Maine Osteopathic Physician (DO) license renewal and CE requirements
Maine osteopathic physicians (DO) must complete 100 CME credits of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Maine Board of Osteopathic Licensure.
An osteopathic physician's license is issued for two years and must be renewed by the last day of the physician's birth month. A physician born in an even numbered year renews in even numbered years and a physician born in an odd numbered year renews in odd numbered years. The board sends notice and blank renewal forms at least 60 days before expiration. A licensee who fails to submit the renewal, the fee, or evidence of CME automatically forfeits the right to practice, and the license may be considered lapsed if the failure is not corrected within 30 days of the board's notice.
Summary
Maine osteopathic physicians (DO) must complete 100 CME credits of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Maine Board of Osteopathic Licensure. An osteopathic physician's license is issued for two years and must be renewed by the last day of the physician's birth month. A physician born in an even numbered year renews in even numbered years and a physician born in an odd numbered year renews in odd numbered years. The board sends notice and blank renewal forms at least 60 days before expiration. A licensee who fails to submit the renewal, the fee, or evidence of CME automatically forfeits the right to practice, and the license may be considered lapsed if the failure is not corrected within 30 days of the board's notice. Maine also mandates specific subjects. Continuing education on the prescription of opioid medication: 3 CME credits every renewal cycle (licensees whose scope of practice includes prescribing opioid medication; the statute makes the training a condition of prescribing opioid medication).
Maine 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.
| Renewal cycle | Two-year (24 months) |
|---|---|
| Renewal deadline | Tied to the licensee's birth month |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 100 CME credits |
| Category 1 minimum | 40 CME credits |
| Self-study or online cap | No cap stated |
| Carryover to next cycle | Not stated |
| First renewal exempt | Not stated |
| Other accepted activities | The board may adjudicate continuing medical education performance in situations of illness, hardship, or military service on written petition by the applicant, and may waive the requirement or enter a consent agreement giving the physician more time |
The osteopathic physician must have attended at least 100 hours of board approved continuing medical education in the two years preceding renewal, and at least 40 percent of those hours (40 hours) must be osteopathic medical education. category_1_minimum records that 40 hour osteopathic minimum: Board Rule Chapter 14 defines osteopathic medical education for primary care physicians (family or general practitioners, general internists, and general pediatricians) as CME designated Category 1 by the AOA, and for osteopathic specialists as CME designated Category 1 by the AOA, the ACGME, or the AMA. Continuing medical education generally means any educational activity designated Category 1 or 2 by the AOA, the ACGME, or the AMA. The board may not require certification by a specialty medical board or osteopathic continuous certification as a condition of licensure or renewal. Relicensure fees are waived for osteopathic physicians aged 70 or older on January 1 of the relicensure year, but the CME requirement still applies without regard to age. Carryover of unused hours is not addressed in the statute or rule and is left null.
Required CE topics for Maine osteopathic physician (do)s
State-specific subject mandates. Where a mandate applies only to some licensees, the scope is listed.
| Topic | Hours | Frequency | Applies to | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continuing education on the prescription of opioid medicationThree hours of continuing education every two years on the prescription of opioid medication. The board is directed to adopt rules implementing the requirement; the implementing rule (Board Rule Chapter 21, Use of Controlled Substances for Treatment of Pain) was not read, so whether the hours must be Category 1 and whether they count toward the 100 hour total are not recorded here. | 3 CME credits | Every renewal | Licensees whose scope of practice includes prescribing opioid medication; the statute makes the training a condition of prescribing opioid medication | 32 M.R.S. 2600-C(4) |
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | Yes |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | Not stated |
| Board audits compliance | Yes |
| Approved providers | CME must come from formalized programs sponsored by recognized associations, colleges or universities, hospitals, institutes, or groups approved by the board; a current approved list is kept in the office of the board's secretary-treasurer. As part of the renewal application each physician must append satisfactory evidence, or complete a board form certifying, that the required 100 hours including the 40 osteopathic hours were obtained. Satisfactory evidence means an AOA print out, sponsor generated documentation of attendance or completion, a completed and scored CME quiz, or other documentation acceptable to the board. In each odd numbered year the board conducts a random audit of 10 percent of licensed physicians and gives the selected physician 30 days to produce evidence. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Maine DO need to renew?
- Maine osteopathic physicians (DO) must complete 100 CME credits of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Maine Board of Osteopathic Licensure. The osteopathic physician must have attended at least 100 hours of board approved continuing medical education in the two years preceding renewal, and at least 40 percent of those hours (40 hours) must be osteopathic medical education. category_1_minimum records that 40 hour osteopathic minimum: Board Rule Chapter 14 defines osteopathic medical education for primary care physicians (family or general practitioners, general internists, and general pediatricians) as CME designated Category 1 by the AOA, and for osteopathic specialists as CME designated Category 1 by the AOA, the ACGME, or the AMA. Continuing medical education generally means any educational activity designated Category 1 or 2 by the AOA, the ACGME, or the AMA. The board may not require certification by a specialty medical board or osteopathic continuous certification as a condition of licensure or renewal. Relicensure fees are waived for osteopathic physicians aged 70 or older on January 1 of the relicensure year, but the CME requirement still applies without regard to age. Carryover of unused hours is not addressed in the statute or rule and is left null.
