Florida Physician (MD) license renewal and CE requirements
Florida physicians (MD) must complete 40 CME credits of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Florida Board of Medicine.
A physician's license must be renewed every two years. Licenses in Group 1 expire on January 31 in even-numbered years and licenses in Group 2 expire on January 31 in odd-numbered years. Renewal applicants must also have practiced medicine or served on the active teaching faculty of an accredited medical school for at least 2 of the immediately preceding 4 years, or have passed the FSMB Special Purpose Examination (SPEX) before renewal.
Summary
Florida physicians (MD) must complete 40 CME credits of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Florida Board of Medicine. A physician's license must be renewed every two years. Licenses in Group 1 expire on January 31 in even-numbered years and licenses in Group 2 expire on January 31 in odd-numbered years. Renewal applicants must also have practiced medicine or served on the active teaching faculty of an accredited medical school for at least 2 of the immediately preceding 4 years, or have passed the FSMB Special Purpose Examination (SPEX) before renewal. Florida also mandates specific subjects. Prevention of Medical Errors: 2 CME credits every renewal cycle. Prescribing Controlled Substances: 2 CME credits every renewal cycle (required of all physicians registered with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration). Domestic Violence: 2 CME credits on a periodic schedule set by the board. HIV/AIDS: a one-time requirement. Hours do not carry over between cycles and the first renewal is exempt.
Florida Physician (MD) 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.
| Renewal cycle | Two-year (24 months) |
|---|---|
| Renewal deadline | Same date for every licensee, 01/31 each cycle |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 40 CME credits |
| Category 1 minimum | 38 CME credits |
| Self-study or online cap | No cap stated |
| Carryover to next cycle | No |
| First renewal exempt | Yes |
| Other accepted activities | Serving as a supervising physician for a disciplined physician under direct supervision for at least one year: 6 hours of risk management credit; Serving as a monitoring physician for a disciplined physician under indirect supervision for at least one year: 3 hours of risk management credit; Attendance at one full day or eight hours of disciplinary hearings at a regular Board of Medicine meeting: 5 hours in ethics or risk management; Volunteer service as an expert witness for Chapter 458 or 468 case review: 5 hours of risk management per case, up to 15 hours per biennium; Service on the Board's Probable Cause Panel by current and former Board members: up to 5 hours of risk management per biennium; Pro bono medical services for approved entities serving indigent or underserved populations: up to 5 hours per biennium, hour for hour; Public school volunteer health care practitioner program (80 hours a year, or 400 hours a year if retired): fulfills up to 25 percent of required hours |
The board's table sets the requirement as 40 CME hours per biennium: 38 general hours of General AMA Category I CME plus the 2-hour prevention of medical errors course. The credit type the board names for the general hours is AMA Category I, which is why category_1_minimum is recorded as 38. The 2-hour domestic violence course, required every third biennium, may be counted inside the 38 general hours. CME hours do not carry over across biennial licensure cycles. All hours must be reported into the CE Broker tracking system before the renewal application is submitted. Volunteer health services (160 hours to indigent Floridians, or 800 hours if fully retired) and public school volunteer service can waive up to 25 percent of the CE hours, but never the domestic violence, HIV/AIDS, medical errors, or controlled substance prescribing courses.
Required CE topics for Florida physician (md)s
State-specific subject mandates. Where a mandate applies only to some licensees, the scope is listed.
| Topic | Hours | Frequency | Applies to | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prevention of Medical ErrorsBoard-approved 2-hour course covering the most common medical errors. The course must be approved by a state or federal government agency, a nationally affiliated professional association, or a provider of AMA Category I or II continuing education; home study courses approved by one of those entities are acceptable. One hour of a two-hour course provided to its employees by a facility licensed under Chapter 395, Florida Statutes, may be used to partially meet this requirement. Required at first renewal as well. | 2 CME credits | Every renewal | All licensees | Not stated |
| Prescribing Controlled SubstancesBoard-approved 2-hour course. Also required at the first renewal for DEA-registered physicians. | 2 CME credits | Every renewal | Required of all physicians registered with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration | Not stated |
| Domestic ViolenceRequired every third biennial cycle. The 2-hour course can be included in the 38 general hours. Course History in CE Broker shows when the licensee last completed it. The course must be approved by a state or federal government agency, a nationally affiliated professional association, or a provider of AMA Category I or II continuing education. | 2 CME credits | Periodic | All licensees | Not stated |
| HIV/AIDSPrior to the first renewal, all physicians must complete a board-approved course on HIV/AIDS. The Board of Medicine renewal page does not state an hour count for the MD course, so hours are left null rather than inferred from the Board of Osteopathic Medicine's 1-hour course. | Not stated | One time | All licensees | Not stated |
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | No, attestation only |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | Not stated |
| Board audits compliance | Not stated |
| Approved providers | Approved providers are reflected in CE Broker. The board accepts courses approved for AMA Category I CME or accepted for the AMA Physician Recognition Award, training programs accredited by the ACGME, and specialty trainings of the American College of Emergency Physicians (Category I), American Academy of Family Physicians prescribed credit, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists cognates, and study courses required by specialty certification boards and approved by the Board for specialty recertification examinations. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Florida MD need to renew?
