Michigan Physician Assistant license renewal and CE requirements
Michigan does not require continuing education for PA license renewal, which happens every three years.
Michigan physician's assistant licenses expire triennially, three years from the license issue date rather than on a common date, for licenses issued or renewed on or after the effective date of the current rules. A license carrying a limitation may be renewed for a term shorter than three years. Renewal requires satisfying the public health code and its rules, the fee and a completed application.
Summary
Michigan does not require continuing education for PA license renewal, which happens every three years. Michigan physician's assistant licenses expire triennially, three years from the license issue date rather than on a common date, for licenses issued or renewed on or after the effective date of the current rules. A license carrying a limitation may be renewed for a term shorter than three years. Renewal requires satisfying the public health code and its rules, the fee and a completed application. Michigan also mandates specific subjects. Implicit bias training: 3 hours every renewal cycle (every individual applying for renewal of a license or registration under article 15 of the public health code, except those licensed under part 188). Opioids and other controlled substances awareness training: required every renewal cycle (an individual applying for or renewing a Michigan controlled substance license). Training in identifying victims of human trafficking: a one-time requirement (an individual seeking licensure as, or licensed as, a physician's assistant).
Michigan 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 | Three-year (36 months) |
|---|---|
| Renewal deadline | Tied to the original issue date |
| Continuing education required | No |
Michigan sets no continuing education hour count for physician's assistants. The renewal rule, R 338.6311, asks only that the applicant satisfy the public health code and the rules under it, pay the fee and file a completed application; the physician's assistant general rules contain no continuing education section at all. Michigan also does not condition renewal on NCCPA certification in those rules. What a Michigan physician's assistant does owe at renewal are the cross profession trainings below, which are stated as trainings rather than as an hour total. This is the same posture Michigan takes with its physicians, who likewise have no state hour count in statute for renewal, and it is the reason hours_per_cycle is null rather than zero-with-a-number.
Required CE topics for Michigan physician assistants
State-specific subject mandates. Where a mandate applies only to some licensees, the scope is listed.
| Topic | Hours | Frequency | Applies to | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Implicit bias trainingThe rule requires a minimum of 1 hour of implicit bias training for each year of the license cycle. A physician's assistant license runs three years, so a renewal takes 3 hours; an initial applicant needs 2 hours. Hours cannot be carried forward from an earlier cycle. Proof, either a completion certificate or a self attestation, is kept for 6 years after the date of applying and produced if audited. | 3 hours | Every renewal | Every individual applying for renewal of a license or registration under article 15 of the public health code, except those licensed under part 188 | R 338.7004 |
| Opioids and other controlled substances awareness trainingThe rule requires the training before applying for or renewing the controlled substance license, and covers use of the Michigan Automated Prescription System and state and federal law on prescribing and dispensing controlled substances. Delegatees, a category the rule treats separately from physician's assistants, take a broader version once during the current license cycle. Proof of completion is kept for 3 renewal periods plus one additional year. No hour count is stated. | Not stated | Every renewal | An individual applying for or renewing a Michigan controlled substance license | R 338.3135 |
| Training in identifying victims of human traffickingThe statute says the standards apply at renewal beginning with the first renewal cycle after the rules were promulgated, and to an initial license issued five or more years after promulgation, which makes it a one time requirement. Content must cover the types and venues of human trafficking in Michigan and the United States, identifying victims in healthcare settings, warning signs for adults and minors, and resources for reporting. Reading a qualifying peer reviewed or professional journal article is an accepted method. Proof is a completion certificate or a self certification statement, produced if the department audits. No hour count is stated. | Not stated | One time | An individual seeking licensure as, or licensed as, a physician's assistant | R 338.6103; MCL 333.17060(b) |
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | No, attestation only |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | 6 years |
| Board audits compliance | Yes |
| Approved providers | Because there is no continuing education hour requirement, Michigan names no continuing education provider approver for physician's assistants. For the mandated trainings, acceptable providers include nationally or state recognized health related organizations, state or federal agencies, board approved educational programs for initial licensure, accredited colleges and universities, and for implicit bias, organizations specializing in diversity, equity and inclusion. Submitting the application is the licensee's certification of compliance, with proof produced only if the department audits. The 6 year retention shown here is the implicit bias rule's; the controlled substance training rule sets 3 renewal periods plus one year. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Michigan PA need to renew?
