CME requirements by state

CME hours, renewal cycles and required topics for an MD license in each state and DC, with a link to the board rule each one comes from.

Updated September 26, 2026

Short answer

How many CME credits does my state require?

It depends on the state: among the MD rules Shyft has checked, requirements range from no general hours requirement in Montana, New York and South Dakota to 200 hours every four years in Washington. The most common rule is 40 or 50 hours every two years, and most states also require specific topics such as opioid prescribing. Find your state in the table below and confirm with your board before you renew.

MD requirements by state

Hours are per renewal cycle. The Category 1 column is the minimum of AMA PRA Category 1 credit within those hours. Topics often apply only to some licensees, for example controlled-substance prescribers, and many states allow exemptions or substitutions such as board certification; the board source has the details. Where Shyft hasn't confirmed an entry against its source, it says to check with the board.

State	Hours	Category 1 minimum	Required topics	Board source
Alabama	25 hours every year	25 hours	Opioids & controlled substances	Alabama Board of Medical Examiners
Alaska	50 hours every 2 years	50 hours	Opioids & controlled substances	Alaska State Medical Board
Arizona	40 hours every 2 years	No set minimum	Opioids & controlled substances	Arizona Medical Board
Arkansas	20 hours every year	10 hours	Opioids & controlled substances	Arkansas State Medical Board
California	50 hours every 2 years	50 hours	Pain management	Medical Board of California
Colorado	Check with the board	Check with the board	Check with the board	Colorado Medical Board
Connecticut	50 hours every 2 years	No set minimum	HIV/AIDS, Patient safety & risk management, Domestic violence, Cultural competency	Connecticut Medical Examining Board (Department of Public Health)
Delaware	40 hours every 2 years	40 hours	Opioids & controlled substances, Alzheimer’s & dementia	Delaware Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline
District of Columbia	50 hours every 2 years	50 hours	Cultural competency	DC Board of Medicine
Florida	40 hours every 2 years	40 hours	Medical errors, Opioids & controlled substances, Domestic violence, Human trafficking, HIV/AIDS	Florida Board of Medicine
Georgia	40 hours every 2 years	40 hours	Opioids & controlled substances, Ethics & professionalism	Georgia Composite Medical Board
Hawaii	40 hours every 2 years	40 hours	None	Hawaii Medical Board
Idaho	40 hours every 2 years	No set minimum	None	Idaho State Board of Medicine
Illinois	150 hours every 3 years	No set minimum	Implicit bias, Cultural competency, Alzheimer’s & dementia, Opioids & controlled substances	Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation
Indiana	Check with the board	Check with the board	Check with the board	Medical Licensing Board of Indiana
Iowa	40 hours every 2 years	40 hours	Child abuse reporting, Opioids & controlled substances, End-of-life care	Iowa Board of Medicine
Kansas	Check with the board	Check with the board	Check with the board	Kansas State Board of Healing Arts
Kentucky	60 hours every 3 years	30 hours	Opioids & controlled substances, Child abuse reporting, Domestic violence, Substance use disorder treatment	Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure
Louisiana	20 hours every year	20 hours	Opioids & controlled substances	Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners
Maine	40 hours every 2 years	40 hours	Opioids & controlled substances	Maine Board of Licensure in Medicine
Maryland	50 hours every 2 years	25 hours	Implicit bias, Opioids & controlled substances	Maryland Board of Physicians
Massachusetts	50 hours every 2 years	No set minimum	Patient safety & risk management, Opioids & controlled substances, End-of-life care, Implicit bias, Alzheimer’s & dementia, Domestic violence, Child abuse reporting	Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine
Michigan	150 hours every 3 years	75 hours	Pain management, Ethics & professionalism, Implicit bias, Human trafficking, Opioids & controlled substances	Michigan Board of Medicine (LARA)
Minnesota	75 hours every 3 years	75 hours	None	Minnesota Board of Medical Practice
Mississippi	40 hours every 2 years	40 hours	None	Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure
Missouri	50 hours every 2 years	No set minimum	None	Missouri State Board of Registration for the Healing Arts
Montana	No general hours requirement	No set minimum	None	Montana Board of Medical Examiners
Nebraska	50 hours every 2 years	50 hours	Opioids & controlled substances	Nebraska Board of Medicine and Surgery (DHHS)
Nevada	40 hours every 2 years	40 hours	Ethics & professionalism, Opioids & controlled substances, Suicide prevention, HIV/AIDS, SBIRT (screening, brief intervention, referral), Bioterrorism & weapons of mass destruction	Nevada State Board of Medical Examiners
New Hampshire	100 hours every 2 years	40 hours	Pain management	New Hampshire Board of Medicine
New Jersey	100 hours every 2 years	40 hours	End-of-life care, Opioids & controlled substances, Implicit bias, Cultural competency	New Jersey State Board of Medical Examiners
New Mexico	75 hours every 3 years	No set minimum	Pain management	New Mexico Medical Board
New York	No general hours requirement	No set minimum	Infection control, Child abuse reporting, Opioids & controlled substances	NYSED Office of the Professions
North Carolina	60 hours every 3 years	60 hours	Opioids & controlled substances	North Carolina Medical Board
North Dakota	40 hours every 2 years	40 hours	None	North Dakota Board of Medicine
Ohio	Check with the board	Check with the board	Check with the board	State Medical Board of Ohio
Oklahoma	60 hours every 3 years	60 hours	Pain management	Oklahoma State Board of Medical Licensure and Supervision
Oregon	60 hours every 2 years	No set minimum	Pain management, Cultural competency	Oregon Medical Board
Pennsylvania	100 hours every 2 years	20 hours	Patient safety & risk management, Child abuse reporting, Opioids & controlled substances	Pennsylvania State Board of Medicine
Rhode Island	40 hours every 2 years	40 hours	Opioids & controlled substances	Rhode Island Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline
South Carolina	40 hours every 2 years	40 hours	Opioids & controlled substances	South Carolina Board of Medical Examiners
South Dakota	No general hours requirement	No set minimum	None	South Dakota Board of Medical and Osteopathic Examiners
Tennessee	40 hours every 2 years	40 hours	Opioids & controlled substances	Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners
Texas	48 hours every 2 years	24 hours	Ethics & professionalism, Human trafficking, Opioids & controlled substances, Forensic evidence collection	Texas Medical Board
Utah	40 hours every 2 years	34 hours	Opioids & controlled substances, SBIRT (screening, brief intervention, referral), Suicide prevention	Utah Division of Professional Licensing (Physicians Licensing Board)
Vermont	30 hours every 2 years	30 hours	Pain management, Opioids & controlled substances	Vermont Board of Medical Practice
Virginia	30 hours every 2 years	30 hours	None	Virginia Board of Medicine
Washington	200 hours every 4 years	No set minimum	Suicide prevention, Health equity, Opioids & controlled substances	Washington Medical Commission
West Virginia	50 hours every 2 years	30 hours	Opioids & controlled substances	West Virginia Board of Medicine
Wisconsin	30 hours every 2 years	30 hours	Opioids & controlled substances	Wisconsin Medical Examining Board
Wyoming	Check with the board	Check with the board	Check with the board	Wyoming Board of Medicine

