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Florida CME requirements 2026 rules for physicians, NPs, PAs, CRNAs and CAAs
Florida regulates five clinician professions through different boards, each with its own continuing-education rules: physicians (MD/DO), nurse practitioners (APRN/NP), physician assistants (PA), nurse anesthetists (CRNA) and anesthesiologist assistants (CAA), regulated by the Florida Board of Medicine. 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 Florida Board of Medicine. Verified October 13, 2026.
General CME: 40 hours every 2 years.
Opioid / controlled substance
2 hours every 2 years: prescribing controlled substances; the required content now includes the treatment of pain for patients with sickle cell disease (CS/SB 844, ch. 2026-6, in force July 1, 2026). Trigger: DEA-registered CS prescribers.
⚠ Florida gates its opioid/controlled-substance CME: a generic national course may not satisfy it. Board-approved course required: the 2-hour controlled-substance course must be board-approved and offered by a Florida statewide professional association of physicians accredited for AMA PRA Category 1 or AOA Category 1-A credit (Fla. Stat. 456.0301(1)(a)). A generic national Category 1 course does not satisfy it. Reported via CE Broker.
All mandated CME topics
| Topic | Hours | Timing | Applies to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical error prevention | 2 | per renewal | all |
| Domestic violence | 2 | every 3rd renewal (about 6 years) | all |
| Controlled substance prescribing (adds sickle-cell pain 7/1/2026) | 2 | per renewal | DEA prescribers (course must be board-approved and offered by a Florida statewide physician association) |
| HIV/AIDS | 1 | one-time (by 1st renewal) | all |
| Human trafficking | 1 | one-time | all MDs/DOs (and other listed licensed professions) |
Citation: Fla. Administrative Code R. 64B8-13.005; Fla. Stat. 458.319, 456.013(7), 456.0301
Nurse Practitioners (APRN / NP)
Set by the Florida Board of Nursing, separate from the physician rules above, with its own hours and topics. Verified July 20, 2026.
General CE: 24 total contact hours per biennium; 16 general nursing CE, remainder = mandated topic courses. First renewal exempt from general portion. Autonomous APRNs (464.0123) +10 hours.
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) | 3 hours | per cycle | prescribers |
| Opioid / controlled-substance prescribing | 3 | every renewal (each 2-year biennium) | APRNs with prescriptive authority who prescribe CS (DEA registrants) |
| Prevention of Medical Errors | 2 | every renewal | all APRNs |
| Florida Laws and Rules (nursing) | 2 | every renewal | all APRNs |
| Recognizing Impairment in the Workplace | 2 | every other renewal (every 4 years) | all APRNs |
| Human Trafficking | 2 | every renewal | all APRNs |
| Domestic Violence | 2 | every third renewal (every 6 years); in addition to the 24 | all APRNs |
| HIV/AIDS | 1 | one-time before first renewal | new APRN licensees |
Tracking: CE Broker (FL DOH official); randomized audit; MQA Online.
Physician Assistants (PA)
Set by the Florida Board of Medicine (PA Council), separate from the physician rules above, with its own hours and topics. Verified July 20, 2026.
General CE: 100 hours per biennium: 2 hours Prevention of Medical Errors + about 98 general; min about 50 AMA/AAPA Category I, balance Category II. NCCPA attestation option in CE Broker. Sickle cell content added to the controlled-substance course effective July 1, 2026: content expansion only, hours unchanged.
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) | 10 hours | per cycle | prescribers |
| Opioid / controlled-substance prescribing | 3 | every renewal (each 2-year biennium) | PAs with prescriptive authority who prescribe CS (DEA registrants) |
| Prevention of Medical Errors | 2 | every renewal | all PAs |
| Domestic Violence | 2 | every third renewal (every 6 years); in the 100 | all PAs |
| HIV/AIDS | 1 | one-time, first renewal (Category I) | new PA licensees |
Tracking: CE Broker (FL DOH official); randomized audit; MQA Online.
Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA)
Set by the Florida Board of Nursing (Florida Department of Health, Division of Medical Quality Assurance), separate from the physician rules above, with its own hours and topics. Verified August 24, 2026.
General CE: Florida licenses CRNAs on the same APRN license as NPs/CNMs/CNSs (s. 464.012(1), F.S.), so the APRN renewal CE applies: 24 hours per biennium including 2 hours prevention of medical errors, 2 hours Florida laws & rules, 2 hours recognizing impairment (every other biennium), 2 hours human trafficking, 1 hour HIV/AIDS (first biennium), and 3 hours safe and effective prescribing of controlled substances; 2 hours domestic violence every third biennium in addition to the 24 (Board APRN renewal page; s. 464.013(3); s. 456.013(7); s. 456.031; s. 456.0341; Rule 64B9-5 F.A.C.). Statutory exemption: 'A nurse who is certified by a health care specialty program accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies or the Accreditation Board for Specialty Nursing Certification is exempt from continuing education requirements' (s. 464.013(3)): NBCRNA is NCCA-accredited, so CRNAs claim this exemption in CE Broker; the Board states the exemption does not cover the 3-hour controlled-substance course or the 2-hour human-trafficking course.
