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Arizona CME requirements 2026 rules for physicians, NPs, PAs, CRNAs and CAAs
Arizona regulates four clinician professions through different boards, each with its own continuing-education rules: physicians (MD/DO), nurse practitioners (APRN/NP), physician assistants (PA) and nurse anesthetists (CRNA). Anesthesiologist assistants (CAA) cannot practice in Arizona. Below, each profession's total hours, mandated topics, opioid/controlled-substance rule, and tracking, plus the one federal rule they share. Physician rules reviewed October 13, 2026.
Physicians (MD / DO)
Set by the Arizona Medical Board. Verified October 13, 2026.
General CME: 40 hours of qualifying CME every 2 years, not only Category 1 (A.A.C. R4-16-102). The osteopathic board sets its own rules.
Opioid / controlled substance
3 hours per cycle: opioid-, SUD-, or addiction-related. Trigger: DEA registrants.
✓ No board pre-approval needed: generic accredited CME counts.
All mandated CME topics
| Topic | Hours | Timing | Applies to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opioid / substance use disorder / addiction | 3 | per renewal | Schedule II / DEA prescribers |
Citation: A.R.S. §32-3248.02; A.A.C. R4-16-102
Nurse Practitioners (APRN / NP)
Set by the Arizona State Board of Nursing (AZBN), separate from the physician rules above, with its own hours and topics. Verified July 20, 2026.
General CE: No numeric general CE mandate. Continued competence via 960+ APRN practice hours in prior 5 years + current national certification/recertification. RN+APRN renew every 4 years by Apr 1 (R4-19-506).
Opioid / controlled substance
3 hours, every 4 years, for holders of controlled-substance prescriptive authority. A board-approved / state-specific course is required. Generic accredited credit may not count. Timing is built into the free multi-state planner.
All mandated CE topics
| Topic | Hours | Timing | Applies to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmacology / pharmacotherapeutics (prescriptive authority) | 45 contact hours | per cycle | prescribers |
| Opioid / controlled-substance prescribing | 3 | each renewal cycle (recurring) | APRNs authorized to prescribe Schedule II CS with valid DEA registration (profession-agnostic all-prescribers) |
Tracking: Self-report/attestation via AZBN Nurse Portal; audit. Not CE Broker.
Physician Assistants (PA)
Set by the Arizona Regulatory Board of Physician Assistants (AZPA), separate from the physician rules above, with its own hours and topics. Verified July 20, 2026.
General CE: 40 hours AMA PRA Category 1 per biennial renewal (AAPA/AMA/AOA or acceptable accreditor). Biennial on/before birthday.
Opioid / controlled substance
3 hours, every 2 years, for holders of controlled-substance prescriptive authority. Timing is built into the free multi-state planner.
All mandated CE topics
| Topic | Hours | Timing | Applies to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmacology / pharmacotherapeutics (prescriptive authority) | None | per cycle | prescribers |
| Opioid / controlled-substance prescribing | 3 | each cycle (recurring); counts toward the 40 Category 1 | PAs authorized to prescribe Schedule II CS with valid DEA registration (profession-agnostic) |
Tracking: Self-report/attestation to AZPA; audit (A.R.S. 32-2523).
Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA)
Set by the Arizona State Board of Nursing (AZBN), separate from the physician rules above, with its own hours and topics. Verified August 24, 2026.
General CE: Arizona imposes no general CE hour requirement on RNs or APRNs. R4-19-506 conditions APRN certificate renewal (any role, CRNA included: the rule expressly cross-references A.R.S. 32-1634.04 for CRNAs) on (a) evidence of current national certification/recertification and (b) 960 hours of practice in the role within the past 5 years or completion of an APRN program within 5 years. If the practice requirement is not met, the alternative pathway is 45 contact hours of advanced pharmacology + 45 contact hours related to the role + precepted clinical hours (300–1,000+ depending on time out of practice): a reactivation pathway, not a recurring CE mandate. The APRN certificate expires when the RN license (4-year cycle, renew by April 1) or the national certification expires, whichever is first (AZBN renewal FAQ). Separate SB1602 (2023) 'CRNA Dental Anesthesia Registration' (no fee; requires national anesthesia certification; 7-business-day incident reporting) is a registration, not a CE-bearing credential.
