25 hours. Every year. On the calendar year.
Compiled by Atlas CME from official board sources · Last updated July 4, 2026
For Podiatrists, 25 hours is the total CME requirement. North Carolina also names specific topics that must be covered, and each one is listed below.
“The Board shall notify all podiatrists that 25 hours of continuing education are required annually, including one hour of controlled substances prescribing practices.”
| Credit system | Notes |
|---|---|
Category 1 (Live In-Person) 20–25 hrs | live, in-person seminars by the NC Foot & Ankle Society (NCF&AS); educational events from CPME-approved sponsors; lectures given by podiatrists. Limited to live in-person educational seminars.Sourcehttps://ncbpe.org/NCBPE/Content/CME_Approval_Process.aspx[1] |
Category 2 (Online / Journal / AMA / AOA) 0–5 hrs | courses approved by AMA or AOA; NC AHEC programs; online or medical journal courses approved by CPME.Sourcehttps://ncbpe.org/NCBPE/Content/CME_Approval_Process.aspx[1] |
Cycle framing divergence: N.C. Gen. Stat. § 90-202.11 caps required study at 25 hours in any calendar year, while the Board's CME approval page describes the operational renewal period as July 1-June 30. Atlas tracks the statutory calendar-year basis for the CE period and notes the June 30 renewal deadline separately.
A licensed podiatrist participating in the second or third year of a medical residency or fellowship may submit a letter signed by the residency or fellowship director; this shall substitute for the 25-credit hour requirement and CME certificate.
Hardship waivers available for certified illness, medical conditions, natural disasters, or undue hardship. The Board may issue a conditional license with a maximum 24-month completion deadline.
Atlas CME tracks your hours, maps them to your state requirements, and reminds you before the end of the calendar year.
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.
“The Board shall notify all podiatrists that 25 hours of continuing education are required annually, including one hour of controlled substances prescribing practices.”N.C. Gen. Stat. § 90-202.11 / NCBPE CME Approval Policy.