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Vermont CME Requirements (2026): Physicians, NPs, PAs, CRNAs & CAAs
Vermont 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 Vermont Board of Medical Practice.
General CME: 30 hours every 2 years.
Opioid / controlled substance
2 hours per 2 years — prescribing CS (DEA holders) + 1 hour palliative/hospice/pain (all licensees). Within the 30-hour Category 1 total.
✓ No board pre-approval gate: No board pre-approval (confirm with board) — generic ACCME AMA PRA Category 1 counts if content addresses the required topics. No VT-specific curriculum or list.
All mandated CME topics
| Topic | Hours | Timing | Applies to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hospice / palliative care / pain management | 1 | per renewal | all |
| Controlled substance prescribing | 2 | per renewal | DEA registrants |
Citation: 12-5 Vt. Code R.
Nurse Practitioners (APRN / NP)
Set by the Vermont Board of Nursing (Office of Professional Regulation, Vermont Secretary of State) — separate from the physician rules above, with its own hours and topics.
General CE: No fixed state-set CE hour total for APRN renewal. Under the Administrative Rules of the Board of Nursing (Code Vt. R. 04-030-170), APRN renewal (Rule 4.8(d)) requires (a) satisfying the underlying RN renewal competency requirement — met by one of: 400 practice hours in 2 years / 960 in 5 years, OR 20 hours of qualifying continuing education, OR current nationally recognized certification (Rule 4.8(a)); AND (b) current certification by a national APRN certifying organization plus APRN practice hours (400 hours per 2 years or 960 hours per 5 years). Because national APRN certification is mandatory at the APRN level, competency is primarily maintained via national certification/recertification rather than a state-mandated CE hour count.
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-report/attestation at biennial renewal; licensees must retain documentation (national certification, practice hours, or CE) and produce it if audited by the Office of Professional Regulation.
Physician Assistants (PA)
Set by the Vermont Board of Medical Practice (Vermont Department of Health) — separate from the physician rules above, with its own hours and topics.
General CE: 100 approved CME credit hours every 2 years, of which a minimum of 50 must be AMA PRA Category 1. In lieu of the 100 hours, certification or recertification by the NCCPA at any time during the 2-year licensure period is accepted (Rule 32.4.2).
Opioid / controlled substance
2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmacology / pharmacotherapeutics (prescriptive authority) | 2 hours | per cycle | prescribers |
| Opioid / controlled-substance prescribing | 2 | Every 2 years (each biennial renewal cycle) | Licensee is registered with the DEA and holds a DEA number to prescribe controlled substances, or has a pending DEA application (presumed to prescribe controlled substances). |
Tracking: Self-attestation at biennial renewal to the Vermont Board of Medical Practice; the Board audits a sample of licensees who must then submit documentation of CME completion.
Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA)
Set by the Vermont Board of Nursing, Office of Professional Regulation (Vermont Secretary of State) — separate from the physician rules above, with its own hours and topics.
General CE: Vermont's Board of Nursing rules (Code Vt. R. 04-030-170, eff. May 11, 2023) set no CE-hour mandate for APRN renewal. Rule 4-8(d): 'APRNs shall: (1) Have satisfied RN renewal requirements; (2) Have practiced in an APRN role for a minimum of 50 days (400 hours) in the two years preceding application or 120 days (960 hours) in the five years preceding application; (3) Present current certification by a national APRN certifying organization; and (4) If required, have a current collaborating provider agreement.' Rule 9-7(a) restates the practice-hours + 'Maintained certification by a national certification accreditation body' requirement. The RN-level competency option of '20 hours of qualifying continuing education' is only one of three alternatives and is displaced by national certification.
NBCRNA recertification is accepted in place of state CE. National APRN certification (NBCRNA for CRNAs) is mandatory for APRN renewal (Rule 4-8(d)(3), 9-7(a)(3)) and simultaneously satisfies the RN renewal competency element ('a current nationally recognized certification', Rule 4-8(a)/7-2). No hour count exists to be replaced; practice-hour minimums still apply. 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
No additional mandated topics identified beyond the total above.
Tracking: Self-attestation at biennial online renewal (OPR); retain proof of national certification, practice hours and any CE for audit by the Office of Professional Regulation. No CE Broker.
Anesthesiologist Assistants (CAA)
Set by the Vermont Board of Medical Practice (Dept. of Health) — separate from the physician rules above, with its own hours and topics. Practice pathway: certification/registration.
General CE: 'Certifications shall be renewed every two years' upon renewal form, fee and 'proof of current active NCCAA certification' (26 V.S.A. § 1656; Rule 20.5(a)). No separate Vermont CME hours for AAs.
NCCAA recertification is accepted in place of state CE. Active NCCAA certification is the renewal 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: Proof of NCCAA certification at biennial renewal.
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 Vermont'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.
Build my multi-state CME plan →This page summarizes Vermont 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.