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

This guide covers physicians licensed by the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners (LSBME), which licenses both MDs and DOs under the same rules, Louisiana Administrative Code Title 46, Part XLV, Chapter 3 (Subchapter K covers CME) and Chapter 40 (the controlled dangerous substances course).

The short version

Requirement	Hours	How often	Who
Total CME (Category 1)	20	Every year	Every MD and DO (10 for a retired physician license)
Controlled dangerous substances (CDS)	3	Once, before your first renewal	Prescribers with a Louisiana CDS license
Laws and Rules for Physicians course	Board course (length not stated in the rule)	Once, before your first renewal	Every MD and DO
Treatment of sickle cell disease	1, then a 1-hour refresher	At least every three years	Physicians practicing emergency medicine (not yet implemented by the Board)
License renewal	—	Every year, by the first day of your birth month	Every MD and DO

The one-time courses count toward the annual 20 hours.

How many hours, and what kind

LAC 46:XLV §435 requires at least 20 hours of Board-approved CME every year. Since August 2025, a physician who renews with a retired physician license (age 70 or older, volunteer practice only) needs 10 hours.

Under §437, a program offering Category 1 CME counts if it is sponsored or offered by:

• an ACCME-accredited organization;
• a member board of the American Board of Medical Specialties or a specialty board recognized by the AOA;
• the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP);
• the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists;
• the American Osteopathic Association; or
• an organization accredited by the Louisiana State Medical Society or another ACCME-recognized state medical society.

So AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ and AAFP Prescribed credit both count; the rule names the AAFP. The rule names the AOA as a sponsor, so AOA Category 1-A should count for MDs and DOs; whether self-directed AOA Category 1-B activities count is not stated, so confirm with the Board. Category 2 credit does not count. Hours do not carry over.

The rule exempts physicians in a Board-approved residency, physicians who were certified or recertified by an ABMS or AOA specialty board within the past year, physicians on military service of more than a year outside Louisiana, and those holding a reduced-fee license (§447). An April 2026 Board proposal would also credit service on a medical review panel (3.5 hours per panel, up to 7 hours a year); it was not final when this guide was checked.

When your license expires

Every Louisiana license expires each year on the first day of the month you were born and must be renewed on or before that date (§415 and §417). You can renew online up to 56 days before. A license expired for less than a year can still be renewed online with a late fee; after that you need reinstatement.

The mandatory topics

Controlled dangerous substances — 3 hours, once

Every prescriber with a Louisiana CDS license must complete 3 hours of Board-approved CME on prescribing practices before the first license renewal (§4005). The course must cover drug diversion, best practices for prescribing CDS, appropriate treatment for addiction, and, for physicians, the treatment of chronic pain. The Board offers a free 3-hour course that reports to CE Broker automatically; other Category 1 courses count only if the Board finds they cover every required area. The Board calls it "a once in a lifetime requirement under current law." If you did not prescribe, administer or dispense any CDS in Louisiana during the year before your renewal, you may request an exemption, but residents cannot.

Laws and Rules for Physicians — once, before your first renewal

Every physician must complete the Board's online Laws and Rules course before renewing for the first time (§449, amended June 2025; Compact licensees within 90 days of the first renewal). The hours are credited toward the annual requirement. The current rule does not state how long the course is: an earlier version required an orientation of at least two hours, and the April 2026 proposal would credit 3 hours. Check the credit CE Broker shows.

Treatment of sickle cell disease — emergency medicine

Act 744 of 2024 (R.S. 37:1270(A)(8), effective August 1, 2024) tells the Board to require physicians practicing emergency medicine to complete an initial 1-hour course on treating sickle cell disease, then a 1-hour refresher at least every three years, using a Board-approved course posted on its website. When this guide was checked we found no Board rule, course or start date, and the Board's July 2026 requirements chart does not list it. If you practice emergency medicine, confirm with the Board whether it is being enforced for your renewal.

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) when you first register or renew a DEA registration. It is a federal requirement, separate from Louisiana's rules.

Your first renewal

The Board says new licensees do not have to meet the annual 20 hours the first time they renew, but they must complete the Laws and Rules course and, if they hold a CDS license, the 3-hour CDS course. The rule (§447.A.2) words this exemption as applying to a physician who has held an initial Louisiana license "on the basis of examination" for less than a year, and full compliance is required from the next renewal. If you were licensed by reciprocity or through the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact, confirm with the Board that the exemption applies to you.

Reporting and audits

Louisiana requires CE Broker. Ask each provider to report your completions to CE Broker, or upload them yourself if the provider does not (§439). The Board emails you a transcript before renewal, and you cannot renew until CE Broker shows the required hours and first-renewal courses. A free CE Broker account is enough.

Keep each certificate for at least four years from the date you completed it (§439.C; the same applies to the CDS course under §4005.D). If you are audited, send proof within 30 days of the notice. A physician who falsely certifies CME can be disciplined (§444). The Board may waive some or all of the CME for permanent disability, illness, financial hardship or similar circumstances on written request (§445).

Checklist before you renew

1. Find your renewal date: the first day of your birth month.
2. First renewal: finish the Laws and Rules course and, if you hold a CDS license, the 3-hour CDS course.
3. Later renewals: have 20 hours of Category 1 CME from an approved sponsor in the past year.
4. Check that CE Broker shows every hour; upload anything missing.
5. Emergency physicians: check whether the sickle cell course is required for your renewal.
6. Keep certificates for four years.

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