Maine Physician Assistant license renewal and CE requirements
Maine physician assistants must complete 100 CME credits of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Maine Board of Licensure in Medicine (physician assistants may instead be licensed by the Maine Board of Osteopathic Licensure, under a joint rule).
Maine physician associate licenses are renewed every two years by the last day of the licensee's birth month: licensees born in an even-numbered year renew in even-numbered years, and those born in an odd-numbered year renew in odd-numbered years. A PA who renders medical services also renews the separate PA registration every two years. A licensee who has not rendered medical services in the past 24 months must submit a reentry plan for board approval before returning to practice.
Summary
Maine physician assistants must complete 100 CME credits of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Maine Board of Licensure in Medicine (physician assistants may instead be licensed by the Maine Board of Osteopathic Licensure, under a joint rule). Maine physician associate licenses are renewed every two years by the last day of the licensee's birth month: licensees born in an even-numbered year renew in even-numbered years, and those born in an odd-numbered year renew in odd-numbered years. A PA who renders medical services also renews the separate PA registration every two years. A licensee who has not rendered medical services in the past 24 months must submit a reentry plan for board approval before returning to practice. Maine also mandates specific subjects. Prescribing of opioid medication: 3 CME credits every renewal cycle (A licensee whose scope of practice includes prescribing opioid medication; the statute makes it a condition of prescribing opioid medication). Online jurisprudence examination on the board's laws and rules: required on a periodic schedule set by the board.
Maine 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 |
| Category 1 minimum | 50 CME credits |
| Self-study or online cap | No cap stated |
| Carryover to next cycle | Not stated |
| First renewal exempt | Not stated |
| Other accepted activities | Proof of current NCCPA certification at the time the renewal application is submitted satisfies the CME requirement |
Maine states its own count and then accepts the certification as an alternative. Under the joint physician assistant rule, Chapter 2 Section 11, each physician assistant holding an active license completes a minimum of 100 credit hours during each biennial licensing period, of which at least 50 must be Category 1. Proof of current NCCPA certification submitted with the renewal application satisfies the CME requirement outright. CME is prorated during the first licensure period. A licensee who does not meet the requirement is issued an inactive status renewal unless the board grants an extension or deferment. Chapter 2 is a joint rule of the Board of Licensure in Medicine and the Board of Osteopathic Licensure, so the same requirement applies whichever of the two boards issued the license.
Required CE topics for Maine physician assistants
State-specific subject mandates. Where a mandate applies only to some licensees, the scope is listed.
| Topic | Hours | Frequency | Applies to | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prescribing of opioid medicationThree hours of Category 1 credit CME every two years on the prescribing of opioid medication. The statute made it effective by December 31, 2017 and directed the board to adopt implementing rules, which is what the joint physician assistant rule does. | 3 CME credits | Every renewal | A licensee whose scope of practice includes prescribing opioid medication; the statute makes it a condition of prescribing opioid medication | 02-373 C.M.R. ch. 2, Section 11; 32 M.R.S. 3300-F(4) |
| Online jurisprudence examination on the board's laws and rulesA physician associate applying for a Maine license must pass an online jurisprudence examination on the board's laws and rules, and the board states the exam must be taken every other renewal cycle, roughly every four years. The board publishes a study guide. It is an examination rather than a credit hour requirement, so hours is null. | Not stated | Periodic | All licensees | Not stated |
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | No, attestation only |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | Not stated |
| Board audits compliance | Yes |
| Approved providers | Board staff perform random audits of CME, and the verification expected depends on the activity: certificates for courses, published abstracts, copies of programs, or transcripts. Current NCCPA certification, if used, is proved at the time the renewal application is submitted. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Maine PA need to renew?
- Maine physician assistants must complete 100 CME credits of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Maine Board of Licensure in Medicine (physician assistants may instead be licensed by the Maine Board of Osteopathic Licensure, under a joint rule). Maine states its own count and then accepts the certification as an alternative. Under the joint physician assistant rule, Chapter 2 Section 11, each physician assistant holding an active license completes a minimum of 100 credit hours during each biennial licensing period, of which at least 50 must be Category 1. Proof of current NCCPA certification submitted with the renewal application satisfies the CME requirement outright. CME is prorated during the first licensure period. A licensee who does not meet the requirement is issued an inactive status renewal unless the board grants an extension or deferment. Chapter 2 is a joint rule of the Board of Licensure in Medicine and the Board of Osteopathic Licensure, so the same requirement applies whichever of the two boards issued the license.
- How often does a Maine PA license need to be renewed?
- Physician Assistant licenses in Maine renew every two years. Maine physician associate licenses are renewed every two years by the last day of the licensee's birth month: licensees born in an even-numbered year renew in even-numbered years, and those born in an odd-numbered year renew in odd-numbered years. A PA who renders medical services also renews the separate PA registration every two years. A licensee who has not rendered medical services in the past 24 months must submit a reentry plan for board approval before returning to practice.
- What specific CE topics are required for Maine physician assistants?
- Prescribing of opioid medication: 3 CME credits every renewal cycle (A licensee whose scope of practice includes prescribing opioid medication; the statute makes it a condition of prescribing opioid medication). Online jurisprudence examination on the board's laws and rules: required on a periodic schedule set by the board. Citations: prescribing of opioid medication (02-373 C.M.R. ch. 2, Section 11; 32 M.R.S. 3300-F(4)).
- Do Maine 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. Board staff perform random audits of CME, and the verification expected depends on the activity: certificates for courses, published abstracts, copies of programs, or transcripts. Current NCCPA certification, if used, is proved at the time the renewal application is submitted.
Sources
Last verified September 8, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.
- Physician Associates License, Maine Board of Licensure in Medicine (renewal information, jurisprudence exam, joint Chapter 2 rule)State board page, accessed September 8, 2026
- 02-373 C.M.R. ch. 2, Section 11 Uniform continuing medical education requirements and definitions, physician assistants (Cornell LII mirror)Third-party summary, accessed September 8, 2026
- 02-373 C.M.R. ch. 2, Section 4 Uniform continuing clinical competency requirements (Cornell LII mirror)Third-party summary, accessed September 8, 2026
- 32 M.R.S. 3300-F Requirements regarding prescription of opioid medication, including the 3 hours of continuing education every 2 yearsStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- Maine Board of Licensure in MedicineState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
Maine uses the title physician associate for this license. The regulator is not a single medical board: a Maine PA may be licensed by the Board of Licensure in Medicine or by the Board of Osteopathic Licensure, and Chapter 2 is a joint rule of the two boards covering licensure, registration, scope, supervision, notification and continuing education alike, so the requirement does not depend on which board issued the license. That is a milder version of the separate board trap: the board_name records the medicine board with the osteopathic alternative named. The requirement is separate from the Maine physician requirement (40 credits per two years) and is larger. The biennial birth month renewal, the even and odd year split, the jurisprudence exam interval and the reentry rule were read on the board's own physician associate page. The 100 credit hours, the 50 hour Category 1 floor, the NCCPA substitution, the proration at first licensure, the random audit and the inactive status consequence were read in the Cornell LII mirror of the joint rule, because Maine publishes board rules only as PDF files, which were not downloaded. The opioid hours appear both in the rule and in 32 M.R.S. 3300-F, read on the legislature's site. Retention years are not stated. The collaborative or practice agreement, which since April 3, 2026 is no longer required for physician associates with more than 4,000 verified clinical hours, is a practice condition rather than continuing education and is not recorded as such.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Maine Board of Licensure in Medicine (physician assistants may instead be licensed by the Maine Board of Osteopathic Licensure, under a joint rule) before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.