If you hold an Alabama physician assistant license, the Alabama Board of Medical Examiners requires 50 hours of approved continuing medical education over a rolling two-year period. Although your license is registered every year, the 50-hour CME standard (in effect since January 1, 2025) is measured biennially. Alabama also requires a 2-hour course on navigating professional boundaries, and adds controlled-substance education for PAs who hold prescriptive authority. Below is the full breakdown of what you need, what counts, and when it is due.
50 hours / 2 years
Fifty CME hours measured over a rolling 24-month period.
Annual registration
PA licenses are registered each year by December 31.
Professional boundaries
A recurring 2-hour course in navigating professional boundaries in medicine.
Controlled substances
QACSC holders complete 4 Category 1 hours of controlled-substance CME every 2 years.
How many CME hours Alabama PAs need
Alabama requires 50 CME hours every two years for physician assistants. The requirement changed from 25 hours per year to 50 hours per rolling 24-month period effective January 1, 2025. Hours should be AMA PRA Category 1 (or AAPA Category 1 equivalent).
Mandated subject requirements
- Professional boundaries: a recurring 2-hour course in navigating professional boundaries in medicine (new PAs within 12 months of licensure).
- Controlled substances: PAs holding a QACSC complete 12 hours initially, then 4 AMA PRA Category 1 hours every 2 years.
Renewal cycle and deadlines
Alabama PA licenses are registered annually, with registration due by December 31. The 50-hour CME total is measured over a rolling two-year window. PAs first licensed during the current calendar year are exempt from the credit requirement for that year.
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View pricingAlabama Physician Assistants (PA) CME at a glance
- Navigating Professional Boundaries in Medicine2 hrs · recurring
Active PAs must complete a 2-hour course on professional boundaries; newly licensed PAs must complete it within 12 months of licensure.
- Controlled Substance Prescribing (QACSC holders)4 hrs · biennial
PAs holding an Alabama Qualified Alternative Controlled Substances Certificate (QACSC) complete 12 hours initially (8 hours prescribing plus 4 hours advanced pharmacology), then 4 AMA PRA Category 1 hours every 2 years thereafter. This applies only to PAs with controlled-substance prescriptive authority.
Always confirm with your licensing board
Alabama PA licenses are registered annually (registration is due by December 31), but the CME requirement is measured over a rolling 24-month period. Effective January 1, 2025, the Alabama Board of Medical Examiners requires 50 CME hours every two years (replacing the prior 25-hours-per-year standard). PAs newly licensed during the current calendar year are exempt from the credit requirement for that year.
CME requirements change. Confirm current rules with the Alabama Board of Medical Examiners before relying on these figures.
Source: Alabama Board of Medical Examiners. Board website · Researched as of 2026-06-01 · CME rules change; this is administrative guidance, not legal or CME-accreditation advice.
Licensed in more than one state?
PA Licensure Compact: enacted but not yet active. Enacted by enough states and a commission is standing up, but NOT yet issuing the compact privilege — PAs still license state-by-state.
Each state license carries its own CME requirement and renewal date — if you hold more than one, you need a plan for each.
Also licensing in Alabama or beyond?
Our sister teams handle the licensing side with the same concierge service.
Alabama Physician Assistant CME Requirements — Frequently Asked Questions
How many CME hours do Alabama PAs need?
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50 CME hours every two years, measured over a rolling 24-month period.
Is a professional boundaries course required for Alabama PAs?
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Yes — a recurring 2-hour course in navigating professional boundaries in medicine is required, and new PAs must complete it within 12 months of licensure.
Do Alabama PAs need controlled-substance CME?
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Only PAs who hold a Qualified Alternative Controlled Substances Certificate (QACSC). They complete 12 hours initially, then 4 AMA PRA Category 1 hours every 2 years.
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