NBCRNA recertification counts toward state CE (partial). Yes for the general 24-hour requirement and the Board-rule topic courses (medical errors, laws & rules, impairment, HIV, domestic violence per FANA's reading of the exemption), s. 464.013(3) exempts NCCA/ABSNC-certified nurses from CE 'requirements'. not accepted for (a) the 3-hour safe and effective prescribing of controlled substances course (s. 464.013(3): 'Advanced practice registered nurses licensed under s. 464.012 must complete at least 3 hours...'; Board page: exemption does not include it) and (b) the 2-hour human-trafficking course (s. 456.0341, applies to every licensee 'regardless' of specialty certification). FANA advises all Florida CRNAs current with NBCRNA to claim the exemption in CE Broker and then complete only the CS course and human trafficking. Whether the domestic-violence course (s. 456.031, a Chapter 456 statute rather than a Board rule) is covered by the 464.013(3) exemption is asserted by FANA but not stated on the Board page. Confirm with the Board/CE Broker before relying on it. National layer: NBCRNA continued certification (4-year cycle: 60 Class A + 40 Class B credits, MAC Check).
Opioid / controlled substance Confirm with the board
3 hours, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Safe and effective prescription of controlled substances (counts as the pharmacology requirement) Confirm with the board | 3 | every renewal (each 2-yr biennium), within the 24 hours; not exemptible by NBCRNA certification | Every Florida CRNA: licensure as an APRN under s. 464.012 (all roles, including CRNAs) - not conditioned on actually prescribing or holding a DEA registration, and not exemptible by NBCRNA certification. This 3-hour course is also Florida's only pharmacology-type CE; there is no separate general pharmacology hour count. The generic 2-hour s. 456.0301 course for DEA registrants is subsumed because the nursing practice act already requires at least 2 hours; most CRNAs hold no individual DEA registration anyway. |
| Human Trafficking Confirm with the board | 2 | per cycle (every renewal) | All licensees incl. CRNAs; not covered by the specialty-certification exemption |
| Prevention of Medical Errors Confirm with the board | 2 | per cycle (every renewal) | All nurses; CRNAs with current NBCRNA certification may claim the s. 464.013(3) exemption |
| Florida Laws and Rules (nursing) Confirm with the board | 2 | per cycle (every renewal) | All nurses; exemptible via NBCRNA certification |
| Recognizing Impairment in the Workplace Confirm with the board | 2 | every other renewal (every 4 yr) | All nurses; exemptible via NBCRNA certification |
| Domestic Violence Confirm with the board | 2 | every third renewal (every 6 yr); in addition to the 24 | All licensees; FANA states NBCRNA-certified CRNAs may exempt it. Confirm with the board (s. 456.031 is a Ch. 456 statute; Board page does not list it among the non-exemptible items but does not confirm exemption either) |
| HIV/AIDS Confirm with the board | 1 | one-time, first biennium (before first renewal) | New licensees; exemptible via NBCRNA certification. Rule 64B9-5.009 was repealed but the Board page and 64B9-5.002 still list the 1-hour first-biennium course. Confirm the current status with the board |
Tracking: CE Broker is the Florida DOH official CE tracking system; licensees do not send certificates to the Board. CE must be reported/posted in CE Broker and is auto-verified at renewal. CRNAs claim the NBCRNA/specialty-certification exemption in CE Broker (FANA step-by-step guide) and must still show the 3-hour CS course and 2-hour human-trafficking course. Random audit.
Some figures are marked “Confirm with the board”: the research could not pin them to a primary source. Verify with the board.
Anesthesiologist Assistants (CAA)
Set by the Florida Board of Medicine (Department of Health, Division of Medical Quality Assurance), separate from the physician rules above, with its own hours and topics. Verified August 24, 2026.
General CE: Fla. Stat. § 458.3475 requires biennial renewal and completion of either 40 hours of continuing medical education or maintenance of current certification by the National Commission on Certification of Anesthesiologist Assistants (per the statute as summarized from the 2024 Florida Statutes). The Board of Medicine renewal page for AAs lists: 'General Hours: 38', 'Medical Error: 2 (must include information regarding the 5 most mis-diagnosed conditions)', 'Domestic Violence: 2 - Required every third biennium - Included in the 38 general', and 'Documentation of current certification issued by the National Commission on Certification of Anesthesiologist Assistants (NCCAA) will count for the required general hours.' First biennium: 'exempt from the general continuing medical education requirements and are only required to complete 2 hours of Medical Error and one hour of HIV/AIDS.' License expires at midnight ET January 31, 2027 (odd-year biennium).
NCCAA recertification counts toward state CE (partial). Current NCCAA certification satisfies the 38 general hours, but the Florida-specific 2-hour medical errors course (each biennium), 2-hour domestic violence (every third biennium), 1-hour HIV/AIDS (first renewal) and the one-time 1-hour human trafficking course must still be completed and reported to CE Broker. National layer: NCCAA certification (50 CME hours every 2 years, 40 anesthesia + 10 general, plus the CDQ exam).
Opioid / controlled substance
No standalone state opioid/controlled-substance CE mandate identified for this profession. The federal DEA MATE Act (one-time 8-hour training) still applies if you hold a DEA registration.
All mandated CE topics
| Topic | Hours | Timing | Applies to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prevention of medical errors (incl. the 5 most misdiagnosed conditions) | 2 | Every biennium, including first renewal | All AA licensees |
| Domestic violence | 2 | Every third biennium (counts within the 38 general hours) | All AA licensees |
| HIV/AIDS | 1 | First renewal biennium only | New AA licensees |
| Human trafficking (Board-approved course) | 1 | One-time (statutory deadline Jan 1 2021; new licensees complete before first renewal) | Each person licensed under ch. 458 (includes AAs) |
Tracking: CE Broker (mandatory reporting; renewal requires 'confirmation of required continuing education hours reported into the continuing education tracking system, CE Broker'); Board audits via CE Broker. Fingerprint-based background screening required since HB 975 (2024).
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 Florida'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)
- Per Fla. Stat. 456.0341: human trafficking is a one-time 1-hour CME for all MDs and DOs, with no hospital, urgent-care or pain-clinic limitation. It counts toward the 40-hour biennial total.
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 Florida 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.