Florida Physician Assistant license renewal and CE requirements
Florida physician assistants must complete 100 CME credits of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Florida Board of Medicine.
All physician assistant licenses expire at midnight Eastern Time on January 31 of each even numbered year unless renewed. The department mails a renewal notice to the address of record at least 90 days before expiration, and the licensee has until midnight on the expiration day to renew. Because licenses only expire in even years, first licensure periods vary: the board sets a minimum licensure period of five months, and a license issued before September in an odd year expires the following January 31.
Summary
Florida physician assistants must complete 100 CME credits of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Florida Board of Medicine. All physician assistant licenses expire at midnight Eastern Time on January 31 of each even numbered year unless renewed. The department mails a renewal notice to the address of record at least 90 days before expiration, and the licensee has until midnight on the expiration day to renew. Because licenses only expire in even years, first licensure periods vary: the board sets a minimum licensure period of five months, and a license issued before September in an odd year expires the following January 31. Florida also mandates specific subjects. Prevention of Medical Errors: 2 CME credits every renewal cycle. Domestic Violence: 2 CME credits on a periodic schedule set by the board. HIV/AIDS: 1 CME credit at the first renewal only. Safe and effective prescribing of controlled substance medications: 3 CME credits every renewal cycle (prescribing physician assistants).
Florida 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 | Same date for every licensee, 01/31 each cycleFirst renewal is prorated. |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 100 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 copy of a current NCCPA certificate counts for the 98 required general CME hours, with medical errors, domestic violence and specialty area hours still shown separately; 5 hours in ethics or risk management for attending one full day, or eight hours, of disciplinary hearings at a regular meeting of the Board of Medicine; Up to 5 hours per biennium for pro bono medical services to indigent or underserved populations or in areas of critical need, credited hour for hour |
The biennial total is 100 hours: 98 general plus two hours prevention of medical errors. At least 50 of the hours must be AMA PRA Category I; the remaining 50 may be Category II. Domestic violence is two hours every third biennium and, unlike the nursing rule, the board states it is included in the 100. A current NCCPA certificate substitutes for the 98 general hours, so a certified physician assistant still has to show medical errors, domestic violence and specialty area hours. Prescribing physician assistants must complete 10 hours of CME in each specialty area of the supervising physician; those hours are included in the 98 general hours, and since January 1, 2017 three of the ten must be a course on safe and effective prescribing of controlled substance medications. A first biennium renewal is lighter: two hours medical errors, one hour HIV/AIDS as a Category I course, and 97 hours of general CME, with NCCPA certification able to substitute for the 97. A licensee who volunteers 160 hours of medical services to indigent Florida residents at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level during the biennium, or 800 hours if fully retired from compensated practice, may qualify for a waiver of the renewal fee and up to 25 percent of the continuing education hours.
Required CE topics for Florida physician assistants
State-specific subject mandates. Where a mandate applies only to some licensees, the scope is listed.
| Topic | Hours | Frequency | Applies to | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prevention of Medical ErrorsPart of the 100 hour total. The course must be approved by a state or federal government agency, a nationally affiliated professional association, or any provider of AMA Category I or II continuing education. One hour of a two hour course provided by a facility licensed under Chapter 395, Florida Statutes, for its employees may partially meet the requirement. | 2 CME credits | Every renewal | All licensees | Rule 64B8-30.005, F.A.C. |
| Domestic ViolenceRequired every third biennium and included in the 100 total hours. The rule describes content on prevalence among victims and perpetrators, screening procedures, and referral to community resources. | 2 CME credits | Periodic | All licensees | Rule 64B8-30.005, F.A.C. |
| HIV/AIDSRequired at the first biennium renewal only, and the course must be Category I. The rule describes content on modes of transmission, infection control, epidemiology, and Florida law on testing and confidentiality. | 1 CME credit | First renewal only | All licensees | Rule 64B8-30.005, F.A.C. |
| Safe and effective prescribing of controlled substance medicationsEffective January 1, 2017, three of the ten specialty area hours a prescribing physician assistant owes must be this course, given by a statewide professional association of physicians in Florida accredited for AMA PRA Category I credit or designated by the American Academy of Physician Assistants as Category I credit. The ten specialty hours are themselves included in the 98 general hours, so this does not add to the 100. | 3 CME credits | Every renewal | prescribing physician assistants | Not stated |
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | No, attestation only |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | Not stated |
| Board audits compliance | Not stated |
| Approved providers | General hours must be approved by the American Academy of Physician Assistants, the Accreditation Council for CME, the American Medical Association, the American Osteopathic Association Council on CME, or the American Academy of Family Physicians. Hours must be reported into the Department of Health's CE Broker tracking system before renewal, through the licensee's MQA online account; a delinquent renewal requires reporting the current and previous cycle. Licensees must produce evidence of completed hours when the board or department asks. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Florida PA need to renew?
