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Rhode Island CME and nursing CE requirements
Continuing education and license renewal rules for physicians, advanced practice clinicians and nurses licensed in Rhode Island, 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
- Rhode Island Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline
- 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, with at least 20 in Category 1 or the equivalent
- License renewal
- Every 2 years
Required topics
| Topic | Hours | How often | Applies to | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opioid & controlled-substance prescribing | 2 | Every cycle | DEA registrants | Opioid/pain management; confirm |
Notes. 40 hours per 2 years, at least 20 Category 1 (confirm).
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, with at least 20 in Category 1 or the equivalent
- License renewal
- Every 2 years
Required topics
| Topic | Hours | How often | Applies to | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opioid & controlled-substance prescribing | 2 | Every cycle | DEA registrants | Opioid/pain management; confirm |
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
- 10 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. Rhode Island rule 216-RICR-40-05-3 section 3.5 (Department of State): 10 continuing education hours in the two years before renewal, licenses expire March 1 every other year. The rule sets no APRN-specific CE hours; APRN renewal requires current national certification (section 3.4(B)(1)). Confirm with the board for any prescriber opioid training that may apply.
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
- 25 hours every year
- 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. R.I. Gen. Laws 5-54-22 (state legislature site): every PA completes 25 hours of approved CME annually; the statute's annual accumulation period is Oct 1 to Sep 30. 216-RICR-40-05-24.8 (RI Secretary of State rules site) also sets 25 hours but its text omits the number of years ("every years") and uses a July 1 to June 30 period, which conflicts with the statute; the statute was used as the governing text. The PA license itself renews every two years (certificate July 1 to June 30 two years later, filed by June 1 of odd-numbered years). Records kept 4 years; random audit. No topic-specific hours found.
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
- 10 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. Rule 216-RICR-40-05-3 sets 10 hours per 2 years for nurses; Confirm with the board how it applies to CRNAs.
CAA 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
- Not recorded, and the renewal cycle is not recorded
- 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. Secondary source; confirm with the board. Rhode Island is not among the states or jurisdictions listed for anesthesiologist assistant practice by the CU Anschutz AA program, and the RI Department of Health fee schedule (216-RICR-10-05-2) lists no anesthesiologist assistant license.
Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island has implemented the Nurse Licensure Compact. A registered or practical nurse whose primary state of residence is Rhode Island can hold a multistate license issued by Rhode Island, 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 Rhode Island 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
- 10 contact hours every 2 years
- Nursing license renewal
- Every 2 years, based on a fixed calendar date (03-01)
- Board
- Rhode Island Department of Health (Board of Nurse Registration and Nursing Education)
- 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. 216-RICR-40-05-3 section 3.5: 10 contact hours in the preceding two years, attested at renewal and kept four years for audit. Licenses expire March 1 every other year, and the Department may extend the requirement once by six months for hardship.
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
- 10 contact hours every 2 years
- Nursing license renewal
- Every 2 years, based on a fixed calendar date (03-01)
- Board
- Rhode Island Department of Health (Board of Nurse Registration and Nursing Education)
- 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. 216-RICR-40-05-3 section 3.5: 10 contact hours in the preceding two years, attested at renewal and kept four years for audit. Licenses expire March 1 every other year, and the Department may extend the requirement once by six months for hardship.
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
- 20 contact hours every 2 years
- Nursing license renewal
- Every 2 years, based on a fixed calendar date (08-31)
- Board
- Rhode Island Department of Health (Council on Midwifery)
- Source
- The board page this entry was checked against
Required topics
| Topic | Contact hours | How often | Applies to | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmacology | 4 | Every cycle | Everyone | At least 4 of the 20 hours in pharmacology |
Notes. 216-RICR-40-05-23.8: midwives, including CNMs, are licensed by the Department of Health and attest to 20 CE hours in two years, 4 in pharmacology, plus continued national certification; licenses run September 1 to August 31 in odd-numbered years. A CNM must also hold a Rhode Island RN license.
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
- 10 contact hours every 2 years
- Nursing license renewal
- Every 2 years, based on a fixed calendar date (03-01)
- Board
- Rhode Island Department of Health (Board of Nurse Registration and Nursing Education)
- 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. APRN rule: CNS is a recognized APRN role, renewal needs current national certification, and the general 10-hour CE requirement applies to every renewal under the Part.
See nursing CE requirements by state to compare Rhode Island with other states.
Plan this renewal
Use the free opioid CME planner to see the controlled-substance rules for Rhode Island 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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