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New Jersey CME requirements 2026 rules for physicians, NPs, PAs, CRNAs and CAAs
New Jersey 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 New Jersey. 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 New Jersey State Board of Medical Examiners. Verified October 13, 2026.
General CME: 100 credits every 2 years.
Opioid / controlled substance
1 credit per biennium: responsible/safe opioid prescribing, alternatives, abuse signs. Trigger: all MD/DO.
✓ No board pre-approval needed: generic ACCME/AMA PRA Category 1 accepted; content must address prescription-opioid topics.
All mandated CME topics
| Topic | Hours | Timing | Applies to |
|---|---|---|---|
| End-of-life / palliative care | 2 | per renewal | all |
| Opioid / controlled dangerous substance prescribing | 1 | per renewal | all |
| Sexual misconduct prevention (including a human trafficking component) | 2 | per renewal (effective 7/1/2025) | all |
| Explicit & implicit bias (perinatal) | 1 | per renewal | perinatal providers |
| Cultural competency | 6 | one-time prerequisite | if not in med school |
Citation: P.L. 2017 c.28
Nurse Practitioners (APRN / NP)
Set by the New Jersey Board of Nursing (Division of Consumer Affairs), separate from the physician rules above, with its own hours and topics. Verified July 20, 2026.
General CE: Remaining contact hours (of the 30) may be in any content relevant to the APN's practice; must be from an approved/accredited provider (e.g., ANCC).
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) | 6 contact hours | per cycle | prescribers |
| Opioid / controlled-substance prescribing | 1 | Each biennial renewal cycle | 1 of the 30 contact hours must address prescription opioid drugs (responsible prescribing practices, alternatives to opioids for pain, and risks/signs of opioid abuse, addiction, and diversion). Applies to nurses generally; prescriber-focused content. NJ prescriber opioid-CE statute N.J.S.A. 45:1-7.3 also applies to APN prescribers. |
| End-of-life care / palliative care | 2 | Each biennial renewal (counts toward the 30 hours) | All licensed nurses (RN and APN) |
| Explicit and implicit bias (perinatal care) | 1 | Each renewal, conditional | APNs/nurses who provide perinatal / pregnancy-related care |
Tracking: Self-reported at biennial online renewal; licensees retain certificates of completion and are subject to random Board audit.
Physician Assistants (PA)
Set by the New Jersey State Board of Medical Examiners (Physician Assistant Advisory Committee), separate from the physician rules above, with its own hours and topics. Verified July 20, 2026.
General CE: All 50 credits must be Category I from an approved provider (AMA, AAPA, AAFP, AOA, or ACCME-accredited); Board may approve courses from other providers. Up to 15 credits earned in the final 6 months of a biennial period may carry over to the next period.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opioid / controlled-substance prescribing | 1 | Each biennial renewal, effective September 1, 2017 and thereafter | 1 of the 50 required Category I credits must address prescription opioid drugs (responsible prescribing practices, alternatives to opioids for managing/treating pain, and risks/signs of opioid abuse, addiction, and diversion). Applies to all licensed PAs. |
| Explicit and implicit bias in perinatal care (unconscious bias, cultural competency, reproductive justice, pregnancy-related disparities) | 1 | Renewals after May 5, 2026, conditional | PAs who provide perinatal care |
Tracking: Self-reported at biennial online renewal; PA retains certificates and is subject to Board of Medical Examiners audit.
Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA)
Set by the New Jersey Board of Nursing (Division of Consumer Affairs), separate from the physician rules above, with its own hours and topics. Verified August 24, 2026.
General CE: N.J.A.C. 13:37-7.8(a): 'Every biennial period, an advanced practice nurse shall complete the continuing education required for the renewal of a registered professional nurse license pursuant to N.J.A.C. 13:37-5.3 and the continuing education requirements of the national certifying agency…' 13:37-5.3: minimum 30 hours, incl. At least 1 hour prescription opioid drugs. 13:37-7.8(b): 2 credits end-of-life care (N.J.S.A. 45:11-47.1).
NBCRNA recertification counts toward state CE (partial). NBCRNA CPC compliance is itself a mandatory component of NJ APN renewal (13:37-7.8(a)), but it does not replace the 30 RN contact hours or the NJ-specific opioid and end-of-life credits; CPC Class A credits from accredited providers can double-count toward the 30. National layer: NBCRNA continued certification (4-year cycle: 60 Class A + 40 Class B credits, MAC Check).
Opioid / controlled substance Confirm with the board
1 hour, 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 Confirm with the board | 6 | per cycle | APNs who prescribe controlled dangerous substances (N.J.S.A. 45:11-49). Whether a CRNA whose only 'prescribing' is ordering/administering anesthesia under joint protocol with NJ CDS registration triggers it is not stated in rule. Confirm with the board. |
| Opioid / controlled-substance prescribing Confirm with the board | 1 | each biennial renewal (within the 30) | All NJ nurses/APNs incl. CRNAs, 'at least one hour in topics concerning prescription opioid drugs, including alternatives to opioids for managing and treating pain' (13:37-5.3). N.J.S.A. 45:1-7.3 prescriber opioid CE also reaches CRNAs who hold NJ CDS registration. Federal (not state): DEA MATE Act one-time 8-hour SUD training applies only to CRNAs who personally hold a DEA registration. |
| End-of-life / palliative care Confirm with the board | 2 | per cycle (within the 30) | all APNs incl. CRNAs |
| Explicit and implicit bias in perinatal care Confirm with the board | 1 | per cycle, conditional | APNs who provide perinatal care: reaches CRNAs providing obstetric anesthesia only if the Board applies the perinatal-care definition to them (confirm with the board) |
Tracking: Self-report at biennial online renewal; retain certificates; random Board of Nursing audit.
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 New Jersey. Verified August 24, 2026.
Certified anesthesiologist assistants cannot practice in New Jersey: 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 New Jersey'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).
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 New Jersey 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.