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

Maine has two physician licensing boards. MDs are licensed by the Board of Licensure in Medicine; DOs are licensed by the Board of Osteopathic Licensure. Their CME rules are quite different: MDs need 40 Category 1 hours every two years, while DOs need 100 hours, 40 of them osteopathic.

The short version

Requirement	MD (Board of Licensure in Medicine)	DO (Board of Osteopathic Licensure)
Total CME	40 hours of Category 1 every two years	100 hours every two years
Credit minimum	All 40 must be Category 1	At least 40 osteopathic hours (AOA Category 1 for primary care physicians)
Category 2	Does not count	Counts toward the other 60
Opioid prescribing	3 hours of Category 1 every two years, every MD	3 hours of Category 1 every two years, DOs who prescribe opioids
Board certification	Current ABMS certification counts as the 40 hours	Not accepted in place of CME
License expires	Last day of your birth month, every two years	Same

The opioid hours count within each board's total; they are not added on top.

How many hours, and what kind

MDs

Rule 02-373 chapter 1, §11(1)(A) requires every MD with an active license to complete "a minimum of forty (40) credit hours of Category 1" CME "during each biennial licensing period." The Board's FAQ says physicians "are required to complete 40 hours of Category 1 CME, including 3 hours of CME regarding opioid prescribing, during each renewal cycle." (Older summaries that say 100 hours describe the physician assistant requirement.)

Category 1 under §11(2)(A) includes:

CME programs sponsored or co-sponsored by an organization accredited by the AMA Council on Medical Education, the ACCME or the Maine Medical Association's CME committee, one hour per hour (this is AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™);
a paper in a peer-reviewed journal (10 hours, one a year) or a poster at a Category 1 meeting (5 hours, one a year);
teaching at Category 1 activities (2 hours per hour, up to 10 a year);
a medically related degree (25 hours a year) or residency or fellowship (50 hours a year);
completing, in the prior 24 months, the AMA Physician's Recognition Award, membership in the American Academy of Family Physicians, or ACOG's Professional Development Program (25 hours a year each).

Board certification: "Current certification, including maintenance of certification, by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) is deemed equivalent" to the 40 hours. Lifetime certification is not. The opioid hours are a separate subsection and still apply.

AAFP Prescribed credit is not named for the general 40 hours. The AAFP is ACCME-accredited, the rule counts AAFP membership requirements as Category 1, and Chapter 21 accepts AAFP credit for the opioid hours, so it should count, but confirm with the Board if most of your hours are AAFP Prescribed. The MD rule also does not name AOA credit for the general hours; confirm with the Board before counting AOA Category 1 toward the 40. Category 2 credit does not count for MDs.

DOs

32 M.R.S. §2581 requires "at least 100 hours of educational programs devoted to continuing medical education approved by the board" in the two preceding years, and "at least 40% of these credit hours must be osteopathic medical education." Rule 02-383 chapter 14 fills in the details:

CME is "any educational activity that is designated as Category 1 and 2 by the AOA or by the ACGME or the AMA" (§1(6)). So AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ and Category 2 credit count toward the 100.
Osteopathic medical education "for primary care physicians is CME designated by the AOA as Category 1. For osteopathic specialists, osteopathic medical education is considered CME designated as Category 1 by the AOA or the ACGME or the AMA" (§1(7)).
Primary care physicians means "family or general practitioners, general internists, and general pediatricians" (§1(9)).

So a DO in family medicine, general internal medicine or general pediatrics needs at least 40 hours of AOA Category 1 (1-A or 1-B); AMA credit counts only toward the other 60. Osteopathic specialists may count AMA Category 1 toward the 40. (The rule's definition of "ACGME" appears to be a drafting slip; confirm with the Board if you rely on it.) AAFP Prescribed credit is not named in chapter 14; confirm with the Board before relying on it.

Neither board's rules allow carrying hours into the next cycle.

When your license expires

Both boards use a birth-month schedule. Your license expires on the last day of your birth month every two years: in odd-numbered years if you were born in an odd-numbered year, and in even-numbered years if you were born in an even-numbered year (MD: rule chapter 1 §8(1) and 32 M.R.S. §3280-A; DO: rule chapter 19 §§2–3).

MDs: the Board sends a renewal notice at least 60 days before expiration. If you do not renew in time, the license expires; you can reinstate it within 90 days by paying the renewal and late fees, after which it lapses (rule §8(2)).
DOs: the Board sends a notice at least 60 days before expiration. After a missed renewal it sends a notice, and if the failure "is not corrected within 30 days," the license may be considered lapsed (32 M.R.S. §2581).

The mandatory topic

Opioid prescribing — 3 hours every two years

Joint rule Chapter 21 §5 sets this for both boards, with different reach:

MDs (§5(1)): "all clinicians must complete 3 hours of Category 1 credit Continuing Medical Education every two years on the prescribing of opioid medication regardless of whether or not they prescribe opioid medication." The MD rule repeats it (chapter 1 §11(1)(B)). The statute (32 M.R.S. §3300-F) ties the hours to prescribing, but the Board's rule applies them to every MD.
DOs (§5(3)): clinicians "must complete 3 hours of Category 1 credit Continuing Medical Education (CME) every two years on the prescribing of opioid medication as a condition of prescribing opioid medication." That matches 32 M.R.S. §2600-C, so it applies to DOs who prescribe opioids.

For both boards, Category 1 credit is accepted from the AMA, the ACCME, the AAFP, the AOA, the Maine Medical Association, the Maine Osteopathic Association or the AAPA. The Board of Licensure in Medicine links to free opioid CME on its site.

We found no other topic either board requires.

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 Maine's rules.

Your first renewal

MDs: "CME will be prorated during the first licensure period" (rule §11(4)(B)). The Board's FAQ says this depends on the expiration date of your initial license, that is, whether it was issued for less than two full years. No proration table is published, so confirm your hours with the Board. Applicants for an initial license do not submit CME.
DOs: neither the statute nor chapter 14 waives or prorates CME at the first renewal. Plan on the full 100 hours and confirm with the Board if your first license ran less than two years.

Reporting and audits

MDs: you affirm on the renewal application that you met the CME requirements (rule §8(3)(A)(3)). Proof is required only if you are audited. The Board's FAQ says it "randomly audits each month 10% of the renewal applicants for CME." If your CME is incomplete, the Board issues an inactive license unless it granted an extension (§11(1)(C)). Extensions of up to six months are possible for prolonged illness or hardship, and CME is stayed during active military duty (§11(4)).
DOs: you certify on the renewal form, or attach evidence, that you completed the hours (chapter 14 §2(1)). "In each odd numbered year, the Board will conduct a random audit of 10% of the licensed physicians," who must produce proof within 30 days (§3). You can petition for a waiver or more time for illness, hardship or military service (§2581; chapter 14 §2(5)).

Neither board sets a record-retention period. Keep certificates, or your AOA printout, at least until your next renewal is accepted.

Checklist before you renew

Find your expiration date: the last day of your birth month, in odd or even years to match your birth year.
MDs: count 40 Category 1 hours, including 3 on opioid prescribing (or check that your ABMS certification is current, and still do the 3 opioid hours).
DOs: count 100 hours, at least 40 osteopathic (AOA Category 1 if you are in primary care), and 3 opioid hours if you prescribe opioids.
Keep certificates in case you are audited.
Renew before the end of your birth month.

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