Louisiana Physician Assistant license renewal and CE requirements
Louisiana physician assistants must complete continuing education to renew every year, but the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners does not publish a fixed hour count.
An initial Louisiana physician assistant license expires on the last day of the year in which it was issued. After that the license is renewed every year, by the last day of the month in which the licensee was born. Renewal is online and may be submitted no earlier than 56 days before the expiration date. The renewal application must carry verification of current NCCPA certification along with the fee.
Summary
Louisiana physician assistants must complete continuing education to renew every year, but the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners does not publish a fixed hour count. An initial Louisiana physician assistant license expires on the last day of the year in which it was issued. After that the license is renewed every year, by the last day of the month in which the licensee was born. Renewal is online and may be submitted no earlier than 56 days before the expiration date. The renewal application must carry verification of current NCCPA certification along with the fee. Louisiana also mandates specific subjects. Controlled dangerous substance prescribing practices: a one-time requirement of 3 CME credits (authorized prescribers of controlled dangerous substances, which includes physician assistants with a Louisiana CDS license. A prescriber who certifies to not having prescribed, administered or dispensed any CDS during the entire year covered by the expiring license may be excused, verified against the Louisiana Prescription Monitoring Program). Treatment of sickle cell disease: 1 CME credit on a periodic schedule set by the board (physician assistants practicing emergency medicine). Nutrition and metabolic health: 1 CME credit on a periodic schedule set by the board (physician assistants practicing family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, psychiatry, endocrinology, gastroenterology, cardiology, oncology, rheumatology, neurology, nephrology, dermatology, pulmonology, surgery, immunology, hematology, obstetrics, or gynecology).
Louisiana 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 | Annual (12 months) |
|---|---|
| Renewal deadline | Tied to the licensee's birth month |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | Not stated |
| Self-study or online cap | No cap stated |
| Carryover to next cycle | Not stated |
| First renewal exempt | Not stated |
Louisiana does not set a physician assistant hour count of its own. LAC 46:XLV.1517 requires the licensee to complete the continuing education needed to maintain current NCCPA certification, and to submit verification of current NCCPA certification with the annual renewal, so the state adopts the certifying body's requirement rather than writing one. That figure is set by NCCPA and is not recorded here as a state number. The two subject requirements below come from Louisiana law and rule and apply on top of certification maintenance. This is a different arrangement from the Louisiana physician requirement, which is a stated 20 hours of AMA PRA Category 1 credit a year.
Required CE topics for Louisiana physician assistants
State-specific subject mandates. Where a mandate applies only to some licensees, the scope is listed.
| Topic | Hours | Frequency | Applies to | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Controlled dangerous substance prescribing practicesThree hours of board pre-approved CME on CDS prescribing practices, covering drug diversion training, best practices for prescribing controlled substances, and appropriate treatment for addiction. It is a one time requirement tied to the first renewal on or after January 1, 2019, and the hours count toward the annual CME total. The board states it is a once in a lifetime requirement under current law and that residents must take the course regardless of specialty. | 3 CME credits | One time | Authorized prescribers of controlled dangerous substances, which includes physician assistants with a Louisiana CDS license. A prescriber who certifies to not having prescribed, administered or dispensed any CDS during the entire year covered by the expiring license may be excused, verified against the Louisiana Prescription Monitoring Program | LAC 46:XLV.4005 |
| Treatment of sickle cell diseaseAn initial one hour board approved course, then a one hour refresher at regular intervals no less frequently than every three years. The board makes the course available on its website. Non-canonical topic key. | 1 CME credit | Periodic | Physician assistants practicing emergency medicine | La. R.S. 37:1270(A)(8)(b) |
| Nutrition and metabolic healthA minimum of one hour every four years. The statute directs the board to adopt rules determining the content. Non-canonical topic key. | 1 CME credit | Periodic | Physician assistants practicing family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, psychiatry, endocrinology, gastroenterology, cardiology, oncology, rheumatology, neurology, nephrology, dermatology, pulmonology, surgery, immunology, hematology, obstetrics, or gynecology | La. R.S. 37:1270(A)(8)(c) |
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | Yes |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | 4 years |
| Board audits compliance | Not stated |
| Approved providers | Verified current NCCPA certification goes in with the renewal application, and the licensee confirms completion of the required continuing education. The controlled dangerous substance hours must be pre-approved by the board. A physician assistant must keep a record of the certificate of attendance for at least four years from the date the continuing education activity was completed and make those records available to the board within thirty days of a request. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Louisiana PA need to renew?
