Vermont Physician Assistant license renewal and CE requirements

Summary

Vermont physician assistants must complete 100 CME credits of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Vermont Board of Medical Practice (Vermont Department of Health). Physician assistant licenses renew every two years and expire January 31 of even numbered years. The Board sends a renewal application form and notice of the expiration date at least one month before renewal is due, and the licensee must file the application and pay the fee on or before the renewal date. Proof of completed continuing medical education is submitted to the Board with the renewal application. Vermont also mandates specific subjects. Controlled substances prescribing: 2 CME credits every renewal cycle.

Vermont 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.

Section 32.4 of the Rules of the Board of Medical Practice requires all physician assistants to complete a continuing medical education program of 100 approved credit hours every two years, with a minimum of 50 credit hours from Category 1. NCCPA certification or recertification at any time during the two year licensure period may be accepted in lieu of the 100 hours, which is the route most Vermont physician assistants will take. Separately, at least two hours of CME activity must be on controlled substances prescribing. Proof of completion is submitted to the Board with the renewal application rather than simply attested to. The physician assistant obligation is not layered on any other license and it is far heavier than the Vermont physician requirement, which is at least thirty hours of qualifying CME during the most recent two year licensing period under Section 24.0 of the same rules.

Required CE topics for Vermont physician assistants

State-specific subject mandates. Where a mandate applies only to some licensees, the scope is listed.

Documentation and audit

Common questions

How many CE hours does a Vermont PA need to renew?

Vermont physician assistants must complete 100 CME credits of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Vermont Board of Medical Practice (Vermont Department of Health). Section 32.4 of the Rules of the Board of Medical Practice requires all physician assistants to complete a continuing medical education program of 100 approved credit hours every two years, with a minimum of 50 credit hours from Category 1. NCCPA certification or recertification at any time during the two year licensure period may be accepted in lieu of the 100 hours, which is the route most Vermont physician assistants will take. Separately, at least two hours of CME activity must be on controlled substances prescribing. Proof of completion is submitted to the Board with the renewal application rather than simply attested to. The physician assistant obligation is not layered on any other license and it is far heavier than the Vermont physician requirement, which is at least thirty hours of qualifying CME during the most recent two year licensing period under Section 24.0 of the same rules.

How often does a Vermont PA license need to be renewed?

Physician Assistant licenses in Vermont renew every two years. Physician assistant licenses renew every two years and expire January 31 of even numbered years. The Board sends a renewal application form and notice of the expiration date at least one month before renewal is due, and the licensee must file the application and pay the fee on or before the renewal date. Proof of completed continuing medical education is submitted to the Board with the renewal application.

What specific CE topics are required for Vermont physician assistants?

Controlled substances prescribing: 2 CME credits every renewal cycle. Citations: controlled substances prescribing (Rules of the Vermont Board of Medical Practice, Section 32.4).

Do Vermont physician assistants have to submit CE certificates at renewal?

Proof of completion must be submitted with the renewal. A minimum of 50 of the 100 credit hours must be Category 1. NCCPA certification or recertification during the licensure period may be accepted instead of the hours.

Sources

Last verified September 8, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.

• 13-001 Code Vt. R. 13-141-001-X, Rules of the Board of Medical Practice (Sections 24.0 and 32.4), Cornell LII mirrorThird-party summary, accessed September 8, 2026
• Applications, Licensing and Fees, Vermont Board of Medical PracticeState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
• 26 V.S.A. chapter 31, Physician Assistants (Section 1734b, Renewal of license)Statute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026

Vermont splits the two medical professions in a way that matters for this record. The Board of Medical Practice at the Department of Health licenses allopathic physicians, podiatrists and physician assistants, while osteopathic physicians go to the Office of Professional Regulation at the Secretary of State. There is no separate Vermont physician assistant board. The statute, 26 V.S.A. 1734b, sets the two year cycle, the notice the Board must send and a requirement that a licensee have practiced as a physician assistant within the last three years or have complied with the Board's rules for updating knowledge and skills, but it sets no hour count; the hours live in the Board's rules. The Board publishes those rules only as a PDF on healthvermont.gov, which was not opened under the no download rule, so the rule text was read on the Cornell mirror while the Board's own licensing page supplied the January 31 even year expiration date. The topic key controlled_substances is not on the canonical list and is used because the requirement covers controlled substance prescribing generally. Carryover, audit practice and any first renewal proration were not stated in the sources read.