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Illinois CME Requirements (2026): Physicians, NPs, PAs, CRNAs & CAAs
Illinois 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, in the states that license them). Below, each profession's total hours, mandated topics, opioid/controlled-substance rule, and tracking, plus the one federal rule they share. Last reviewed 2026-08-24.
Physicians (MD / DO)
Set by the Illinois Department of Financial & Professional Regulation.
General CME: 150 hours every 3 years.
Opioid / controlled substance
1 hour per renewal cycle (effective 1/1/2025) - safe opioid prescribing (counts toward the 150-hour total). Trigger: IL controlled-substance registrants.
✓ No board pre-approval gate: No board pre-approval — generic ACCME Category 1 counts.
All mandated CME topics
| Topic | Hours | Timing | Applies to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sexual harassment prevention | 1 | per cycle | all |
| Implicit bias awareness | 1 | per cycle | all |
| Maternal health implicit bias | embedded in implicit bias hour | per cycle, effective 7/1/2026 | maternal-health providers |
| Dementia/Alzheimer's | 1 | before 1st renewal, then every 6 years | treat adults |
| Cultural competency | 1 | before 1st renewal, then every 6 years | all |
| Mandated reporter (child abuse/neglect) | 1 | every 6 years | all |
| Safe opioid prescribing | 1 | per cycle (effective 1/1/2025) | IL controlled-substance registrants |
Citation: 68 Ill. Administrative Code 1285
Nurse Practitioners (APRN / NP)
Set by the Illinois Board of Nursing / Illinois Nursing Workforce Center (IDFPR, Division of Professional Regulation) — separate from the physician rules above, with its own hours and topics.
General CE: 80 hours of approved CE in the APRN's specialty per 2-year renewal cycle (renews June 1 of even year - May 31 of even year, e.g. 6/1/2024-5/31/2026). At least 50 of the 80 hours must be earned in formal/approved CE programs; the remaining hours may come from other approved activities. Governed by 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1300.130.
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) | 20 hours | per cycle | prescribers |
| Opioid / controlled-substance prescribing | 1 | Once per license/CSR renewal (every 2 years); may count toward the 80-hour total | Every prescriber licensed/registered to prescribe controlled substances in Illinois (i.e. APRNs holding a Controlled Substance Registration) - profession-agnostic 'all prescribers' mandate |
| Sexual harassment prevention training | 1 | Each renewal (part of 80 hours) | All APRN/FPA-APRN licensees |
| Implicit bias awareness training | 1 | Each renewal (part of 80 hours) | All APRN/FPA-APRN licensees |
| Alzheimer's disease & other dementias | 1 | Once, beginning with 2024 renewal (part of 80 hours) | APRNs who provide health care services to and have direct patient interaction with adults age 26 and older |
| Mandated reporter (child abuse/neglect) training | Course (no set hours) | within 3 months of engagement, then at least every 6 years | Nurses/APRNs who work with children |
Tracking: Self-report / attestation at online renewal via IDFPR portal; licensees retain CE certificates and must produce them if selected for random IDFPR audit. Illinois nursing does NOT use CE Broker.
Physician Assistants (PA)
Set by the Illinois Medical Licensing Board / IDFPR (Division of Professional Regulation) - PAs licensed under the Physician Assistant Practice Act — separate from the physician rules above, with its own hours and topics.
General CE: 50 hours of CME per 2-year renewal cycle; must be AMA PRA Category 1 Credit (accepts NCCPA-recognized Category 1 / ACCME-accredited providers). Governed by the Physician Assistant Practice Act (225 ILCS 95) and 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1350.
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) | 10 hours | per cycle | prescribers |
| Opioid / controlled-substance prescribing | 1 | Once per license/CSR renewal (every 2 years); may count toward the 50-hour total | Every prescriber licensed/registered to prescribe controlled substances in Illinois (PAs holding a Controlled Substance Registration) - profession-agnostic 'all prescribers' mandate |
| Sexual harassment prevention training | 1 | Each renewal (part of 50 hours); effective 1-1-2020 | All PA licensees |
| Implicit bias awareness training | 1 | Each renewal (part of 50 hours); effective 1-1-2023 | All PA licensees |
| Alzheimer's disease & other dementias | 1 | Every 6 years (once per 3 cycles), beginning 2024 renewals | PAs who provide care to / have direct interaction with patients age 26 and older |
| Cultural competency | 1 | Every 6 years; eff. renewals on/after 1-1-2025 | All PA licensees |
| Mandated reporter (child abuse/neglect) training | Course (no set hours) | Within 3 months of engaging with children, then at least every 6 years | PAs who work with children |
| Maternal health implicit bias | 1 | Each renewal (effective 7/1/2026) | PAs who report providing maternal health services |
Tracking: Self-report / attestation at online renewal via IDFPR portal; retain CME certificates for random IDFPR audit. Illinois does NOT use CE Broker for PAs.
Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA)
Set by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR), Division of Professional Regulation, with the Illinois Board of Nursing — separate from the physician rules above, with its own hours and topics.
General CE: 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1300.130: 'All advanced practice registered nurses shall complete 80 hours of approved continuing education in the advanced practice registered nurse's specialty per 2-year license renewal cycle. A minimum of 50 hours of the continuing education shall be obtained in continuing education programs that shall include no less than 20 hours of pharmacotherapeutics, including 10 hours of opioid prescribing or substance abuse education.' The rule names the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA) and the National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists as approved CE sponsors, so NBCRNA/AANA Class A credit counts toward the 80. First renewal after initial Illinois licensure is exempt. Rule last amended 1/4/2021 (45 Ill. Reg. 228).
NBCRNA recertification counts toward state CE (partial). Maintaining NBCRNA CPC certification does NOT by itself replace the 80-hr requirement. The only certification-based credit is: 'Successful completion, during the prerenewal period, of a recertification exam in the APRN's area of specialty as recognized in Section 1300.10 may be used for 60 CE hours' (1300.130). Whether the NBCRNA Continued Professional Certification Assessment (CPCA, taken once per 8-yr cycle) qualifies as a 'recertification exam' for this 60-hr credit has not been confirmed by IDFPR - VERIFY before relying. Otherwise NBCRNA/AANA Class A CE simply counts hour-for-hour toward the 80. 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 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 | 20 | per cycle | ALL APRNs including CRNAs, regardless of prescriptive authority or CSR status (rule text has no prescriptive-authority carve-out) |
| Opioid / controlled-substance prescribing | 1 | once per license/CSR renewal period (2 yrs); may count toward the 80 hrs | Statutory 1-hr safe opioid prescribing CE reaches only prescribers holding an Illinois Controlled Substance Registration (720 ILCS 570/315.5) - ordinarily NOT CRNAs (see prescriptiveAuthority). Separately, ALL APRNs incl. CRNAs owe the nursing-rule 10-hr 'opioid prescribing or substance abuse education' block inside the 20 pharmacotherapeutics hrs (68 Ill. Adm. Code 1300.130). |
| Sexual harassment prevention training | 1 | per cycle (within the 80) | All APRN licensees incl. CRNAs |
| Implicit bias awareness training | 1 | per cycle (within the 80) | All APRN licensees incl. CRNAs |
| Alzheimer's disease and other dementias | 1 | one-time (beginning with 2024 renewal) | APRNs incl. CRNAs who provide health care services to and have direct patient interaction with adults age 26+ |
| Cultural competency | 1 | per cycle (eff. 1/1/2025, within the 80) | All APRN licensees incl. CRNAs (per IDFPR APRN CE FAQ; NP dataset did not list this for APRNs - VERIFY against rule text) |
| Mandated reporter (child abuse/neglect) training | Course (no set hours) | at least every 6 yrs | CRNAs who work with children |
Tracking: Self-attestation at online IDFPR renewal; retain certificates for random IDFPR audit. Not CE Broker.
Anesthesiologist Assistants (CAA)
Not authorized to practice in Illinois.
Certified anesthesiologist assistants cannot practice in Illinois — there is no CAA license, certification or physician-delegation pathway, so there are no state CE requirements to track here. Pending / recent legislation: SB1482 (104th General Assembly, 2025-26) 'Certified Anesthesiologist Assistant Practice Act' - Sen. Cristina Castro (chief co-sponsor Sen. Christopher Belt); introduced 2025-01-31; never advanced from Assignments; 'Rule 3-9(a) / Re-referred to Assignments' 2026-04-24; dead for the session. Predecessor SB2214 (103rd GA, 2023-24) also died. 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 everyone below. 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, applies in every state, and does not replace Illinois'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)
- Verified 2026-07-16 vs 720 ILCS 570/315.5 (PA 103-0531): 1 hour per pre-renewal period (each cycle), NOT 1 hours per 6 years - FSMB conflated it with the Medical Practice Act 6-year topic rotation. The older 3-hour safe-opioid requirement was reduced to 1 hour.
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.
Build my multi-state CME plan →This page summarizes Illinois board rules and statutes as of 2026-08-24 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 2026-07-20, with the opioid/controlled-substance timing structured on 2026-07-23; CRNA and CAA data was researched against nursing-board, medical-board and practice-act primary sources on 2026-08-24 (items the research could not pin to a primary source are flagged [VERIFY]). This is educational information, not legal advice — always verify current requirements with your own board before relying on them.