NBCRNA recertification is accepted in place of state CE. Maintaining NBCRNA certification is the state's competency mechanism: there is no state CE count to be 'in lieu of'. Current national certification/recertification is required for APRN-CRNA renewal (R4-19-506) and the certificate lapses if national certification lapses. NBCRNA CPC requirements therefore constitute the entire recurring education obligation, except the statutory 3-hour opioid CE for DEA-registered CRNAs. National layer: NBCRNA continued certification (4-year cycle: 60 Class A + 40 Class B credits, MAC Check).
Opioid / controlled substance
3 hours, every 4 years, for CRNAs who hold controlled-substance registration. Timing is built into the free multi-state planner.
All mandated CE topics
| Topic | Hours | Timing | Applies to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opioid / controlled-substance prescribing | 3 | each license renewal cycle (4-yr RN/APRN cycle), recurring; included as part of any other CE requirements | Statute applies to a health professional 'authorized under this title to prescribe schedule II controlled substances and who has a valid DEA registration number' or authorized to dispense CS. A CRNA who holds a valid DEA registration is treated by AZBN's renewal FAQ ('APRNs with active DEA licenses must complete a minimum of three hours') as subject; a CRNA without a DEA number is not. Ambiguity: CRNAs 'order' rather than 'prescribe' (32-1634.04(C)), so a strict reading could exempt them even with a DEA number. Confirm with AZBN. |
Tracking: Self-attestation via AZBN Nurse Portal at renewal; national certification verified; random audit. Arizona does not use CE Broker for nursing.
Anesthesiologist Assistants (CAA)
Not authorized to practice in Arizona. Verified August 24, 2026.
Certified anesthesiologist assistants cannot practice in Arizona: there is no CAA license, certification or physician-delegation pathway, so there are no state CE requirements to track here. No pending licensure bill was found as of August 2026. NCCAA certification requirements (50 CME hours every 2 years + the CDQ exam) still apply nationally.
Federal: DEA MATE Act (all professions)
One rule is the same for every profession on this page. Every DEA-registered prescriber (physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and any CRNA or CAA who holds a DEA registration) must complete a one-time 8-hour training on treating patients with opioid or other substance use disorders, as a condition of DEA registration/renewal (since June 27, 2023). It is federal and applies in every state, and it does not replace Arizona's recurring opioid/controlled-substance CME. A MATE-qualifying accredited course will usually still count toward your state general CME/CE total. How the MATE Act differs from state rules
Authority: MATE Act §1263, Consolidated Appropriations Act 2023 (21 U.S.C. §823).
Notes (physician data)
- No other special-topic CME for MDs. DO: same +24hr AOA Category 1-A distribution.
Pick your profession and all your states in the free planner and get one 5-year schedule that batches your opioid/controlled-substance CME so a single course covers as many licenses as possible.
This page summarizes Arizona board rules and statutes as of October 13, 2026 for five separately-regulated professions: physicians (MD/DO), nurse practitioners (APRNs), physician assistants (PAs), nurse anesthetists (CRNAs), and anesthesiologist assistants (CAAs). Each is governed by its own board and its hour totals and mandated topics differ. Never assume one profession's figures apply to another. Physician data is compiled from FSMB and state medical-board sources; APRN/PA data was validated against nursing- and PA/medical-board rules on July 20, 2026, with the opioid/controlled-substance timing structured on July 23, 2026; CRNA and CAA data was researched against nursing-board, medical-board and practice-act primary sources on August 24, 2026 (items the research could not pin to a primary source are marked “Confirm with the board”). This is educational information, not legal advice. Always verify current requirements with your own board before relying on them.