Illinois Physician Assistant license renewal and CE requirements
Illinois physician assistants must complete 50 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Division of Professional Regulation (Physician Assistant Advisory Committee to the Medical Licensing Board).
Every Illinois physician assistant license expires on March 1 of each even-numbered year, and the license may be renewed during the month before the expiration date. Practice on an expired license is unlicensed practice. If the online renewal window is missed, IDFPR requires a reinstatement application rather than a renewal.
Summary
Illinois physician assistants must complete 50 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Division of Professional Regulation (Physician Assistant Advisory Committee to the Medical Licensing Board). Every Illinois physician assistant license expires on March 1 of each even-numbered year, and the license may be renewed during the month before the expiration date. Practice on an expired license is unlicensed practice. If the online renewal window is missed, IDFPR requires a reinstatement application rather than a renewal. Illinois also mandates specific subjects. Sexual harassment prevention training: 1 contact hour every renewal cycle (all persons holding a professional license issued by the Division who are subject to a continuing education requirement). Implicit bias awareness training: 1 contact hour every renewal cycle (physician assistants and other listed health care professionals who have continuing education requirements). Cultural competency training: 1 contact hour on a periodic schedule set by the board (physician assistant is on the list of licenses subject to the requirement). Alzheimer's disease and other dementias training: 1 contact hour on a periodic schedule set by the board (only licensees who provide health care services to, and have direct patient interactions with, adults age 26 or older; it does not apply to a practice limited to persons under 26). Continuing education on safe opioid prescribing practices: 1 contact hour every renewal cycle (every prescriber licensed to prescribe controlled substances, which for a physician assistant means one holding a mid-level practitioner controlled substances license through delegated prescriptive authority). The first renewal is exempt.
Illinois 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, 03/01 each cycle |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 50 contact hours |
| Category 1 minimum | 25 contact hours |
| Self-study or online cap | No cap stated |
| Carryover to next cycle | Not stated |
| First renewal exempt | Yes |
| Other accepted activities | AAPA preapproved certification and recertification programs, counted as Category 1; Performance improvement CME (PI-CME) programs, counted as Category 1; Self-assessment CME programs, counted as Category 1; Category 2 activity, meaning any educational activity related to medicine, patient care or the physician assistant role that has not been designated for Category 1 credit |
68 Ill. Adm. Code 1350.116(a): beginning with the March 2, 2020 renewal period, all licensed physician assistants complete 50 hours of approved CE per 2-year license renewal cycle. At least 25 of the 50 must be Category 1 CME as determined by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants; the other 25 may be Category 1, Category 2, or a combination. All CE must be completed in the 24 months preceding expiration, and no CE is required for the first renewal of an Illinois license. Physician assistants licensed in Illinois but living and practicing elsewhere must still comply. CE from a sponsor not approved in Illinois needs an individual program approval request with a $25 fee filed before the program or within 90 days before expiration (late approval adds $50 per hour up to $300). Hardship waivers may be requested at renewal. The Illinois rule sets a state hour count of its own; it does not simply defer to NCCPA's 100 credits per two year cycle, although it uses NCCPA's Category 1 definition.
Required CE topics for Illinois physician assistants
State-specific subject mandates. Where a mandate applies only to some licensees, the scope is listed.