DO licenses can have different rules, especially in states with a separate osteopathic board.

The DEA's one-time 8 hours

Separately from any state, the MATE Act requires every DEA registrant to complete a one-time 8 hours of training on treating and managing patients with opioid or other substance use disorders. You attest to it on your DEA registration form at the first registration or renewal on or after June 27, 2023; it isn't reported to state boards.

Does the DEA require CME for physicians?

Yes, once. Under the MATE Act, every DEA registrant completes a one-time 8 hours of training on substance use disorders and attests to it on the DEA registration form. Addiction medicine or psychiatry board certification, or a qualifying curriculum within 5 years of graduation, satisfies it.

Licenses in several states

Each board sets its own cycle, hours and topics, and its own renewal date. One course can count toward more than one license when it falls inside each license's cycle and meets each board's rules, so a physician with three licenses rarely needs three times the hours. Topic courses are the exception to watch: a state may require its own course on a topic you already covered for another board.

In the app

How Shyft helps

Add each state license with its expiry date, and Shyft tracks CME for that license's renewal cycle.

CME progress per license from these bundled rules: total hours, the Category 1 minimum and a checklist of required topics.
One activity counts toward every license whose cycle it falls in, with its certificate attached.
Rules for DO licenses from the osteopathic board where Shyft has them, and "check with your board" where it doesn't. A rule not re-checked within 12 months counts as unchecked.
License, DEA and certificate expiry reminders 120, 90, 60, 30 and 14 days ahead.

Join the waitlist See what Shyft does

Shyft is in beta for Android phones.

Sources

Each state's board ruleLinked in the table: the board page, administrative code or statute each entry was checked against on September 26, 2026.
AMA PRA credit systemAMA: what Category 1 credit is.
MATE Act training letterDEA: the one-time 8-hour training for registrants.

This guide is general information, not legal or licensing advice. Boards change their rules, often yearly; confirm your requirements with your board before you renew.