District of Columbia Physician Assistant license renewal and CE requirements
District of Columbia physician assistants must complete 100 CME credits of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the District of Columbia Board of Medicine (DC Health, Health Regulation and Licensing Administration).
A physician assistant license renews every two years. DC Health is moving all professional credentials to a birth month renewal cycle: any credential issued on or after June 16, 2024 expires on the last day of the holder's birth month, and the same applies to renewing licensees from September 2024 onward. A licensee whose term ran less than two years because of the transition may satisfy 50 percent of the continuing education requirement for that one cycle, but still owes the two LGBTQ cultural competency hours and the 10 percent public health priority share.
Summary
Requirements are changing. The District is mid transition on renewal dates. Credentials issued or renewed on or after June 16, 2024 expire on the last day of the holder's birth month rather than on the old fixed board window, so a licensee's first term under the new system may be shorter than two years. For that one shortened cycle the Board of Medicine accepts 50 percent of the continuing education hours, but the two LGBTQ cultural competency hours and the 10 percent public health priority share are still owed in full. Check your own expiration date with the Board of Medicine.
District of Columbia physician assistants must complete 100 CME credits of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the District of Columbia Board of Medicine (DC Health, Health Regulation and Licensing Administration). A physician assistant license renews every two years. DC Health is moving all professional credentials to a birth month renewal cycle: any credential issued on or after June 16, 2024 expires on the last day of the holder's birth month, and the same applies to renewing licensees from September 2024 onward. A licensee whose term ran less than two years because of the transition may satisfy 50 percent of the continuing education requirement for that one cycle, but still owes the two LGBTQ cultural competency hours and the 10 percent public health priority share. District of Columbia also mandates specific subjects. LGBTQ cultural competency: 2 CME credits every renewal cycle. Topics designated by the Director of the Department of Health as public health priorities: 10 CME credits every renewal cycle.
District of Columbia 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.
| Renewal cycle | Two-year (24 months) |
|---|---|
| Renewal deadline | Tied to the licensee's birth monthFirst renewal is prorated. |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 100 CME credits |
| Self-study or online cap | No cap stated |
| Carryover to next cycle | Not stated |
| First renewal exempt | Not stated |
| Other accepted activities | NCCPA certification, which the board accepts in place of the 100 hours but not in place of the LGBTQ cultural competency hours or the public health priority hours |
The board sets 100 hours of continuing education every two years for physician assistants, which includes two hours of LGBTQ cultural competency and ten hours in a topic designated a public health priority. NCCPA certification may be substituted for the 100 hours, but the substitution does not reach the two mandated subject areas: a certified physician assistant still owes those hours separately. The public health priority rule is a board wide 10 percent share, which is why the physician assistant figure is ten hours against a 100 hour base while physicians owe five hours against a 50 hour base. That is also the headline contrast with District physicians: physicians owe 50 hours every two years including two LGBTQ hours, five public health priority hours and at least one course in pharmacology, so a physician assistant here carries double the physician hour total unless certification is substituted.
Required CE topics for District of Columbia physician assistants
State-specific subject mandates. Where a mandate applies only to some licensees, the scope is listed.
| Topic | Hours | Frequency | Applies to | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LGBTQ cultural competencyCounted within the 100 hours. A physician assistant who substitutes NCCPA certification for the 100 hours still owes these two hours, and they are also owed in full by a licensee on a shortened transition cycle. | 2 CME credits | Every renewal | All licensees | LGBTQ Cultural Competency Continuing Education Amendment Act of 2016; 17 DCMR 4906 |
| Topics designated by the Director of the Department of Health as public health prioritiesTen hours, being 10 percent of the 100 hour total, counted within it. A physician assistant who substitutes NCCPA certification still owes these hours. The Director publishes the current list of acceptable priorities in a separate notice. | 10 CME credits | Every renewal | All licensees | 17 DCMR 4906 |
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | Not stated |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | Not stated |
| Board audits compliance | Not stated |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a District of Columbia PA need to renew?
- District of Columbia physician assistants must complete 100 CME credits of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the District of Columbia Board of Medicine (DC Health, Health Regulation and Licensing Administration). The board sets 100 hours of continuing education every two years for physician assistants, which includes two hours of LGBTQ cultural competency and ten hours in a topic designated a public health priority. NCCPA certification may be substituted for the 100 hours, but the substitution does not reach the two mandated subject areas: a certified physician assistant still owes those hours separately. The public health priority rule is a board wide 10 percent share, which is why the physician assistant figure is ten hours against a 100 hour base while physicians owe five hours against a 50 hour base. That is also the headline contrast with District physicians: physicians owe 50 hours every two years including two LGBTQ hours, five public health priority hours and at least one course in pharmacology, so a physician assistant here carries double the physician hour total unless certification is substituted.
- How often does a District of Columbia PA license need to be renewed?
- Physician Assistant licenses in District of Columbia renew every two years. A physician assistant license renews every two years. DC Health is moving all professional credentials to a birth month renewal cycle: any credential issued on or after June 16, 2024 expires on the last day of the holder's birth month, and the same applies to renewing licensees from September 2024 onward. A licensee whose term ran less than two years because of the transition may satisfy 50 percent of the continuing education requirement for that one cycle, but still owes the two LGBTQ cultural competency hours and the 10 percent public health priority share.
- What specific CE topics are required for District of Columbia physician assistants?
- LGBTQ cultural competency: 2 CME credits every renewal cycle. Topics designated by the Director of the Department of Health as public health priorities: 10 CME credits every renewal cycle. Citations: LGBTQ cultural competency (LGBTQ Cultural Competency Continuing Education Amendment Act of 2016; 17 DCMR 4906) and topics designated by the Director of the Department of Health as public health priorities (17 DCMR 4906).
Sources
Last verified September 8, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.
- Board of Medicine, DC HealthState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
- D.C. Municipal Regulations Title 17, Chapter 17-49, Physician Assistants, section listStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- D.C. Municipal Regulations 17-4906, Continuing Education Requirements (physician assistants), rulemaking recordStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
The District regulates physician assistants through the Board of Medicine, which also oversees surgical assistants, anesthesiologist assistants, trauma technologists and others; there is an Advisory Committee on Physician Assistants under DCMR 17-4917 but not a separate physician assistant board. The 100 hour total, the two LGBTQ hours, the ten public health priority hours, the NCCPA substitution and its limits, and the birth month transition were all read on the board's own page. Topic key public_health_priorities is not in the canonical list. The regulation text itself could not be read: dcregs.dc.gov shows only the rulemaking record for 17-4906 with the substantive text behind PDF links, and the District's rule text host dcrules.elaws.us returned HTTP 503 to every client tried. The chapter section list confirms 17-4901 Term of License, 17-4906 Continuing Education Requirements and 17-4907 Approved Continuing Education Programs and Activities, so a person wanting the approved provider rules and any documentation or audit provisions should read 17-4907 and 17-4906. Older summaries add three hours of HIV/AIDS to the physician assistant requirement; the board's current page does not list an HIV/AIDS component for physician assistants, so none is recorded. Documentation, retention and audit practice were not stated on the page read.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the District of Columbia Board of Medicine (DC Health, Health Regulation and Licensing Administration) before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.