Home / State requirements / Alabama
Alabama CME and nursing CE requirements
Continuing education and license renewal rules for physicians, advanced practice clinicians and nurses licensed in Alabama, as recorded by ClinLicense for planning.
Planning aid only. ClinLicense is not legal or compliance advice. Boards change rules between cycles, so confirm every requirement with the board before you rely on it.
- Licensing board
- Alabama Board of Medical Examiners
- License renewal
- Every 1 year, based on a fixed calendar date (12-31)
MD CME requirements
Reviewed 2026-10-31 This entry was last reviewed on 2026-10-31. That date records our own review and is not a board approval. Some details below are marked for confirmation, so treat those as unverified until the board confirms them. Always confirm with the board before you rely on it.
- Total hours
- 25 hours every year, with at least 25 in Category 1 or the equivalent
- License renewal
- Every 1 year, based on a fixed calendar date (12-31)
Required topics
| Topic | Hours | How often | Applies to | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opioid & controlled-substance prescribing | 2 | Every cycle | DEA registrants | Controlled-substance prescribing CME for holders of a Controlled Substances Certificate; exact hours/frequency to be confirmed |
Notes. Annual renewal, 25 Category 1 hours per year. Controlled-substance prescribing CME applies to prescribers; hours/frequency not fully certain.
DO CME requirements
Not yet verified Not yet verified, confirm with the board. This entry has not been checked against the board’s own published rules.
- Total hours
- 25 hours every year, with at least 25 in Category 1 or the equivalent
- License renewal
- Every 1 year, based on a fixed calendar date (12-31)
Required topics
| Topic | Hours | How often | Applies to | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opioid & controlled-substance prescribing | 2 | Every cycle | DEA registrants | Controlled-substance prescribing CME for holders of a Controlled Substances Certificate; exact hours/frequency to be confirmed |
Notes. Copied from the MD block as a planning default; the osteopathic rules were not separately confirmed. Confirm with the board.
NP CME requirements
Reviewed 2026-11-01 This entry was last reviewed on 2026-11-01. That date records our own review and is not a board approval. Some details below are marked for confirmation, so treat those as unverified until the board confirms them. Always confirm with the board before you rely on it.
- Total hours
- 24 hours every 2 years
- License renewal
- Every 1 year, based on a fixed calendar date (12-31)
Required topics
| Topic | Hours | How often | Applies to | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmacology | 6 | Every cycle | Everyone | APRNs must include six pharmacology hours within the 24 |
Notes. 24 contact hours per license period; RNs and APRNs renew in even years. A secondary source reports 5 hours of pharmacology for Schedule II holders, which the board page does not state; confirm with the board.
PA CME requirements
Reviewed 2026-11-01 This entry was last reviewed on 2026-11-01. That date records our own review and is not a board approval. Always confirm with the board before you rely on it.
- Total hours
- 50 hours every 2 years, with at least 50 in Category 1 or the equivalent
- License renewal
- Every 1 year, based on a fixed calendar date (12-31)
Required topics
No mandated topics are recorded for this profession in this state. That is not the same as the board having none, so confirm with the board.
Notes. 50 AMA PRA Category 1 credits or equivalent every 2 years; license renews annually by Dec 31 and CME is certified at renewal.
CRNA CME requirements
Reviewed 2026-11-01 This entry was last reviewed on 2026-11-01. That date records our own review and is not a board approval. Some details below are marked for confirmation, so treat those as unverified until the board confirms them. Always confirm with the board before you rely on it.
- Total hours
- 24 hours every 2 years
- License renewal
- Every 1 year, based on a fixed calendar date (12-31)
Required topics
| Topic | Hours | How often | Applies to | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmacology | 6 | Every cycle | Everyone | APRN pharmacology hours; the CRNA rule 610-X-4-.08 is reported to require six pharmacology hours, graduate-program credit excluded |
Notes. CRNA is an APRN in Alabama; the board renewal page applies the 24 hours and 6 pharmacology hours to APRNs. The rule text in 610-X-4-.08 has not been confirmed.
CAA CME requirements
Reviewed 2026-11-01 This entry was last reviewed on 2026-11-01. That date records our own review and is not a board approval. Always confirm with the board before you rely on it.
- Total hours
- 50 hours every 2 years, with at least 50 in Category 1 or the equivalent
- License renewal
- Every 1 year, based on a fixed calendar date (12-31)
Required topics
No mandated topics are recorded for this profession in this state. That is not the same as the board having none, so confirm with the board.
