Washington Physician Assistant license renewal and CE requirements
Washington physician assistants must complete 100 CME credits of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Washington Medical Commission.
A physician assistant license renews every two years on the licensee's birthday. Renewal fees are accepted no sooner than 90 days before the expiration date. An initial credential issued within 90 days of the physician assistant's birthday does not expire until the next birthday, and the two year continuing education review period begins on the first birthday after the initial license is issued.
Summary
Washington physician assistants must complete 100 CME credits of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Washington Medical Commission. A physician assistant license renews every two years on the licensee's birthday. Renewal fees are accepted no sooner than 90 days before the expiration date. An initial credential issued within 90 days of the physician assistant's birthday does not expire until the next birthday, and the two year continuing education review period begins on the first birthday after the initial license is issued. Washington also mandates specific subjects. Training in suicide assessment, treatment, and management: a one-time requirement of 6 CME credits (all licensed physician assistants except those the commission exempts for having only brief, limited, or no patient contact). Health equity continuing education training: 2 CME credits on a periodic schedule set by the board. Best practices in the prescribing of opioids: a one-time requirement of 1 CME credit (physician assistants licensed to prescribe opioids).
Washington 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 dateFirst renewal is prorated. |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 100 CME credits |
| Category 1 minimum | 40 CME credits |
| Self-study or online cap | No cap stated |
| Carryover to next cycle | Not stated |
| First renewal exempt | Not stated |
| Other accepted activities | Current certification with the NCCPA; Compliance with a continuing maintenance of competency program through the American Academy of Physician Assistants or the NCCPA; Other programs approved by the commission |
WAC 246-918-180 requires 100 hours of continuing education every two years, of which a minimum of 40 credit hours must be Category I, meaning activities with accredited sponsorship; Category II covers nonaccredited sponsorship and other meritorious learning experience. In place of the 100 hours the commission accepts current NCCPA certification, compliance with an AAPA or NCCPA continuing maintenance of competency program, or another program the commission approves, so most Washington physician assistants satisfy this through certification. No prior approval of a course or a sponsor is needed: the commission adopts the AAPA standards for evaluating continuing medical education, determines category solely by the accredited status of the sponsor, counts contact hours of instruction rounded to the nearest quarter hour, and relies on the licensee's integrity. Compliance may be audited at the commission's discretion.
Required CE topics for Washington physician assistants
State-specific subject mandates. Where a mandate applies only to some licensees, the scope is listed.
| Topic | Hours | Frequency | Applies to | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Training in suicide assessment, treatment, and managementA one time training of at least six hours, which may be taken in one or more sessions, due by the end of the first full continuing education reporting period after January 1, 2016 or after initial licensure, whichever is later. The training must be on the Department of Health model list under RCW 43.70.442. The hours count toward the continuing education requirement in the same category. | 6 CME credits | One time | All licensed physician assistants except those the commission exempts for having only brief, limited, or no patient contact | WAC 246-918-185 |
| Health equity continuing education trainingTwo hours every four years, so once every two renewal cycles, as described in WAC 246-12-800 through 246-12-830. The hours count toward the continuing education requirement in the same category rather than adding to it. | 2 CME credits | Periodic | All licensees | WAC 246-918-195 |
| Best practices in the prescribing of opioidsA one time requirement of at least one hour, covering best practices in opioid prescribing or the opioid prescribing rules in chapter 246-918 WAC, due by the end of the first full continuing education reporting period after January 1, 2019 or after initial licensure, whichever is later. The hours count toward the continuing education requirement. Note that Washington sets this at one hour for physician assistants while the parallel nursing rule sets four hours for nurse practitioners. | 1 CME credit | One time | Physician assistants licensed to prescribe opioids | WAC 246-918-825 |
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | No, attestation only |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | Not stated |
| Board audits compliance | Yes |
| Approved providers | No prior approval of a course or sponsor is required. Category is determined solely by the accredited status of the sponsoring organization or institution, and the commission adopts the AAPA standards for evaluating continuing medical education. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Washington PA need to renew?
- Washington physician assistants must complete 100 CME credits of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Washington Medical Commission. WAC 246-918-180 requires 100 hours of continuing education every two years, of which a minimum of 40 credit hours must be Category I, meaning activities with accredited sponsorship; Category II covers nonaccredited sponsorship and other meritorious learning experience. In place of the 100 hours the commission accepts current NCCPA certification, compliance with an AAPA or NCCPA continuing maintenance of competency program, or another program the commission approves, so most Washington physician assistants satisfy this through certification. No prior approval of a course or a sponsor is needed: the commission adopts the AAPA standards for evaluating continuing medical education, determines category solely by the accredited status of the sponsor, counts contact hours of instruction rounded to the nearest quarter hour, and relies on the licensee's integrity. Compliance may be audited at the commission's discretion.
- How often does a Washington PA license need to be renewed?
- Physician Assistant licenses in Washington renew every two years. A physician assistant license renews every two years on the licensee's birthday. Renewal fees are accepted no sooner than 90 days before the expiration date. An initial credential issued within 90 days of the physician assistant's birthday does not expire until the next birthday, and the two year continuing education review period begins on the first birthday after the initial license is issued.
- What specific CE topics are required for Washington physician assistants?
- Training in suicide assessment, treatment, and management: a one-time requirement of 6 CME credits (all licensed physician assistants except those the commission exempts for having only brief, limited, or no patient contact). Health equity continuing education training: 2 CME credits on a periodic schedule set by the board. Best practices in the prescribing of opioids: a one-time requirement of 1 CME credit (physician assistants licensed to prescribe opioids). Citations: training in suicide assessment, treatment, and management (WAC 246-918-185), health equity continuing education training (WAC 246-918-195), and best practices in the prescribing of opioids (WAC 246-918-825).
- Do Washington 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. No prior approval of a course or sponsor is required. Category is determined solely by the accredited status of the sponsoring organization or institution, and the commission adopts the AAPA standards for evaluating continuing medical education.
Sources
Last verified September 8, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.
- WAC 246-918-171, Renewal and continuing medical education cycle (physician assistants)Statute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- WAC 246-918-180, Continuing medical education requirements (physician assistants)Statute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- WAC 246-918-185, Training in suicide assessment, treatment, and managementStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- WAC 246-918-195, Health equity continuing education training requirementsStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- WAC 246-918-825, Continuing education requirements for opioid prescribing (physician assistants)Statute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- Renewals, Washington Medical CommissionState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
Washington splits the two professions across two agencies with two separate rule chapters: nurse practitioners sit with the Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission under WAC 246-840, and physician assistants sit with the Washington Medical Commission under WAC 246-918. There is no separate Washington physician assistant board. Physician assistants are not layered on any other license, so the 100 hours per two years is the whole obligation, and it is half the physician requirement of 200 credits per cycle recorded in the state's physician records. The chapter numbering has one loose end worth flagging: WAC 246-918-825(3) says the opioid hours count toward the requirements in WAC 246-919-460, which is the physician chapter, rather than pointing at the physician assistant rule at 246-918-180; the sentence is read here as meaning the hours count toward the licensee's own continuing education requirement. All figures were read as rendered HTML on app.leg.wa.gov, which serves the WAC directly, so no PDF was needed.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Washington Medical Commission before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.