| Topic | Hours | Frequency | Applies to | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sexual harassment prevention trainingOne hour per renewal, counted toward the 50 hour total. Providers are limited to Division approved CE providers, entities recognized as CE providers under an Act the Division administers, State, county, municipal or federal agencies, accredited colleges, or a licensed health care institution for its own employees. A licensee holding several Division licenses takes it once. Non-canonical topic key. | 1 contact hour | Every renewal | All persons holding a professional license issued by the Division who are subject to a continuing education requirement | 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1130.400; 20 ILCS 2105/2105-15.5 |
| Implicit bias awareness trainingAt least a one hour course per renewal period, counted toward the 50 hour total. On and after July 1, 2026, a licensee who reports providing maternal health care services must take a version covering maternal health risk factors for childbearing individuals in marginalized racial or ethnic groups with increased maternal mortality rates. Training applied to another state licensure, accreditation, certification or institutional requirement may be counted. | 1 contact hour | Every renewal | Physician assistants and other listed health care professionals who have continuing education requirements | 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1130.500; 20 ILCS 2105/2105-15.7 |
| Cultural competency trainingOne hour, effective for the first applicable renewal on or after January 1, 2025, then repeated once every six years rather than every renewal. Counts toward the 50 hour total but no more than one credit hour in any one renewal period. | 1 contact hour | Periodic | Physician assistant is on the list of licenses subject to the requirement | 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1130.525; 20 ILCS 2105/2105-370 and 2105-375 |
| Alzheimer's disease and other dementias trainingOne hour on assessment and diagnosis, effective communication strategies, and management and care planning, for renewals on or after January 1, 2023, repeated once every six years. Counts toward the 50 hour total but no more than one credit hour in any one renewal period. | 1 contact hour | Periodic | Only licensees who provide health care services to, and have direct patient interactions with, adults age 26 or older; it does not apply to a practice limited to persons under 26 | 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1130.550; 20 ILCS 2105/2105-365 and 2105-375 |
| Continuing education on safe opioid prescribing practicesOne hour during the prerenewal period, offered or accredited by a professional association or a State or federal government agency. The section was rewritten by Public Act 103-531 effective January 1, 2025 and ties the requirement to the federal prescriber training rule in Section 1263 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023. The hour may be counted toward the total CE hours required for renewal, and safe opioid prescribing education applied to another state licensure, accreditation or certification requirement may be used for it. | 1 contact hour | Every renewal | Every prescriber licensed to prescribe controlled substances, which for a physician assistant means one holding a mid-level practitioner controlled substances license through delegated prescriptive authority | 720 ILCS 570/315.5 |
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | No, attestation only |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | Not stated |
| Board audits compliance | Yes |
| Approved providers | Each renewal applicant certifies full compliance on the renewal application; the Division may require certificates of attendance in its random audit and it is the licensee's responsibility to retain or produce evidence (68 Ill. Adm. Code 1350.116(d)). Category 1 credit must come from the sponsors listed in 1350.116(c)(1), which include the American Academy of Family Physicians and the American Academy of Physician Assistants, and Category 1 status is determined as NCCPA determines it. Sponsors must issue certificates of attendance and keep attendance records for not less than 5 years; no licensee retention period is stated. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Illinois PA need to renew?
- Illinois physician assistants must complete 50 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Division of Professional Regulation (Physician Assistant Advisory Committee to the Medical Licensing Board). 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1350.116(a): beginning with the March 2, 2020 renewal period, all licensed physician assistants complete 50 hours of approved CE per 2-year license renewal cycle. At least 25 of the 50 must be Category 1 CME as determined by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants; the other 25 may be Category 1, Category 2, or a combination. All CE must be completed in the 24 months preceding expiration, and no CE is required for the first renewal of an Illinois license. Physician assistants licensed in Illinois but living and practicing elsewhere must still comply. CE from a sponsor not approved in Illinois needs an individual program approval request with a $25 fee filed before the program or within 90 days before expiration (late approval adds $50 per hour up to $300). Hardship waivers may be requested at renewal. The Illinois rule sets a state hour count of its own; it does not simply defer to NCCPA's 100 credits per two year cycle, although it uses NCCPA's Category 1 definition.
- How often does a Illinois PA license need to be renewed?
- Physician Assistant licenses in Illinois renew every two years. Every Illinois physician assistant license expires on March 1 of each even-numbered year, and the license may be renewed during the month before the expiration date. Practice on an expired license is unlicensed practice. If the online renewal window is missed, IDFPR requires a reinstatement application rather than a renewal.
- What specific CE topics are required for Illinois physician assistants?