- Michigan does not require continuing education for PA license renewal, which happens every three years. Michigan sets no continuing education hour count for physician's assistants. The renewal rule, R 338.6311, asks only that the applicant satisfy the public health code and the rules under it, pay the fee and file a completed application; the physician's assistant general rules contain no continuing education section at all. Michigan also does not condition renewal on NCCPA certification in those rules. What a Michigan physician's assistant does owe at renewal are the cross profession trainings below, which are stated as trainings rather than as an hour total. This is the same posture Michigan takes with its physicians, who likewise have no state hour count in statute for renewal, and it is the reason hours_per_cycle is null rather than zero-with-a-number.
- How often does a Michigan PA license need to be renewed?
- Physician Assistant licenses in Michigan renew every three years. Michigan physician's assistant licenses expire triennially, three years from the license issue date rather than on a common date, for licenses issued or renewed on or after the effective date of the current rules. A license carrying a limitation may be renewed for a term shorter than three years. Renewal requires satisfying the public health code and its rules, the fee and a completed application.
- What specific CE topics are required for Michigan physician assistants?
- Implicit bias training: 3 hours every renewal cycle (every individual applying for renewal of a license or registration under article 15 of the public health code, except those licensed under part 188). Opioids and other controlled substances awareness training: required every renewal cycle (an individual applying for or renewing a Michigan controlled substance license). Training in identifying victims of human trafficking: a one-time requirement (an individual seeking licensure as, or licensed as, a physician's assistant). Citations: implicit bias training (R 338.7004), opioids and other controlled substances awareness training (R 338.3135), and training in identifying victims of human trafficking (R 338.6103; MCL 333.17060(b)).
- Do Michigan physician assistants 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 6 years. Because there is no continuing education hour requirement, Michigan names no continuing education provider approver for physician's assistants. For the mandated trainings, acceptable providers include nationally or state recognized health related organizations, state or federal agencies, board approved educational programs for initial licensure, accredited colleges and universities, and for implicit bias, organizations specializing in diversity, equity and inclusion. Submitting the application is the licensee's certification of compliance, with proof produced only if the department audits. The 6 year retention shown here is the implicit bias rule's; the controlled substance training rule sets 3 renewal periods plus one year.
Sources
Last verified September 8, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.
- Michigan Administrative Code, Physician's Assistants General Rules R 338.6101 to R 338.6401, including R 338.6103 human trafficking training standards and R 338.6311 license renewal requirements (rendered as HTML by the state rules system)Statute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- Michigan Administrative Code, Public Health Code General Rules R 338.7001 to R 338.7005, including R 338.7002 triennial renewal for physician's assistants and R 338.7004 implicit bias training standards (rendered as HTML)Statute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- Mich. Admin. Code R. 338.3135 Opioids and other controlled substances awareness training standards for prescribers and dispensers (Cornell LII mirror)Third-party summary, accessed September 8, 2026
- MCL 333.17060 Duties of the department in consultation with the task force on physician's assistants, including human trafficking training standardsStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- MCL 333.16204e, naming the Michigan task force on physician's assistants among the boards consulted on prescriber rulesStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- Physician's Assistant, Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional LicensingState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
Michigan does not regulate physician's assistants through the Board of Medicine. The regulator is its own body, the Michigan Task Force on Physician's Assistants, which sits under LARA's Bureau of Professional Licensing with its own article of the administrative code (R 338.6101 to R 338.6401) and is named as a separate board alongside the boards of medicine, osteopathic medicine, dentistry, podiatry, optometry and nursing in MCL 333.16204e. Michigan also uses the possessive spelling, physician's assistant. The renewal cycle is three years, not two: R 338.7002(2) puts physician's assistants on the triennial list, measured from the issue date, which differs from the biennial nursing cycle. continuing_education.required is false because the physician's assistant rules contain no continuing education requirement, and the state's own licensing guidance says a licensee is responsible for maintaining competence but does not have to demonstrate it as a condition of renewal; that guidance appears in a PDF licensing guide which was not downloaded and is not cited, so the value rests on the rule text, which has no continuing education section. The board's own physician's assistant page loads for a plain client but returns 403 to some automated fetchers, and it carries no renewal detail beyond links, so renewal_url is null. Rule text was read through the state rules system's HTML rendering rather than by downloading any PDF.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Michigan Task Force on Physician's Assistants (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing) before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.