California MD license renewal deadline: depends on your license

What you need to renew

50 hours every 2 years

16 CCR 1336(a): at least 50 hours of approved CME in the two-year period immediately before your license expires. Business and Professions Code 2423 sets a two-year term ending on the last day of the month the license was issued; the Board says licenses issued on or after January 1, 2024 have a 26-month first term, then 24 months. The Board's page gives 11:59 p.m. without naming a time zone; California time is assumed.

• Pain management and the treatment of terminally ill and dying patients12 hours · One time
• Geriatric medicine, the special care needs of patients with dementia, or the care of older patients10 hours · Some physicians

What to do next

• Plan my California MD renewalSee the hours and required topics you still need.
• Read the California guideEvery requirement explained, with the Board's sources.

Sources

Last verified against these sources on October 8, 2026.

1. Medical Board of California: Continuing Medical Education
2. Medical Board of California: Physician's and Surgeon's license renewal
3. Medical Board of California: Current status renewal (initial license renewal, 26-month first term)
4. Business and Professions Code, Division 2, Chapter 5, Article 10 (sections 2190 to 2196.9): Continuing Medical Education
5. Business and Professions Code section 2423: license expiration
6. 16 CCR 1336: Continuing Education Required (Cornell LII)
7. 16 CCR 1337: Approved Continuing Education Programs (Cornell LII)
8. 16 CCR 1338: Audit and Sanctions for Noncompliance (Cornell LII)
9. 16 CCR 1339: Waiver of Requirement (Cornell LII)