Physician CME Requirements by State: 2026 Guide

Alabama

The Alabama Board of Medical Examiners and Medical Licensure Commission requires physicians to earn 25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™, AOA Category 1-A credits, or equivalent each calendar year. Additional controlled-substance and board-designated training may apply.

Alaska

The Alaska State Medical Board requires 50 CME hours every two years. The hours must qualify as AMA Category 1 or AOA Category 1 or 2 credit. Physicians holding a DEA registration must include two hours related to pain management, opioid use, and addiction.

Arizona

For MDs, the Arizona Medical Board requires 40 CME hours every two years.
For DOs, the Arizona Board of Osteopathic Examiners requires 40 hours every two years, including at least 24 AOA Category 1-A hours. DEA registrants must also complete three hours related to opioids, substance use disorders, or addiction.

Arkansas

The Arkansas State Medical Board requires 20 CME hours annually. At least 50% must be Category 1 education related to the physician’s primary area of practice, and one annual credit must address prescribing opioids or benzodiazepines.

California

For MDs, the Medical Board of California requires 50 hours of approved CME during each two-year renewal cycle.
For DOs, the Osteopathic Medical Board of California requires 50 hours every two years, including at least 20 AOA Category 1-A or 1-B hours.

Colorado

The new requirement administered by the Colorado Medical Board and Department of Regulatory Agencies first applies to the 2027 renewal cycle. Physicians will need 30 CME hours during the 24 months preceding renewal, reinstatement, or reactivation.

Connecticut

The Connecticut Department of Public Health requires 50 contact hours of qualifying CME within the preceding 24 months. The education must relate to the physician’s area of practice, and periodic subject-specific requirements also apply.

Delaware

The Delaware Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline requires 40 approved CME hours every two years. The hours must qualify as AMA Category 1 or AOA Category 1 credit.

District of Columbia

The District of Columbia Board of Medicine requires 50 Category 1 CME hours every two years. Five hours must address public-health priorities, and separate LGBTQ cultural-competency and pharmacology requirements apply.

Florida

For MDs, the Florida Board of Medicine requires 40 CME hours every two years, generally consisting of 38 general hours and two hours on prevention of medical errors.
For DOs, the Florida Board of Osteopathic Medicine requires 40 hours every two years, including 20 AOA Category 1-A hours and specified mandatory topics.

Georgia

The Georgia Composite Medical Board requires at least 40 board-approved CME hours every two years. Accepted credit includes AMA Category 1, AOA Category 1, AAFP Prescribed, ACOG Cognate, and certain other approved credit.

Hawaii

The Hawaii Medical Board requires 40 Category 1 or Category 1-A CME hours every two years.

Idaho

The Idaho Board of Medicine requires 40 hours of practice-relevant Category 1 CME every two years. Qualifying ACCME- and AOA-accredited education is accepted.

Illinois

The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation requires physicians to complete 150 CME hours every three years, including at least 60 Category 1 hours. Several mandatory subjects may form part of the total.

Indiana

The Indiana Medical Licensing Board does not impose a general numeric CME requirement for physician license renewal. Physicians holding an Indiana controlled-substance registration may still be subject to opioid-related education requirements.

Iowa

The Iowa Board of Medicine requires 40 Category 1 credits during each two-year renewal period. Up to 20 eligible Category 1 credits may be carried forward from the previous period.

Kansas

The Kansas State Board of Healing Arts allows physicians to document one of three accumulation periods: 
- 50 credits in the preceding 18 months, including 20 Category 1;
- 100 credits in 30 months, including 40 Category 1;
- or 150 credits in 42 months, including 60 Category 1.

Kentucky

The Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure requires 60 CME hours every three years, including at least 30 Category 1 hours. Additional education applies to physicians authorized to prescribe or dispense controlled substances.

Louisiana

The Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners requires physicians to earn 20 Category 1 CME hours annually. First-time and subject-specific requirements may also apply.

Maine

For MDs, the Maine Board of Licensure in Medicine requires 40 Category 1 hours every two years.
For DOs, the Maine Board of Osteopathic Licensure requires 100 hours every two years, with at least 40% devoted to osteopathic medical education.

Maryland

The Maryland Board of Physicians requires 50 CME hours every two years, including at least 25 Category 1 hours.

Massachusetts

The Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine requires 50 CME credits every two years. The total may include Category 1 and Category 2 credit, subject to mandatory risk-management and topic-specific requirements.

Michigan

For MDs, the Michigan Board of Medicine requires 150 hours every three years, including 75 Category 1 hours.
For DOs, the Michigan Board of Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery requires 150 hours every three years, including 60 Category 1 hours.

Minnesota

The Minnesota Board of Medical Practice requires 75 Category 1 CME hours every three years. Current specialty certification or recertification may satisfy the requirement in qualifying circumstances.

Mississippi

The Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure requires 40 Category 1 CME hours during each two-year cycle. Physicians must use an approved tracking method or maintain qualifying active board certification.

Missouri

The Missouri State Board of Registration for the Healing Arts requires 50 approved CME hours every two years, including one hour on the health benefits of nutrition. A physician may alternatively complete 40 Category 1 or AOA Category 1-A hours if every activity includes a post-test.

