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New Mexico CME requirements 2026 rules for physicians, NPs, PAs, CRNAs and CAAs
New Mexico 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), regulated by the New Mexico Medical Board. 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 Mexico Medical Board. Verified October 13, 2026.
General CME: 75 hours every 3 years.
Opioid / controlled substance
5 hours one-time in first year (+5 of 75 hours each cycle), pain management / safe CS prescribing. Trigger: holds both a DEA registration and a NM CSR.
✓ No board pre-approval needed (permissive only): generic ACCME Category 1 counts if content covers the mandated topics.
All mandated CME topics
| Topic | Hours | Timing | Applies to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical ethics / jurisprudence (NM Medical Practice Act & board rules review) | 1 | each triennial renewal | all |
| Pain management / controlled substances / opioid | 5 | each triennial cycle | DEA + NM controlled-substance registrants |
| Nutrition | 1 | each triennial cycle, from the cycle that began July 1, 2026; counts toward the 75 hours | all |
Citation: NMAC 16.10.14.11; 16.10.4.8 NMAC
Nurse Practitioners (APRN / NP)
Set by the New Mexico Board of Nursing, separate from the physician rules above, with its own hours and topics. Verified July 20, 2026.
General CE: No separate state general-CE hour count for CNPs. Must maintain (and present at each renewal) valid competency-based APRN/nurse-practitioner national certification (16.12.2.12 NMAC). National certification/recertification is accepted in lieu of the RN 30-contact-hour biennial CE requirement (16.12.2.10 NMAC).
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opioid / controlled-substance prescribing | 5 | Per 2-year renewal period; earned any time during the most recent renewal period. Applies only to CNPs who held DEA registration at any time during that period. | CNP holds DEA registration at any time during the renewal period (i.e., prescribes controlled substances). CNPs without DEA registration are exempt and only submit national certification. |
Tracking: Compliance attested on the online renewal application; licensee retains CE/certification records (RN CE certificates kept at least 1 year after renewal) and submits proof only if audited (16.12.2.10 NMAC). National-certification/recertification card presented at each renewal. NM Board of Nursing participates in CE Broker for CE reporting/tracking.
Physician Assistants (PA)
Set by the New Mexico Medical Board, separate from the physician rules above, with its own hours and topics. Verified October 19, 2026.
General CE: No state general-CME hour count. Renewal requires proof of current NCCPA (or board-approved) certification; PA license expires March 1 of the year following expiration of NCCPA certification (16.10.15.18 NMAC).
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opioid / controlled-substance prescribing | 3 | Per 2-year biennial renewal cycle; may be earned any time during the 2-year period immediately preceding renewal. (Separately, new/first-time licensees must complete 5 hours during their first year of licensure per 16.10.14.11(A).) | PA holds both a federal DEA registration and a New Mexico controlled substances registration. |
Tracking: Proof of NCCPA (or board-approved) certification submitted with the online renewal application; proof of controlled-substance CE satisfaction submitted directly to the board (16.10.15.18(K), 16.10.14.11 NMAC). Records subject to board verification.
Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA)
Set by the New Mexico Board of Nursing, separate from the physician rules above, with its own hours and topics. Verified August 24, 2026.
General CE: 16.12.2.13 NMAC (Rp 12/13/2022; A 5/21/2024), subsection I 'Maintaining licensure as a certified registered nurse anesthetist': (1) 'National certification: CRNAs must maintain NBCRNA. A copy of the recertification card must be presented at the time of each subsequent renewal.' (2) 'Continuing education: recertification by NBCRNA is accepted for meeting mandatory CE requirement. CRNAs with DEA registration at any time during their most recent renewal period shall obtain five contact hours in the management of non-cancer pain.' Underlying RN license: 30 contact hours/2 years, for which national certification is accepted in lieu (16.12.2.10 NMAC).
NBCRNA recertification is accepted in place of state CE. Express: 'recertification by NBCRNA is accepted for meeting mandatory CE requirement' (for the APRN/CRNA license); national certification also satisfies the RN 30-hour CE (16.12.2.10 NMAC). The 5-hour pain CE for DEA registrants is additional and not covered by NBCRNA. 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 CRNAs who hold controlled-substance registration. Timing is built into the free multi-state planner.
All mandated CE topics
| Topic | Hours | Timing | Applies to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opioid / controlled-substance prescribing - management of non-cancer pain (Pain Relief Act CE) | 5 | per 2-yr renewal period (earned any time during the most recent renewal period) | CRNAs who held a DEA registration at any time during the renewal period; CRNAs without DEA registration only submit NBCRNA recertification |
Tracking: Attested on online renewal; NBCRNA recertification card presented at each renewal; CE records retained and submitted only on audit (16.12.2.10 NMAC). NM Board of Nursing uses CE Broker for CE reporting.
Anesthesiologist Assistants (CAA)
Set by the New Mexico Medical Board, separate from the physician rules above, with its own hours and topics. Verified August 24, 2026.
General CE: 16.10.19.16 NMAC (amended 10/16/13): 40 hours of continuing education per two-year renewal cycle, and current ACLS certification; prorated for first renewal (none if licensed <1 year; 20 hours if 1–2 years). 16.10.19.14 NMAC: license expires July 1 of odd-numbered years; renewal postmarked by July 1; after Sept 30 license lapses.
State CE is owed in addition to NCCAA. No NCCAA-in-lieu provision; passing the NCCAA exam is an initial licensure requirement (16.10.19.8 NMAC) and 40 CE hours are required separately. National layer: NCCAA certification (50 CME hours every 2 years, 40 anesthesia + 10 general, plus the CDQ exam).
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACLS certification (current) Confirm with the board | Course (no set hours) | must be current at each renewal | All NM AAs |
Tracking: Attestation at renewal; board audit.
Some figures are marked “Confirm with the board”: the research could not pin them to a primary source. Verify with the board.
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 Mexico'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)
- The pain requirement applies every triennial cycle for controlled-substance registrants, not only in the first year as some summaries say.
Common questions about New Mexico CME
How many CME hours does New Mexico require for physicians?
New Mexico requires 75 / 3 years of continuing medical education (NMAC 16.10.14.11; 16.10.4.8 NMAC). 75 hours every 3 years.
Does New Mexico require opioid or controlled-substance CME?
Yes. 5 hours one-time in first year (+5 of 75 hours each cycle), pain management / safe CS prescribing. Trigger: holds both a DEA registration and a NM CSR.
Does my opioid CME course need New Mexico board approval?
No board pre-approval (permissive only): generic ACCME Category 1 counts if content covers the mandated topics.
How is CME tracked in New Mexico?
New Mexico tracking: CE Broker. Board: New Mexico Medical Board.
Do nurse practitioners and physician assistants have different CME requirements in New Mexico?
Yes. In New Mexico, 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 New Mexico?
CRNAs in New Mexico are regulated by the New Mexico Board of Nursing and must also maintain NBCRNA certification (a 4-year cycle of 60 Class A and 40 Class B credits). Certified anesthesiologist assistants are regulated by the New Mexico Medical Board and maintain NCCAA certification (50 CME hours every 2 years plus the CDQ exam). Whether the state accepts national recertification in place of counted hours is stated in each section on this page.
More on New Mexico
- What a New Mexico 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 New Mexico 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 New Mexico 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.