California Physician Assistant license renewal and CE requirements

Summary

California physician assistants must complete 50 CME credits of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Physician Assistant Board (California Department of Consumer Affairs). A physician assistant license renews on a 24 month cycle keyed to the licensee's birth month. An initial license issued during the birth month runs a full 24 months; one issued at another point in the year runs between 13 and 23 months so that it lands on the birth month, after which every renewal is 24 months. The board mails a renewal reminder about four months before expiration. There is no grace period: the license is delinquent the day after it expires and the physician assistant may not practice. California also mandates specific subjects. Controlled substance education course: a one-time requirement (physician assistants who hold an active California license, are authorized through a California practice agreement to furnish Schedule II controlled substances, and are registered with the DEA).

California Physician Assistant 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.

California gives the physician assistant two routes and treats them as equivalent: either hold current NCCPA certification, or complete 50 hours of approved Category 1 (preapproved) CME during the renewal period. The state therefore sets a real hour count of its own rather than deferring to NCCPA outright, but a certified physician assistant satisfies the requirement by certification alone. A licensee on inactive status, or one the board grants a waiver, is exempt from CME for that renewal cycle.

Required CE topics for California physician assistants

State-specific subject mandates. Where a mandate applies only to some licensees, the scope is listed.

Documentation and audit

Common questions

How many CE hours does a California PA need to renew?

California physician assistants must complete 50 CME credits of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Physician Assistant Board (California Department of Consumer Affairs). California gives the physician assistant two routes and treats them as equivalent: either hold current NCCPA certification, or complete 50 hours of approved Category 1 (preapproved) CME during the renewal period. The state therefore sets a real hour count of its own rather than deferring to NCCPA outright, but a certified physician assistant satisfies the requirement by certification alone. A licensee on inactive status, or one the board grants a waiver, is exempt from CME for that renewal cycle.

How often does a California PA license need to be renewed?

Physician Assistant licenses in California renew every two years. A physician assistant license renews on a 24 month cycle keyed to the licensee's birth month. An initial license issued during the birth month runs a full 24 months; one issued at another point in the year runs between 13 and 23 months so that it lands on the birth month, after which every renewal is 24 months. The board mails a renewal reminder about four months before expiration. There is no grace period: the license is delinquent the day after it expires and the physician assistant may not practice.

What specific CE topics are required for California physician assistants?

Controlled substance education course: a one-time requirement (physician assistants who hold an active California license, are authorized through a California practice agreement to furnish Schedule II controlled substances, and are registered with the DEA). Citations: controlled substance education course (16 CCR 1399.610; 16 CCR 1399.612).

Do California physician assistants have to submit CE certificates at renewal?

Licensees attest to completion at renewal rather than submitting certificates and the board audits a sample of renewals and asks for documentation. Approved Category 1 (preapproved) CME. The board asks for evidence of CME completion on request, and requires the certificate of completion for the controlled substance education course to be submitted to the board.

Sources

Last verified September 8, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.

• Renewal Information, Physician Assistant BoardState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
• Controlled Substance Education Course, Physician Assistant BoardState board page, accessed September 8, 2026

California does not regulate physician assistants through the Medical Board of California. The Physician Assistant Board is a separate board within the Department of Consumer Affairs with its own site at pab.ca.gov, and that is the regulator cited here. The 24 month birthday cycle, the 50 hour Category 1 alternative to NCCPA certification, and the one time controlled substance education course were all read on the board's own pages. The relationship to the California physician requirement is a contrast rather than a layering: the Medical Board of California requires 50 CME credits per two year cycle from physicians with no certification substitute, while the Physician Assistant Board accepts current NCCPA certification in place of the hours entirely. Third party summaries describe the controlled substance education course as six hours including three hours specific to Schedule II; no hour figure appears on the board's own controlled substance education page, so hours is left null rather than taken from a secondary source. The practice agreement with a supervising physician is a practice authorization, not continuing education, and is not recorded as CE. Record retention length was not stated on the pages read.