Michigan Physician (MD) license renewal and CE requirements
Michigan physicians (MD) must complete 150 CME credits of continuing education every three years to renew their license with the Michigan Board of Medicine (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing).
Medicine licenses expire triennially and must be renewed every 3 years on or before the license issue date. A license not renewed by the expiration date may still be renewed within 60 days after it on payment of the renewal and late renewal fees plus completion of the continuing education requirements, and the licensee may keep practicing during that 60 day window. After 60 days the license is null and void; relicensure is possible within 3 years of the expiration date on application and fees, and after 3 years only as a new applicant.
Summary
Michigan physicians (MD) must complete 150 CME credits of continuing education every three years to renew their license with the Michigan Board of Medicine (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing). Medicine licenses expire triennially and must be renewed every 3 years on or before the license issue date. A license not renewed by the expiration date may still be renewed within 60 days after it on payment of the renewal and late renewal fees plus completion of the continuing education requirements, and the licensee may keep practicing during that 60 day window. After 60 days the license is null and void; relicensure is possible within 3 years of the expiration date on application and fees, and after 3 years only as a new applicant. Michigan also mandates specific subjects. Medical ethics: 1 CME credit every renewal cycle. Pain and symptom management: 3 CME credits every renewal cycle. Implicit bias training: 3 CME credits every renewal cycle. Training in identifying victims of human trafficking: a one-time requirement.
Michigan 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 | Three-year (36 months) |
|---|---|
| Renewal deadline | Tied to the original issue date |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 150 CME credits |
| Category 1 minimum | 75 CME credits |
| Self-study or online cap | No cap stated |
| Carryover to next cycle | Not stated |
| First renewal exempt | Not stated |
| Other accepted activities | Taking and passing a specialty board certification or recertification examination recognized by the ABMS, the American Board of Physician Specialties, or the National Board of Physicians and Surgeons: 50 hours, maximum 50 per renewal period; Completing an activity required for maintenance of a specialty certification that does not otherwise qualify: 1 hour per 60 minutes spent, maximum 30 per renewal period; Participation in a qualifying clinical training program, enrolled at least 5 months in a 12 month period: 50 hours per year, maximum 150 per renewal period; Serving as a clinical instructor for medical students or residents in a qualifying postgraduate training program, where instruction is not the licensee's primary employment: 2 hours per 50 to 60 minutes of scheduled instruction, maximum 48 per renewal period; Initial presentation of a scientific exhibit, poster, or paper to a professional medical organization: 2 hours each, maximum 24 per renewal period; Publication of a scientific article in a peer reviewed journal: 6 hours as primary author, 3 as secondary author, maximum 24 per renewal period; Initial publication of a chapter or part of a chapter in a professional healthcare or peer reviewed textbook: 5 hours as primary author, 2 as secondary author, maximum 24 per renewal period; Participating on a peer review, utilization review, patient care, or national or state committee related to the practice of medicine, attending at least half the regular meetings: 18 hours, maximum 18 per renewal period |
An applicant for renewal who has been licensed in the 3 year period immediately preceding the application must accumulate a minimum of 150 hours of continuing education approved under R 338.2443. Michigan counts hours of continuing education rather than a named credit type; at least 75 of the 150 must be category 1, which R 338.2443(2) defines as programs approved or offered by the American Medical Association, the Michigan State Medical Society, the ACCME (including non ACCME providers in joint providership with an ACCME accredited provider), the American Osteopathic Association, or the Michigan Osteopathic Association, plus the specialty board and clinical training equivalencies listed in alternatives_accepted. No credit is granted for a program identical or substantially equivalent to one already credited in the same renewal period. Implicit bias training completed during the 3 years preceding renewal may be applied toward the 150 hours. A licensee may request a waiver of the continuing education requirements no later than 30 days before the last regularly scheduled board meeting before the license expires. General carryover is not addressed in the rules and is left null, although implicit bias hours specifically may not be carried forward.
