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Georgia CME requirements 2026 rules for physicians, NPs, PAs, CRNAs and CAAs
Georgia 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 Georgia Composite Medical Board. 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 Georgia Composite Medical Board. Verified October 13, 2026.
General CME: 40 hours every 2 years.
Opioid / controlled substance
3 hours one-time (next renewal), responsible opioid prescribing (+20 hours if at least 50% pain patients). Trigger: DEA + prescribes CS.
✓ No board pre-approval needed: broad menu of accepted accreditors (AMA/AOA/AAFP/ACOG/ACEP Category 1).
All mandated CME topics
| Topic | Hours | Timing | Applies to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Controlled substances / safe opioid prescribing | 3 | one-time (by 1st renewal after 1/1/2018) | DEA controlled-substance prescribers |
| Pain management / palliative medicine | 20 | per renewal while condition applies | non-certified with 50%+ opioid pts |
| Sexual misconduct / professional boundaries | 2 | one-time (by 1st renewal after 1/1/2022) | all |
Citation: Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 360-15-.01
Nurse Practitioners (APRN / NP)
Set by the Georgia Board of Nursing, separate from the physician rules above, with its own hours and topics. Verified July 20, 2026.
General CE: 30 contact hours biennially (Rule 410-13-.01), or one of five competency options: 30 CE, national certificate maintenance, accredited academic program, 500+ practice hours with employer verification, or Board-approved activity.
Opioid / controlled substance
1 hour, 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 | 1 | biennial; eff July 1, 2024 | APRNs with delegated emergency Schedule II (hydrocodone/oxycodone) authority |
Tracking: CE Broker (GA Board of Nursing) + self-attestation; records for audit.
Physician Assistants (PA)
Set by the Georgia Composite Medical Board, separate from the physician rules above, with its own hours and topics. Verified July 20, 2026.
General CE: 40 hours Board-approved CE per biennium (Rule 360-5-.07). AMA/AOA/AAPA/AAFP/AAAA Category 1. At least 10 hours in supervising physician's specialty. New PAs waived from full 40 at first renewal. Eff. May 25, 2026 the Board may waive PA renewal CE for hardship, disability, illness or legislative service. Hours unchanged.
Opioid / controlled substance
1 hour, 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 | 1 | biennial; eff July 1, 2024 | PAs authorized to prescribe Schedule II CS under 2024 scope expansion |
| Specialty-specific CE | 10 | per biennium (within 40) | all licensed PAs |
Tracking: CE Broker (GA Composite Medical Board); self-attest, retain 5 years; audit.
Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA)
Set by the Georgia Board of Nursing (APRN authorization as a CRNA under Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 410-11-.04), separate from the physician rules above, with its own hours and topics. Verified August 24, 2026.
General CE: RN continued competency (Rule 410-13-.01). One of: (1) 30 CE hours by a Board-approved provider; (2) 'maintenance of certification or recertification by a national certifying body recognized by the Board'; (3) accredited academic program; (4) 500+ practice hours with employer verification; (5) other Board-approved activity. CRNA authorization expires 'on January 31st of odd-numbered years and shall be administratively revoked if not renewed' (410-11-.04(3)); renewal requires renewal application, 'a copy of current national certification/recertification as a certified registered nurse anesthetist which bears the expiration date', and fee (410-11-.04(4)). NBCRNA is the sole recognized CRNA certifying body (410-11-.12).
NBCRNA recertification is accepted in place of state CE. Current NBCRNA certification/recertification is (a) mandatory for CRNA authorization renewal (410-11-.04) and (b) an accepted competency option for RN renewal ('maintenance of certification or recertification by a national certifying body recognized by the Board', 410-13-.01). A CRNA maintaining NBCRNA therefore owes no separate state CE hours. National layer: NBCRNA continued certification (4-year cycle: 60 Class A + 40 Class B credits, MAC Check).
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
No additional mandated topics identified beyond the total above.
Tracking: CE Broker (GA Board of Nursing) + self-attestation at renewal; retain documentation 4 years (410-13-.01); CRNA renewal submits copy of current NBCRNA card.
Anesthesiologist Assistants (CAA)
Set by the Georgia Composite Medical Board, separate from the physician rules above, with its own hours and topics. Verified August 24, 2026.
General CE: Georgia has no standalone AA practice act; AAs are licensed under the Physician Assistant Act and follow PA rules. Rule 360-5-.07: 'not less than forty (40) hours biennially' with 'at least ten (10) hours ... directly related to the specialty of the Board approved primary supervising physician.' Accepted credit: AMA Category 1, AOA Category 1, AAPA Category 1 and 'A.A.A.A. (American Academy of Anesthesiologist's Assistants) Category 1'. Renewal fee $300 (Board fee page). The Anesthesiologist Assistant Act (SB 111, 2023-2024) that would have created a separate AA license died (Senate recommitted Jan 8 2024).
State CE is owed in addition to NCCAA. Rule 360-5-.07 is hour-based and does not list NCCAA certification as satisfying the 40-hour requirement, although AAAA Category 1 credit (the credit type NCCAA counts as Category I) is expressly accepted. NCCAA certification is not referenced in the Georgia rule; § 43-34-103 references certification by the 'National Association for the Certification of Anesthesia Assistants (NACAA) or its successor' (i.e., NCCAA) for initial licensure. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| CME in the specialty of the primary supervising physician (anesthesiology) Confirm with the board | 10 | Each biennium (within the 40) | All PA/AA licensees |
Tracking: Self-attestation at biennial renewal; Board audits CE documentation (retain certificates). Renewal fee $300; reinstatement $400 lapsed / $200 inactive.
Some figures are marked “Confirm with the board”: the research could not pin them to a primary source. Verify with the board.
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 Georgia's own one-time opioid/controlled-substance course. 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).
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 Georgia 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.