Alaska Osteopathic Physician (DO) license renewal and CE requirements
Alaska osteopathic physicians (DO) must complete 50 CME credits of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Alaska State Medical Board.
Medical licenses renew on a two year cycle that runs January 1 of an odd numbered year through December 31 of the following even numbered year. The license lapses after December 31 of the even numbered year and there is no grace period, so practicing on a lapsed license is not allowed. The current period on the board's renewal application runs January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2026.
Summary
Alaska osteopathic physicians (DO) must complete 50 CME credits of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Alaska State Medical Board. Medical licenses renew on a two year cycle that runs January 1 of an odd numbered year through December 31 of the following even numbered year. The license lapses after December 31 of the even numbered year and there is no grace period, so practicing on a lapsed license is not allowed. The current period on the board's renewal application runs January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2026. Alaska also mandates specific subjects. Pain management and opioid use and addiction: 2 CME credits every renewal cycle (all licensees except those who certify that they do not currently hold a valid federal DEA registration number; for them the requirement is waived until they apply for a DEA registration number).
Alaska Osteopathic Physician (DO) renewal and continuing education rules
"Not stated" means the board's pages and rules we read do not address it. We do not fill in typical values.
| Renewal cycle | Two-year (24 months) |
|---|---|
| Renewal deadline | Same date for every licensee, 12/31 each cycleFirst renewal is prorated. |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 50 CME credits |
| Category 1 minimum | 50 CME credits |
| Self-study or online cap | No cap stated |
| Carryover to next cycle | Not stated |
| First renewal exempt | No |
| Other accepted activities | A current physician's recognition award from the AMA, the American Podiatry Association, the AOA, or a recognized subspecialty board; Initial certification or recertification during the concluding licensing period by a specialty board recognized by the AMA or the AOA; Participation in a residency program during the concluding licensing period |
12 AAC 40.200(a)(1) requires an average of 25 credit hours of continuing medical education for each year of the previous license period, which is 50 hours over the two year cycle. Credit must be Category I accredited by the AMA, Category I or II accredited by the AOA, or earned from a provider approved by the Council on Podiatric Medical Education (12 AAC 40.210(a)); the whole total must come from those categories, so category_1_minimum is set equal to the total. The equivalents in 12 AAC 40.210(b) substitute for the hour requirement in 40.200(a)(1) but not for the two hour pain management requirement. Only hours awarded inside the preceding two calendar years count. The first renewal is prorated rather than waived: on the 2025 to 2026 renewal application, a license first issued during the first year of the prior cycle needed 25 hours, and a license first issued during the second year needed only the two hours of pain management and opioid education. Licensees renewing in Retired status do not have to meet the CME requirement. The board may grant an extension for illness or other extenuating circumstances under 12 AAC 40.200(b) and 12 AAC 40.240, and the renewal application also allows a request for a 30 day grace period to finish CME.
Required CE topics for Alaska osteopathic physician (do)s
State-specific subject mandates. Where a mandate applies only to some licensees, the scope is listed.
| Topic | Hours | Frequency | Applies to | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pain management and opioid use and addictionAt least two of the hours required for renewal must be in pain management and opioid use and addiction, so the hours count toward the 50 hour total rather than adding to it. The same two hours are required at initial licensure under 12 AAC 40.010(b)(1)(F). Licenses first issued in the second year of the prior cycle owe only these two hours at their first renewal. | 2 CME credits | Every renewal | All licensees except those who certify that they do not currently hold a valid federal DEA registration number; for them the requirement is waived until they apply for a DEA registration number | 12 AAC 40.200(a)(2) |
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | No, attestation only |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | 4 years |
| Board audits compliance | Yes |
| Approved providers | Credit must be Category I accredited by the American Medical Association, Category I or II accredited by the American Osteopathic Association, or from providers approved by the Council on Podiatric Medical Education (12 AAC 40.210). The licensee signs a statement of compliance on the renewal application (12 AAC 40.220) and does not send certificates with an on time renewal. The board runs a random audit of a percentage of renewals after renewal and asks the selected licensees for certificates; documents should be kept on file for at least four years. Physicians who participate in the ACCME Program and Activity Reporting System (PARS) can have board staff verify credits instead of sending documents; PARS use is an option, not a requirement. Licensees renewing late after a lapse of 60 days or more must submit proof of CME unless they use PARS. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Alaska DO need to renew?
