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Hawaii CME requirements 2026 rules for physicians, NPs, PAs, CRNAs and CAAs
Hawaii 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 Hawaii. 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 Hawaii Medical Board. Verified October 13, 2026.
General CME: 100 hours every 2 years: 40 Category 1 + 60 Category 2, or 100 Category 1.
Opioid / controlled substance
No opioid-specific mandate. Federal MATE Act (8 hours one-time) only.
✓ No board pre-approval needed: the federal MATE Act requirement is a single 8-hour course.
All mandated CME topics
No additional mandated topics identified beyond the total above.
Citation: HAR 16-85 Subch.5; HRS 453-6
Nurse Practitioners (APRN / NP)
Set by the Hawaii Board of Nursing (DCCA PVL), separate from the physician rules above, with its own hours and topics. Verified October 19, 2026.
General CE: APRNs with prescriptive authority: 30 contact hours per biennium (22 clinical specialty + 8 pharmacology). Base RN/APRN renewal uses non-numeric continuing-competency option. Maintain national certificate.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmacology / pharmacotherapeutics (prescriptive authority) | 8 contact hours | per cycle | prescribers |
| Specialty-specific CE (prescriptive authority renewal) | 22 | per cycle (with the 8 pharmacology hours, 30 per biennium) | APRNs who hold prescriptive authority (HAR 16-89-123) |
Tracking: Self-report/attestation via MyPVL portal; random audit. Not CE Broker.
Physician Assistants (PA)
Set by the Hawaii Medical Board (DCCA PVL), separate from the physician rules above, with its own hours and topics. Verified July 20, 2026.
General CE: 40 hours CME per 2 years (cycle Feb 1-Jan 31 odd years). AMA PRA Category 1, AOA Category 1-A, or AAPA Category 1. No sub-allocations.
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: Self-maintain records; random audit by Hawaii Medical Board. No CE Broker.
Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA)
Set by the Hawaii Board of Nursing (DCCA Professional & Vocational Licensing Division), separate from the physician rules above, with its own hours and topics. Verified October 19, 2026.
General CE: All RN/APRN licensees must meet the HRS §457-9.3 continuing-competency requirement each biennium (licenses expire June 30 of odd years) by completing one learning-activity option (e.g., 30 contact hours) or by holding current national certification from a Board-recognized body. The Board's Continuing Competency Manual states 'APRN with current national cert: renew online; no learning activity documentation needed.' Prescriptive-authority holders additionally owe 30 CE hours per HAR §16-89-123.
NBCRNA recertification is accepted in place of state CE. NBCRNA is expressly on the Board's list of recognized national certifying bodies ('NBCRNA: CRNA'); current certification exempts the licensee from all learning-activity options for the base RN/APRN renewal. For the separate prescriptive-authority 30-hour CE, HAR §16-89-123 permits 'continuing education required for recertification by a recognized national certifying body, earned within the current renewal biennium' to be accepted in lieu of the 30 hours, so NBCRNA CPC credits earned in the biennium may be used, but the 8-hour pharmacology allocation should still be documented (confirm with Board whether the in-lieu clause waives the 8-hour pharmacology split). 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
| Topic | Hours | Timing | Applies to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmacology / pharmacotherapeutics | 8 | per cycle | Only CRNAs who hold and renew APRN prescriptive authority. CRNAs do not need prescriptive authority to provide anesthesia care (HAR §16-89-119(c)), so most CRNAs owe no pharmacology hours. |
| Specialty-specific CE (prescriptive authority renewal) | 22 | per cycle (with the 8 pharmacology hours, 30 per biennium) | Only CRNAs who hold and renew APRN prescriptive authority (HAR 16-89-123); CE earned for NBCRNA recertification in the biennium may count |
Tracking: Self-attestation via MyPVL online renewal; random post-renewal audit with 60 days to produce documentation; keep records 4 years. Not CE Broker.
Anesthesiologist Assistants (CAA)
Not authorized to practice in Hawaii. Verified August 24, 2026.
Certified anesthesiologist assistants cannot practice in Hawaii: 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)
- No special-topic CME mandate (no opioid, controlled-substance, pain or ethics topic). Some summaries cite 40 hours, which is only the Category 1 floor; the total is 100. HAR 16-85 Subch. 5; HRS 453-6.
Common questions about Hawaii CME
How many CME hours does Hawaii require for physicians?
Hawaii requires 100 / 2 years (40 Category 1 + 60 Category 2, or 100 Category 1) of continuing medical education (HAR 16-85 Subch.5; HRS 453-6). 100 hours every 2 years: 40 Category 1 + 60 Category 2, or 100 Category 1.
Does Hawaii require opioid or controlled-substance CME?
Hawaii does not currently mandate a recurring opioid/controlled-substance CME topic for all physicians. No opioid-specific mandate. Federal MATE Act (8 hours one-time) only.
Does my opioid CME course need Hawaii board approval?
No board pre-approval: the federal MATE Act requirement is a single 8-hour course.
How is CME tracked in Hawaii?
Hawaii tracking: Self-report (attest at renewal). Board: Hawaii Medical Board.
Do nurse practitioners and physician assistants have different CME requirements in Hawaii?
Yes. In Hawaii, 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 Hawaii?
CRNAs in Hawaii are regulated by the Hawaii Board of Nursing (DCCA Professional & Vocational Licensing Division) 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 Hawaii, 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 Hawaii
- What a Hawaii 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 Hawaii 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 Hawaii 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.