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

This guide covers physicians licensed by the Virginia Board of Medicine, which licenses both MDs and DOs. Both follow the same regulation, 18VAC85-20-235.

The short version

Requirement	Hours	How often	Who
Total continuing learning, all Type 1	30	Every two-year renewal	Every MD and DO
First renewal after initial Virginia licensure	none	Once	New licensees
State-mandated topics	none in effect	—	Bias reduction training is coming (see below)
License renewal	—	Every two years, in your birth month	Every MD and DO

How many hours, and what kind

Since February 27, 2025, 18VAC85-20-235(A) requires you to attest to at least 30 hours of continuing learning in the two years immediately before renewal, all in Type 1 activities: courses or activities offered by an accredited sponsor or an organization sanctioned by the profession. Before that change the rule required 60 hours, of which 30 could be self-documented Type 2 activities. Type 2 hours no longer count, and older summaries that say "60 hours" are out of date.

The Board's FAQ says Type 1 hours are those that can be documented by an accredited sponsor or organization sanctioned by the profession; if the sponsor does not give you a dated certificate showing the activity and hours, get a letter on the organization's letterhead. In practice:

• AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ from an accredited provider counts.
• AAFP Prescribed credit counts: the FAQ's own example is a pediatrician or surgeon receiving credit for hours sponsored by the American Academy of Family Physicians.
• AOA Category 1-A from AOA-accredited sponsors counts for MDs and DOs alike. Self-directed AOA Category 1-B activities may not have the sponsor documentation the FAQ describes, so confirm with the Board before relying on them.

The FAQ also says an AMA Physician's Recognition Award or specialty board recertification can satisfy the hours when its requirements equal or exceed Virginia's; you would then only need proof of the award or certification.

Hours do not carry over: only the two years before your renewal count.

When your license expires

You renew your active license every two years during your birth month (18VAC85-20-230). Which year depends on when your license was issued; check the expiration date in the Department of Health Professions' License Lookup. The Board sends renewal notices, but not receiving one does not excuse a late renewal (Code of Virginia § 54.1-2904). Practicing on a lapsed license is illegal practice.

If you cannot finish your hours, the Board may extend the deadline by up to one year for good cause if you ask in writing before your renewal date. It may also exempt you from all or part of the hours for circumstances beyond your control, such as temporary disability, mandatory military service or a declared disaster, or if you practice only in an uncompensated position under a fully licensed physician's direction, or only as a medical examiner with six hours a year of Office of the Chief Medical Examiner training.

The mandatory topics

No specific topic is required for Virginia physicians at the moment. One is on the way.

Bias reduction training — coming

Chapter 450 of the 2026 Acts of Assembly (HB 1147) directs the Board of Medicine to adopt regulations requiring its licensees to complete continuing learning on reducing implicit and explicit bias in health care, every renewal period but not more often than every two years. The first required training must cover how racial bias affects care during pregnancy, labor and delivery, and the postpartum period; later training must cover conditions often racialized in clinical practice, such as sickle cell disease. The law does not set the number of hours, and the Board must designate the organizations that provide the curricula. When this guide was checked the Board had not yet adopted the regulation, so the requirement does not yet apply to your renewal. Watch the Board's continuing education page, and confirm with the Board before your next 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 Virginia's rules.

Your first renewal

You are exempt from the continuing competency requirement at your first biennial renewal after initial licensure in Virginia (18VAC85-20-235(B)). The Board's FAQ: "There is no requirement for cme at your first renewal, but it is in all subsequent biennial renewals."

Reporting and audits

You attest to completion on the renewal application; do not send documents with it. The Board randomly selects licensees for a post-renewal audit, and you will be told what to send and by when. Keep certificates and other records for six years after the renewal (18VAC85-20-235(C)). Falsifying the attestation is a violation of law and can lead to discipline.

If you hold an inactive license, you need no CME, but to reactivate you must attest to the hours required for the last four years.

Checklist before you renew

1. Find your expiration date (your birth month, every second year) in License Lookup.
2. Count 30 hours of Type 1 credit (AMA PRA Category 1, AAFP Prescribed, AOA Category 1-A) from the past two years.
3. Make sure each activity has a dated certificate or a letter from the sponsor.
4. Check whether the Board has started the bias reduction requirement.
5. Keep your records for six years.

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