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You got licensed through the Compact. Your CME did not come with it.

The Interstate Medical Licensure Compact is an expedited licensing pathway. Once a Compact licence is issued it is an ordinary licence from that state's own board — and that board sets its own renewal cycle, hour totals and mandated topics. Nothing about continuing education is consolidated, waived or coordinated by the Compact.

What that means in practice: across the 51 US jurisdictions there are 4 different renewal cadences (4 on a 1-year cycle, 38 on a 2-year cycle, 8 on a 3-year cycle, 1 on a 4-year cycle). 40 have a controlled-substance or opioid CME mandate and 11 do not — and 7 will not accept a general accredited course at all — see exactly what each of those seven demands (Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah, West Virginia). Hold licences in several and you are tracking all of that at once.

Not affiliated with the IMLCC. Interstate Medicine is an independent CME planning tool, not connected to, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact Commission. The Compact's member roster changes, so the table below covers every US jurisdiction rather than a snapshot of membership — confirm current participation at imlcc.com.

What each jurisdiction actually requires

Compiled from each board's own rule text and citation. Every row links to the full state page, including advanced practice providers.

Jurisdiction	Total CME	Cycle	Controlled-substance / opioid mandate	Board-approved course required
Alabama	25 / year	1 yr	2 hrs every 2 yrs — controlled-substance prescribing, abuse recognition, chronic pain.	No
Alaska	50 / 2 yr (Cat 1)	2 yr	2 hrs every 2 yrs — pain management and opioid use/addiction. Trigger: DEA registrants.	No
Arizona	40 / 2 yr	2 yr	3 hrs per cycle — opioid-, SUD-, or addiction-related. Trigger: DEA registrants.	No
Arkansas	20 / year (>=10 Cat 1)	1 yr	1 hr/yr - opioid & benzodiazepine prescribing (counts toward the 20-hr annual total).	No
California	50 / 2 yr	2 yr	12 hrs one-time (by 2nd renewal / within 4 yrs) — pain management and care of the terminally ill, incl.	No
Colorado	30 / 24 mo	2 yr	2 hrs per cycle — best-practice opioid prescribing, SUD recognition, referral, PDMP.	No
Connecticut	50 / 2 yr	2 yr	2 hrs first renewal + every 6 yrs — behavioral health (may include SUD).	No
Delaware	40 / 2 yr (Cat I)	2 yr	2 hrs every 2 yrs — controlled-substance prescribing / chronic pain. Trigger: all.	No
District of Columbia	50 / 2 yr	2 yr	No opioid-specific mandate.	No
Florida	40 / 2 yr	2 yr	2 hrs every 2 yrs — prescribing controlled substances (sickle-cell pain content added eff.	No
Georgia	40 / 2 yr	2 yr	3 hrs one-time (next renewal) — responsible opioid prescribing (+20 hrs if ≥50% pain patients).	No
Hawaii	100 / 2 yr (40 Cat 1 + 60 Cat 2, or 100 Cat 1)	2 yr	No opioid-specific mandate. Federal MATE Act (8 hrs one-time) only.	No
Idaho	40 / 2 yr (Cat 1)	2 yr	No opioid-specific mandate. Federal MATE Act (8 hrs one-time) only.	No
Illinois	150 / 3 yr (min 60 Cat 1)	3 yr	1 hr per renewal cycle (eff 1/1/2025) - safe opioid prescribing (counts toward the 150-hr total).	No
Indiana	None (no general CME mandate)	2 yr	No opioid-specific mandate; no general CME mandate. Federal MATE Act (8 hrs one-time) only.	No
Iowa	40 / 2 yr	2 yr	2 hrs every 5 yrs — CDC guideline for prescribing opioids for chronic pain.	No
Kansas	50 / yr (20 Cat I + 1 Cat III min)	1 yr	1 hr/yr (1–3 per cycle) — pain management, opioid prescribing, or PDMP use. Trigger: all.	No
Kentucky	60 / 3 yr (30 Cat I)	3 yr	4.	Yes
Louisiana	20 / year (Cat 1)	1 yr	3 hrs one-time (before first renewal) — best-practice CDS prescribing, drug diversion, addiction treatment, chronic pain (single curriculum, all four topics).	Yes
Maine	40 / 2 yr (Cat 1)	2 yr	3 hrs every 2 yrs — prescribing of opioid medication. Trigger: prescribes controlled substances.	No
Maryland	50 / 2 yr (25 Cat 1)	2 yr	2 hrs one-time at CDS registration — prescribing/dispensing controlled substances. Trigger: CDS applicants.	No
Massachusetts	50 / 2 yr (current board practice; regulation text says 100)	2 yr	3 credits per 2-yr cycle — opioid education and pain management (also count toward the 10 risk-management credits).	Yes
Michigan	150 / 3 yr (75 Cat 1)	3 yr	3 hrs every 3 yrs — pain & symptom management (DO: also 1 hr controlled-substance). Trigger: all.	No
Minnesota	75 / 3 yr	3 yr	No opioid-specific mandate. Federal MATE Act (8 hrs one-time) only.	No
Mississippi	40 / 2 yr (Cat 1)	2 yr	5 hrs every 2 yrs — prescribing medications, emphasis on controlled substances. Trigger: DEA registrants.	No
Missouri	50 / 2 yr	2 yr	No opioid-specific mandate. Federal MATE Act (8 hrs one-time) only.	No
Montana	None (no CME required)	2 yr	No opioid-specific mandate; no general CME mandate. Federal MATE Act (8 hrs one-time) only.	No
Nebraska	50 / 2 yr	2 yr	3 hrs every 2 yrs (≥0.5 hr on the Nebraska PDMP) — opioids. Trigger: all CS prescribers.	No
Nevada	40 / 2 yr (20 in specialty)	2 yr	2 hrs per biennium — misuse/abuse of CS, opioid prescribing, or addiction. Trigger: MDs registered to dispense CS.	No
New Hampshire	100 / 2 yr (40 Cat I / 60 Cat II)	2 yr	3 hrs every 2 yrs — pain management and addiction disorder. Trigger: DEA-holding PDMP registrants.	No
New Jersey	100 / 2 yr (40 Cat I)	2 yr	1 credit per biennium — responsible/safe opioid prescribing, alternatives, abuse signs. Trigger: all MD/DO.	No
New Mexico	75 / 3 yr	3 yr	5 hrs one-time in first year (+5 of 75 hrs each cycle) — pain management / safe CS prescribing.	No
New York	None (no general CME hours)	2 yr	≥3 hrs every 3 yrs — pain management, palliative care, and addiction.	No
North Carolina	60 / 3 yr (Cat 1)	3 yr	3 hrs Cat 1 every 3-yr cycle — controlled-substance prescribing practices incl.	No
North Dakota	40 / 2 yr	2 yr	No opioid-specific mandate. Federal MATE Act (8 hrs one-time) only.	No
Ohio	50 / 2 yr (all Cat 1)	2 yr	No general opioid mandate for ordinary MD/DO renewal.	No
Oklahoma	60 / 3 yr (Cat I)	3 yr	≥1 hr/yr — pain management OR opioid use/addiction.	No
Oregon	60 / 2 yr	2 yr	1 hr / 2 yrs — the Oregon Pain Management Commission (OPMC) pain-management module (specific mandated course).	Yes
Pennsylvania	100 / 2 yr (20 Cat 1)	2 yr	2 hrs per biennium — pain management, addiction ID, or opioid prescribing/dispensing (initial: 2+2 within 12 mo).	No
Rhode Island	40 / 2 yr	2 yr	One-time 8 hrs Cat 1 for Schedule-II-opioid prescribers (216-RICR-20-20-4 4.	No
South Carolina	40 / 2 yr (Cat 1)	2 yr	2 hrs per biennium — safe prescribing/monitoring of Schedule II–IV CS.	No
South Dakota	None (no CME required)	2 yr	No opioid/CS mandate; no general CME mandate. Federal MATE Act (8 hrs one-time) only.	No
Tennessee	40 / 2 yr (Cat 1)	2 yr	2 hrs per 2-yr cycle — controlled-substance prescribing.	Yes
Texas	48 / 2 yr (24 formal Cat 1)	2 yr	≥2 hrs — safe/effective pain management re: prescribing opioids & other CS.	No
Utah	40 / 2 yr (34 Cat 1)	2 yr	3.	Yes
Vermont	30 / 2 yr	2 yr	2 hrs per 2 yrs — prescribing CS (DEA holders) + 1 hr palliative/hospice/pain (all licensees).	No
Virginia	30 / 2 yr (all Type 1)	2 yr	No standalone opioid/CS CME mandate currently in force (former mandate removed).	No
Washington	200 / 4 yr	4 yr	One-time ≥1 hr — best practices in opioid prescribing (or the WAC ch.	No
West Virginia	50 / 2 yr (Cat I; 30 in specialty)	2 yr	3 hrs each 2-yr period — Board-approved 'Drug Diversion Training and Best-Practice Prescribing of CS.	Yes
Wisconsin	30 / 2 yr	2 yr	2 of 30 Cat 1 hrs per 2-yr cycle — prescribing opioids and other CS. Trigger: DEA-registered physicians.	No
Wyoming	60 / 3 yr	3 yr	1 hr per 2-yr cycle - responsible CS prescribing OR SUD treatment (Board of Medicine, W.	No

