If you hold a California physician assistant license, the Physician Assistant Board requires 50 hours of approved CME during each two-year renewal period. You can satisfy this by maintaining current NCCPA certification or by completing 50 hours of approved Category 1 CME during the cycle. Effective January 1, 2025, PAs serving a primarily older patient population must direct part of their CE toward geriatric topics. Below is the full breakdown of what you need, what counts, and when it is due.
50 hours / 2 years
Fifty approved CME hours each biennial renewal period.
NCCPA pathway
Maintaining current NCCPA certification satisfies the requirement.
Geriatric medicine
Qualifying primary care PAs must spend 20% of CE on geriatric topics.
Separate PA board
PAs are regulated by California's dedicated Physician Assistant Board.
How many CME hours California PAs need
California requires 50 hours of approved CME every two years for physician assistants. You may demonstrate compliance either by maintaining current NCCPA certification or by completing 50 hours of approved Category 1 CME during the renewal period.
Mandated subject requirements
- Geriatric medicine: effective January 1, 2025, PAs whose patient population is 25% or more aged 65+ must complete at least 20% of mandatory CE in geriatric medicine, dementia care, or care of older patients.
Renewal cycle and deadlines
California PA licenses renew every two years. PAs who have not completed the required CME in the two-year period immediately preceding expiration are ineligible to renew unless granted a waiver or inactive status.
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View pricingCalifornia Physician Assistants (PA) CME at a glance
- Geriatric Medicine (qualifying primary care PAs)10 hrs · biennial
Effective January 1, 2025, PAs whose primary-care patient population is 25% or more aged 65+ must complete at least 20% of mandatory CE hours (about 10 of the 50 hours) in geriatric medicine, the special needs of patients with dementia, or care of older patients.
Always confirm with your licensing board
The Physician Assistant Board of California requires 50 hours of approved CME during each two-year renewal period. PAs may satisfy this either by maintaining current NCCPA certification or by completing 50 hours of approved Category 1 CME during the renewal period. Effective January 1, 2025, PAs who provide primary care to a patient population that is 25% or more aged 65+ must complete at least 20% of their mandatory CE in geriatric medicine, dementia care, or care of older patients.
CME requirements change. Confirm current rules with the Physician Assistant Board of California before relying on these figures.
Source: Physician Assistant Board of California. 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 California or beyond?
Our sister teams handle the licensing side with the same concierge service.
California Physician Assistant CME Requirements — Frequently Asked Questions
How many CME hours do California PAs need?
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50 approved CME hours every two years, or maintenance of current NCCPA certification.
Can NCCPA certification satisfy California PA CME?
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Yes — maintaining current NCCPA certification satisfies the 50-hour requirement.
Is geriatric CE required for California PAs?
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Yes, for PAs whose primary-care patient population is 25% or more aged 65+ — they must complete at least 20% of mandatory CE in geriatric topics (effective January 1, 2025).
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