- Louisiana physician assistants must complete continuing education to renew every year, but the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners does not publish a fixed hour count. Louisiana does not set a physician assistant hour count of its own. LAC 46:XLV.1517 requires the licensee to complete the continuing education needed to maintain current NCCPA certification, and to submit verification of current NCCPA certification with the annual renewal, so the state adopts the certifying body's requirement rather than writing one. That figure is set by NCCPA and is not recorded here as a state number. The two subject requirements below come from Louisiana law and rule and apply on top of certification maintenance. This is a different arrangement from the Louisiana physician requirement, which is a stated 20 hours of AMA PRA Category 1 credit a year.
- How often does a Louisiana PA license need to be renewed?
- Physician Assistant licenses in Louisiana renew every year. An initial Louisiana physician assistant license expires on the last day of the year in which it was issued. After that the license is renewed every year, by the last day of the month in which the licensee was born. Renewal is online and may be submitted no earlier than 56 days before the expiration date. The renewal application must carry verification of current NCCPA certification along with the fee.
- What specific CE topics are required for Louisiana physician assistants?
- Controlled dangerous substance prescribing practices: a one-time requirement of 3 CME credits (authorized prescribers of controlled dangerous substances, which includes physician assistants with a Louisiana CDS license. A prescriber who certifies to not having prescribed, administered or dispensed any CDS during the entire year covered by the expiring license may be excused, verified against the Louisiana Prescription Monitoring Program). Treatment of sickle cell disease: 1 CME credit on a periodic schedule set by the board (physician assistants practicing emergency medicine). Nutrition and metabolic health: 1 CME credit on a periodic schedule set by the board (physician assistants practicing family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, psychiatry, endocrinology, gastroenterology, cardiology, oncology, rheumatology, neurology, nephrology, dermatology, pulmonology, surgery, immunology, hematology, obstetrics, or gynecology). Citations: controlled dangerous substance prescribing practices (LAC 46:XLV.4005), treatment of sickle cell disease (La. R.S. 37:1270(A)(8)(b)), and nutrition and metabolic health (La. R.S. 37:1270(A)(8)(c)).
- Do Louisiana physician assistants have to submit CE certificates at renewal?
- Proof of completion must be submitted with the renewal and records must be kept for 4 years. Verified current NCCPA certification goes in with the renewal application, and the licensee confirms completion of the required continuing education. The controlled dangerous substance hours must be pre-approved by the board. A physician assistant must keep a record of the certificate of attendance for at least four years from the date the continuing education activity was completed and make those records available to the board within thirty days of a request.
Sources
Last verified September 8, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.
- LAC 46:XLV.1517 Expiration of Licensure; Renewals; Continuing Education; Modification; Notification of Intent to Practice, physician assistants (Cornell LII mirror)Third-party summary, accessed September 8, 2026
- LAC 46:XLV.4005 Continuing medical education, controlled dangerous substances (Cornell LII mirror)Third-party summary, accessed September 8, 2026
- La. R.S. 37:1270 Powers and duties of the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners, including the sickle cell and nutrition continuing education mandates for physicians and physician assistantsStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- Board Approved CME Courses, CDS Requirements, Louisiana State Board of Medical ExaminersState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
- Renewals, Louisiana State Board of Medical ExaminersState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
- Physician Assistants, Louisiana State Board of Medical ExaminersState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
- Louisiana State Board of Medical ExaminersState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
Louisiana splits the two advanced practice professions across two boards: physician assistants are licensed by the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners, with a Physician Assistants Advisory Committee, while nurse practitioners sit with the Louisiana State Board of Nursing. The board's own physician assistant and renewal pages do not state hours or deadlines, so the renewal and continuing education terms were read in LAC 46:XLV.1517 through the Cornell LII mirror; Louisiana publishes LAC Title 46 Part XLV as a Word document, which was not downloaded. hours_per_cycle is null on purpose: the rule requires the continuing education needed to maintain current NCCPA certification rather than a state hour count, and NCCPA's figure is not a Louisiana value. Two topic keys are outside the canonical list: sickle_cell_disease and nutrition_metabolic_health. The sickle cell and nutrition mandates were read in the statute text of La. R.S. 37:1270 on the legislature's site and name physician assistants explicitly; the statute sets intervals of no less frequently than every three years and every four years respectively, so both are recorded as periodic. The controlled substance hours were confirmed both on the board's CDS page and in the rule. Audit practice is not stated.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.