Rhode Island Physician Assistant license renewal and CE requirements
Rhode Island physician assistants must complete 25 CME credits of continuing education every year to renew their license with the Rhode Island Board of Licensure of Physician Assistants (Department of Health).
The certificate of licensure expires on June 30 of every odd numbered year. The renewal application and fee must be filed with the Department on or before June 1 of that year, and the renewed certificate runs from July 1 to June 30 two years later. The Department sends a renewal notice about 60 days before the expiration date.
Summary
Rhode Island physician assistants must complete 25 CME credits of continuing education every year to renew their license with the Rhode Island Board of Licensure of Physician Assistants (Department of Health). The certificate of licensure expires on June 30 of every odd numbered year. The renewal application and fee must be filed with the Department on or before June 1 of that year, and the renewed certificate runs from July 1 to June 30 two years later. The Department sends a renewal notice about 60 days before the expiration date. The first renewal is exempt.
Rhode Island 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, 06/30 each cycle |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 25 CME creditsCounted over a annual window, separate from the renewal cycle. |
| Self-study or online cap | No cap stated |
| Carryover to next cycle | Not stated |
| First renewal exempt | Yes |
The continuing education period and the license period do not match in Rhode Island. The license runs two years and expires June 30 of odd numbered years, while the requirement is stated as twenty five hours of approved continuing medical education annually, so a full two year renewal spans two annual accumulation periods. Section 24.8(B) of 216-RICR-40-05-24 sets the accumulation period as July 1 through June 30. Neither the Department of Health page nor the rule states a single per renewal total, and no credit category, live hour minimum or self study cap was stated. A physician assistant newly licensed after July 1 is exempt until the date of the next renewal cycle. The Department will not renew the certificate until the applicant attests to satisfactory evidence of completion.
Required CE topics for Rhode Island physician assistants
The Rhode Island Board of Licensure of Physician Assistants (Department of Health) pages and rules we read do not mandate specific subject areas for this license type. Hours may be in any approved subject.
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | No, attestation only |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | 4 years |
| Board audits compliance | Yes |
| Approved providers | The rule requires approved continuing medical education but the sections read do not name an accrediting body such as AAPA or ACCME. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Rhode Island PA need to renew?
- Rhode Island physician assistants must complete 25 CME credits of continuing education every year to renew their license with the Rhode Island Board of Licensure of Physician Assistants (Department of Health). The continuing education period and the license period do not match in Rhode Island. The license runs two years and expires June 30 of odd numbered years, while the requirement is stated as twenty five hours of approved continuing medical education annually, so a full two year renewal spans two annual accumulation periods. Section 24.8(B) of 216-RICR-40-05-24 sets the accumulation period as July 1 through June 30. Neither the Department of Health page nor the rule states a single per renewal total, and no credit category, live hour minimum or self study cap was stated. A physician assistant newly licensed after July 1 is exempt until the date of the next renewal cycle. The Department will not renew the certificate until the applicant attests to satisfactory evidence of completion.
- How often does a Rhode Island PA license need to be renewed?
- Physician Assistant licenses in Rhode Island renew every two years. The certificate of licensure expires on June 30 of every odd numbered year. The renewal application and fee must be filed with the Department on or before June 1 of that year, and the renewed certificate runs from July 1 to June 30 two years later. The Department sends a renewal notice about 60 days before the expiration date.
- Does Rhode Island require specific CE topics for physician assistants?
- The Rhode Island Board of Licensure of Physician Assistants (Department of Health) does not list mandated subject areas for PA renewal on the pages we verified; the 25 CME credits may be in any approved subject.
- Do Rhode Island 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 4 years. The rule requires approved continuing medical education but the sections read do not name an accrediting body such as AAPA or ACCME.
- Is the first Rhode Island PA renewal exempt from CE?
- Yes. Rhode Island 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.
- 216-RICR-40-05-24, Licensure of Physician Assistants (Sections 24.3, 24.6 and 24.8), effective January 4, 2022Statute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- Physician Assistant, Rhode Island Department of HealthState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
- R.I. Gen. Laws 5-54-22, Continuing medical education (physician assistants)Statute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- 216 R.I. Code R. 216-RICR-40-05-24.8, Continuing Medical Education (Cornell LII mirror)Third-party summary, accessed September 8, 2026
Rhode Island is one of the states that does not run physician assistants through the medical board. Section 24.3(A)(3) defines the Board as the Board of Licensure of Physician Assistants within the Department of Health, established under R.I. Gen. Laws 5-54-4, which is a different body from the Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline that handles physicians. Two wording problems are worth recording. First, the operative sentence of Section 24.8(A) as published reads twenty five hours of approved continuing medical education every years, with a word missing; both the official RICR text and the Cornell mirror render it the same way, so the defect appears to be in the rule itself. The hour figure and the annual frequency were therefore taken from R.I. Gen. Laws 5-54-22 and from the Department of Health physician assistant page, which both state twenty five hours annually. Second, the 1996 statute sets the accumulation year as October 1 through September 30 while Section 24.8(B) of the rule sets it as July 1 through June 30; the rule version is recorded because the RICR part carries a stated effective date of January 4, 2022, later than the statutory language. No state mandated CE subject was found for physician assistants: no opioid, controlled substance or other topic requirement appears in the sections read. NCCPA certification appears in the licensure criteria of Section 24.4 rather than as a renewal CE substitute, and no provision was found allowing NCCPA certification to replace the twenty five hours.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Rhode Island Board of Licensure of Physician Assistants (Department of Health) before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.