Montana

The Montana Board of Medical Examiners currently states that Montana has no general CME-hour requirement for acquiring or renewing a physician license. Physicians should still check for any newly adopted subject-specific requirements.

Nebraska

The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services requires 50 Category 1 CME hours every two years. Up to 25 excess hours may generally be carried into the next biennial period.

Nevada

For MDs, the Nevada State Board of Medical Examiners requires 40 Category 1 hours every two years, including 20 hours related to the physician’s scope of practice.
For DOs, the Nevada State Board of Osteopathic Medicine requires 35 hours annually through December 31, 2026, including 10 Category 1-A hours. Beginning January 1, 2027, the requirement changes to 40 hours per biennium, including at least 20 Category 1-A hours.

New Hampshire

The New Hampshire Board of Medicine requires 100 CME hours every two years, including at least 40 Category 1 hours and no more than 60 Category 2 hours.

New Jersey

The New Jersey State Board of Medical Examiners requires 100 CME hours every two years, including at least 40 Category 1 hours. Up to 60 hours may be Category 2 credit.

New Mexico

The New Mexico Medical Board requires 75 Category 1 CME hours every three years. Board certification, recertification, or certain recognized CME awards may satisfy the requirement.

New York

The New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions does not impose a general numeric CME-hour requirement for physician registration. Mandatory training in infection control, child-abuse reporting, and pain management or addiction may nevertheless apply.

North Carolina

The North Carolina Medical Board requires 60 Category 1 CME hours every three years, relevant to the physician’s current or intended area of practice.

North Dakota

The North Dakota Board of Medicine requires 40 Category 1 CME hours every two years. Current qualifying board certification or maintenance of certification may satisfy the requirement.

Ohio

The State Medical Board of Ohio requires 50 Category 1 CME hours every two years. One hour must address a licensee’s duty to report.

Oklahoma

For MDs, the Oklahoma State Board of Medical Licensure and Supervision requires 60 Category 1 hours every three years.
For DOs, the Oklahoma State Board of Osteopathic Examiners requires 16 AOA Category 1 hours annually; qualifying ABMS-board-certified DOs may use AMA PRA Category 1 credit.

Oregon

The Oregon Medical Board requires active MDs and DOs to complete 30 hours of practice-relevant continuing education annually. Separate pain-management and cultural-competency requirements also apply.

Pennsylvania

For MDs, the Pennsylvania State Board of Medicine requires 100 hours every two years, including at least 20 AMA PRA Category 1 hours.
For DOs, the Pennsylvania State Board of Osteopathic Medicinealso requires 100 hours, including at least 20 AOA Category 1-A hours.

Rhode Island

The Rhode Island Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline requires 40 CME hours every two years. For the 2026 renewal cycle, the requirement may be met with AMA Category 1, AOA Category 1-A, or qualifying ACCME-accredited education.

South Carolina

The South Carolina Board of Medical Examiners requires 40 Category 1 CME hours every two years. At least 30 hours must relate directly to the physician’s practice area, and two hours must cover prescribing and monitoring controlled substances.

South Dakota

The South Dakota Board of Medical and Osteopathic Examiners does not currently impose a general numeric CME requirement for physician license renewal.

Tennessee

For MDs, the Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners requires 40 approved CME hours during the 24 months preceding renewal.
For DOs, the Tennessee Board of Osteopathic Examination requires 40 hours every two years in AOA Category I-A, II-A, or I-B, with no more than 20 Category I-B hours.

Texas

The Texas Medical Board requires 48 CME hours every two years. At least 24 must be formal AMA Category 1 or AOA Category 1-A credit, including two hours in medical ethics or professional responsibility.

Utah

The Utah Division of Professional Licensing requires 40 CME hours every two years, including at least 34 hours of Category 1.

Vermont

For MDs, the Vermont Board of Medical Practice requires 30 AMA PRA Category 1 hours every two years.
For DOs, the Vermont Board of Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons requires 30 board-approved CME hours every two years.

Virginia

The Virginia Board of Medicine requires 60 continuing-competency hours every two years, including at least 30 Type 1 hours documented by an accredited or professionally sanctioned sponsor.

Washington

For MDs, the Washington Medical Commission requires 200 CME hours every four years.
For DOs, the Washington Board of Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery requires 150 hours every three years, including at least 60 Category 1 hours.

West Virginia

For MDs, the West Virginia Board of Medicine requires 50 Category 1 hours every two years, including 30 hours in the physician’s specialty area.
For DOs, the West Virginia Board of Osteopathic Medicine requires 32 hours every two years, including at least 16 AOA Category 1-A or 1-B hours.

Wisconsin

The Wisconsin Medical Examining Board requires 30 AMA or AOA Category 1 CME hours every two years. Controlled-substance education requirements may also apply during the relevant renewal cycle.

Wyoming

The Wyoming Board of Medicine requires 60 CME hours every three years. The total may consist of qualifying AMA Category 1 or Category 2 credit, AOA-approved CME, or certain recognized equivalents.