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Mississippi CME requirements 2026 rules for physicians, NPs, PAs, CRNAs and CAAs
Mississippi 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 Mississippi. 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 Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure. Verified October 13, 2026.
General CME: 40 hours every 2 years.
Opioid / controlled substance
One-time 8 hours: the federal DEA MATE Act (§303) training, which the Board's rule now requires of DEA registrants and which satisfies the Board's controlled-substance training requirement; the former 5-hour biennial rule was replaced. Trigger: DEA registrants.
✓ No board pre-approval needed: any training that qualifies under the federal MATE Act (§303 of the Controlled Substances Act) satisfies the Board's controlled-substance requirement.
All mandated CME topics
| Topic | Hours | Timing | Applies to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Controlled-substance training (federal MATE Act, §303 of the Controlled Substances Act) | 8 | one-time | DEA registrants |
Citation: 30 Miss. Admin. Code Pt. 2610, Ch. 2, R. 2.1
Nurse Practitioners (APRN / NP)
Set by the Mississippi Board of Nursing (MSBN), separate from the physician rules above, with its own hours and topics. Verified July 20, 2026.
General CE: No fixed biennial CE-hour total: maintaining current national certification satisfies the general CE requirement (30 Miss. Administrative Code Part 2840 R.1.2.B.8). The former 40-hour rule (old Part 2815) was repealed 9/16/2021. Prescriptive-authority APRNs owe 5 contact hours of controlled-substance CE per certification period. Cert period Jan 1 (odd) - Dec 31 (even).
Opioid / controlled substance
5 hours, every 2 years, for every APRN in the state. Timing is built into the free multi-state planner.
All mandated CE topics
| Topic | Hours | Timing | Applies to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Controlled-substance CE (prescriptive authority) | 5 | per 2-year certificate period | all APRNs |
Tracking: CE Broker - APRNs must register with CE Broker and upload CE completion documentation (PDF); MSBN may conduct periodic audits with a 10-business-day documentation response window.
Physician Assistants (PA)
Set by the Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure (MSBML), separate from the physician rules above, with its own hours and topics. Verified October 19, 2026.
General CE: At least 100 hours of CME every 2 years, of which at least 50 hours must be AMA/AAPA Category 1. PAs holding current NCCPA certification may satisfy the overall 100-hour CME requirement by providing evidence of active NCCPA certification.
Opioid / controlled substance
5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Controlled-substance prescribing CME | 5 | Every 2-year renewal cycle (within the 50 Category 1 hours) | PAs authorized to prescribe controlled substances |
Tracking: Self-certification of CME compliance at renewal through the Mississippi Electronic Licensing System (MELS); MSBML may audit. Board-approved CME tracking systems (e.g., CE Broker) and active certification are recognized for physicians and available to PAs; PAs retain documentation for audit.
Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA)
Set by the Mississippi Board of Nursing (MSBN), separate from the physician rules above, with its own hours and topics. Verified October 19, 2026.
General CE: 30 Miss. Admin. Code Pt. 2840 R.1.2.B.8: current national certification satisfies the general CE requirement for APRNs, CRNAs included. R.1.2.B.9: every APRN, irrespective of controlled-substance prescriptive authority, owes 5 contact hours of controlled-substance CE each renewal; carry-over hours cannot satisfy it. The 40-hour rule in Pt. 2815 R.1.6 was repealed September 16, 2021. Cycle Jan 1 odd year - Dec 31 even year; renewal Sep-Dec of even years.
NBCRNA recertification counts toward state CE (partial). Current national (NBCRNA) certification satisfies the general CE requirement (Pt. 2840 R.1.2.B.8). It does not cover the 5 controlled-substance hours (R.1.2.B.9), which carry-over hours cannot satisfy either; CE certificates go to CE Broker. National layer: NBCRNA continued certification (4-year cycle: 60 Class A + 40 Class B credits, MAC Check).
Opioid / controlled substance
5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmacology / pharmacotherapeutics | 5 | per cycle (carry-over hours cannot satisfy it) | All APRNs incl. CRNAs: 'irrespective of controlled substance prescriptive authority' (Pt. 2840 R.1.2.B.9; MSBN webpage). CRNAs owe it even though they cannot prescribe. |
Tracking: CE Broker (mandatory): upload CE certificates (PDF) and national certification; MSBN periodic audit with 10-business-day response window.
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 Mississippi. Verified August 24, 2026.
Certified anesthesiologist assistants cannot practice in Mississippi: there is no CAA license, certification or physician-delegation pathway, so there are no state CE requirements to track here. Pending / recent legislation: HB 1481 (2026, Rep. Mansell) 'Anesthesiologist assistants; allow licensure under physician assistant licensure law' – referred Public Health & Human Services January 19, 2026, died in committee February 3, 2026. Prior: HB 974 (2025) stand-alone AA licensure act – died in committee February 4, 2025; HB 1649 (2024) – similar. No enacted authority as of August 24, 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; Mississippi's own controlled-substance rule points to this same training. 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)
- Board Rule 2.1 now requires DEA registrants to complete the training required by §303 of the Controlled Substances Act (the federal MATE Act, one-time 8 hours); the former 5-hour biennial controlled-substance rule no longer appears. Since 2/27/2026 physicians no longer send CME documentation to the Board. Medical-cannabis certifiers: separate 8hr+5hr/year. No other special topics.
Common questions about Mississippi CME
How many CME hours does Mississippi require for physicians?
Mississippi requires 40 / 2 years (Category 1) of continuing medical education (30 Miss. Admin. Code Pt. 2610, Ch. 2, R. 2.1). 40 hours every 2 years.
Does Mississippi require opioid or controlled-substance CME?
Yes. One-time 8 hours: the federal DEA MATE Act (§303) training, which the Board's rule now requires of DEA registrants and which satisfies the Board's controlled-substance training requirement; the former 5-hour biennial rule was replaced. Trigger: DEA registrants.
Does my opioid CME course need Mississippi board approval?
No board pre-approval: any training that qualifies under the federal MATE Act (§303 of the Controlled Substances Act) satisfies the Board's controlled-substance requirement.
How is CME tracked in Mississippi?
Mississippi tracking: Account with a Board-approved CME tracking system (Rule 2.4; ABMS-certified physicians exempt). Board: Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure.
Do nurse practitioners and physician assistants have different CME requirements in Mississippi?
Yes. In Mississippi, 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 Mississippi?
CRNAs in Mississippi are regulated by the Mississippi Board of Nursing (MSBN) 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 Mississippi, 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 Mississippi
- What a Mississippi 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 Mississippi 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 Mississippi 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.