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Mississippi Physician (MD) license renewal and CE requirements

Mississippi physicians (MD) must complete 40 CME credits of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure.

A Mississippi physician license is renewed annually for the state fiscal year that begins July 1 and ends June 30. Completion of the 40 hour continuing medical education requirement is certified on the annual renewal form in even numbered years, at the end of each two year CME cycle. Renewals are filed online through MELS, the board's Medical Enforcement and Licensure System.

Renewal cycle
Annual
Same date for every licensee
CE per cycle
40
CME credits every two years
Mandated topics
2
required subjects
Last verified
September 7, 2026
15 days ago

Summary

Mississippi physicians (MD) must complete 40 CME credits of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure. A Mississippi physician license is renewed annually for the state fiscal year that begins July 1 and ends June 30. Completion of the 40 hour continuing medical education requirement is certified on the annual renewal form in even numbered years, at the end of each two year CME cycle. Renewals are filed online through MELS, the board's Medical Enforcement and Licensure System. Mississippi also mandates specific subjects. Prescribing of medications with an emphasis on controlled substances: 5 CME credits every renewal cycle (licensees with an active DEA certificate). Pain management, addiction, or prescribing of opiates: 30 CME credits every renewal cycle (physicians registered with the board to practice in, own, or operate a pain management medical practice). Hours do not carry over between cycles and the first renewal is exempt.

Mississippi 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 cycleAnnual (12 months)
Renewal deadlineSame date for every licensee, 06/30 each cycle
Continuing education requiredYes
Hours per cycle40 CME creditsCounted over a two-year window, separate from the renewal cycle.
Category 1 minimum40 CME credits
Self-study or online capNo cap stated
Carryover to next cycleNo
First renewal exemptYes
Other accepted activitiesMaintaining active certification with a specialty board recognized by the ABMS or the AOA is one of the two accepted ways to demonstrate CME compliance; lifetime certification without ongoing maintenance of certification does not satisfy it; A licensee who cannot meet the requirement for legitimate cause may request a waiver, submitted before April 1 of the final year of the CME cycle and granted at the board's discretion

Every Mississippi licensee must earn not less than 40 hours of Category 1 continuing medical education in a two year cycle as a condition precedent to renewing the license for the next fiscal year, so category_1_minimum equals the total. The CME cycle is two years while the license is renewed annually, which is why cycle_months is 24 while renewal.cycle_months is 12; the board lists the cycles as July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2026, July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2028, and July 1, 2028 to June 30, 2030. Category 1 includes programs sponsored or conducted by organizations approved by the Mississippi State Medical Association, the AMA, or the ACCME, AOA Category 1-A programs for osteopathic physicians, AAFP prescribed hours, ACOG cognates, and Council on Podiatric Medical Education Category 1-A programs for podiatrists. Excess hours may not be carried over to another two year cycle. Physicians who receive an initial Mississippi license after June 30, or initial ABMS or AOA board certification after June 30, are exempt from the requirement for the two year period following, and the 40 hours are first due in the next two year cycle. Beginning February 27, 2026 physicians no longer submit CME documentation to the board and instead demonstrate compliance through a board recognized tracking organization (CE Broker, the ACCME, the ABMS, or the AOA) or through active specialty board certification.

Required CE topics for Mississippi physician (md)s

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

TopicHoursFrequencyApplies toCitation
Prescribing of medications with an emphasis on controlled substancesFive of the 40 Category 1 hours in each two year cycle must relate to the prescribing of medications with an emphasis on controlled substances. The board states on its CME pages that the one time eight hour training on opioid or other substance use disorders required of DEA registrants by Section 303 of the Controlled Substances Act satisfies the board's controlled substance training requirement, and that no additional controlled substance training is required once that DEA training is complete.5 CME creditsEvery renewalLicensees with an active DEA certificate30 Miss. Admin. Code Pt. 2610, R. 2.1
Pain management, addiction, or prescribing of opiatesA physician who qualifies to practice in a pain management medical practice must complete 30 hours of Category 1 CME each year for continued registration with the board, with emphasis in pain management, addiction, or prescribing of opiates. The hours may be included in the 40 hour licensure renewal requirement, and excess hours may not be carried over to another two year cycle. The hours figure recorded here is per year; the frequency of every_cycle reflects the annual license renewal cycle.30 CME creditsEvery renewalPhysicians registered with the board to practice in, own, or operate a pain management medical practice30 Miss. Admin. Code Pt. 2640, R. 1.14

Documentation and audit

Proof submitted at renewalNo, attestation only
Keep records for3 years
Board audits complianceYes
Approved providersCategory 1 programs must be sponsored or conducted by organizations approved by the Mississippi State Medical Association, the AMA, or the ACCME; AOA accredited Category 1-A programs, AAFP prescribed hours, and ACOG cognates also qualify. Since February 27, 2026 MD and DO licensees no longer submit CME documentation to the board and instead either keep an account with a board recognized tracking organization (CE Broker, ACCME, ABMS, or AOA) that identifies their Mississippi license, or maintain active ABMS or AOA specialty board certification. Every licensee must still certify completion on the annual renewal application and keep certificates of attendance, completion certificates, proof of registration, or similar sponsor documentation for three years following the year the credits were earned, subject to examination by the board. The board randomly selects physicians for compliance review and allows six months to cure a deficiency; failure to keep or produce records is declared unprofessional conduct.

