2026 physician guide · MD & DO

Texas CME requirements for physicians

Texas uses one physician rulebook for MDs and DOs: 48 hours per registration period, at least 24 formal hours, and mandatory topics that run on different schedules. Official CE reporting now runs through CE Broker.

By Michael Rushton, DO · Physician founder of ClearCME

Last verified: · Verification methodology

Published: · Updated:

At a glance

MD and DO · Texas Medical Board

48 hours, at least 24 formal

Renewal cycle
24-month registration period, rather than the calendar year. Check the expiration on your registration.
Accepted credit types
Accepted formal pathways include AMA PRA Category 1, AAFP, AOA Category 1-A and TMA-approved activities.

Mandatory topics

Find your license type below. Some requirements also depend on your specialty, practice setting or prescribing authority.

MD requirements

DO requirements

Related courses are a starting point for your search. Before enrolling, confirm that the activity meets your board’s provider, content, category and completion-date requirements.

Exceptions and specialty requirements

TMB describes an exemption for newly licensed physicians at first registration; that does not erase separately timed requirements such as initial opioid training. Retired/voluntary-charity status, residency and board-approved hardship exemptions have their own conditions.

EMS medical directors and pain-management-clinic personnel can have additional requirements. If either role applies to you, review the board’s specialty guidance and current hours chart.

Sources: Texas Medical Board · physician CME and current implementation notices

Carryover and documentation

Texas permits up to 48 excess hours to carry forward, subject to the board’s two-year limit and category rules. Medical ethics/professional-responsibility and pain-management/opioid hours may not be carried forward.

Complete official reporting and provide certificates through CE Broker before renewal. Keep the certificate, accreditation/category, topic designation and date for every course, including evidence supporting any carryover. ClearCME storage does not submit official CE Broker reports.

Sources: Texas Medical Board · physician CME and current implementation notices · Texas Medical Board · continuing education tracking

What’s tricky about Texas

A single renewal date does not mean a single topic clock. Ethics is recurring each cycle; human trafficking follows a three-renewal cadence; opioid training starts early and later follows an eight-year cadence. SB 31 is a separate one-time course.

The MyTMB SB 31 course is not AMA Category 1. TMB allows it toward its ethics requirement; the course completion is recorded in MyTMB. If using it for ethics hours, follow TMB’s CE Broker reporting instructions.

Sources: Texas Medical Board · physician CME and current implementation notices

What changed in 2026

Mandatory CE tracking through CE Broker began September 1, 2026. A free basic account is available; a paid subscription is not required for official reporting.

SB 31’s first-renewal-after-January-1 deadline applies to the specified specialties. HB 47’s statutory start and the later board rollout notice are both relevant; the current TMB notice controls the operational instructions shown here. Nutrition/metabolic-health training is a separate forthcoming implementation: confirm the final TMB rule before choosing a course or assuming an hour count.

Sources: Texas Medical Board · physician CME and current implementation notices · Texas Medical Board · continuing education tracking · Texas SB 31 · enrolled legislation

Questions physicians ask next

Do I need CE Broker to renew my Texas physician license?

TMB requires official CE tracking through CE Broker beginning September 1, 2026. Report your courses and resolve discrepancies there before renewal. ClearCME does not replace this official reporting step.

Is CE Broker free for Texas physicians?

The basic account supports required reporting without a paid subscription. Paid upgrades are optional. Use the account link on TMB’s official tracking page.

How often is opioid CME required?

For direct patient care, two hours are due within one year of initial licensure and again as part of the second renewal. After the initial requirements, the cadence is two hours every eight years.

Can my existing CME hours count or carry forward?

Check dates, accepted category and the applicable registration period. Texas permits limited carryover of up to 48 excess hours, but excludes ethics/professional-responsibility and pain/opioid hours from carryover.

Which human-trafficking course satisfies Texas?

Choose a course on the current HHSC-approved list. The topic library can help you find options. Confirm that your chosen course appears on the HHSC-approved list.

Can one course satisfy more than one Texas requirement?

Sometimes. TMB permits appropriately designated opioid or human-trafficking training to count toward ethics. Check each required designation, and count the course’s earned hours only once toward your overall total.

Can I take any pregnancy-emergency course for SB 31?

No. Only the TMB course through MyTMB satisfies this specific requirement. An outside course may count as ordinary CME without meeting SB 31.

Primary sources

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

  1. Texas Medical Board · physician CME and current implementation notices ↗
    “Mandatory CE Tracking for ALL TMB licensees begins September 1, 2026.”
  2. Texas Medical Board · continuing education tracking ↗
  3. Texas Occupations Code §156.055 ↗
  4. Texas Occupations Code §156.060 ↗
  5. Texas SB 31 · enrolled legislation ↗
  6. Texas HB 47 · enrolled legislation ↗

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