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2025 Athletic Trainer BOC CEU Requirements: Recertification Quick Reference Guide

The BOC requires athletic trainers to complete a predetermined number of CEU hours every two years to maintain their certification. The guide below outlines the CE hours required, including Category A, and answers frequent questions around reporting, state requirements, and lapsed licenses.

January 1, 2025

15 min. read

The information in this article is correct as of January 1st, 2025. Requirements are likely to change over time. Always confirm with your state's licensing board and the BOC to ensure that you are following the most up-to-date rules.

The BOC requires athletic trainers to complete a predetermined number of CE hours every two years to maintain their certification. The table below outlines the specific number of CE hours required to maintain certification:

Year Certified

Number of CEUs

Period Begins

Period Ends

Prior to 2023

50

Jan. 1, 2024

Dec. 31, 2025

In 2023

50

Date Certified

Dec. 31, 2025

In 2024

25

Date Certified

Dec. 31, 2025

In 2025

50

Date Certified

Dec. 31, 2027

For most athletic trainers, the upcoming deadline is December 31, 2025. It’s important to start earning these CEUs early so you’re not left scrambling to meet certification requirements.

It’s also important to note that BOC requirements are often complementary to state CE licensing requirements, but there are some differences. We’ve outlined these differences below and provided answers to common AT CE renewal requirement questions.

1. How can I earn my required AT CEUs?

CEUs are earned through participation in continuing education programs that aim to increase skill, knowledge, and ability in relation to the field of athletic training. CEUs fall under four BOC categories, Categories A, B, C, and D, and two levels, Level I and II. Level I categories must meet standards established by the BOC, while Level II do not need to fall into compliance with BOC standards. 

Depending on the category, you can earn CEUs in the following ways:

  • Category A CEUs can be earned by attending synchronous or asynchronous learning with approved-providers (all Category A requirements can be met via Medbridge athletic training CE courses, for example); post-certification coursework with CAATE post professional program; scholarly work on a post-professional degree; authorship of a Category A program; approved residencies or fellowships; authoring a peer-reviewed journal article; competence assessment modules; or, participation in BOC Quality Improvement project. 

    • You can complete up to 50 of your 50 required CEUs in this category (25 of 25 for ATs licensed in 2024). 

    • You must complete a minimum of 10 CEUs in this category (5 for ATs licensed in 2024). 

  • Category B CEUs are earned through professional and scholarly activities such as speaking engagements and publishing work. 

    • You can complete up to 33 of your 50 required CEUs in this category (17 of 25 for ATs licensed in 2024).

  • Category C CEUs are earned through post-certification college or university coursework. These must be included on official transcripts. 

    • You can complete up to 40 of your 50 required CEUs in this category (20 of 25 for ATs licensed in 2024).

  • Category D CEUs can be earned by completing professional programs sponsored by groups other than BOC-approved providers. 

    • You can complete up to 28 of your 50 required CEUs in this category (14 of 25 for ATs licensed in 2024).

It’s important to note that you can earn all of your required BOC Category A CEUs through Medbridge courses. That means you can fulfill all of your athletic trainer CEU requirements via Medbridge. However, state CE requirements may not allow entirely online learning, however, so be sure to reference the list provided in Question 7.

2. How do I report my hours?

You have two options for reporting. You can report your hours online via the BOC Central Login at no cost. Alternatively, you can mail in your hours using this CE reporting sheet; however, this option comes with a $25 fee. If you go the written route, you will need to submit the form by December 1, 2025 to allow time for processing by the December 31, 2025 deadline.

Note: If you are an AT Medbridge subscriber in Florida, you're in luck! Because we report to CE Broker for all our Florida subscribers, you do not need to submit your own hours.

3. In addition to CE, what are my other requirements to keep my AT license current with the BOC?

The BOC requires that you attest to compliance with the BOC Standards of Professional Practice, maintain ongoing certification in the competencies outlined in the BOCs emergency cardiac care (ECC) guidelines, pay your certification fees, and meet the continuing education requirements outlined above. Maintaining ECC does not count toward your CEUs. You can find the ECC guidelines and determine how much your fee will be in this BOC document.

Some states also have specific requirements to maintain state licensure. See the state list under Question 8 for a list of additional requirements, or check with your states licensing board.

4. How does Medbridge ensure its courses meet Category A BOC requirements?

From the start, these courses are built differently than other courses. Often, these courses start with a clinical question, provide information specific to a particular diagnosis or concern, and have a specific clinical bottom line. The course must also include strong references and address an education gap with current evidence supporting the clinical bottom line.