Common questions

How many CE hours does a Mississippi MD need to renew?
Mississippi physicians (MD) must complete 40 CME credits of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure. Every Mississippi licensee must earn not less than 40 hours of Category 1 continuing medical education in a two year cycle as a condition precedent to renewing the license for the next fiscal year, so category_1_minimum equals the total. The CME cycle is two years while the license is renewed annually, which is why cycle_months is 24 while renewal.cycle_months is 12; the board lists the cycles as July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2026, July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2028, and July 1, 2028 to June 30, 2030. Category 1 includes programs sponsored or conducted by organizations approved by the Mississippi State Medical Association, the AMA, or the ACCME, AOA Category 1-A programs for osteopathic physicians, AAFP prescribed hours, ACOG cognates, and Council on Podiatric Medical Education Category 1-A programs for podiatrists. Excess hours may not be carried over to another two year cycle. Physicians who receive an initial Mississippi license after June 30, or initial ABMS or AOA board certification after June 30, are exempt from the requirement for the two year period following, and the 40 hours are first due in the next two year cycle. Beginning February 27, 2026 physicians no longer submit CME documentation to the board and instead demonstrate compliance through a board recognized tracking organization (CE Broker, the ACCME, the ABMS, or the AOA) or through active specialty board certification.
How often does a Mississippi MD license need to be renewed?
Physician (MD) licenses in Mississippi renew every year. A Mississippi physician license is renewed annually for the state fiscal year that begins July 1 and ends June 30. Completion of the 40 hour continuing medical education requirement is certified on the annual renewal form in even numbered years, at the end of each two year CME cycle. Renewals are filed online through MELS, the board's Medical Enforcement and Licensure System.
What specific CE topics are required for Mississippi physicians (MD)?
Prescribing of medications with an emphasis on controlled substances: 5 CME credits every renewal cycle (licensees with an active DEA certificate). Pain management, addiction, or prescribing of opiates: 30 CME credits every renewal cycle (physicians registered with the board to practice in, own, or operate a pain management medical practice). Citations: prescribing of medications with an emphasis on controlled substances (30 Miss. Admin. Code Pt. 2610, R. 2.1) and pain management, addiction, or prescribing of opiates (30 Miss. Admin. Code Pt. 2640, R. 1.14).
Do Mississippi 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 3 years. Category 1 programs must be sponsored or conducted by organizations approved by the Mississippi State Medical Association, the AMA, or the ACCME; AOA accredited Category 1-A programs, AAFP prescribed hours, and ACOG cognates also qualify. Since February 27, 2026 MD and DO licensees no longer submit CME documentation to the board and instead either keep an account with a board recognized tracking organization (CE Broker, ACCME, ABMS, or AOA) that identifies their Mississippi license, or maintain active ABMS or AOA specialty board certification. Every licensee must still certify completion on the annual renewal application and keep certificates of attendance, completion certificates, proof of registration, or similar sponsor documentation for three years following the year the credits were earned, subject to examination by the board. The board randomly selects physicians for compliance review and allows six months to cure a deficiency; failure to keep or produce records is declared unprofessional conduct.
Is the first Mississippi MD renewal exempt from CE?
Yes. Mississippi 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.

Mississippi regulates MDs and DOs through one board, the Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure, whose CME page states that continuing medical education is required for all Mississippi physician (MD and DO) licensees and that physicians (MD and DO) must complete 40 hours of Category 1 CME per two year cycle. The MD and DO records therefore carry identical values and cite the same sources. The rules recognize AOA Category 1-A programs alongside AMA and ACCME Category 1 for this purpose. The 40 hour figure, the 5 hour controlled substances component for DEA registrants, the no carryover rule, the initial license exemption, the three year record retention, and the annual fiscal year renewal were read in 30 Miss. Admin. Code Pt. 2610, Ch. 2; the pain management practice CME was read in Pt. 2640, R. 1.14. Board rules are published on the board's Regulation Filings page as documents, so the rule text was read from the Cornell LII mirror of the Mississippi Administrative Code and cited as a third party summary. One point deserves a reader's attention rather than being treated as a source conflict: the rule requires 5 hours of Category 1 CME on prescribing with an emphasis on controlled substances each cycle for licensees with an active DEA certificate, while the board's own 2026 notice states the one time 8 hour federal DEA training satisfies the board's controlled substance training requirement and that no additional controlled substance training is required once completed. Both are recorded above. The board's site has no separate HTML renewal page stating the expiration date, so the July 1 to June 30 fiscal year comes from Pt. 2610, R. 2.6 and from the CME cycle table on the board's CME page. Whether the first renewal is prorated was not stated in the sources read.

Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.