Oklahoma Board of Medical Licensure and Supervision · PA

20 hours. Every year. Plus a mandatory substance abuse hour.

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

Updated April 2026Sourced from OBMLS~3 min read

Reviewed by Doug Doehrman, MD · Last reviewed April 21, 2026

Mandatory topics

For PAs, 20 hours is the total CME requirement. Oklahoma also requires a set of one-time topics that count toward the 20-hour total.

Opioid / controlled substances[1]
1 hr
Annual
1 hour of Category I CME per calendar year on the topic of substance abuse. Counts toward the 20-hour total, not in addition to it. Applied universally to PAs regardless of prescriptive authority.
View sourceVerbatim from source
“At least one (1) hour of Category I CME shall be earned each calendar year concerning the topic of substance abuse.”
OAC 435:15-3-17See source [1] in Primary Sources
Atlas CME tracks each of these mandatory topics against your Oklahoma cycle automatically. Start tracking free →
Accepted credit

Credit must come from an organization accredited by the ACCME, AMA, Oklahoma 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
AAPA Category 1
PAs only
AAPA Category 1 CME is the canonical NCCPA Category I credit. Oklahoma requires Category I CME.SourceOAC 435:15-3-17[1]
AMA PRA Category 1
AMA PRA Category 1 Credit from ACCME-accredited providers is standard NCCPA Category I content and qualifies under Oklahoma's Category I requirement.SourceOAC 435:15-3-17[1]
AOA Category 1-A
AOA Category 1 credit is standard NCCPA Category I content.SourceOAC 435:15-3-17[1]
Documentation & audit

Oklahoma PA CE is measured on a calendar year basis (January 1 – December 31), not tied to birth month or license expiration. PAs must complete 20 Category I hours by December 31 each year.[1] Governing statute: 59 O.S. § 519.8 (Annual Renewal of Physician Assistant Certificates).[2]

Waivers & exemptions

Newly licensed PAs are exempt from CME reporting until one year after licensure.

FAQ
How many CE hours do Oklahoma PAs need?
Oklahoma PAs must complete 20 hours of Category I continuing medical education every calendar year (January 1 through December 31).[1] This is an annual requirement — not biennial. All 20 hours must be Category I credit.
Are there mandatory CE topics for PAs in Oklahoma?
Yes. Oklahoma requires 1 hour per year of Category I CME on the topic of substance abuse.[1] This mandatory hour counts toward the 20-hour annual total, not in addition to it. It applies universally to PAs regardless of whether a PA holds prescriptive authority.
What happens if I miss the Oklahoma PA CE deadline?
If you do not complete the 20-hour requirement by December 31, you must complete 40 hours of Category I CME the following calendar year as a penalty.[1] The Board does not allow hours to carry forward — the catch-up obligation is double the normal annual requirement. Repeated non-compliance can jeopardize license renewal.
Do Oklahoma PAs need NCCPA certification to renew?
PAs must log hours with NCCPA for national certification maintenance, which is a separate framework from the state 20-hour annual CE requirement. Atlas CME was unable to retrieve the text of Oklahoma statute § 519.8 directly during scraping, so whether state law makes current NCCPA certification a condition of state licensure cannot be verified from primary Layer 1 text. PAs should assume NCCPA certification is a practical requirement (the Oklahoma Medical Board FAQ and okpa.org treat it as such) and confirm with the Board if there is any doubt.

Never miss a Oklahoma CME deadline.

Atlas CME tracks your hours, maps them to your state requirements, and reminds you before your the calendar year renewal.

Start tracking freeSee how it works

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. OAC § 435:15-3-17 — Oklahoma PA CME Requirements
    Primary sourceAccessed 2026-04-21
    Show verbatim text
    “Applicants initially licensed as a physician assistant will be exempt from reporting Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits until one year after licensure. … Renewal applicants must demonstrate at least twenty (20) hours of Category I CME hours during the preceding calendar year. … At least one (1) hour of Category I CME shall be earned each calendar year concerning the topic of substance abuse. … Applicants failing to meet requirements by December 31 cannot renew until deficiencies are corrected. In the following calendar year, they must obtain forty (40) hours of Category I CME.”OAC 435:15-3-17
    “At least one (1) hour of Category I CME shall be earned each calendar year concerning the topic of substance abuse.”OAC 435:15-3-17
  2. Oklahoma Statutes Title 59 § 519.8 — Annual Renewal of Physician Assistant Certificates
    Primary sourceAccessed 2026-04-21

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 Oklahoma Board of Medical Licensure and Supervision, 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.

Privacy policyTerms of serviceContact