- Florida physician assistants must complete 100 CME credits of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Florida Board of Medicine. The biennial total is 100 hours: 98 general plus two hours prevention of medical errors. At least 50 of the hours must be AMA PRA Category I; the remaining 50 may be Category II. Domestic violence is two hours every third biennium and, unlike the nursing rule, the board states it is included in the 100. A current NCCPA certificate substitutes for the 98 general hours, so a certified physician assistant still has to show medical errors, domestic violence and specialty area hours. Prescribing physician assistants must complete 10 hours of CME in each specialty area of the supervising physician; those hours are included in the 98 general hours, and since January 1, 2017 three of the ten must be a course on safe and effective prescribing of controlled substance medications. A first biennium renewal is lighter: two hours medical errors, one hour HIV/AIDS as a Category I course, and 97 hours of general CME, with NCCPA certification able to substitute for the 97. A licensee who volunteers 160 hours of medical services to indigent Florida residents at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level during the biennium, or 800 hours if fully retired from compensated practice, may qualify for a waiver of the renewal fee and up to 25 percent of the continuing education hours.
- How often does a Florida PA license need to be renewed?
- Physician Assistant licenses in Florida renew every two years. All physician assistant licenses expire at midnight Eastern Time on January 31 of each even numbered year unless renewed. The department mails a renewal notice to the address of record at least 90 days before expiration, and the licensee has until midnight on the expiration day to renew. Because licenses only expire in even years, first licensure periods vary: the board sets a minimum licensure period of five months, and a license issued before September in an odd year expires the following January 31.
- What specific CE topics are required for Florida physician assistants?
- Prevention of Medical Errors: 2 CME credits every renewal cycle. Domestic Violence: 2 CME credits on a periodic schedule set by the board. HIV/AIDS: 1 CME credit at the first renewal only. Safe and effective prescribing of controlled substance medications: 3 CME credits every renewal cycle (prescribing physician assistants). Citations: prevention of Medical Errors (Rule 64B8-30.005, F.A.C.), Domestic Violence (Rule 64B8-30.005, F.A.C.), and HIV/AIDS (Rule 64B8-30.005, F.A.C.).
- Do Florida physician assistants have to submit CE certificates at renewal?
- Licensees attest to completion at renewal rather than submitting certificates. General hours must be approved by the American Academy of Physician Assistants, the Accreditation Council for CME, the American Medical Association, the American Osteopathic Association Council on CME, or the American Academy of Family Physicians. Hours must be reported into the Department of Health's CE Broker tracking system before renewal, through the licensee's MQA online account; a delinquent renewal requires reporting the current and previous cycle. Licensees must produce evidence of completed hours when the board or department asks.
- Is the first Florida PA renewal exempt from CE?
- No. Florida applies the continuing education requirement to the first renewal as well.
Sources
Last verified September 8, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.
- Physician Assistant Renewal, Florida Board of MedicineState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
- Fla. Admin. Code R. 64B8-30.005, Physician Assistant Licensure Renewal and Reactivation (Cornell LII mirror)Third-party summary, accessed September 8, 2026
- Physician Assistant licensing, Florida Board of MedicineState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
- Renewals, Florida Board of MedicineState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
Florida regulates physician assistants through the Board of Medicine, with a Council on Physician Assistants advising it, not through a separate physician assistant board. The January 31 even year expiration and the full continuing education table were read on the board's own physician assistant renewal page, and the rule text was confirmed through the Cornell LII mirror of Rule 64B8-30.005. Two differences from the Florida nursing rule are worth noting: domestic violence is included in the physician assistant total but is additional to the nursing total, and the physician assistant controlled substance hours sit inside the general hours rather than on top. The rule mirror also lists five hours of risk management or medical ethics as an available category; the board's page presents that as an alternative way of earning hours through attendance at disciplinary hearings rather than as a separate mandate, so it is recorded under alternatives rather than as a mandatory topic. Florida requires no human trafficking course for physician assistants, unlike its nursing rule. Record retention length and audit frequency were not stated; hours are reported through CE Broker.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Florida Board of Medicine before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.