with the sponsor's name and contact information, the activity title, date and location, delivery method, hours completed, agenda, presenter biographical information, and written proof of attendance. For Category II activities, a list of each activity with its date, description, and hours claimed is also required. Physicians must retain all CME documentation for at least four years after the date the continuing education was certified to the board.
Are there any mandatory CME topics beyond pain management?
No. Beyond the 1-hour Category III requirement covering pain management, opioid prescribing, or the K-TRACS PDMP, Kansas physicians face no state-mandated CME topics under K.A.R. Article 100-15 or K.S.A. Chapter 65 Article 28. There is no required implicit bias, domestic violence, human trafficking, dementia, suicide prevention, or ethics CME. A 'Professional Boundaries' mandate sometimes listed on third-party aggregator sites was verified against K.A.R. Agency 100 and 2023–24 Kansas Session Laws in April 2026 and does not exist in primary-source Kansas law. The federal MATE Act requires an 8-hour one-time training for DEA-registered prescribers, but this is a federal obligation, not a Kansas state CME requirement.
Do Kansas MDs and DOs have different CME requirements?
No. Kansas does not maintain a separate osteopathic licensing board — DOs and MDs are both licensed by the Kansas State Board of Healing Arts and subject to the same CME requirements (50 hours per renewal cycle).