Colorado physician (MD and DO) CME requirements for license renewal

This guide covers physicians licensed by the Colorado Medical Board, which licenses both MDs and DOs under the same rules. Until recently Colorado had no general CME requirement. A 2024 law, HB24-1153 (C.R.S. 12-240-130.5), changed that: the April 30, 2027 renewal is the first at which you must have completed documented CME.

The short version

Requirement	Hours	How often	Who
Total CME	30	Every two-year license period, starting with the April 30, 2027 renewal	Every MD and DO with an active license
Substance use prevention training (can count within the 30)	2	Every renewal while Rule 1.29 remains in effect (repeal underway)	Physicians who prescribe opioids, unless exempt
License expires	—	April 30 of odd-numbered years	Every MD and DO

How many hours, and what kind

C.R.S. 12-240-130.5 says the Board may not renew a physician's license, for renewals on or after January 1, 2026, unless the physician has completed 30 CME credit hours in the compliance period, which is the 24 months immediately before renewal. Board Rule 1.33 (3 CCR 713-1) applies this to each biennial renewal cycle. For the April 30, 2027 renewal, that means hours earned from May 1, 2025 through April 30, 2027.

The law and Rule 1.33(D) accept four kinds of CME:

programs accredited by the ACCME that qualify for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™;
programs that qualify for AAFP Prescribed credit;
approved programs of the AOA, which the Board reads as accredited programs that qualify for AOA Category 1-A credit;
programs required to maintain national board certification, not counting activities you self-claim or self-document.

AOA Category 1-B and Category 2 credit are not on the list. The Board does not pre-approve providers or courses, and there is no limit on online hours. One credit hour equals one clock hour. You choose your own topics. Hours over 30 do not carry over to the next period.

The requirement applies to renewing, reinstating or reactivating a license in active status. It does not apply to placing a license on inactive status or renewing it as inactive.

When your license expires

The Board says all physician licenses expire on April 30 of odd-numbered years. The next expiration date is April 30, 2027.

Substance use prevention training — 2 hours, being repealed

Since 2022, Rule 1.29 has required every physician to complete at least 2 cumulative hours of training each renewal period on the topics in C.R.S. 12-30-114: opioid prescribing best practices, the harm of inappropriately limiting prescriptions for chronic pain patients, benzodiazepine prescribing, recognizing substance use disorders, referring patients for treatment, and using the state prescription drug monitoring program. The training can be CME, self-study, peer review, teaching or conference attendance. Accredited courses also count toward the 30 hours (Rule 1.33(E)).

You are exempt if you hold a national board certification that requires equivalent training, or if you attest that you do not prescribe opioids.

This requirement is on its way out. SB26-138, signed in June 2026 and effective August 12, 2026, requires boards to repeal these rules by July 1, 2027. The Colorado Medical Board held a permanent rulemaking hearing on August 27, 2026 on repealing Rule 1.29. When this guide was checked, Rule 1.29 was still in the published rules. Until the Board confirms the repeal, plan to complete the 2 hours inside your 30, and confirm with the Board before you renew.

Topics the Board is considering

The 2024 law told the Board to consider specific CME on health disparities and outcomes data; reproductive, sexual and gender-based health care; and explicit and implicit bias. HB26-1044 (2026) added cultural competence and equity in maternal care to that list. None of these is required yet. The current rule leaves topic choice to you.

Federal requirement

The federal DEA requires a one-time 8-hour training on treating and managing patients with opioid or other substance use disorders (the MATE Act). It is a federal requirement, separate from Colorado's rules.

Your first renewal

If you were licensed during the two-year period, Rule 1.33(C)(6) prorates the hours by your date of licensure:

Licensed this long before the period ends	CME hours
18 to 20 months	22
12 to 18 months	15
6 to 12 months	10
4 to 6 months	5

If you are approved within 120 days of the expiration date, your license runs through the following period, and you need the full 30 hours before it expires. The Board's CME page says no hours are needed if you were licensed up to 4 months before the expiration date. The law also lets the Board waive CME for the first renewal if you were licensed within 12 months after finishing a Board-approved internship or postgraduate training.

Reporting and audits

At renewal you attest, under penalty of perjury, that you completed the CME. Send documents only if asked. The Board may audit up to 5 percent of physicians each year, chosen at random with extra sampling of physicians who are not board certified. Failing to complete the CME, or to provide proof in an audit, is unprofessional conduct.

Keep your transcripts or certificates for at least two renewal cycles (Rule 1.33(F)); the Board's page says at least 4 years. Each record should show the sponsor, course title, dates, hours and proof of completion.

If health, military service or undue hardship keeps you from finishing, ask the Board for a waiver about three months before your license expires. If the Board denies it, you may be allowed to renew once and make up the missing hours, documenting 60 hours by the end of the next period.

Checklist before you renew

Count 30 hours of AMA PRA Category 1, AAFP Prescribed, AOA Category 1-A or board-certification CME earned in the 24 months before April 30, 2027 (fewer if you were licensed during the period).
Unless you are exempt, include 2 hours on opioid and benzodiazepine prescribing, substance use disorders and the PDMP, unless the Board confirms Rule 1.29 has been repealed.
Keep certificates for at least two renewal cycles.
Renew online before April 30, 2027.

Requirements change. This guide was checked against the sources below on October 7, 2026; confirm with the Board before you rely on it.