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North Dakota CME Requirements (2026): Physicians, NPs, PAs, CRNAs & CAAs
North Dakota 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 North Dakota Board of Medicine.
General CME: 40 hours every 2 years.
Opioid / controlled substance
No opioid-specific mandate. Federal MATE Act (8 hours one-time) only.
✓ No board pre-approval gate: No board pre-approval — general Category 1 counts automatically; MATE Act satisfied by accredited 8-hour SUD training.
All mandated CME topics
| Topic | Hours | Timing | Applies to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abortion law instructional course | 1 (board course) | within 2 years before performing abortion (effective 1/2026) | abortion providers only |
Citation: N.D. Administrative Code 50-04-01
Nurse Practitioners (APRN / NP)
Set by the North Dakota Board of Nursing — separate from the physician rules above, with its own hours and topics.
General CE: RN license renewal (which every APRN also holds) requires a minimum of 12 contact hours within the preceding 2 years (NDAC 54-05-03.1 / ND Board of Nursing renewal rules). APRN licensure requires maintaining current national certification or a board-recognized competence maintenance program per NDAC 54-05-03.1-06.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmacology / pharmacotherapeutics (prescriptive authority) | 15 contact hours | per cycle | prescribers |
Tracking: Attestation at online renewal; documentation retained by licensee and subject to Board audit. National certification / competence maintenance verified by the Board.
Physician Assistants (PA)
Set by the North Dakota Board of Medicine — separate from the physician rules above, with its own hours and topics.
General CE: No state-imposed CME hours. NDAC Article 50-04 (Chapter 50-04-01, 40 hours / 2 years) applies only to licensed physicians, not physician assistants. PA continuing education is satisfied via mandatory NCCPA certification maintenance (100 CME/2 years, 50 Category 1).
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
No additional mandated topics identified beyond the total above.
Tracking: ND Board of Medicine verifies active NCCPA certification at renewal (required for the entire period of licensure). No separate state CME reporting/attestation for hour totals.
Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA)
Set by the North Dakota Board of Nursing — APRN license in the role of certified registered nurse anesthetist (NDCC 43-12.1-02(1); NDAC 54-05-03.1) — separate from the physician rules above, with its own hours and topics.
General CE: NDAC 54-05-03.1-06: APRN license 'is valid for the same period of time as the applicant's registered nurse license'; renewal requires RN licensure, renewal application, $80 fee, and 'evidence of current national certification in the appropriate advanced practice registered nurse role and with at least one population focus, or participate in a competence maintenance program recognized by the board.' NDAC 54-02-05-08(1): RN relicensure CE 'must meet or exceed twelve contact hours within the preceding two years.' NDBON renewal page confirms both figures.
NBCRNA recertification counts toward state CE (partial). NBCRNA certification IS the APRN/CRNA license competency requirement (54-05-03.1-06(3)); it does not by its terms waive the 12-contact-hour RN requirement (54-02-05-08), although NBCRNA Class A credits are board-recognized CE and can be applied to the 12 hours. Board also recognizes competence-maintenance programs as an alternative. National layer: NBCRNA continued certification (4-year cycle: 60 Class A + 40 Class B credits, MAC Check).
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmacology / pharmacotherapeutics | 15 | per cycle | Only CRNAs who hold ND prescriptive authority (separate $75 authorization under NDAC 54-05-03.1-09/-11) |
Tracking: Attestation at online renewal; NDBON random audit; CE completed after Dec 31 of renewal year assessed $50/contact hour; national certification verified by Board. Same as NP file.
Anesthesiologist Assistants (CAA)
Not authorized to practice in North Dakota.
Certified anesthesiologist assistants cannot practice in North Dakota — 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 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 North Dakota'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)
- Total CUT from 60/3yr to 40/2yr effective 4/1/2024 (NDAC 50-04-01-01) - FSMB stale. No opioid/other topic mandate. MOC accepted.
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 North Dakota 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.