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

Michigan licenses MDs through the Board of Medicine and DOs through the Board of Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery. Both sit in the Bureau of Professional Licensing of the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA). The hour totals and required topics are the same for both. The difference is which credit counts as "category 1."

The short version

Requirement	MD	DO	How often
Total continuing education	150 hours	150 hours	Every 3-year renewal
Minimum category 1	75 hours	60 hours (at least 40 from AOA or Michigan Osteopathic Association programs)	Every renewal
Pain and symptom management (at least 1 hour on controlled substances prescribing)	3 hours	3 hours	Every renewal
Medical ethics	1 hour	1 hour	Every renewal
Implicit bias training	3 hours (1 per year of the license)	3 hours	Every renewal
Identifying victims of human trafficking	Training, no hours set	Training, no hours set	One time
Opioids and controlled substances awareness	Training, no hours set	Training, no hours set	One time, for controlled substance license holders

The pain, ethics and implicit bias hours count toward the 150. They are not added on top.

How many hours, and what kind

MDs. R 338.2441(2) requires "a minimum of 150 hours of continuing education in activities approved under R 338.2443 during the 3 years immediately preceding the application for renewal." Under R 338.2443(1)(d), at least 75 of those hours must come from the category 1 activities listed in R 338.2443(2):

• programs "approved or offered by" the ACCME (including joint providership with an ACCME-accredited provider), the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Medical Association, the American Osteopathic Association, the Michigan Osteopathic Association or the Michigan State Medical Society, up to 150 hours;
• passing a specialty board certification or recertification exam (50 hours);
• other maintenance of certification activities (up to 30 hours);
• an approved clinical training program (50 hours a year, up to 150).

So AAFP Prescribed credit counts for MDs because the rule names the AAFP. Michigan's "category 1" is the state's own list. It is not the same as AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Michigan's MD category 2 covers only clinical teaching, presentations, publications and committee work (R 338.2443(3)). Self-claimed AMA PRA Category 2 credit is not on that list.

DOs. R 338.141(2) also requires 150 hours in the 3 years before renewal. Under R 338.143, at least 60 hours must be category 1, and category 2 is capped at 90. Within category 1:

• at least 40 hours must come from programs approved or offered by the AOA or the Michigan Osteopathic Association (R 338.143(2)(a));
• programs approved or offered by the AMA, the ACCME or the Michigan State Medical Society count for up to 110 hours (R 338.143(2)(b));
• specialty board exams, MOC activities, teaching, inspections, committees, supervision, postgraduate training and publications have their own caps.

The DO rule does not name the AAFP. An AAFP Prescribed activity counts toward a DO's hours only if it is also approved or offered by one of the named organizations, for example an ACCME-accredited provider.

Neither rule lets you earn credit twice for the same or a substantially equivalent activity in one renewal period.

When your license expires

R 338.7002 lists medicine and osteopathic medicine licenses as expiring every three years. The rule gives the expiration as the issue date: your license expires on the anniversary of the date it was issued. LARA says you can apply to renew online through MiPLUS no sooner than 90 days before the expiration date. Hours earned in one cycle do not carry over to the next.

The required topics

Pain and symptom management: 3 hours every renewal

This is required for every MD and DO, not only prescribers: R 338.2443(1)(c) and MCL 333.17033(2) for MDs, and R 338.143(1)(c) and MCL 333.17533(2) for DOs. "At least 1 of the 3 hours must include controlled substances prescribing." The rule lists acceptable areas, for example the public health burden of pain, Michigan pain and controlled substance laws, pharmacology, specific pain conditions, non-drug and drug management, and Michigan programs and resources.

Medical ethics: 1 hour every renewal

R 338.2443(1)(b) (MD) and R 338.143(1)(b) (DO). LARA's DO guide says this applies to renewal cycles that began on or after April 26, 2021.

Implicit bias: 1 hour per year of the license, every renewal

R 338.7004(2) requires "a minimum of 1 hour of implicit bias training for each year of the applicant's license or registration cycle." That is 3 hours for a 3-year physician license. LARA adds: "this is not a one-time training and must be completed for each renewal cycle." The rule also says:

• hours do not carry forward to the next cycle;
• repeating identical or substantially identical training in the same cycle does not count;
• training must include strategies to reduce disparities in access to and delivery of healthcare and pre- and post-test implicit bias assessments;
• acceptable formats are a live presentation, a synchronous webinar or teleconference, or an asynchronous webinar;
• you keep proof for 6 years.

The hours may also count toward the 150 (R 338.2443(1)(e) and R 338.143(1)(e)). New applicants need 2 hours within the 5 years before the license is issued.

Identifying victims of human trafficking: one time

MCL 333.16148 and R 338.2413 (MD) / R 338.120 (DO) require a one-time training. It must cover the types and venues of human trafficking, identifying victims and warning signs in healthcare settings for adults and minors, and resources for reporting. The rule sets no minimum length. You certify completion on the renewal application. LARA's FAQ says the training does not count toward your CE hours unless it also meets the Board's CE rules.

Opioids and controlled substances awareness: one time, controlled substance licensees

R 338.3135 applies to anyone applying for or renewing a Michigan controlled substance license. It requires training on using MAPS (Michigan's prescription monitoring program) and on state and federal laws for prescribing and dispensing controlled substances. No length is set. Existing licensees had to complete it by the end of the first renewal cycle beginning after January 4, 2019. LARA's renewal checklist says you certify that you "have completed" it. Keep proof for 3 renewal periods plus 1 year.

The federal DEA requirement is separate. Since June 27, 2023, the MATE Act has required DEA-registered practitioners to complete a one-time, 8-hour training on treating and managing patients with opioid or other substance use disorders. It is not a Michigan licensing requirement.

Your first renewal

The rules apply the 150 hours to a renewing licensee "who has been licensed in the 3-year period immediately preceding the application for renewal." Because a license runs three years from its issue date, the full requirement applies at the first renewal. LARA's renewal attestation describes the 150 hours as applying "if licensed during the full 3-year renewal cycle."

Reporting and audit

You do not send certificates when you renew. Submitting the renewal application certifies that you complied. LARA "conducts a random audit after each renewal period." Keep your CE documentation for 4 years after the date you apply to renew (R 338.2441(3) / R 338.141(3)), and implicit bias records for 6 years. LARA works with CE Broker. Using it is optional, and every licensee can open a free basic account to see a course history. LARA says that if you are audited, you upload your documentation into CE Broker.

Checklist before you renew

1. Count 150 hours earned in the 3 years before you apply. MDs need at least 75 in category 1. DOs need at least 60 in category 1, at least 40 of them from AOA or MOA programs.
2. Confirm 3 hours of pain and symptom management, with at least 1 hour on controlled substances prescribing.
3. Confirm 1 hour of medical ethics.
4. Confirm 3 hours of implicit bias training from this cycle, with a pre- and post-test.
5. Confirm you have done the one-time human trafficking training. If you hold a controlled substance license, also confirm the opioids and controlled substances awareness training.
6. Renew in MiPLUS within 90 days before your expiration date.

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