2026 physician guide · MD & DO

Nevada CME requirements for physicians

Nevada MD and DO requirements differ substantially. MDs have a biennial specialty-hour requirement and first-cycle phase-down. DOs have a transition: the December 2026 renewal still uses 35 hours from the preceding year.

By Michael Rushton, DO · Physician founder of ClearCME

Last verified: 2026-09-18 · Verification methodology

Published: 2026-09-18 · Updated: 2026-09-18

At a glance

MD · State Board of Medical Examiners

40 Category 1 hours, including 20 in specialty/scope

Renewal cycle: Biennial renewal on June 30 of odd-numbered years. Newly licensed MDs may qualify for the phase-down below.
Accepted credit types: AMA PRA Category 1 or board-approved CME; topic and specialty requirements still apply.

DO · State Board of Osteopathic Medicine

2026: 35 hours / preceding year. After 2026: 40 hours / preceding biennium.

Renewal cycle: December 31 in even-numbered years. The transition changes the CME lookback, not just the total.
Accepted credit types: 2026: at least 10 Category 1A hours; later renewals: at least 20. The Nevada rule recognizes AOA- or ACCME-accredited sponsors for this category.

Mandatory topics

Ethics, pain management or addiction care

MDs: two hours each biennium, with permitted SBIRT substitution; suicide-prevention hours do not substitute for this block. DOs: the statute includes ethics, pain management, addiction care or SBIRT as a two-hour biennial block.

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Sources: Nevada medical board · 2025–2027 CME chart · NRS 630.253, 630.2535 and 630.267 · MD topics and renewal · NRS 633.471 · DO renewal and mandatory topics

Suicide prevention

Two hours within two years of initial licensure and every four years thereafter. This applies to physicians generally, not only psychiatrists.

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Sources: Nevada medical board · 2025–2027 CME chart · NRS 633.471 · DO renewal and mandatory topics · Approved R092-25 · DO 2026/2027 transition, filed July 1, 2026

SBIRT

Two hours once, within two years of initial licensure, for screening, brief intervention and referral to treatment. Keep the one-time completion record.

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Sources: Nevada medical board · 2025–2027 CME chart · NRS 633.471 · DO renewal and mandatory topics

Controlled substances and opioids

MDs registered to dispense controlled substances in Nevada: two hours each cycle. DOs: two hours from the preceding year for the 2026 renewal, then four hours per biennium for renewals after December 31, 2026.

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Sources: Nevada medical board · 2025–2027 CME chart · Approved R092-25 · DO 2026/2027 transition, filed July 1, 2026

HIV stigma and bias · hospital emergency or primary care

Two hours within two years after beginning to provide or supervise the specified emergency services or primary care. Scope, rather than a universal requirement, determines applicability.

Sources: Nevada medical board · 2025–2027 CME chart · NRS 630.253, 630.2535 and 630.267 · MD topics and renewal · NRS 633.471 · DO renewal and mandatory topics

Cultural competency and DEI · psychiatry

Two hours biennially for psychiatrists. Do not apply the psychiatry-only requirement to every Nevada physician.

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Sources: Nevada medical board · 2025–2027 CME chart · NRS 630.253, 630.2535 and 630.267 · MD topics and renewal · NRS 633.471 · DO renewal and mandatory topics

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.

MD first-cycle phase-down · July 2025–June 2027

Licensed before July 1, 2025 or during July–December 2025: 40 total hours, including 20 specialty/scope hours. Licensed January–June 2026: 30 total and 15 specialty/scope hours. Licensed July–December 2026: 20 total and 10 specialty/scope hours. Licensed January–June 2027: 10 total and five specialty/scope hours.

The two-hour ethics/pain/addiction block is not reduced. NAC 630.157 supplies the total-hour phase-down; the board’s current chart supplies the corresponding specialty/scope numbers. This MD phase-down does not establish a DO proration rule.

Sources: Nevada medical board · 2025–2027 CME chart · NAC 630.153 and 630.157 · MD exemptions and phase-down

Exceptions, carryover and documentation

NAC 630.153 provides an MD exemption for a completed residency/fellowship year during the preceding biennium. Inactive-license rules differ from active practice. Confirm the exact pathway and any still-applicable obligations with your board.

Use CME from the applicable lookback rather than assuming unused hours carry forward. Keep certificates, accepted category, specialty/scope content, topic allocation and lifetime-topic records. MDs attest at renewal and can be audited; the DO transition rule requires satisfactory completion evidence.

Sources: NAC 630.153 and 630.157 · MD exemptions and phase-down · Nevada medical board · 2025–2027 CME chart · Approved R092-25 · DO 2026/2027 transition, filed July 1, 2026

What’s tricky about Nevada

Do not apply a static “40 hours every two years” total to the December 31, 2026 DO renewal. It requires 35 hours over the preceding year, including 10 Category 1A and two controlled-substance/opioid/addiction hours. Later renewals use 40 hours over the preceding biennium, including 20 Category 1A and four prescribing/addiction hours.

MD first-cycle totals depend on the actual issuance block. Specialty/scope hours and topic-specific clocks add separate checks. These are not yet fully personalized by ClearCME’s production calculation; use this guide and your board record for those decisions.

Sources: Approved R092-25 · DO 2026/2027 transition, filed July 1, 2026 · Nevada medical board · 2025–2027 CME chart

What changed in 2026

AB 56 moved DO renewal to a biennial schedule. The approved R092-25 regulation, filed July 1, 2026, expressly preserves the annual CME lookback for renewals through December 31, 2026 and changes later renewals.

The former MD bioterrorism/WMD statutory mandate was removed effective January 1, 2026. Older regulatory text and third-party summaries can still show it; the current statute and board chart should be read together.

Sources: Approved R092-25 · DO 2026/2027 transition, filed July 1, 2026 · NRS 630.253, 630.2535 and 630.267 · MD topics and renewal · Nevada AB 56 · enrolled legislation · Nevada medical board · 2025–2027 CME chart

Questions physicians ask next

Is Nevada DO renewal in 2026 based on 35, 40 or 70 hours?

For renewal on or before December 31, 2026, the approved transition regulation requires at least 35 hours over the preceding year, including 10 Category 1A and two prescribing/addiction hours. Do not double the old annual total to 70.

When does the 40-hour DO biennium apply?

The approved regulation applies 40 hours over the preceding biennium to renewals after December 31, 2026, including 20 Category 1A and four controlled-substance/opioid/addiction hours. The next ordinary even-year renewal is December 2028.

I obtained my Nevada MD license in October 2026. What is my first-cycle total?

The board’s July 2025–June 2027 chart assigns the July–December 2026 issuance block 20 total hours, including 10 specialty/scope hours and the unreduced two-hour ethics/pain/addiction block. Check other applicable topics separately.

Is Nevada suicide-prevention CME only for psychiatrists?

No. The two-hour suicide-prevention requirement applies generally, first within two years of licensure and then every four years. Psychiatry-specific cultural-competency training is a different requirement.

Do I still need the four-hour bioterrorism/WMD course?

The former MD statutory mandate was removed. It is absent from the current board chart, although older regulatory language and summaries can still mention it. Use the current statute and board guidance.

Can ClearCME calculate my exact Nevada compliance status?

The production calculation does not yet fully handle MD issuance-block phase-down and specialty-hour floors or the DO 2026 transition. Use ClearCME to organize records, and confirm these requirements with the board rather than treating a dashboard total as an official determination.

Primary sources

Board guidance and controlling law support this guide. Your board’s current rules and individual determination govern your renewal.

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