- Alaska osteopathic physicians (DO) must complete 50 CME credits of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Alaska State Medical Board. 12 AAC 40.200(a)(1) requires an average of 25 credit hours of continuing medical education for each year of the previous license period, which is 50 hours over the two year cycle. Credit must be Category I accredited by the AMA, Category I or II accredited by the AOA, or earned from a provider approved by the Council on Podiatric Medical Education (12 AAC 40.210(a)); the whole total must come from those categories, so category_1_minimum is set equal to the total. The equivalents in 12 AAC 40.210(b) substitute for the hour requirement in 40.200(a)(1) but not for the two hour pain management requirement. Only hours awarded inside the preceding two calendar years count. The first renewal is prorated rather than waived: on the 2025 to 2026 renewal application, a license first issued during the first year of the prior cycle needed 25 hours, and a license first issued during the second year needed only the two hours of pain management and opioid education. Licensees renewing in Retired status do not have to meet the CME requirement. The board may grant an extension for illness or other extenuating circumstances under 12 AAC 40.200(b) and 12 AAC 40.240, and the renewal application also allows a request for a 30 day grace period to finish CME.
- How often does a Alaska DO license need to be renewed?
- Osteopathic Physician (DO) licenses in Alaska renew every two years. Medical licenses renew on a two year cycle that runs January 1 of an odd numbered year through December 31 of the following even numbered year. The license lapses after December 31 of the even numbered year and there is no grace period, so practicing on a lapsed license is not allowed. The current period on the board's renewal application runs January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2026.
- What specific CE topics are required for Alaska osteopathic physicians (DO)?
- Pain management and opioid use and addiction: 2 CME credits every renewal cycle (all licensees except those who certify that they do not currently hold a valid federal DEA registration number; for them the requirement is waived until they apply for a DEA registration number). Citations: pain management and opioid use and addiction (12 AAC 40.200(a)(2)).
- Do Alaska osteopathic physicians (DO) have to submit CE certificates at renewal?
- Licensees attest to completion at renewal rather than submitting certificates, the board audits a sample of renewals and asks for documentation, and records must be kept for 4 years. Credit must be Category I accredited by the American Medical Association, Category I or II accredited by the American Osteopathic Association, or from providers approved by the Council on Podiatric Medical Education (12 AAC 40.210). The licensee signs a statement of compliance on the renewal application (12 AAC 40.220) and does not send certificates with an on time renewal. The board runs a random audit of a percentage of renewals after renewal and asks the selected licensees for certificates; documents should be kept on file for at least four years. Physicians who participate in the ACCME Program and Activity Reporting System (PARS) can have board staff verify credits instead of sending documents; PARS use is an option, not a requirement. Licensees renewing late after a lapse of 60 days or more must submit proof of CME unless they use PARS.
- Is the first Alaska DO renewal exempt from CE?
- No. Alaska applies the continuing education requirement to the first renewal as well.
Sources
Last verified September 7, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.
- Alaska Statutes and Regulations, Medical (AS 08.64 and 12 AAC 40), April 2025, Division of Corporations, Business and Professional LicensingStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 7, 2026
- Medical License Renewal Application, January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2026, Alaska State Medical Board (form 08-0077, rev. 07/31/2025)State board page, accessed September 7, 2026
Alaska licenses MDs and DOs through one board, the Alaska State Medical Board; the single renewal application form covers Allopathic Physician (MD), Osteopathic Physician (DO) and Podiatrist (DPM), and 12 AAC 40.200 applies to a physician, osteopath, or podiatrist. There is no separate Alaska osteopathic board, so the MD and DO records cite the same sources. Hours, credit categories, the pain management requirement, certification of compliance and the extenuating circumstances exemption were read in the board's own April 2025 statutes and regulations compilation. The two year cycle dates, the no grace period statement, the prorated first renewal, the four year retention, the random audit and the PARS option were read on the board's renewal application. The regulations do not state a carryover allowance or a cap on self study or online credit, so those fields are null. The board's HTML pages on commerce.alaska.gov (including the State Medical Board homepage and the renewal FAQ at https://www.commerce.alaska.gov/web/cbpl/professionallicensing/statemedicalboard/frequentlyaskedquestions.aspx) return 403 to every automated client tested and could not be read; only PDFs on the same domain were reachable, so those pages need browser verification. board_url points at the board homepage even though it could not be fetched.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Alaska State Medical Board before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.