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Tennessee CME and nursing CE requirements
Continuing education and license renewal rules for physicians, advanced practice clinicians and nurses licensed in Tennessee, 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
- Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners
- 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. Always confirm with the board before you rely on it.
Board-approved course required At least one topic must come from a course the board has approved, and a general CME course may not count. Check the board’s approved list before you buy.
- Total hours
- 40 hours every 2 years, with at least 40 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 Board-approved course required | Controlled-substance prescribing, including Tennessee Chronic Pain Guidelines, for prescribers |
Notes. 40 hours per 2 years. DOs: Board of Osteopathic Examination has separate rules.
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.
Board-approved course required At least one topic must come from a course the board has approved, and a general CME course may not count. Check the board’s approved list before you buy.
- Total hours
- 40 hours every 2 years, with at least 40 in Category 1 or the equivalent
- License renewal
- Every 2 years
- Board for this profession
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Required topics
| Topic | Hours | How often | Applies to | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opioid & controlled-substance prescribing | 2 | Every cycle | DEA registrants Board-approved course required | Controlled-substance prescribing, including Tennessee Chronic Pain Guidelines, for prescribers |
Notes. A separate osteopathic board exists in this state, and its hours may differ from the MD board (some require AOA Category 1-A credit). Hours copied from the MD block. 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. Always confirm with the board before you rely on it.
- Total hours
- Not recorded every 2 years
- License renewal
- Every 2 years
Required topics
| Topic | Hours | How often | Applies to | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opioid & controlled-substance prescribing | 2 | Every cycle | DEA registrants | Controlled substance prescribing CE incl. TN Department of Health guidelines on opioids, benzodiazepines, barbiturates and carisoprodol; required of APRNs holding a Certificate of Fitness (prescriptive authority) |
Notes. No fixed APRN CE hour total. Biennial renewal requires current national certification, one item from the RN proof-of-competence list (e.g. 10 CE contact hours is one option), and for Certificate of Fitness holders 2 hours of controlled substance prescribing CE. Keep evidence 4 years; subject to audit.
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
- 100 hours every 2 years, with at least 50 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 | Everyone | At least 2 of the Category I hours must address controlled substance prescribing, including the Department's guidelines on opioids, benzodiazepines, barbiturates and carisoprodol. |
Notes. Rule 1130-01-.12 (Committee on Physician Assistants, rules revised August 2021): 100 CME hours in the 2 years before renewal, at least 50 in Category I. Source: the Secretary of State PDF of the rules text; check for later amendments. Related fees in 1130-01-.06: biennial renewal $175.
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. Always confirm with the board before you rely on it.
- Total hours
- Not recorded every 2 years
- License renewal
- Every 2 years
Required topics
| Topic | Hours | How often | Applies to | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opioid & controlled-substance prescribing | 2 | Every cycle | DEA registrants | Controlled substance prescribing CE incl. TN Department of Health guidelines on opioids, benzodiazepines, barbiturates and carisoprodol; required of APRNs holding a Certificate of Fitness (prescriptive authority) |
Notes. CRNAs renew the APRN certificate biennially and show current national certification (NBCRNA named as an example) plus one RN proof-of-competence item; the 2-hour controlled substance CE applies only if they hold a Certificate of Fitness.
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
- 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. Since January 1, 2026 CAAs are licensed by the Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners (HB 979). Licenses renew every two years in the birth month. The board page lists 15 CE hours per calendar year, but that text refers to ABCP and a perfusionist license and looks copied from another board, so hours are not recorded. Confirm with the board.
Tennessee 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 Tennessee has implemented the Nurse Licensure Compact. A registered or practical nurse whose primary state of residence is Tennessee can hold a multistate license issued by Tennessee, 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 Tennessee 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
- The board requires no continuing education for this license.
- Continuing competency
- 1000-01-.18 requires the nurse to keep evidence of at least two items from a list of competency options for each biennial renewal period; ten contact hours of continuing or in-service education is one of those options and not a stand-alone requirement. Other options include certification, an employer evaluation, a published article and a refresher course.
- Nursing license renewal
- Every 2 years
- Board
- Tennessee Board of Nursing
- Source
- The board page this entry was checked against
Notes. Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1000-01-.18 requires the nurse to keep evidence of at least two items from a list of competency options for each biennial renewal period; ten contact hours of continuing or in-service education is one of those options and not a stand-alone requirement. Other options include certification, an employer evaluation, a published article and a refresher course. Keep evidence four years.
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
- The board requires no continuing education for this license.
- Continuing competency
- 1000-01-.18 requires the nurse to keep evidence of at least two items from a list of competency options for each biennial renewal period; ten contact hours of continuing or in-service education is one of those options and not a stand-alone requirement. Other options include certification, an employer evaluation, a published article and a refresher course.
- Nursing license renewal
- Every 2 years
- Board
- Tennessee Board of Nursing
- Source
- The board page this entry was checked against
Notes. Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1000-01-.18 requires the nurse to keep evidence of at least two items from a list of competency options for each biennial renewal period; ten contact hours of continuing or in-service education is one of those options and not a stand-alone requirement. Other options include certification, an employer evaluation, a published article and a refresher course. Keep evidence four years. LPNs use the same list, except that teaching in a formal nursing program is an RN-only item.
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
- The board requires no general continuing education hours for this license, apart from the required topics listed below.
- Continuing competency
- All advanced practice nurses renew the APRN certificate biennially, show current national certification and one more item from the RN proof-of-competence list (ten contact hours is one option); those with prescriptive authority also need 2 hours of controlled-substance prescribing CE (Tenn.
- Nursing license renewal
- Every 2 years
- Board
- Tennessee Board of Nursing
- Source
- The board page this entry was checked against
Required topics
| Topic | Contact hours | How often | Applies to | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opioid & controlled-substance prescribing | 2 | Every cycle | DEA registrants | Controlled-substance prescribing CE including Tennessee Department of Health guidelines; for APRNs with prescriptive authority |
Notes. All advanced practice nurses renew the APRN certificate biennially, show current national certification and one more item from the RN proof-of-competence list (ten contact hours is one option); those with prescriptive authority also need 2 hours of controlled-substance prescribing CE (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1000-04-.05, Board PDF). The Board's document says all advanced practice nurses and does not name CNMs or CNSs separately.
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
- The board requires no general continuing education hours for this license, apart from the required topics listed below.
- Continuing competency
- All advanced practice nurses renew the APRN certificate biennially, show current national certification and one more item from the RN proof-of-competence list (ten contact hours is one option); those with prescriptive authority also need 2 hours of controlled-substance prescribing CE (Tenn.
- Nursing license renewal
- Every 2 years
- Board
- Tennessee Board of Nursing
- Source
- The board page this entry was checked against
Required topics
| Topic | Contact hours | How often | Applies to | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opioid & controlled-substance prescribing | 2 | Every cycle | DEA registrants | Controlled-substance prescribing CE including Tennessee Department of Health guidelines; for APRNs with prescriptive authority |
Notes. All advanced practice nurses renew the APRN certificate biennially, show current national certification and one more item from the RN proof-of-competence list (ten contact hours is one option); those with prescriptive authority also need 2 hours of controlled-substance prescribing CE (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1000-04-.05, Board PDF). The Board's document says all advanced practice nurses and does not name CNMs or CNSs separately.
See nursing CE requirements by state to compare Tennessee with other states.
Plan this renewal
Use the free opioid CME planner to see the controlled-substance rules for Tennessee 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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