As an example, lets look at the Category A approved Medbridge course, The Movement System: Advanced Running Assessment and Treatment, presented by Jared Vagy. This course actually addresses three clinical questions:

  • In runners with medial knee pain, does a manual muscle test as compared to a dynamometer, have higher reliability when identifying gluteus medius weakness?

  • In runners with medial knee pain, does the single leg squat with contralateral reach exercise as compared to a side-lying resistance band hip exercise, increase muscle activation?

  • In runners with lateral hip pain, does a single leg squat with running cadence metronome as compared to double leg squat at slow cadence, reduce pelvic drop?

The knowledge gap filled by this course is described as:

Hip pain is a common complaint, and due to the complex nature of the hip and pelvic region, the treating clinician needs a systematic process for ruling in and out pathologies. Clinicians need to be able to choose and utilize good clinical tests in addition to understanding the patient presentation to accurately determine differential diagnosis. With so many special tests presented in the literature for the hip, the knowledge gap of which tests have the highest accuracy need to be identified depending on where the patient's pain is located.

Strong evidence is cited throughout the course:

  • Jackson, S. M., Cheng, M. S., Smith Jr., A. R., & Kolber, M. J. (2017). Intrarater reliability of hand held dynamometry in measuring lower extremity isometric strength using a portable stabilization device. Musculoskeletal Science & Practice, 27, 137141.

  • Distefano, L. J., Blackburn, J. T., Marshall, S. W., & Padua, D. A. (2009). Gluteal muscle activation during common therapeutic exercises. Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy, 39(7), 53240.

  • Giboin, L. S., Gruber, M., & Kramer, A. (2015). Task-specificity of balance training. Human Movement Science, 44, 2231.

And what's the clinical bottom line? One bottom line is:

A single leg squat completed in time with a running cadence metronome reduces pelvis drop during the stance phase of running. Athletic trainers should incorporate this exercise into rehabilitation programs of runners with hip pain.

Watch the course to find out the additional clinical bottom lines!

Once the course is created, it must go through a rigorous application process in which the BOC reviews the course and confirms that it has the needed elements to meet Category A requirements. Every Medbridge course and webinar has been through an application and approval process.

5. What happens if I let my license or BOC certification expire?

The consequences of a lapsed license vary by state, so be sure to check your with your states licensing board. Some states require you to maintain BOC certification to practice. 

If your certification lapses and is expired for less than two CE reporting periods, you have two options for reinstating your certification. You can see these options on the BOC website

If your license has been expired for more than two CE reporting periods, you will need to:

  • Complete the application and pay a non-refundable application fee of $100.

  • Successfully pass the BOC exam. The fee to take the exam is $375.

  • Provide proof of current certification in emergency cardiac care (ECC).

Keeping your license and certification current is far less costly than maintaining your CE requirements!

6. Why do ATs who were licensed in 2024 only need to complete 25 CEUs?

BOC CEU renewal occurs on a two-year cycle. BOCs who were licensed in 2024 only worked for one of those years, so they only need to complete a single year's worth of CE. ATs licensed in 2025 are exempt this year, but will need to complete the 50 CEUs requirement for the next cycle, which ends on December 31, 2027.

7. How many CEUs do I need to earn?

The BOC requires athletic trainers to earn 50 CEUs per two-year certification period (ATs certified in 2024 only need 25 CEUs to re-certify).

The current certification period ends on December 31, 2025.

Individual states have different CEU requirements for state renewal. While meeting your state license requirements will often keep you current with the BOCs requirements, meeting the BOCs requirements won’t necessarily allow you to meet your states requirements.

8. How many CEUs do I need to maintain athletic trainer certification in my state?

Here is a breakdown of renewal requirements by state. States in green accept BOC certification for state CE requirements.

NOTE: This list is not intended to be a comprehensive description of everything required to maintain licensure in your state. Please refer to your states licensing board for a full description of your states requirements.

Alabama - 26 hours annually, with a cycle running from December 1 to November 30. CPR certification is required.

Alaska - 50 hours every two years (25 if you earned your license in 2020). Your two-year cycle ends on August 31, 2021.

Arizona - ATs who are not BOC-certified must complete 15 hours annually, with a due date of your license issue date.

Arkansas - 25 CE hours on an annual cycle with a due date of June 30.

California - No state requirements.

Colorado - 48 hours, due on October 31 of odd years.

Connecticut - 25 hours per year with an annual due date based on your birth month.

Delaware - 30 CEUs every two years, due on January 31 of odd years. CPR certification and ethics training are required. This requirement can be met with the Medbridge course Ethics and Legal Issues in Geriatric Rehabilitation: 2019 Update (2025), presented by Ron Scott.

District of Columbia - No district requirements.

