Frequently Asked Questions

1. If I am selected to participate in an audit, do I have to provide evidence of compliance of the CME requirements?

   Yes. Licensees randomly selected for audit are required to respond to the Board’s inquiry within 65 days of the date of the Board’s written request and must document their compliance with the Board’s CME requirements. Written documentation includes records issued by an approved continuing medical education provider that indicate the course or program attended, the dates of attendance, and the hours assigned to the course or program. If you were certified by the NCCPA at the time of renewal, verification of certification must be submitted to the Board.

2. I am currently in the military; am I exempt from the CME requirements?

   Beginning January 1, 2013, the Board must waive renewal requirements for military personnel when they are called to active duty. Renewal requirements waived for military personnel called to active duty include renewal fees, continuing education requirements, and any other requirements as determined by the Board.
   To qualify for a waiver, the licensee must:

   • Possess a current and valid license when called to active duty; and
   • Provide written documentation that substantiates the licensee's call to active duty.

   “Called to active duty” means full–time duty in the active military of the United States, including training and attendance at a service school. Active duty will also include individuals who are on active duty in the California National Guard, whether due to proclamation of a state of insurrection, a proclamation of a state extreme emergency, or when the California National Guard is otherwise on active duty.
   Renewal requirements are only waived for the period during which the licensee is on active duty service, and the licensee must notify the Board receipt of a notice of discharge date within 60 days of receiving such a notice.
   All private practice is prohibited under the waiver. A licensee may not return to private practice until after they have complied with renewal requirements pursuant to Business and Professions Code section 114.3.
   For further information on the renewal fee waiver for active–duty military personnel, please call (916) 561–8780 or complete the Contact Form.

3. What happens if I am unable to comply with the CME requirements?

   Physician assistants who are unable to complete the CME requirements due to health, military service, or undue hardship may request a CME waiver by submitting a Request for Inactive Status (PDF) form to the Board sixty (60) days prior to the expiration of the license if the license is current and has not been suspended, revoked or otherwise punitively restricted by the Board.
   Additionally, physician assistants who answer “No” to the CME question are not in compliance with the CME requirements and their license will be placed in inactive status.
   Physician assistants whose license status is inactive are prohibited from engaging in any practice where a valid and active license issued by the Board is required. The license renewal requirements are the same as for an active license. Practicing as a physician assistant without a current license is subject to disciplinary action.

4. I was granted a Waiver for my current renewal period, how many hours of CME do I need to complete by the end of the next renewal period?

   Physician assistants who have not been granted a Waiver for their current renewal period are required to complete 50 hours of Category 1 CME or be certified with the NCCPA at the time of renewing their license.

5. Can I obtain a CME extension if I am unable to complete the CME hours needed prior to the expiration date of my license?

   The Board does not grant CME extensions. Physician assistants are required to be in compliance with the Board’s CME requirements prior to renewing their license unless their license is inactive, or they have been granted a Waiver.

6. What happens if I am audited and cannot provide evidence of CME compliance?

   It is considered unprofessional conduct for physician assistants to fail to provide accurate or complete information in response to the Board’s CME audit inquiry or misrepresent their compliance. In addition to any enforcement action taken against the licensee for misrepresenting compliance, physician assistants found not to have completed the required number of approved Category 1 CME hours or found not to have been certified by NCCPA at the time of renewing their license, will be required to make up the deficiency. The hours earned to make up the deficiency shall not be counted toward compliance of their next biennial renewal period. Physician assistants who fail to make up the deficiency, shall have their license placed in an inactive status, may be ineligible for renewal of their license, and is prohibited from providing medical services until such time as the deficiency of CME is documented to the Board.