Kansas Physician (MD) license renewal and CE requirements
Kansas physicians (MD) must complete 50 CME credits of continuing education every 18 months to renew their license with the Kansas State Board of Healing Arts.
A Kansas license to practice medicine and surgery expires on June 30 of each year, so MDs renew annually by June 30. The board mails a renewal notice at least 30 days before the renewal date. If the renewal application and fee are not in by June 30, the board sends a failure notice and the license is canceled by operation of law if the fees and a late fee are not paid within 30 days after the renewal date.
Summary
Kansas physicians (MD) must complete 50 CME credits of continuing education every 18 months to renew their license with the Kansas State Board of Healing Arts. A Kansas license to practice medicine and surgery expires on June 30 of each year, so MDs renew annually by June 30. The board mails a renewal notice at least 30 days before the renewal date. If the renewal application and fee are not in by June 30, the board sends a failure notice and the license is canceled by operation of law if the fees and a late fee are not paid within 30 days after the renewal date. Kansas also mandates specific subjects. Category III continuing education: acute or chronic pain management, appropriate prescribing of opioids, or use of prescription drug monitoring programs: 1 CME credit every renewal cycle (every licensee who must submit continuing education at renewal; the rule sets no prescriber only limit. Not required of a person renewing for the first time.). The first renewal is exempt.
Kansas Physician (MD) 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 | Annual (12 months) |
|---|---|
| Renewal deadline | Same date for every licensee, 06/30 each cycle |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 50 CME creditsCounted over a 18-month window, separate from the renewal cycle. |
| Category 1 minimum | 20 CME credits |
| Self-study or online cap | No cap stated |
| Carryover to next cycle | Not stated |
| First renewal exempt | Yes |
| Other accepted activities | Instructing a category I activity: one category I credit for each three hours of first-time preparation; A postbaccalaureate degree in an area related to the healing arts: 25 category I credits; One year of postgraduate training: 50 category I credits; Clinical consultations, quality of care review, journal clubs, searchable electronic databases and self-instructional materials count as category II |
K.A.R. 100-15-5(a)(1) lets the licensee certify one of three continuing education windows measured back from the license expiration date: 50 credits in the preceding 18 months (at least 20 category I and at least 1 category III), 100 credits in the preceding 30 months (at least 40 category I and at least 2 category III), or 150 credits in the preceding 42 months (at least 60 category I and at least 3 category III). The 18 month option is recorded here, so continuing_education.cycle_months is 18 even though the license renews every 12 months. Remaining credits are category II. Kansas counts one credit for each 50 minutes actually spent in attendance (K.A.R. 100-15-4(e)); the board does not use the AMA PRA or AOA credit labels in its rule and defines category I by teaching method rather than by accreditor. The requirement does not apply to a person renewing a license for the first time. A licensee who suffered an undue hardship from illness, injury or a similar circumstance in the 12 months before expiration may ask the board for an extension of time.
Required CE topics for Kansas physician (md)s
State-specific subject mandates. Where a mandate applies only to some licensees, the scope is listed.
| Topic | Hours | Frequency | Applies to | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category III continuing education: acute or chronic pain management, appropriate prescribing of opioids, or use of prescription drug monitoring programsCategory III must be an internet or live activity that also qualifies as category I or category II, so the credit counts inside the 50 credit total rather than adding to it. One credit is required with the 18 month option, two with the 30 month option and three with the 42 month option. A single activity in any one of the three subjects satisfies it. | 1 CME credit | Every renewal | Every licensee who must submit continuing education at renewal; the rule sets no prescriber only limit. Not required of a person renewing for the first time. | K.A.R. 100-15-5(a)(1)(A); K.A.R. 100-15-4(d) |
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | No, attestation only |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | 4 years |
| Board audits compliance | Yes |
| Approved providers | The licensee certifies completion on a form provided with the renewal application rather than sending certificates. Documentation must be kept for at least four years after the date of certification and must be either a verification of completion issued by a national, state or local organization whose continuing education standards are at least as stringent as the board's, or the written materials from the category I activity plus sponsor, title, date, format, hours, agenda, presenter biographies and proof of participation, with a separate list of category II activities. A licensee has 30 days to give the board proof after a written request (K.A.R. 100-15-6). |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Kansas MD need to renew?