- How often does a Maine DO license need to be renewed?
- Osteopathic Physician (DO) licenses in Maine renew every two years. An osteopathic physician's license is issued for two years and must be renewed by the last day of the physician's birth month. A physician born in an even numbered year renews in even numbered years and a physician born in an odd numbered year renews in odd numbered years. The board sends notice and blank renewal forms at least 60 days before expiration. A licensee who fails to submit the renewal, the fee, or evidence of CME automatically forfeits the right to practice, and the license may be considered lapsed if the failure is not corrected within 30 days of the board's notice.
- What specific CE topics are required for Maine osteopathic physicians (DO)?
- Continuing education on the prescription of opioid medication: 3 CME credits every renewal cycle (licensees whose scope of practice includes prescribing opioid medication; the statute makes the training a condition of prescribing opioid medication). Citations: continuing education on the prescription of opioid medication (32 M.R.S. 2600-C(4)).
- Do Maine osteopathic physicians (DO) have to submit CE certificates at renewal?
- Proof of completion must be submitted with the renewal and the board audits a sample of renewals and asks for documentation. CME must come from formalized programs sponsored by recognized associations, colleges or universities, hospitals, institutes, or groups approved by the board; a current approved list is kept in the office of the board's secretary-treasurer. As part of the renewal application each physician must append satisfactory evidence, or complete a board form certifying, that the required 100 hours including the 40 osteopathic hours were obtained. Satisfactory evidence means an AOA print out, sponsor generated documentation of attendance or completion, a completed and scored CME quiz, or other documentation acceptable to the board. In each odd numbered year the board conducts a random audit of 10 percent of licensed physicians and gives the selected physician 30 days to produce evidence.
Sources
Last verified September 7, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.
- 32 M.R.S. 2581, Licenses; biennial relicensure; fees; reinstatementStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 7, 2026
- 32 M.R.S. 2600-C, Requirements regarding prescription of opioid medicationStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 7, 2026
- Licensure, Maine Board of Osteopathic LicensureState board page, accessed September 7, 2026
- Rules, Guidelines, Policies and Statutes, Maine Board of Osteopathic LicensureState board page, accessed September 7, 2026
- 02-383 C.M.R. ch. 14, sec. 1, Continuing Medical Education: Definitions (Cornell LII mirror)Third-party summary, accessed September 7, 2026
- 02-383 C.M.R. ch. 14, sec. 2, Continuing Medical Education (Cornell LII mirror)Third-party summary, accessed September 7, 2026
- 02-383 C.M.R. ch. 14, sec. 3, Random Audits (Cornell LII mirror)Third-party summary, accessed September 7, 2026
- 02-383 C.M.R. ch. 19, sec. 2, Physician Schedule for License Renewal: expiration (Cornell LII mirror)Third-party summary, accessed September 7, 2026
- 02-383 C.M.R. ch. 19, sec. 3, Physician Schedule for License Renewal: renewal (Cornell LII mirror)Third-party summary, accessed September 7, 2026
Maine runs two separate physician boards and this record covers only the Board of Osteopathic Licensure (32 M.R.S. ch. 36). Its requirements differ sharply from the Board of Licensure in Medicine, which requires 40 Category 1 hours per biennium for MDs: the osteopathic board requires 100 hours with a 40 hour osteopathic medical education minimum. The 100 hour and 40 percent figures were read in 32 M.R.S. 2581 and confirmed in Board Rule Chapter 14. The birth month, odd or even birth year schedule was read in Board Rule Chapter 19. The board's own website does not state the hour total in HTML: its rules, including Chapter 14 (Continuing Medical Education) and Chapter 21 (Use of Controlled Substances for Treatment of Pain), are posted only as PDFs, so the rule text was read from the Cornell LII mirror of the Code of Maine Rules and cited as a third party summary. Chapter 21 was not read, so the detail of the opioid CME beyond the statute is not recorded. One internal inconsistency is worth flagging: Chapter 14 section 2(2), adopted in 1998 and amended in 1999, still refers to reporting CME to the board by January 1 of each even numbered year, which predates the birth month renewal schedule set by Chapter 19 for licenses expiring after December 31, 2003. Chapter 19 and 32 M.R.S. 2581 control the renewal date. Record retention period, carryover, and any first renewal proration were not stated in the sources read. The Board of Osteopathic Licensure and the Board of Licensure in Medicine have a merger feasibility workgroup underway.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Maine Board of Osteopathic Licensure before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.