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Georgia CME and nursing CE requirements
Continuing education and license renewal rules for physicians, advanced practice clinicians and nurses licensed in Georgia, 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
- Georgia Composite Medical Board
- License lookup
- Public license verification
- License renewal
- Every 2 years
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
- 40 hours every 2 years
- License renewal
- Every 2 years
Required topics
| Topic | Hours | How often | Applies to | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opioid & controlled-substance prescribing | 3 | Every cycle | DEA registrants | Controlled-substance prescribing for those who prescribe controlled substances |
Notes. 40 hours per 2 years. Category 1 minimum not confirmed.
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
- 40 hours every 2 years
- License renewal
- Every 2 years
Required topics
| Topic | Hours | How often | Applies to | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opioid & controlled-substance prescribing | 3 | Every cycle | DEA registrants | Controlled-substance prescribing for those who prescribe controlled substances |
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
- Not recorded every 2 years
- License renewal
- Every 2 years
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. Rule 410-11-.03(6): NP authorization renews with the RN license renewal period; requires RN renewal, application, attestation and fee. The APRN rule chapter lists no APRN CE hours or opioid CE. RN renewal CE options are not confirmed on a board page; 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
- 40 hours every 2 years
- License renewal
- Every 2 years
Required topics
| Topic | Hours | How often | Applies to | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmacology | 3 | Every cycle | Some licensees, see the note | Practice-specific pharmaceuticals for PAs with prescription-order privileges; counted within the 40 |
| Opioid & controlled-substance prescribing | 1 | Every cycle | DEA registrants | Additional 1 hour each renewal on appropriate ordering and use for PAs authorized to prescribe hydrocodone/oxycodone |
| End-of-life / palliative care | 1 | Every cycle | Some licensees, see the note | Additional 1 hour on recognizing and documenting causes of death for PAs authorized to sign death certificates |
Notes. 40 Board-approved CE hours each biennium; at least 10 related to supervising physician's specialty. First renewal exempt from the 40 (prescribers still owe the 3 pharmaceutical hours). Keep records 5 years.
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
- Not recorded every 2 years
- License renewal
- Every 2 years
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. Rule 410-11-.04(4): CRNA authorization expires January 31 of odd-numbered years; renewal needs application, current national certification/recertification and fee. No CE hours listed in the APRN rules; Confirm with the board.
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. 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
- 40 hours every 2 years
- License renewal
- Every 2 years
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. Georgia licenses anesthesiologist assistants within the Composite Medical Board's PA/AA program. Rule 360-5 sets no separate AA CE; the PA rule (40 hours per biennium, AAAA Category 1 accepted) applies. Confirm with the board.
Georgia 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 Georgia has implemented the Nurse Licensure Compact. A registered or practical nurse whose primary state of residence is Georgia can hold a multistate license issued by Georgia, 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 Georgia 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
- 30 contact hours every 2 years
- Other ways to meet it
- 43-26-9(b.1) requires one of five options in the licensure period: 30 board-approved CE hours, maintained national certification, an accredited nursing or related academic program, employer-verified competency with at least 500 practice hours, or other board-approved activities.
- Nursing license renewal
- Every 2 years, based on a fixed calendar date (01-31)
- Board
- Georgia 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. O.C.G.A. 43-26-9(b.1) requires one of five options in the licensure period: 30 board-approved CE hours, maintained national certification, an accredited nursing or related academic program, employer-verified competency with at least 500 practice hours, or other board-approved activities. A first renewal can be exempt until the second if the initial license period was six months or less. The January 31 odd-year RN expiry is taken from the APRN rule text, which says CNM authorization coincides with RN renewal.
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
- 20 contact hours every 2 years
- Nursing license renewal
- Every 2 years
- Board
- Georgia 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. Rule 410-13-.02 requires one of two options in the biennial period: 20 board-approved CE hours or completion of an accredited academic program in nursing recognized by the board. A first renewal can be exempt until the second if the initial license period was six months or less. The rule text does not give the LPN expiry date.
Certified nurse-midwives (CNM)
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
- 30 contact hours every 2 years
- Other ways to meet it
- The underlying RN license is subject to the 30-hour-or-alternative rule, and certification is one of the accepted alternatives.
- Nursing license renewal
- Every 2 years, based on a fixed calendar date (01-31)
- Board
- Georgia 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. Georgia's APRN rules (410-11) set no CE hours for CNM authorization, which expires January 31 of odd years with the RN license and requires a copy of current ACNM certification. The underlying RN license is subject to the 30-hour-or-alternative rule, and certification is one of the accepted alternatives.
Clinical nurse specialists (CNS)
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
- 30 contact hours every 2 years
- Other ways to meet it
- The underlying RN license is subject to the 30-hour-or-alternative rule, and certification is one of the accepted alternatives.
- Nursing license renewal
- Every 2 years
- Board
- Georgia 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. Georgia's APRN rules (410-11-.06) set no CE hours for CNS authorization, which renews with the RN license and requires current national certification with proof on audit. The underlying RN license is subject to the 30-hour-or-alternative rule, and certification is one of the accepted alternatives. Psychiatric/mental health CNS authorization has its own rule (.05) expiring January 31 of odd years.
See nursing CE requirements by state to compare Georgia with other states.
Plan this renewal
Use the free opioid CME planner to see the controlled-substance rules for Georgia 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.
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