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Ohio CME requirements 2026 rules for physicians, NPs, PAs, CRNAs and CAAs
Ohio 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 State Medical Board of Ohio. 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 State Medical Board of Ohio. Verified October 13, 2026.
General CME: 50 hours every 2 years, including a 1-hour board-approved course on the duty to report misconduct; the rest in Category 1 activities.
Opioid / controlled substance
No general opioid mandate for ordinary MD/DO renewal. Niche only: pain-management-clinic owners/operators need at least 20 hours Category 1 pain medicine every 2 years. Federal MATE Act applies separately.
✓ No board pre-approval needed: for ordinary renewal no opioid CME is required; pain-clinic rule is topic + Category 1 only.
All mandated CME topics
| Topic | Hours | Timing | Applies to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duty to report misconduct | 1 | per renewal | all licensees |
| Pain medicine (pain-clinic physicians only) | 20 | per 2 years | pain-management clinic owners/providers only |
Citation: Ohio Administrative Code 4731-29-01
Nurse Practitioners (APRN / NP)
Set by the Ohio Board of Nursing, separate from the physician rules above, with its own hours and topics. Verified July 20, 2026.
General CE: 24 contact hours of continuing nursing education for the APRN license per 2-year cycle (OAC 4723-8-10(B)(1); ORC 4723.24(C)(2)), of which at least 12 must be advanced pharmacology for prescribers. Separately, the concurrently-renewed RN license requires 24 contact hours (OAC 4723-14-03; ORC 4723.24(C)(1)), including at least 1 hour of Category A on the Ohio Nurse Practice Act/Board rules.
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) | 12 hours | per cycle | prescribers |
| Category A - Ohio Nurse Practice Act & Board administrative rules (via concurrent RN license) | 1 | Each 2-year renewal cycle | All licensees renewing an RN license (which all Ohio APRNs hold) |
Tracking: Self-report/attestation at online renewal via Ohio eLicense (nursing.ohio.gov); licensee retains CE documentation for potential Board audit. APRN renewal deadline is the licensee's birth month (odd- or even-year cycle by license type); APRN/RN licenses renew biennially.
Physician Assistants (PA)
Set by the State Medical Board of Ohio, 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 cycle (OAC 4730-1-06(G)(2)). The rule requires 100 hours of CME but does not itself mandate a specific AAPA Category I minimum for the general total (aside from the pharmacology carve-out below). Up to 33 hours may be met via documented volunteer healthcare service to indigent/uninsured persons.
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) | 12 hours | per cycle | prescribers |
Tracking: Self-report/attestation at online renewal via the State Medical Board of Ohio eLicense system; licensee retains CME documentation for potential Board audit. PA licenses renew biennially.
Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA)
Set by the Ohio Board of Nursing, separate from the physician rules above, with its own hours and topics. Verified August 24, 2026.
General CE: ORC 4723.24(C)(2) / OAC 4723-8-10(B): an APRN renewing a two-year license must complete 24 hours of continuing nursing education. The 12-hour advanced pharmacology requirement in the same provisions applies only to 'a clinical nurse specialist, certified nurse-midwife, or certified nurse practitioner': CRNAs are not listed. OAC 4723-8-10(A) allows CE obtained 'for the purpose of obtaining or maintaining a national certification' to count toward renewal if it meets Chapter 4723-14 standards. Excess hours do not carry over (4723-8-10(C)).
NBCRNA recertification counts toward state CE (partial). Ohio does not waive the 24 APRN hours for holding NBCRNA certification, but CE completed to maintain NBCRNA certification (CPC Class A credits from approved providers) may be applied toward the 24 APRN contact hours under OAC 4723-8-10(A), provided it meets OAC chapter 4723-14 approval standards. Current national certification is also a condition of holding the APRN license (OAC 4723-8-08). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Category A: Ohio Nurse Practice Act and Board rules (via concurrent RN license) | 1 | per cycle | All RN licensees, which includes every Ohio CRNA |
Tracking: Self-attestation at online renewal via Ohio eLicense; retain documentation for random Board audit. APRN and RN licenses renew on the same biennial cycle.
Anesthesiologist Assistants (CAA)
Set by the State Medical Board of Ohio, separate from the physician rules above, with its own hours and topics. Verified August 24, 2026.
General CE: Biennial renewal ($100 fee). At renewal the AA 'must certify to the board that the assistant has maintained certification by the national commission for the certification of anesthesiologist assistants' (ORC 4760.06(B)). Ohio imposes no independent CME hour requirement on AAs.
NCCAA recertification is accepted in place of state CE. NCCAA certification maintenance is the sole CME standard. 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
No additional mandated topics identified beyond the total above.
Tracking: Self-certification of NCCAA status at biennial renewal; Board may verify.
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. 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 general opioid, sexual misconduct, human trafficking, implicit bias, etc. mandate.
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 Ohio 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.