Alabama Osteopathic Physician (DO) license renewal and CE requirements

Summary

Alabama osteopathic physicians (DO) must complete 25 CME credits of continuing education every year to renew their license with the Alabama Board of Medical Examiners and Medical Licensure Commission of Alabama. All MD and DO licenses expire annually on December 31. The renewal application opens in the Licensee Gateway on October 1. There is a grace period from January 1 to January 31 to renew with a late fee. Physicians licensed through the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact renew on the IMLC website instead. Alabama also mandates specific subjects. Board-designated course in professional boundaries: a one-time requirement (all actively licensed physicians. New applicants issued a license to practice medicine or osteopathy must complete it within 12 months of the license issue date; physicians already actively licensed had to complete it by December 31, 2025. Limited licensees under Ala. Code 34-24-75 enrolled in a residency or clinical fellowship are exempt.). Controlled substance prescribing continuing medical education: 2 CME credits on a periodic schedule set by the board (holders of an Alabama Controlled Substances Certificate (ACSC) only). The first renewal is exempt.

Alabama Osteopathic Physician (DO) renewal and continuing education rules

"Not stated" means the board's pages and rules we read do not address it. We do not fill in typical values.

Every physician licensed in Alabama who resides or practices in the state must earn at least 25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits or the equivalent in each calendar year, on or before December 31 (Ala. Admin. Code r. 540-X-14-.02). The requirement is measured on the calendar year, which matches the December 31 license expiration. The rule requires the full 25 credits to be Category 1 or a listed equivalent, so category_1_minimum is set equal to the total. Physicians who do not reside in Alabama are exempt unless they maintain a significant medical practice in the state, defined as practicing in any form for more than 10 calendar days in a calendar year. Physicians receiving their initial Alabama license are exempt for the calendar year in which the license is issued (540-X-14-.05). Retired physicians who do not practice in any form, physicians deployed for military service, and physicians granted an illness or disability waiver may also be excused. Limited licensees under Ala. Code 34-24-75 who were enrolled in a residency or clinical fellowship during any part of the calendar year are exempt.

Required CE topics for Alabama osteopathic physician (do)s

State-specific subject mandates. Where a mandate applies only to some licensees, the scope is listed.

Documentation and audit

Common questions

How many CE hours does a Alabama DO need to renew?

Alabama osteopathic physicians (DO) must complete 25 CME credits of continuing education every year to renew their license with the Alabama Board of Medical Examiners and Medical Licensure Commission of Alabama. Every physician licensed in Alabama who resides or practices in the state must earn at least 25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits or the equivalent in each calendar year, on or before December 31 (Ala. Admin. Code r. 540-X-14-.02). The requirement is measured on the calendar year, which matches the December 31 license expiration. The rule requires the full 25 credits to be Category 1 or a listed equivalent, so category_1_minimum is set equal to the total. Physicians who do not reside in Alabama are exempt unless they maintain a significant medical practice in the state, defined as practicing in any form for more than 10 calendar days in a calendar year. Physicians receiving their initial Alabama license are exempt for the calendar year in which the license is issued (540-X-14-.05). Retired physicians who do not practice in any form, physicians deployed for military service, and physicians granted an illness or disability waiver may also be excused. Limited licensees under Ala. Code 34-24-75 who were enrolled in a residency or clinical fellowship during any part of the calendar year are exempt.

How often does a Alabama DO license need to be renewed?

Osteopathic Physician (DO) licenses in Alabama renew every year. All MD and DO licenses expire annually on December 31. The renewal application opens in the Licensee Gateway on October 1. There is a grace period from January 1 to January 31 to renew with a late fee. Physicians licensed through the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact renew on the IMLC website instead.

What specific CE topics are required for Alabama osteopathic physicians (DO)?

Board-designated course in professional boundaries: a one-time requirement (all actively licensed physicians. New applicants issued a license to practice medicine or osteopathy must complete it within 12 months of the license issue date; physicians already actively licensed had to complete it by December 31, 2025. Limited licensees under Ala. Code 34-24-75 enrolled in a residency or clinical fellowship are exempt.). Controlled substance prescribing continuing medical education: 2 CME credits on a periodic schedule set by the board (holders of an Alabama Controlled Substances Certificate (ACSC) only). Citations: Board-designated course in professional boundaries (Ala. Admin. Code r. 540-X-14-.02(1)(a) and (1)(b)) and controlled substance prescribing continuing medical education (Ala. Admin. Code r. 540-X-4-.09).

Do Alabama osteopathic physicians (DO) have to submit CE certificates at renewal?

Licensees attest to completion at renewal rather than submitting certificates, the board audits a sample of renewals and asks for documentation, and records must be kept for 3 years. Category 1 programs must be sponsored or conducted by organizations accredited by the Council on Medical Education of the Medical Association of the State of Alabama or by the ACCME; AOA, AAFP and ACOG accredited programs and board-designated programs count as equivalents. Each physician certifies compliance on the annual license registration application and keeps certificates of attendance, completion certificates, proof of registration or similar sponsor documentation for three years after the year the credits were earned. The board conducts compliance review by random or designated sample and runs a random audit annually.

Is the first Alabama DO renewal exempt from CE?

Yes. Alabama does not require continuing education for a DO's first renewal.

Sources

Last verified September 7, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.

• Alabama Board of Medical Examiners Administrative Code Chapter 540-X-14, Continuing Medical Education (revised 10/14/24)Statute or administrative rule, accessed September 7, 2026
• Ala. Admin. Code r. 540-X-4-.09, Risk And Abuse Mitigation Strategies (Legal Information Institute mirror)Third-party summary, accessed September 7, 2026
• Continuing Medical Education Requirements for Licensees, Alabama Board of Medical ExaminersState board page, accessed September 7, 2026
• Renewals, Alabama Board of Medical Examiners and Medical Licensure CommissionState board page, accessed September 7, 2026

Alabama licenses MDs and DOs through one board, the Alabama Board of Medical Examiners, with the Medical Licensure Commission of Alabama issuing the license; there is no separate Alabama osteopathic board. The renewal page and the CME rule chapter both cover MD and DO together, and Chapter 540-X-14 speaks of physicians and osteopaths and of licenses to practice medicine or osteopathy, so the MD and DO records cite the same sources. Credit total, calendar year measurement, initial licensee exemption, three year retention and compliance review read directly from Ala. Admin. Code Chapter 540-X-14 (PDF from the Alabama Legislature administrative code service). The ACSC controlled substance requirement was read on the board's CME requirement page and confirmed in the text of 540-X-4-.09 through the Cornell LII mirror; the Alabama administrative code copy of 540-X-4 was not fetched separately. The rule does not state a credit value for the professional boundaries course, whether carryover of excess credits is allowed, or a cap on self study or online CME, so those fields are null. Certificates are not filed with the renewal; the licensee attests on the annual registration application and produces records on request. Topic key professional_boundaries is not in the canonical list and was added because no canonical key covers a professional boundaries course.