Required CE topics for Michigan 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medical ethicsA minimum of 1 of the 150 hours must be earned in medical ethics. | 1 CME credit | Every renewal | All licensees | Mich. Admin. Code R 338.2443(1)(b) |
| Pain and symptom managementA minimum of 3 of the 150 hours must be earned in pain and symptom management, and at least 1 of the 3 must include controlled substances prescribing. Acceptable content includes the public health burden of pain, ethics and health policy related to pain, Michigan pain and controlled substance laws, pain definitions, basic and clinical sciences related to pain, specific pain conditions, physician communication about pain, evaluation and pharmacological and non pharmacological treatment, quality pain care and controlled substances prescribing, and relevant Michigan programs and resources. | 3 CME credits | Every renewal | All licensees | Mich. Admin. Code R 338.2443(1)(c); MCL 333.17033(2) |
| Implicit bias trainingAn applicant for license renewal must complete a minimum of 1 hour of implicit bias training for each year of the license cycle, which is 3 hours for the 3 year physician cycle. An applicant for an initial license must have completed 2 hours within the 5 years immediately preceding issuance. Unless prohibited by the code or rules the training may be used to satisfy other continuing education requirements for renewal. Hours cannot be carried forward from one renewal cycle to the next, and duplicate or substantially identical training earns no credit in the same cycle. Content must address implicit bias, equitable access to healthcare, serving a diverse population, or cultural sensitivity, and must include pre and post test implicit bias assessments. | 3 CME credits | Every renewal | All licensees | Mich. Admin. Code R 338.7004 |
| Training in identifying victims of human traffickingTraining must cover the types and venues of human trafficking, identifying victims in healthcare settings, the warning signs for adults and minors, and resources for reporting suspected victims. Acceptable formats include teleconference or webinar, online or live presentation, printed or electronic media, or reading a qualifying article in a peer reviewed, healthcare, professional, or scientific journal. The rule sets no hour value. Proof is a completion certificate or a self certification statement, produced only if the department audits. MCL 333.16148 makes the standards apply for a license renewal beginning with the first renewal cycle after the rules were promulgated and for an initial license issued 5 or more years after promulgation. | Not stated | One time | All licensees | MCL 333.16148; Mich. Admin. Code R 338.2413 |
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | No, attestation only |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | 4 years |
| Board audits compliance | Yes |
| Approved providers | Category 1 activities must be approved or offered by the American Medical Association, the Michigan State Medical Society, the ACCME (including non ACCME accredited providers in joint providership with an ACCME accredited provider), the American Osteopathic Association, or the Michigan Osteopathic Association; the number of hours is the number the sponsor or approving organization assigns. Submitting the renewal application is itself the licensee's certification of compliance. The licensee must keep documentation for 4 years after the date of applying for renewal, and the department may select and audit a sample of licensees who have renewed and request proof; failure to satisfy the rule violates MCL 333.16221(h). |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Michigan MD need to renew?
- Michigan physicians (MD) must complete 150 CME credits of continuing education every three years to renew their license with the Michigan Board of Medicine (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing). An applicant for renewal who has been licensed in the 3 year period immediately preceding the application must accumulate a minimum of 150 hours of continuing education approved under R 338.2443. Michigan counts hours of continuing education rather than a named credit type; at least 75 of the 150 must be category 1, which R 338.2443(2) defines as programs approved or offered by the American Medical Association, the Michigan State Medical Society, the ACCME (including non ACCME providers in joint providership with an ACCME accredited provider), the American Osteopathic Association, or the Michigan Osteopathic Association, plus the specialty board and clinical training equivalencies listed in alternatives_accepted. No credit is granted for a program identical or substantially equivalent to one already credited in the same renewal period. Implicit bias training completed during the 3 years preceding renewal may be applied toward the 150 hours. A licensee may request a waiver of the continuing education requirements no later than 30 days before the last regularly scheduled board meeting before the license expires. General carryover is not addressed in the rules and is left null, although implicit bias hours specifically may not be carried forward.
- How often does a Michigan MD license need to be renewed?