- Kansas physicians (MD) must complete 50 CME credits of continuing education every 18 months to renew their license with the Kansas State Board of Healing Arts. K.A.R. 100-15-5(a)(1) lets the licensee certify one of three continuing education windows measured back from the license expiration date: 50 credits in the preceding 18 months (at least 20 category I and at least 1 category III), 100 credits in the preceding 30 months (at least 40 category I and at least 2 category III), or 150 credits in the preceding 42 months (at least 60 category I and at least 3 category III). The 18 month option is recorded here, so continuing_education.cycle_months is 18 even though the license renews every 12 months. Remaining credits are category II. Kansas counts one credit for each 50 minutes actually spent in attendance (K.A.R. 100-15-4(e)); the board does not use the AMA PRA or AOA credit labels in its rule and defines category I by teaching method rather than by accreditor. The requirement does not apply to a person renewing a license for the first time. A licensee who suffered an undue hardship from illness, injury or a similar circumstance in the 12 months before expiration may ask the board for an extension of time.
- How often does a Kansas MD license need to be renewed?
- Physician (MD) licenses in Kansas renew every year. A Kansas license to practice medicine and surgery expires on June 30 of each year, so MDs renew annually by June 30. The board mails a renewal notice at least 30 days before the renewal date. If the renewal application and fee are not in by June 30, the board sends a failure notice and the license is canceled by operation of law if the fees and a late fee are not paid within 30 days after the renewal date.
- What specific CE topics are required for Kansas physicians (MD)?
- Category III continuing education: acute or chronic pain management, appropriate prescribing of opioids, or use of prescription drug monitoring programs: 1 CME credit every renewal cycle (every licensee who must submit continuing education at renewal; the rule sets no prescriber only limit. Not required of a person renewing for the first time.). Citations: Category III continuing education: acute or chronic pain management, appropriate prescribing of opioids, or use of prescription drug monitoring programs (K.A.R. 100-15-5(a)(1)(A); K.A.R. 100-15-4(d)).
- Do Kansas physicians (MD) 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. The licensee certifies completion on a form provided with the renewal application rather than sending certificates. Documentation must be kept for at least four years after the date of certification and must be either a verification of completion issued by a national, state or local organization whose continuing education standards are at least as stringent as the board's, or the written materials from the category I activity plus sponsor, title, date, format, hours, agenda, presenter biographies and proof of participation, with a separate list of category II activities. A licensee has 30 days to give the board proof after a written request (K.A.R. 100-15-6).
- Is the first Kansas MD renewal exempt from CE?
- Yes. Kansas does not require continuing education for a MD's first renewal.
Sources
Last verified September 7, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.
- Board of Healing Arts, Permanent Administrative Regulation K.A.R. 100-15-1 Expiration dates, Kansas Register Volume 42 Issue 17, April 27, 2023Statute or administrative rule, accessed September 7, 2026
- Board of Healing Arts, Permanent Administrative Regulations K.A.R. 100-15-4 and 100-15-5, Kansas Register Volume 40 Issue 16, April 22, 2021Statute or administrative rule, accessed September 7, 2026
- K.S.A. 65-2809, Renewal date of licenses; continuing education requirements, Kansas Office of Revisor of StatutesStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 7, 2026
- Kan. Admin. Regs. 100-15-6, Documentation of continuing education (Cornell LII mirror)Third-party summary, accessed September 7, 2026
Kansas regulates MDs and DOs through one board, the Kansas State Board of Healing Arts, under one Healing Arts Act, and K.A.R. 100-15-5 applies to every branch of the healing arts, so the continuing education requirement is identical for MD and DO. The one real difference is the expiration date: K.A.R. 100-15-1 expires a license to practice medicine and surgery on June 30 and a license to practice osteopathic medicine and surgery on September 30. The MD and DO records therefore share sources and differ only in the renewal deadline. Hours, categories, the three window options, the category III subject requirement and the first renewal exemption were read in the official regulation text as published in the Kansas Register on the Secretary of State's site. The four year retention and the 30 day audit response were read on the Cornell mirror of K.A.R. 100-15-6, cited as a third party summary because the Kansas Register issue that carries that section was not located; the substance is not contradicted by anything primary. The board's own site at www.ksbha.ks.gov returns 403 Access Denied to every automated client tested, including the renewal dates page and the continuing education page, so no board page could be read; board_url points at the board homepage even though it could not be fetched and renewal_url is left null. The rules do not state a carryover allowance, a cap on self study or online credit, or a live or interactive minimum, so those fields are null. The regulation does not use AMA PRA Category 1 or AOA Category 1-A language, so category_1_minimum records the board's own category I minimum of 20 credits.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Kansas State Board of Healing Arts before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.