- Sexual harassment prevention training: 1 contact hour every renewal cycle (all persons holding a professional license issued by the Division who are subject to a continuing education requirement). Implicit bias awareness training: 1 contact hour every renewal cycle (physician assistants and other listed health care professionals who have continuing education requirements). Cultural competency training: 1 contact hour on a periodic schedule set by the board (physician assistant is on the list of licenses subject to the requirement). Alzheimer's disease and other dementias training: 1 contact hour on a periodic schedule set by the board (only licensees who provide health care services to, and have direct patient interactions with, adults age 26 or older; it does not apply to a practice limited to persons under 26). Continuing education on safe opioid prescribing practices: 1 contact hour every renewal cycle (every prescriber licensed to prescribe controlled substances, which for a physician assistant means one holding a mid-level practitioner controlled substances license through delegated prescriptive authority). Citations: sexual harassment prevention training (68 Ill. Adm. Code 1130.400; 20 ILCS 2105/2105-15.5), implicit bias awareness training (68 Ill. Adm. Code 1130.500; 20 ILCS 2105/2105-15.7), cultural competency training (68 Ill. Adm. Code 1130.525; 20 ILCS 2105/2105-370 and 2105-375), Alzheimer's disease and other dementias training (68 Ill. Adm. Code 1130.550; 20 ILCS 2105/2105-365 and 2105-375), and continuing education on safe opioid prescribing practices (720 ILCS 570/315.5).
- Do Illinois 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. Each renewal applicant certifies full compliance on the renewal application; the Division may require certificates of attendance in its random audit and it is the licensee's responsibility to retain or produce evidence (68 Ill. Adm. Code 1350.116(d)). Category 1 credit must come from the sponsors listed in 1350.116(c)(1), which include the American Academy of Family Physicians and the American Academy of Physician Assistants, and Category 1 status is determined as NCCPA determines it. Sponsors must issue certificates of attendance and keep attendance records for not less than 5 years; no licensee retention period is stated.
- Is the first Illinois PA renewal exempt from CE?
- Yes. Illinois does not require continuing education for a PA's first renewal.
Sources
Last verified September 8, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.
- 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1350, Physician Assistant Practice Act of 1987 rules, including Section 1350.115 Renewals and Section 1350.116 Continuing EducationStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1130, including Sections 1130.400, 1130.500, 1130.525 and 1130.550 on sexual harassment prevention, implicit bias, cultural competency and dementia trainingStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- 20 ILCS 2105/2105-15.5 Continuing education; sexual harassment prevention trainingStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- 20 ILCS 2105/2105-15.7 Implicit bias awareness trainingStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- 20 ILCS 2105/2105-365 Continuing education; Alzheimer's disease and other dementiasStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- 720 ILCS 570/315.5 Opioid education for prescribers, Illinois Controlled Substances ActStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- Physician Assistant, Illinois Department of Financial and Professional RegulationState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
- Online License Renewal, Illinois Department of Financial and Professional RegulationState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
Illinois does not regulate physician assistants through the medical board directly. IDFPR's Division of Professional Regulation licenses them under the Physician Assistant Practice Act of 1987, and 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1350.20 defines the Advisory Committee as the Physician Assistant Advisory Committee to the Medical Licensing Board, with the Medical Licensing Board and Medical Disciplinary Board serving as the licensing and disciplinary bodies. The PA requirement is separate from the physician requirement in this state and much smaller: physicians renew triennially with 150 CME hours by July 31, while physician assistants renew biennially with 50 hours by March 1. Hours, the 25 hour Category 1 minimum, the 24 month window, the first renewal exemption, the March 1 even-numbered-year expiration and the sponsor record rules were read in the JCAR text of Part 1350. The four cross-profession subject mandates were read in the JCAR text of Part 1130, which lists physician assistant by name, and in 20 ILCS 2105; the opioid hour was read in 720 ILCS 570/315.5. One topic key is outside the canonical list: sexual_harassment_prevention. Illinois requires NCCPA certification for initial licensure but the renewal rule states its own 50 hour count rather than adopting NCCPA's 100 credit cycle, and the rule text does not make current NCCPA certification a renewal condition. The written collaborative agreement with a collaborating physician is a practice requirement, not continuing education, and is not recorded here. Licensee record retention is not stated; only the 5 year sponsor retention is.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Division of Professional Regulation (Physician Assistant Advisory Committee to the Medical Licensing Board) before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.