- Physician (MD) licenses in Michigan renew every three years. Medicine licenses expire triennially and must be renewed every 3 years on or before the license issue date. A license not renewed by the expiration date may still be renewed within 60 days after it on payment of the renewal and late renewal fees plus completion of the continuing education requirements, and the licensee may keep practicing during that 60 day window. After 60 days the license is null and void; relicensure is possible within 3 years of the expiration date on application and fees, and after 3 years only as a new applicant.
- What specific CE topics are required for Michigan physicians (MD)?
- Medical ethics: 1 CME credit every renewal cycle. Pain and symptom management: 3 CME credits every renewal cycle. Implicit bias training: 3 CME credits every renewal cycle. Training in identifying victims of human trafficking: a one-time requirement. Citations: medical ethics (Mich. Admin. Code R 338.2443(1)(b)), pain and symptom management (Mich. Admin. Code R 338.2443(1)(c); MCL 333.17033(2)), implicit bias training (Mich. Admin. Code R 338.7004), and training in identifying victims of human trafficking (MCL 333.16148; Mich. Admin. Code R 338.2413).
- Do Michigan physicians (MD) 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 4 years. Category 1 activities must be approved or offered by the American Medical Association, the Michigan State Medical Society, the ACCME (including non ACCME accredited providers in joint providership with an ACCME accredited provider), the American Osteopathic Association, or the Michigan Osteopathic Association; the number of hours is the number the sponsor or approving organization assigns. Submitting the renewal application is itself the licensee's certification of compliance. The licensee must keep documentation for 4 years after the date of applying for renewal, and the department may select and audit a sample of licensees who have renewed and request proof; failure to satisfy the rule violates MCL 333.16221(h).
Sources
Last verified September 7, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.
- Mich. Admin. Code R 338.7002, Triennial license or registration renewal; expiration (Cornell LII mirror)Third-party summary, accessed September 7, 2026
- Mich. Admin. Code R 338.7004, Implicit bias training standards (Cornell LII mirror)Third-party summary, accessed September 7, 2026
- MCL 333.16201, Renewal of license or registrationStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 7, 2026
- MCL 333.16148, Rules; training standards for identifying victims of human traffickingStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 7, 2026
- Medicine, Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional LicensingState board page, accessed September 7, 2026
- Mich. Admin. Code R 338.2441, License renewals, Board of Medicine (Cornell LII mirror)Third-party summary, accessed September 7, 2026
- Mich. Admin. Code R 338.2443, Acceptable continuing education; requirements; limitations, Board of Medicine (Cornell LII mirror)Third-party summary, accessed September 7, 2026
- Mich. Admin. Code R 338.2413, Training standards for identifying victims of human trafficking, Board of Medicine (Cornell LII mirror)Third-party summary, accessed September 7, 2026
Michigan regulates MDs and DOs through two separate boards under LARA with separate rule sets, and this record cites only the Board of Medicine rules (R 338.2401 to R 338.2443). The DO record cites only the Board of Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery rules (R 338.110 to R 338.143). Both boards require 150 hours over a 3 year cycle with 1 hour of medical ethics and 3 hours of pain and symptom management including 1 hour of controlled substances prescribing, but the category 1 minimum differs: 75 hours for MDs against 60 hours for DOs, and the osteopathic rule additionally requires at least 40 hours from AOA or Michigan Osteopathic Association programs and caps AMA, ACCME, and Michigan State Medical Society programs at 110 hours, none of which appears in the Board of Medicine rule. The statutory citation for the pain requirement also differs (MCL 333.17033(2) for medicine, MCL 333.17533(2) for osteopathic medicine). The triennial issue date renewal comes from R 338.7002, which lists Medicine and Osteopathic medicine and surgery together. Michigan publishes its administrative rules through the Office of Administrative Hearings and Rules; the rule text here was read from the Cornell LII mirror of the Michigan Administrative Code and is cited as a third party summary, with the statutes read on the Michigan Legislature site. The LARA Medicine page was read and confirms the board name and that medicine is regulated through the Public Health Code and the Medicine General Rules, but it does not state hour totals in the page text, so no renewal_url is recorded. Whether the first renewal is prorated or exempt, and whether general continuing education hours carry over, are not stated in the rules read.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Michigan Board of Medicine (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing) before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.