Notes. Alabama licenses anesthesiologist assistants through the Board of Medical Examiners; same 50 Category 1 credits every 2 years and $100 renewal as PAs per the shared PA/AA page.
Alabama nursing CE requirements
Nursing boards usually count continuing education in contact hours rather than CME credits, and the nursing license renews on its own schedule, which may differ from the medical board dates above. Nurse practitioners and nurse anesthetists have their own sections above.
Nurse Licensure Compact Alabama has implemented the Nurse Licensure Compact. A registered or practical nurse whose primary state of residence is Alabama can hold a multistate license issued by Alabama, which carries the privilege to practice in the other compact states, and a nurse with a multistate license from another compact state can practice in Alabama under that privilege. Renewal and CE for a multistate license follow the rules of the home state that issued it. The compact covers RN and LPN/LVN licenses only, and advanced practice authority is still granted state by state. This compact list was last reviewed on November 3, 2026. Read the compact guide for RNs and LPNs.
Registered nurses (RN)
Reviewed 2026-11-03 This entry was last reviewed on 2026-11-03 against the source linked below. That date records our own review and is not a board approval.
- Continuing education
- 24 contact hours every 2 years
- Other ways to meet it
- The page lists no mandatory topics, alternatives or exemptions.
- Nursing license renewal
- Every 2 years, based on a fixed calendar date (12-31)
- Board
- Alabama Board of Nursing
- Source
- The board page this entry was checked against
No mandated topics are recorded for this license. That is not the same as the board having none, so confirm with the board.
Notes. 24 contact hours per license period. Single-state RNs renew in even years, with the renewal window running September 1 to December 31. The page lists no mandatory topics, alternatives or exemptions.
Licensed practical and vocational nurses (LPN/LVN)
Reviewed 2026-11-03 This entry was last reviewed on 2026-11-03 against the source linked below. That date records our own review and is not a board approval.
- Continuing education
- 24 contact hours every 2 years
- Other ways to meet it
- The page lists no mandatory topics, alternatives or exemptions.
- Nursing license renewal
- Every 2 years, based on a fixed calendar date (12-31)
- Board
- Alabama Board of Nursing
- Source
- The board page this entry was checked against
No mandated topics are recorded for this license. That is not the same as the board having none, so confirm with the board.
Notes. 24 contact hours per license period. Single-state LPNs renew in odd years, with the renewal window running September 1 to December 31. The page lists no mandatory topics, alternatives or exemptions.
Certified nurse-midwives (CNM)
Not yet verified This nursing entry has not been checked against the board’s own published rules, so confirm it with the board before you rely on it.
- Continuing education
- 24 contact hours every 2 years
- Nursing license renewal
- Every 2 years, based on a fixed calendar date (12-31)
- Board
- Alabama Board of Nursing
- Source
- The board page this entry was checked against
Required topics
| Topic | Contact hours | How often | Applies to | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmacology | 6 | Every cycle | Everyone | Six of the 24 hours must carry pharmacology credit for APRN renewal |
Notes. APRN rule: 24 contact hours with six in pharmacology. The board renewal page covers APRNs generally and does not name certified nurse midwives, so confirm with the board that CNMs follow it.
Clinical nurse specialists (CNS)
Not yet verified This nursing entry has not been checked against the board’s own published rules, so confirm it with the board before you rely on it.
- Continuing education
- 24 contact hours every 2 years
- Nursing license renewal
- Every 2 years, based on a fixed calendar date (12-31)
- Board
- Alabama Board of Nursing
- Source
- The board page this entry was checked against
Required topics
| Topic | Contact hours | How often | Applies to | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmacology | 6 | Every cycle | Everyone | Six of the 24 hours must carry pharmacology credit for APRN renewal |
Notes. APRN rule: 24 contact hours with six in pharmacology. The board renewal page covers APRNs generally and does not name clinical nurse specialists, so confirm with the board that CNSs follow it.
See nursing CE requirements by state to compare Alabama with other states.
Plan this renewal
Use the free opioid CME planner to see the controlled-substance rules for Alabama next to other states, or the license cost calculator to estimate fees. Read how multi-state CME works if you hold more than one license.
Nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurse anesthetists and anesthesiologist assistants usually also maintain national certification, which has its own cycle. The recertification basics guide explains how that fits alongside state rules. Nurses who hold licenses in more than one state can read the Nurse Licensure Compact for RNs and LPNs.
Keep every hour and deadline in one private place
ClinLicense tracks licenses, DEA registrations, CME credits and CE contact hours on your own devices, without an account.
Download ClinLicense