Kansas physician (MD and DO) CME requirements for license renewal

This guide covers physicians licensed by the Kansas State Board of Healing Arts, which licenses both MDs (medicine and surgery) and DOs (osteopathic medicine and surgery). The same continuing education rules, K.A.R. 100-15-4 to 100-15-7, apply to both. The only difference is the expiration date.

The Board's own website blocks automated access, so we read its renewal and FAQ pages through archived copies from 2026 and the rule text through the Kansas Register and the Board's statute handbook.

The short version

Requirement	Credits	How often	Who
Total CE (18-month option)	50	Every annual renewal, earned in the 18 months before expiration	Every MD and DO
Category I (within the 50)	at least 20	Every renewal	Every MD and DO
Category III: pain management, opioid prescribing or PDMP use (within the 50)	at least 1	Every renewal	Every MD and DO
Category II (within the 50)	the rest, up to 29	Every renewal	Every MD and DO

Instead of the 18-month option you can certify 100 credits in the 30 months before expiration (at least 40 category I and 2 category III), or 150 credits in the 42 months before expiration (at least 60 category I and 3 category III).

How many credits, and what kind

K.S.A. 65-2809 tells the Board to require continuing education for every active licensee. K.A.R. 100-15-5(a)(1) sets the amount: at each renewal you certify one of the three options above. One credit is 50 minutes of actual attendance (K.A.R. 100-15-4(e)).

Kansas defines its categories by format, not by accreditation label:

• Category I is a structured, formal activity (a lecture, panel discussion, workshop, seminar, symposium or similar interactive format) presented by someone qualified by practical or academic experience (K.A.R. 100-15-4(b)). Online activities count as category I if they let you contact the provider, test what you learned, limit the time to complete and give you a printable certificate (K.A.R. 100-15-7). One year of postgraduate training counts as 50 category I credits, and a related postbaccalaureate degree counts as 25.
• Category II covers other health-related learning: clinical consultations, quality-of-care review, teaching, patient-centered discussions, journal clubs, database searches tied to patient care and self-instructional materials (K.A.R. 100-15-4(c)).
• Category III is an internet or live activity that also counts as category I or II and covers acute or chronic pain management, the appropriate prescribing of opioids, or the use of prescription drug monitoring programs (K.A.R. 100-15-4(d)).

The rule never mentions AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™, AOA Category 1-A or AAFP Prescribed credit. Activities with those credits are normally formal, structured programs that fit the category I definition, so they should count. Because the rule does not say so, confirm with the Board if you are unsure about a particular format.

There is no carryover. Each option looks back over a fixed window (18, 30 or 42 months) from your expiration date, so any credit earned within that window counts.

When your license expires

Kansas licenses are renewed every year (K.A.R. 100-15-1):

• MD licenses expire on June 30. The renewal window opens May 15. The Board treats July 1 to July 31 as late renewal with a late fee, and a license not renewed by July 31 is canceled on August 1.
• DO licenses expire on September 30. The renewal window opens August 15. October 1 to October 31 is late renewal with a late fee, and a license not renewed by October 31 is canceled on November 1.

The Board's FAQ pages say MD licenses "expire on July 31st" and DO licenses "expire on October 31st", which is the end of the late period. The regulation sets June 30 and September 30, and K.S.A. 65-2809(d) gives 30 days after the renewal date to renew with a late fee. Plan to finish your CE and renew by June 30 (MD) or September 30 (DO).

The mandatory topic

Category III — 1 credit, every renewal

Under the 18-month option, at least one of your 50 credits must be category III: pain management, appropriate opioid prescribing, or use of a prescription drug monitoring program. The 30-month and 42-month options need 2 and 3 category III credits. This applies to every licensee who must complete CE, whether or not you prescribe controlled substances. The activity must be internet-based or live.

Federal requirement

The federal DEA requires a one-time 8 hours of training on treating and managing patients with opioid or other substance use disorders (the MATE Act) when you first register or renew a DEA registration. It is a federal requirement, separate from Kansas's rules.

Your first renewal

The CE requirement "shall not apply to any person renewing a license for the first time" (K.A.R. 100-15-5(a)(2)). From your second renewal on, you need one of the three options.

Reporting and audits

You certify on the renewal application which option you completed. Keep documentation of completion for at least four years after the date you certify. If the Board asks in writing, you have 30 days to send proof (K.A.R. 100-15-6). For category I activities without a certificate from a recognized organization, the rule lists what to keep: the sponsor's contact details, title, date, location, format, hours, agenda, presenters and proof of participation. Keep a dated list of your category II activities with the hours claimed.

The Board has partnered with CE Broker so licensees can track their CE in one place. Using it is optional.

Other provisions to know:

• Charitable care. A charitable healthcare provider can earn 1 CE credit for every 2 hours of free care to medically indigent people, up to 20 credits per licensure period (K.S.A. 65-2809(j)).
• Hardship extension. If illness, injury or another hardship in the 12 months before expiration kept you from finishing, you can ask the Board for more time (K.A.R. 100-15-5(c)).
• Reinstatement. Converting an inactive or exempt license, or reinstating a canceled one that lapsed less than two years ago, requires 50 credits with at least 20 category I and 1 category III (K.A.R. 100-15-5(b)).

Checklist before you renew

1. Note your expiration date: June 30 (MD) or September 30 (DO), every year.
2. Pick an option: 50 credits in the last 18 months, 100 in the last 30, or 150 in the last 42.
3. Check the minimums: 20 / 40 / 60 category I, and 1 / 2 / 3 category III on pain management, opioid prescribing or PDMP use.
4. Keep certificates and your category II log for four years.
5. Renew online in the Board's portal before the expiration date to avoid the late fee.

Requirements change. This guide was checked against the sources below in October 2026; confirm with the Board before you rely on it.