Florida - 24 hours every two years, due on September 30 of even years. Online courses are limited 10 hours. Medbridge webinars are accepted as live courses because attendance is tracked. CPR certification and medical errors training are required. Your medical errors training requirement can be met with the Medbridge course "Preventing Medical Errors: Education for Florida State Clinicians," presented by Nancy Allen. Reminder: Medbridge automatically submits CE completions for Florida-based ATs!

Georgia - 40 hours every two years, due on June 30 of even years.

Hawaii - 25 hours per year to be turned in on June 30 every three years.

Idaho - 80 hours every three years. License renewal varies from one to five years.

Illinois - 40 hours every two years, to be turned in on May 31 of even years.

Indiana - 50 hours due every two years on December 31 of odd years. 25 hours are required for ATs who have been licensed for less than a year. These match the BOCs requirements.

Iowa - 50 hours due every two years on February 28 of odd years.

Kansas - 20 hours annually due on December 31. CPR certification is required.

Kentucky - 60 hours every three years, due on June 30. HIV/AIDS training is required using a course approved by the Cabinet for Health and Family Services.

Louisiana - 12 hours annually due on June 30.

Maine - 25 hours every year, due on August 31.

Maryland - 50 hours every two years, due on September 30 of odd years.

Massachusetts - 50 hours every two years (25 if you earned your license in 2024), due on your birthday. CPR certification is required.

Michigan - BOC certification is required. For state licensing, 75 hours is due every three years on your license issue date. Three hours in pain management are required. A one-time human trafficking training is required; however, this isn't a continuing education requirement. Your human trafficking requirement can be met with the Medbridge course, "Human Trafficking for Health Care Professionals: Michigan," presented by Hanni Stoklosa. Any of the following courses will count toward your pain management requirement:

Minnesota - 25 hours every year, due on July 1.

Mississippi - BOC certification is required. State licensing requires hours to be submitted every year by December 31.

Missouri - 25 hours annually, due on January 30.

Montana - 25 hours annually, due on August 31.

Nebraska - 25 hours annually, due on May 1 of odd years. CPR certification is required.

Nevada - 50 hours annually, due on June 30 of every year.

New Hampshire - Hours are due on December 31 of even years.

New Jersey - 24 hours biannually, due every two years on January 31. Two hours must be in concussion/head injury. CPR certification is required.

New Mexico - License renewal requires annual confirmation of BOC certification with an August 31 due date. 75 CEUs are due every three years. CPR certification is required.

New York - No state requirements.

North Carolina - 75 hours every three years, due on January 31.

North Dakota - 80 hours every three years, due on June 30.

Ohio - 25 hours every two years, due on September 30 of even years. Five in-person hours are required. An ethics course is required. Your ethics requirement can be completed with the Medbridge course Ethics and Legal Issues in Geriatric Rehabilitation: 2019 Update (2025), presented by Ron Scott.

Oklahoma - 25 hours due annually on your license issue date.

Oregon - 10 hours due annually on your license issue date. Concussion and traumatic brain injury training must be completed every three years. You can meet this requirement with any of the following Medbridge courses:

Pennsylvania - 50 hours every two years (25 if you earned your license in 2018), due on December 31 of even years.

Rhode Island - 50 hours every two years (25 if you earned your license in 2018), due on June 30 of odd years.

South Carolina - No general CE hours are required; however you are required to complete 2 CEUs from SCATA seminars and a CPR course. These are due biannually on your license issue date.

South Dakota - 25 hours annually, due on July 1.

Tennessee - 50 hours every two years, due on December 31.

Texas - 40 hours every two hours due on your license issue date. Two hours of concussion training are required. Any of the following Medbridge courses will count toward this requirement:

Utah - 50 hours every two years (25 if you earned your license in 2024), due on May 31 of odd years.

Vermont - 50 hours every two years (25 if you earned your license in 2024), due on September 30 of odd years.

Virginia - 50 hours every two years (25 if you earned your license in 2024), due in your birth month of odd years.

Washington - License renewal is due annually on your birthday with CE required every two years. Seven hours of HIV/AIDS training.

West Virginia - 50 hours every two years (25 if you earned your license in 2024), due on June 30.

Wisconsin - 50 hours every two years (25 if you earned your license in 2024) due on June 30 of even years. CPR certification is required.

Wyoming - 50 hours annually, due on September 30.

This is meant to answer questions and offer guidance as you pursue the recertification of your athletic training license with the BOC. Keep in mind that BOC Athletic Training CEU Requirements change from year to year and your state requirements may change as well. We do our best to keep this list updated but it’s best to check with your state board if you’re unsure what requirements are needed.

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