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

This guide covers physicians licensed by the State Medical Board of Ohio to practice medicine and surgery (MDs) or osteopathic medicine and surgery (DOs). Both follow the same statute, ORC 4731.282, and the same rules, Ohio Administrative Code Chapter 4731-10.

The short version

Requirement	Hours	How often	Who
Total CME	50	Every two-year registration period	Every MD and DO
Duty to report misconduct (within the 50)	1	Every renewal	Every MD and DO
Category 1 credit (AMA or AOA)	the remaining 49, with limited exceptions	Every renewal	Every MD and DO

How many hours, and what kind

ORC 4731.282(A) requires each physician to "complete biennially not less than fifty hours of continuing medical education that has been approved by the board." OAC 4731-10-02(A) sets the details: one hour must be the Board's duty-to-report course, and the remainder must come from:

• activities the AMA recognizes as Category 1, certified by the Ohio State Medical Association, by an organization accredited by the OSMA or the ACCME, or awarded directly by the AMA;
• activities the AOA recognizes as Category 1, certified by the Ohio Osteopathic Association, by an organization accredited by the OOA or the AOA, or awarded directly by the AOA;
• accredited internships, residencies or fellowships (ACGME or AOA), at one hour per week;
• volunteer care for indigent and uninsured people in Ohio under ORC 4745.04. The Board's page says this counts for up to ten hours, at one hour of CME for every five hours of service.

Category 2 credit no longer counts. The rule applies to every licensee, so MDs may count AOA Category 1 credit and DOs may count AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™.

AAFP Prescribed credit is not named in the rule or on the Board's page. The rule accepts activities the AMA recognizes as Category 1 that are certified by an ACCME-accredited provider. The AAFP is ACCME-accredited, and the AMA accepts AAFP Prescribed credit as equivalent to AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. It should count, but confirm with the Board if most of your hours are AAFP Prescribed. The rule also says AOA "category 1" without separating 1-A and 1-B. Category 1-B is part of AOA Category 1, so it appears to count.

The statute also tells the Board to approve courses on recognizing domestic violence and its relationship to child abuse, and on diagnosing and treating chronic pain (ORC 4731.282(C)). Those courses are approved options, not required topics.

Hours do not carry over. CME you finish after a registration period ends to renew or reinstate a license cannot also count toward the current period (OAC 4731-10-02(B)). Physicians who live or practice outside Ohio, or who are retired, must still complete the CME to keep the license. Ohio has no reciprocity with other states for CME.

When your license expires

Ohio has no common renewal date. Under ORC 4731.281, a license "shall expire on the date that is two years from the date of issuance" and each renewal is valid for another two years. Your CME window is your registration period, the time between when your license was granted or last renewed and your next renewal date (OAC 4731-10-01(G)).

You can renew online at eLicense Ohio up to 180 days before the expiration date. The Board no longer mails reminders. It sends system emails 90, 60 and 30 days before expiration, so keep your email address current. If you do not renew, your license is automatically suspended. It can be reinstated within two years and must be restored after that.

The mandatory topic

Duty to report misconduct — 1 hour, every renewal

OAC 4731-10-02(A) requires "a minimum of one hour of CME, approved by the board, on the topic of a licensee's duty to report misconduct under section 4731.224 of the Revised Code." It has been enforced for renewals since July 1, 2021, and is due every renewal period. According to the Board's FAQ, the Board's own one-hour video "is the only way to satisfy the requirement." When you finish the video, complete the form and keep the confirmation you receive by email. The video is not certified for Category 1 credit, but it counts as one of your 50 hours.

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 Ohio's rules.

Your first renewal

The current rules do not waive or prorate CME at the first renewal. Your first registration period runs two years from the date your license was granted, and the Board's FAQ says CME requirements "must be fulfilled after licensure therefore, upon renewal." Plan on the full 50 hours, including the duty-to-report hour. Older summaries that describe prorated first-renewal hours come from the renewal schedule Ohio used before 2019.

Reporting and audits

You certify completion on the renewal application (OAC 4731-10-08(A)). The Board audits a random sample of physicians (ORC 4731.282(E)). If you are selected, send the requested documentation within the time on the notice. A physician who certified CME that was not completed can be disciplined or fined up to $5,000, or allowed to make up the hours and pay a civil penalty (ORC 4731.282(F)).

Keep records of each activity, including a description, the date and the hours, for two years after the end of the registration period (OAC 4731-10-08(C)). Do not destroy them once the Board has asked for them. Tracking CME in CE Broker is optional.

If illness, an accident or absence from the United States lasting at least six consecutive months kept you from CME, you can ask for a waiver. Send the request at least 60 days before the registration period ends and wait for approval before you renew (OAC 4731-10-01(J) and 4731-10-03).

In early 2026 the Board proposed changes to several Chapter 4731-10 rules (definitions, the waiver rule, audits and evidence of CME). It proposed no change to the hours in rule 4731-10-02. The rules quoted here were the versions in effect when this guide was checked.

Checklist before you renew

1. Find your expiration date in eLicense Ohio; your CME window is the two years before it.
2. Count 50 hours: the duty-to-report video plus 49 hours of AMA or AOA Category 1 credit (or accredited training or qualifying volunteer hours).
3. Make sure you saved the duty-to-report confirmation for this period.
4. Keep certificates for two years after the period ends.
5. Renew online before the expiration date (up to 180 days early).

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