Provided for planning only — verify against your state board before relying on it. Totals shown are for physicians (MD/DO); APRN and PA requirements differ and appear on each state page.

Work out the fewest, best-timed courses

Select the states you're licensed in and when each renews. The planner maps every mandate against your actual cycles and schedules the smallest number of courses that keeps all of them satisfied — including the one-time federal DEA MATE Act requirement.

Open the free CME planner →

Common questions

Does the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact cover my CME requirements?

No. The Compact is an expedited pathway to obtaining a licence in a member state. Once issued, each licence is an ordinary licence from that state's own medical board, and that board sets its own CME requirements, renewal cycle and mandated topics. The Compact does not consolidate, waive or coordinate continuing education.

Do I need separate CME for each state licence?

Not usually separate courses — but you must satisfy each state separately. Most boards accept AMA PRA Category 1 credit from any ACCME-accredited provider, so one well-chosen activity can count toward several states at once. The exceptions are states that mandate a specific topic, and the five that require a board-approved or state-specific course.

Why don't my renewal dates line up?

Each board sets its own cycle independently. Across the 51 US jurisdictions: 4 on a 1-year cycle, 38 on a 2-year cycle, 8 on a 3-year cycle, 1 on a 4-year cycle. Two licences obtained on the same day can still renew in different years.

Which states won't accept a general accredited course?

7 jurisdictions require a board-approved or state-specific course for their controlled-substance requirement: Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah, West Virginia. A generic ACCME activity will not satisfy them, and physicians usually discover this at renewal.

What happens if CME slips in one state?

The obligation sits with the licensee — not with the Compact, an employer or a staffing agency. A lapse is addressed to you by that state's board, and it can affect the licence supporting your Compact eligibility.