- Florida physicians (MD) must complete 40 CME credits of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Florida Board of Medicine. The board's table sets the requirement as 40 CME hours per biennium: 38 general hours of General AMA Category I CME plus the 2-hour prevention of medical errors course. The credit type the board names for the general hours is AMA Category I, which is why category_1_minimum is recorded as 38. The 2-hour domestic violence course, required every third biennium, may be counted inside the 38 general hours. CME hours do not carry over across biennial licensure cycles. All hours must be reported into the CE Broker tracking system before the renewal application is submitted. Volunteer health services (160 hours to indigent Floridians, or 800 hours if fully retired) and public school volunteer service can waive up to 25 percent of the CE hours, but never the domestic violence, HIV/AIDS, medical errors, or controlled substance prescribing courses.
- How often does a Florida MD license need to be renewed?
- Physician (MD) licenses in Florida renew every two years. A physician's license must be renewed every two years. Licenses in Group 1 expire on January 31 in even-numbered years and licenses in Group 2 expire on January 31 in odd-numbered years. Renewal applicants must also have practiced medicine or served on the active teaching faculty of an accredited medical school for at least 2 of the immediately preceding 4 years, or have passed the FSMB Special Purpose Examination (SPEX) before renewal.
- What specific CE topics are required for Florida physicians (MD)?
- Prevention of Medical Errors: 2 CME credits every renewal cycle. Prescribing Controlled Substances: 2 CME credits every renewal cycle (required of all physicians registered with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration). Domestic Violence: 2 CME credits on a periodic schedule set by the board. HIV/AIDS: a one-time requirement.
- Do Florida physicians (MD) have to submit CE certificates at renewal?
- Licensees attest to completion at renewal rather than submitting certificates. Approved providers are reflected in CE Broker. The board accepts courses approved for AMA Category I CME or accepted for the AMA Physician Recognition Award, training programs accredited by the ACGME, and specialty trainings of the American College of Emergency Physicians (Category I), American Academy of Family Physicians prescribed credit, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists cognates, and study courses required by specialty certification boards and approved by the Board for specialty recertification examinations.
- Is the first Florida MD renewal exempt from CE?
- Yes. Florida does not require continuing education for a MD's first renewal.
Sources
Last verified September 7, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.
- Medical Doctor (MD) Renewal, Florida Board of MedicineState board page, accessed September 7, 2026
- General Renewal Requirements, Medical Doctor, Florida Board of MedicineState board page, accessed September 7, 2026
- Rule 64B8-13.005, Continuing Education for Biennial Renewal (rule history and effective date record)Statute or administrative rule, accessed September 7, 2026
Florida licenses MDs and DOs through two separate boards with different requirements. This record covers only the Florida Board of Medicine (MDs, Chapter 458, Florida Statutes); see fl-physician_do for the Florida Board of Osteopathic Medicine. Cycle, 40-hour total, 38 general AMA Category I hours, medical errors, controlled substance prescribing, domestic violence, HIV/AIDS, the no-carryover rule, and the alternative credit routes were all read on the Board of Medicine's Medical Doctor Renewal page (Requirements and Continuing Education tabs) and confirmed on the board's General Renewal Requirements page. The flrules.org entry for Rule 64B8-13.005 was fetched and confirms the rule title and a 6/15/2026 effective date, but the site did not serve the rule body to an automated client, so no value here is taken from the rule text itself. Retention period for CME records and whether the board audits CME were not stated on the pages read and are left null. The MD page does not state an hour count for the HIV/AIDS course. Unlike the osteopathic board, the Board of Medicine does not require a Florida laws and rules or medical ethics course and does not set an AOA Category 1-A minimum.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Florida Board of Medicine before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.