Florida CME requirements for physicians
Florida generally requires 40 hours per two-year cycle. MDs and DOs answer to different boards, with different renewal dates, category rules and medical-error course requirements.
By Michael Rushton, DO · Physician founder of ClearCME
Last verified: · Verification methodology
Published: · Updated:
At a glance
MD · Board of Medicine
40 hours
- Renewal cycle
- Two years; January 31 in your assigned odd- or even-year group.
- Accepted credit types
- General AMA Category I hours and the board’s specifically permitted alternatives.
DO · Board of Osteopathic Medicine
40 hours, including at least 20 AOA Category 1-A
- Renewal cycle
- Two years; March 31 in even-numbered years.
- Accepted credit types
- Check AOA designation and the osteopathic board’s mandatory-topic approvals.
Mandatory topics
Prevention of medical errors · both degrees
Two hours every renewal. The MD and DO boards specify different high-risk/misdiagnosed-condition content. Confirm approval for your board, not just a “Florida medical errors” title.
Explore related courses →Sources: Florida Board of Medicine · MD renewal and CME · Florida Board of Osteopathic Medicine · DO renewal · Florida Administrative Code 64B8-13.005 · MD topics and HIV/AIDS · Florida Administrative Code 64B15-13.001 · DO CME
Florida laws, rules and ethics · DO
One hour each biennium. This DO-specific requirement is separate from the medical-error course.
Explore related courses →Sources: Florida Board of Osteopathic Medicine · DO renewal · Florida Administrative Code 64B15-13.001 · DO CME
Controlled-substance prescribing · covered DEA registrants
Two hours each renewal for physicians within the statutory prescribing scope. Use a qualifying board-approved course. Effective July 1, 2026, the required content includes treating pain in patients with sickle cell disease.
Explore related courses →Sources: Florida Statutes §456.0301 · controlled-substance course content · Florida Board of Medicine · MD renewal and CME · Florida Board of Osteopathic Medicine · DO renewal
Domestic violence
Two hours every third biennium (six years). Track the cycle in which you last fulfilled it.
Explore related courses →Sources: Florida Board of Medicine · MD renewal and CME · Florida Board of Osteopathic Medicine · DO renewal
HIV/AIDS
One hour by the first biennial renewal. The MD course must include Florida HIV/AIDS law and meet the rule’s Category I requirements; a generic national course is not enough.
Sources: Florida Administrative Code 64B8-13.005 · MD topics and HIV/AIDS · Florida Administrative Code 64B15-13.001 · DO CME
Human trafficking
One hour, one-time, under section 456.0341. Keep the original completion record. The statute also contains an awareness-sign obligation, which is separate from taking CME.
Explore related courses →A related-topic link helps you find courses. It does not establish that a particular activity satisfies this state’s requirement. Verify the accepted provider, category, content and dates before enrolling.
First renewal and exemptions
Florida’s first-renewal rules differ from an ordinary 40-hour renewal. The MD board lists HIV/AIDS, medical errors and controlled-substance training for covered DEA registrants. Review the DO board’s first-renewal rules independently rather than applying the MD exemption to a DO license.
Military service and other narrowly defined circumstances can qualify for board-approved exemptions. Approval of an exemption from general hours does not necessarily waive mandatory topics.
Sources: Florida Board of Medicine · MD renewal and CME · Florida Board of Osteopathic Medicine · DO renewal · Florida Administrative Code 64B8-13.005 · MD topics and HIV/AIDS · Florida Administrative Code 64B15-13.001 · DO CME
Carryover and documentation
Excess CME does not carry forward into the next Florida biennium. Match each course to the correct cycle and retain the full certificate, not only a total-hour tally.
Use the official CE reporting system and check what is recorded before renewal. Keep certificates, approved-provider details and documentation supporting exemptions or prior one-time training; provide records when requested by the board.
Sources: Florida Board of Medicine · MD renewal and CME · Florida Board of Osteopathic Medicine · DO renewal
What’s tricky about Florida
Forty hours can still leave a DO short of the AOA Category 1-A floor. Likewise, a course approved for the MD medical-error requirement may omit the conditions required by the DO board.
The one-time HIV/AIDS and trafficking records, six-year domestic-violence clock and recurring prescribing course should be checked independently. Federal MATE Act training does not automatically replace any Florida-specific requirement.
Sources: Florida Board of Medicine · MD renewal and CME · Florida Board of Osteopathic Medicine · DO renewal · Florida Administrative Code 64B8-13.005 · MD topics and HIV/AIDS · Florida Administrative Code 64B15-13.001 · DO CME
What changed in 2026
The controlled-substance course content changed effective July 1, 2026 to include pain treatment for patients with sickle cell disease. Check that the activity satisfies the current statute and board approval, even if an older certificate has the same course title.
September 18, 2026: refreshed the previously verified state draft against current board renewal guidance and the production rule notes; preserved the separate MD and DO rules.
Sources: Florida Statutes §456.0301 · controlled-substance course content · Florida Board of Medicine · MD renewal and CME · Florida Board of Osteopathic Medicine · DO renewal
Questions physicians ask next
Do Florida MDs and DOs both need 40 hours?
Generally yes, per two-year cycle, subject to first-renewal and other exceptions. DOs also need at least 20 AOA Category 1-A hours and one hour of Florida laws/rules and ethics.
Can I use an MD medical-errors course for a DO renewal?
Do not assume so. The boards require different content. Verify that the activity is approved for the Florida osteopathic requirement.
Is HIV/AIDS training required every renewal?
The one-hour requirement is tied to the first biennial renewal. Keep proof of that completion; do not confuse it with the recurring medical-error and prescribing courses.
Can I carry Florida CME into the next cycle?
No. Complete the applicable hours in the current biennium; excess hours do not move into the next cycle.
Does MATE Act training satisfy Florida controlled-substance CME?
Not automatically. The Florida course has its own content and approved-provider requirements, including the 2026 sickle-cell-pain update. Verify any proposed dual use against both sets of rules.
Does ClearCME report to CE Broker or renew my license?
No. Organizing your certificates in ClearCME is separate from official reporting and renewal. Review the board’s CE record and finish the required reporting before submitting renewal.
Primary sources
Board guidance and controlling law support this guide. Your board’s current rules and individual determination govern your renewal.
- Florida Board of Medicine · MD renewal and CME ↗
“CME hours do not carry over across biennial licensure cycles.”
- Florida Board of Osteopathic Medicine · DO renewal ↗
- Florida Administrative Code 64B8-13.005 · MD topics and HIV/AIDS ↗
- Florida Administrative Code 64B15-13.001 · DO CME ↗
- Florida Statutes §456.0301 · controlled-substance course content ↗
- Florida Statutes §456.0341 · human trafficking ↗