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Maine CME requirements 2026 rules for physicians, NPs, PAs, CRNAs and CAAs
Maine 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 Maine. 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 Maine Board of Licensure in Medicine. Verified October 13, 2026.
General CME: 40 hours every 2 years.
Opioid / controlled substance
3 hours every 2 years: prescribing of opioid medication. Trigger: prescribes controlled substances.
✓ No board pre-approval needed: generic ACCME/AOA Category 1 counts.
All mandated CME topics
| Topic | Hours | Timing | Applies to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Controlled substances / opioid prescribing | 3 | per 2 years | opioid prescribers |
Citation: Code Me. R. §373; 02 ME §383
Nurse Practitioners (APRN / NP)
Set by the Maine State Board of Nursing, separate from the physician rules above, with its own hours and topics. Verified July 20, 2026.
General CE: 50 contact hours (CEUs) every 2-year renewal in nursing, medicine or allied health within the APRN's area of practice; minimum 30 hours must be Category I, remainder may be Category II. Requirement applies per specialty for APRNs holding multiple advanced-practice licenses.
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) | 15 contact hours | per cycle | prescribers |
| Opioid / controlled-substance prescribing | 3 | every 2 years (per renewal cycle); must be completed since last renewal | APRNs whose scope of practice includes prescribing opioid medication (i.e., APRNs with prescriptive authority) |
Tracking: Self-attestation on renewal application; Maine State Board of Nursing does not use CE Broker and is not a repository of records. Licensees retain documentation and must produce it if selected for audit.
Physician Assistants (PA)
Set by the Maine Board of Licensure in Medicine (allopathic PAs; osteopathic PAs licensed under Maine Board of Osteopathic Licensure), separate from the physician rules above, with its own hours and topics. Verified July 20, 2026.
General CE: 100 hours of CME per 2-year licensure period, with at least 40 hours in Category 1 (AMA/ACCME/Maine Medical Association/Board-accredited); remaining 60 hours may be Category 1 or Category 2. Category 1 may substitute for Category 2 but not vice versa. Governed by Board Rule Chapter 2.
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 2 years (each renewal cycle) | PAs who prescribe opioid medication |
Tracking: Self-attestation on the renewal application (applicant attests CME completed); the Board does not serve as a repository: PAs maintain their own CME files and produce them on audit. Not a CE Broker state.
Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA)
Set by the Maine State Board of Nursing, separate from the physician rules above, with its own hours and topics. Verified August 24, 2026.
General CE: Board Rules Chapter 8 (eff. 2/26/2020) Sec. 8(1)(A): a CRNA 'seeking continuing approval to practice as an advanced practice registered nurse must have completed during the 2 year period of licensure a minimum of 50 contact hours of continuing education in nursing, medicine or allied health in practice for which the individual has been approved.' Sec. 8(1)(B): minimum 30 contact hours Category I; Sec. 8(1)(C): no more than 20 Category II. Category I includes activities approved by the 'Council on Recertification of Nurse Anesthetists' (i.e., NBCRNA) (Sec. 8(2)(A)). Sec. 4(3): continuing approval is requested concurrently with RN renewal and must include evidence of current certification and 'evidence of recertification by the Council on Recertification of Nurse Anesthetists'; $100 approval fee.
State CE is owed in addition to NBCRNA. NBCRNA recertification is mandatory to keep the CRNA approval (Ch. 8 Sec. 4(3)(B)) but is not accepted in lieu of the 50-hour state CE; the rule imposes the 50 hours on CRNAs by name (Sec. 8 heading and 8(1)(A)). NBCRNA/AANA-approved activities count as Category I hours (Sec. 8(2)(A)). 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 CRNAs who hold controlled-substance registration. Timing is built into the free multi-state planner.
All mandated CE topics
| Topic | Hours | Timing | Applies to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmacology / pharmacotherapeutics Confirm with the board | 15 | per cycle | All CRNAs at each biennial renewal (Board clarification approved 12/8-9/2021, letter 1/10/2022); hours count within the 50 |
| Opioid / controlled-substance prescribing Confirm with the board | 3 | every 2 years (Category I), as a condition of prescribing opioid medication | 32 M.R.S. s. 2210: any Chapter 31 licensee 'whose scope of practice includes prescribing opioid medication'; Ch. 8 Sec. 8(1)(B): 'advanced practice registered nurses with prescriptive authority.' A CRNA who prescribes Schedule III-V opioids post-operatively under Sec. 7(1)(C) is within scope; a CRNA who only administers anesthetics and never writes opioid prescriptions is arguably outside. Board has not published CRNA-specific guidance - Confirm with the board. |
Tracking: Affirmation under oath on the continuing-approval form; documentation kept by the CRNA for two renewal periods; random or targeted Board audit (Ch. 8 Sec. 8(1)(A)). Audited licensees submit certificates for Category I and outlines for Category II (Board FAQ). Not CE Broker.
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)
Not authorized to practice in Maine. Verified August 24, 2026.
Certified anesthesiologist assistants cannot practice in Maine: 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, and it does not replace Maine'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)
- No other topic mandates.
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 Maine 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.