Texas MD CME requirements

At a glance: MD (medical doctor)

Hours

48 hours every 2 years

Renewal cycle

Every 2 years

Deadline

February 28, May 31, August 31 or November 30 — whichever date the Board assigned at licensure — in even-numbered years for even-numbered licenses and odd-numbered years for odd-numbered licenses

Required topics

6

Hours carry over

Yes

First renewal

Confirm with your Board The Board says newly licensed physicians are exempt from CME the first time they register, and that if your initial registration permit is shorter than 24 months you need not complete CE before your first renewal. Initial permits are 12 or 24 months, so we plan for the full 48 — confirm which applies to your permit. The pain management/opioid hours (within one year of licensure) and the human trafficking hour (first renewal period) apply regardless.

Credit minimum

At least 24 of the 48 credits must be formal (22 TAC §161.35(a)(1)): AMA PRA Category 1, AAFP Prescribed or AOA Category 1-A all count.

Reporting

Texas requires CE Broker: from September 1, 2026 you cannot open the online renewal until CE Broker shows your CE as complete, and you report completed coursework there yourself (a Basic account is free). At renewal you attest that the required CME is done. 22 TAC §161.35 does not state how long to keep certificates; keep them at least through the next registration period.

Board

Texas Medical Board

22 TAC §161.35 requires 48 CME credits each biennial registration period (the Board says the 24 months run with your registration period, not the calendar year). The first registration permit may be 12 or 24 months long. Under §161.35(c)(1) a CME deficiency can be remedied within 30 days after renewal was due.

Deadline

In Texas, the date depends on your license: February 28, May 31, August 31 or November 30 — whichever date the Board assigned at licensure — in even-numbered years for even-numbered licenses and odd-numbered years for odd-numbered licenses.

Find your Texas MD deadline and add it to your calendar

Required topics

• Medical ethics and/or professional responsibility2 hours · Every renewal · Every licensee
• Nutrition and metabolic health1 hour · Every renewal · Every licensee
• Pain management and the prescription of opioids2 hours · Once every 8 years · Only some physicians — see the rule note
  Occupations Code §156.055 and 22 TAC §161.35(a)(2)(C): physicians who designate a direct patient care practice. 2 formal hours within one year of license issuance and again in the second renewal period, then 2 hours every 8 years (every 4 renewals). Content: standards of care, identifying drug-seeking behavior, communicating with patients about opioids and other controlled substances. Counts toward the ethics/professional responsibility hours; cannot be carried forward.
• Human trafficking prevention1 hour · Every third renewal · Only some physicians — see the rule note
  Occupations Code §156.060 and 22 TAC §161.35(a)(2)(A): physicians who designate a direct patient care practice. 1 hour in the first renewal period after licensure, then every third renewal period (every 6 years). Only courses approved by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) count; the Board points to HHSC's free course. Counts toward the ethics/professional responsibility hours.
• Forensic evidence collection Confirm with your Board2 hours · Every renewal · Only some physicians — see the rule note
  Occupations Code §156.057 as amended by HB 47 (89th Legislature, section 17) and 22 TAC §161.35(a)(3)(A), effective September 3, 2026: physicians whose practice includes treating patients in an emergency room setting complete at least 2 hours, formal or informal. The statute sets the content (trauma-informed care for sexual assault survivors, community referrals and prophylactic medications, survivors' rights under Chapter 56A, forensic evidence collection, and state law on custody, transfer and tracking of evidence), which must conform to the attorney general's evidence collection protocol; it does not name the Governor's Sexual Assault Survivors' Task Force, but the Board says only SASTF-approved courses count and that none is available yet. Start date: HB 47 applies to renewals filed on or after September 1, 2026, while the Board's page says it begins with licenses expiring February 28, 2027 — confirm which applies to you. Others attest "Not Working in an ER Setting" in CE Broker.
• Life of the Mother Act course (pregnancy-related medical emergencies)1 hour · Once · Only some physicians — see the rule note
  SB 31 (2025), Section 19: physicians who provide obstetric care complete at least 1 hour once, before their first renewal after January 1, 2026. The Board counts only its own free course in MyTMB for this requirement and names the specialties and board certifications it applies to (including OB/GYN, family medicine, emergency medicine and urgent care). It is not AMA PRA Category 1; the Board lets it count toward ethics hours.

Credit that counts

• AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™22 TAC §161.35(a)(1): formal credit designated AMA PRA Category 1 by an ACCME-accredited provider or a state medical society recognized by ACCME, or approved by the Texas Medical Association.
• AAFP Prescribed credit22 TAC §161.35(a)(1)(C) names the American Academy of Family Physicians; the Board's page says courses "approved for credit by American Academy of Family Physicians" count as formal hours.
• AOA Category 1-A22 TAC §161.35(a)(1)(D): AOA Category 1-A counts as formal credit.
• AMA PRA Category 2 Confirm with your BoardUp to 24 informal hours: self-study, hospital lectures, grand rounds or case conferences not approved for formal CME (§161.35(a)(4)). The rule does not use the term AMA PRA Category 2 — confirm the activity fits those informal categories.