Washington CME Requirements for Psychiatrists
Reviewed by CME Psychiatry Center editorsLast reviewed against the Washington medical board6 primary sourcesHow we verify
Washington requirements for all physicians
- 200 hours of CME every 4 years (WAC 246-919-430; reporting under chapter 246-12 WAC)
- All 200 hours may be Category I (ACCME/WSMA-accredited); Categories II (non-accredited programs), III (teaching), IV (papers/publications), and V (self-directed study, board-exam prep, QA committees) are each capped at 80 hours (WAC 246-919-460)
- In lieu of the 200 hours, a physician may renew with a current AMA Physician's Recognition Award held in at least 2 of the preceding 4 years, ABMS board certification obtained within the preceding 4 years, or current participation in ABMS Maintenance of Certification
- ACGME residency or fellowship participation may be credited 50 Category I hours per year of training toward the 200
- One-time suicide assessment, treatment, and management training of at least 6 hours, from the DOH model list, due by the end of the first full reporting period after initial licensure (RCW 43.70.442(5); residents with limited licenses are exempt)
- Physicians who prescribe opioids must complete a one-time CME of at least 1 hour on opioid prescribing best practices or the Washington opioid prescribing rules, by the end of the first full reporting period after January 1, 2019 or after initial licensure, whichever is later (WAC 246-919-875)
- At least 2 hours of health equity continuing education every 4 years (WAC 246-12-820, effective December 24, 2022, implementing RCW 43.70.613)
- Mandated-topic hours count toward the 200-hour total in their respective category
What this means if you are a board-certified psychiatrist in Washington
- Your Washington license and your ABPN certificate run on separate clocks: the state rules above are checked at license renewal; ABPN checks 90 CME and 16 SA-CME at the end of each 3-year block. One activity can count for both.
- Any AMA PRA Category 1 activity satisfies both. Only activities on the ABPN Approved CC Activities List earn Self-Assessment credit; topic-specific state hours (ethics, opioids, etc.) satisfy the state but are ordinary CME for ABPN.
- A state-mandated patient-safety or risk-management course can also satisfy the ABPN patient safety requirement; a hospital QI project may satisfy your PIP.
Last reviewed August 23, 2026. State figures come from the Washington medical board; ABPN figures from the CC Booklet (June 2025) and CC FAQ (April 2026). See the full ABPN CME requirements guide.
ABPN requirements (apply in every state)
Board certification and state licensure are tracked separately. Whatever your state requires below, ABPN Continuing Certification also requires, per 3-year block:
- 90 AMA PRA Category 1 CME credits per 3-year block (average 30 per year) (full CME rules)
- 16 Self-Assessment (SA) CME credits per block, counted within the 90, from the ABPN Approved CC Activities List (what counts as SA)
- One Performance in Practice (PIP) activity per block — a Clinical or Feedback module (how PIP works)
- One Patient Safety activity, one-time, if your first block began in 2017 or later (who it applies to)
- Either the 10-year CC exam or 20 ABCC articles per block (compare the two)
- An unrestricted license and the annual fee ($175 for one certificate) (fees and statuses)
CME from any ACCME-accredited provider counts toward the 90; SA credit only counts from activities on the ABPN list. Read the complete ABPN CME requirements →
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- ✓ Reminders at 6 months, 2 months and 2 weeks before your block closes — so December never surprises you
Sources
- WAC 246-919-430 — Requirements for maintenance of licensure
- WAC 246-919-460 — Categories of creditable CME activities
- WAC 246-919-875 — CE requirements for opioid prescribing
- RCW 43.70.442 — Suicide assessment, treatment, and management training
- WAC 246-12-820 — Health equity CE minimum hours
- Washington Medical Commission — Continuing Medical Education