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Connecticut CME requirements 2026 rules for physicians, NPs, PAs, CRNAs and CAAs
Connecticut 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 Connecticut. 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 Connecticut Medical Examining Board. Verified October 13, 2026.
General CME: 50 hours every 2 years.
Opioid / controlled substance
No standalone opioid topic: controlled-substance prescribing and pain management are part of the 1-hour risk-management topic, due at the first renewal and at least every 6 years (Conn. Gen. Stat. §20-10b). Federal MATE Act (8 hours one-time) applies separately.
✓ No board pre-approval needed: generic ACCME Category 1 counts. The controlled-substance content sits inside the 1-hour risk-management topic, not a standalone opioid mandate.
All mandated CME topics
| Topic | Hours | Timing | Applies to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Infectious diseases (including HIV/AIDS) | 1 | 1st renewal then at least every 6 years | all |
| Risk management (including controlled-substance and opioid prescribing, and pain management) | 1 | 1st renewal then at least every 6 years | all |
| Sexual assault | 1 | 1st renewal then at least every 6 years | all |
| Domestic violence | 1 | 1st renewal then at least every 6 years | all |
| Cultural competency (including implicit bias, systemic racism and transgender care) | 1 | 1st renewal then at least every 6 years | all |
| Behavioral health (option to satisfy via suicide prevention / dementia / veterans MH) | 1 | 1st renewal then at least every 6 years | all |
Citation: Conn. Gen. Stat. §20-10b
Nurse Practitioners (APRN / NP)
Set by the Connecticut DPH (APRN licensure; Board of Examiners for Nursing), separate from the physician rules above, with its own hours and topics. Verified July 20, 2026.
General CE: Minimum 50 contact hours per 24 months. Must include 1 hour each: infectious disease (including AIDS/HIV), risk management, sexual assault, domestic violence, cultural competency, substance abuse; plus at least 5 hours pharmacotherapeutics. First renewal exempt.
Opioid / controlled substance
1 hour, every 2 years, for every APRN in the state. Timing is built into the free multi-state planner.
All mandated CE topics
| Topic | Hours | Timing | Applies to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmacology / pharmacotherapeutics (prescriptive authority) | 5 contact hours | per cycle | prescribers |
| Opioid / controlled-substance prescribing | 1 | each 24-month CE period (ongoing) | all APRNs (holding prescriptive authority) |
| Veterans mental health / PTSD, suicide risk & prevention, depression, grief | 2 | first CE renewal, then at least once every 6 years (effective 1/1/2016) | all APRNs |
| Cultural competency | 1 | each 24-month cycle | all APRNs |
| Sexual assault | 1 | each 24-month cycle | all APRNs |
| Domestic violence | 1 | each 24-month cycle | all APRNs |
| Risk management | 1 | each 24-month cycle | all APRNs |
| Infectious diseases (including AIDS/HIV) | 1 | each 24-month cycle | all APRNs |
Tracking: Self-report/attestation at renewal; retain records at least 3 years, produce within 45 days; audit. No CE Broker.
Physician Assistants (PA)
Set by the Connecticut DPH (PA licensure; CT Medical Examining Board), separate from the physician rules above, with its own hours and topics. Verified October 19, 2026.
General CE: CT sets no own numeric total; PAs must meet/maintain NCCPA CME (100 hours per 2 years) + any NCCPA exam. Renewed annually during birth month.
Opioid / controlled substance
1 hour, every 2 years, for every PA in the state. Timing is built into the free multi-state planner.
All mandated CE topics
| Topic | Hours | Timing | Applies to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmacology / pharmacotherapeutics (prescriptive authority) | Covered by the opioid row | the 1 hour on prescribing controlled substances and pain management (CGS 20-12j) | prescribers |
| Opioid / controlled-substance prescribing | 1 | At least 1 hour in preceding 2 years (ongoing) | all licensed PAs (prescribers) |
| Mental health / PTSD, suicide risk, depression & grief, suicide prevention | 2 | first CE renewal (effective 1/1/2022), then at least once every 6 years | all licensed PAs |
Tracking: Attestation at renewal; retain records at least 3 years, produce within 45 days; audit. No CE Broker.
Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA)
Set by the Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH): APRN licensure (with Board of Examiners for Nursing), separate from the physician rules above, with its own hours and topics. Verified August 24, 2026.
General CE: 'A minimum of fifty contact hours of continuing education within the preceding twenty-four-month period' with mandated content (below). First-time renewal exempt; non-practice exemption and medical waiver available; up to 10 hours waived for service on the Board of Examiners for Nursing. License renews annually; CE measured over 24 months.
State CE is owed in addition to NBCRNA. CGS §20-94d contains no provision allowing national certification (NBCRNA CPC) to satisfy the 50-hour requirement. Maintaining nurse-anesthetist certification is a license condition (§20-94a/§20-87a) but the state hours are additional. NBCRNA CPC Class A credits from ANCC/AANA-accredited providers generally qualify as acceptable CE activities under §20-94d(b). National layer: NBCRNA continued certification (4-year cycle: 60 Class A + 40 Class B credits, MAC Check).
Opioid / controlled substance
1 hour, every 2 years, for every CRNA in the state. Timing is built into the free multi-state planner.
All mandated CE topics
| Topic | Hours | Timing | Applies to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmacology / pharmacotherapeutics | 5 | per cycle | All CT APRNs including CRNAs: the statute attaches the hours to the APRN license, not to a prescriptive-authority endorsement (all CT APRNs, including nurse anesthetists, have prescriptive authority under §20-94b). |
| Opioid / controlled-substance prescribing | 1 | each 24-month CE period | All APRNs incl. CRNAs: the 1-hour substance-abuse topic must include 'prescribing controlled substances and pain management'. federal (not state): DEA MATE Act one-time 8-hour SUD training applies only to CRNAs who personally hold a DEA registration. |
| Infectious diseases (incl. AIDS/HIV) | 1 | per cycle | all APRNs incl. CRNAs |
| Risk management | 1 | per cycle | all APRNs incl. CRNAs |
| Sexual assault | 1 | per cycle | all APRNs incl. CRNAs |
| Domestic violence | 1 | per cycle | all APRNs incl. CRNAs |
| Cultural competency | 1 | per cycle | all APRNs incl. CRNAs |
| Mental health conditions common to veterans (PTSD, suicide risk, depression, grief) | 2 | first renewal after 1/1/2016, then at least once every 6 years | all APRNs incl. CRNAs |
Tracking: Attestation at annual renewal; retain records at least 3 years; produce within 45 days of DPH request; random audit. No CE Broker.
Anesthesiologist Assistants (CAA)
Not authorized to practice in Connecticut. Verified August 24, 2026.
Certified anesthesiologist assistants cannot practice in Connecticut: 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. 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)
- CT folds opioid/pain into risk management; no standalone opioid statute. Suicide/dementia are optional ways to meet behavioral health, not standalone mandates.
Common questions about Connecticut CME
How many CME hours does Connecticut require for physicians?
Connecticut requires 50 / 2 years of continuing medical education (Conn. Gen. Stat. §20-10b). 50 hours every 2 years.
Does Connecticut require opioid or controlled-substance CME?
Connecticut does not currently mandate a recurring opioid/controlled-substance CME topic for all physicians. No standalone opioid topic: controlled-substance prescribing and pain management are part of the 1-hour risk-management topic, due at the first renewal and at least every 6 years (Conn. Gen. Stat. §20-10b). Federal MATE Act (8 hours one-time) applies separately.
Does my opioid CME course need Connecticut board approval?
No board pre-approval: generic ACCME Category 1 counts. The controlled-substance content sits inside the 1-hour risk-management topic, not a standalone opioid mandate.
How is CME tracked in Connecticut?
Connecticut tracking: Self-report (attest at renewal). Board: Connecticut Medical Examining Board.
Do nurse practitioners and physician assistants have different CME requirements in Connecticut?
Yes. In Connecticut, nurse practitioners (APRNs) are licensed by the board of nursing and physician assistants (PAs) by the PA/medical board, each setting its own CE hours and mandated topics. These differ from the physician (MD/DO) figures. The federal DEA MATE Act and most state opioid/controlled-substance prescribing CME still apply to APRNs and PAs who hold a DEA registration. See the profession-specific sections on this page.
What are the CME requirements for CRNAs and anesthesiologist assistants in Connecticut?
CRNAs in Connecticut are regulated by the Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH): APRN licensure (with Board of Examiners for Nursing) and must also maintain NBCRNA certification (a 4-year cycle of 60 Class A and 40 Class B credits). Certified anesthesiologist assistants are not authorized to practice in Connecticut, so there are no state CAA CE requirements; NCCAA certification (50 CME hours every 2 years plus the CDQ exam) still applies nationally. See the CRNA and CAA sections on this page.
More on Connecticut
- What a Connecticut license costs, and how long the board says it takes
- What else can hold up a renewal: PDMP accounts, fingerprints, lawful presence
- Licensed in more than one state? How one course can count in several
- Adding a state through the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact
- Track Connecticut CME next to your other licenses
Every license, certificate and renewal date on one list, checked against each board’s own rules, with a reminder before anything is due. 30 days free with a card on file. Licensed in more than one state? The free planner times your opioid and controlled-substance hours so one course counts in as many states as it can.
This page summarizes Connecticut 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.