North Dakota Osteopathic Physician (DO) license renewal and CE requirements
North Dakota osteopathic physicians (DO) must complete 40 CME credits of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the North Dakota Board of Medicine.
Physician licenses expire on the licensee's birthdate every other year. The license can be renewed starting 59 days before the expiration date, and the board emails notifications 59 days and again 14 days before expiration, so keeping a current email address on file matters. An expired license can still be renewed online for up to three years after expiration; after three years a new application is required.
Summary
North Dakota osteopathic physicians (DO) must complete 40 CME credits of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the North Dakota Board of Medicine. Physician licenses expire on the licensee's birthdate every other year. The license can be renewed starting 59 days before the expiration date, and the board emails notifications 59 days and again 14 days before expiration, so keeping a current email address on file matters. An expired license can still be renewed online for up to three years after expiration; after three years a new application is required. North Dakota also mandates specific subjects. North Dakota abortion laws instructional course: required on a periodic schedule set by the board (only physicians who perform an abortion; not required where the procedure is deemed a medical emergency).
North Dakota 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 dateFirst renewal is prorated. |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 40 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 | Current certification, maintenance of certification, or recertification by a member board of the American Board of Medical Specialties, the American Osteopathic Association, or the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, accepted in lieu of compliance with the continuing education requirement as of August 1, 2023, so those physicians need not submit proof of CME hours |
Under laws and rules taking effect April 1, 2024, licensed physicians must complete 40 AMA Category 1 hours of continuing medical education every two years, so category_1_minimum equals the full total. Each physician certifies compliance at renewal on a graduated scale: no CME if licensed less than one year, 20 hours if licensed one year but less than two, and 40 hours if licensed two years but less than three. Physicians enrolled in a full-time graduate medical education program, holding a locum tenens permit or a special license, or retired from active practice are excepted. Unit recorded as CME credits; the board's term is AMA Category 1 hours. exempt_first_renewal is left null because the board describes a graduated scale rather than an exemption, and renewal.first_renewal_prorated records that scale. The board has joined the ACCME so that providers can report participation directly, and physicians can track credits through CME Passport.
Required CE topics for North Dakota 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Dakota abortion laws instructional courseAs of January 2026 a physician who performs an abortion must review the board's instructional course within two years before performing the procedure. A certification is issued at the end of the course and the physician is responsible for maintaining records of compliance. The board's page does not state an hour value, so hours are left null, and no statutory citation appeared on the page read. The canonical topic key list has no entry for this subject, so the short snake_case key abortion_law is used. | Not stated | Periodic | Only physicians who perform an abortion; not required where the procedure is deemed a medical emergency | Not stated |
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | No, attestation only |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | 1 years |
| Board audits compliance | Yes |
| Approved providers | The board counts AMA Category 1 hours and has joined the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education so that CME providers can report participation directly to the ACCME, where the board can view and verify it. If CME is not in the ACCME database and the physician is audited, the physician must supply the name of the CME provider, the name of the program, hours completed, dates of attendance, evidence of credit designation, and verification of attendance. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a North Dakota DO need to renew?
- North Dakota osteopathic physicians (DO) must complete 40 CME credits of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the North Dakota Board of Medicine. Under laws and rules taking effect April 1, 2024, licensed physicians must complete 40 AMA Category 1 hours of continuing medical education every two years, so category_1_minimum equals the full total. Each physician certifies compliance at renewal on a graduated scale: no CME if licensed less than one year, 20 hours if licensed one year but less than two, and 40 hours if licensed two years but less than three. Physicians enrolled in a full-time graduate medical education program, holding a locum tenens permit or a special license, or retired from active practice are excepted. Unit recorded as CME credits; the board's term is AMA Category 1 hours. exempt_first_renewal is left null because the board describes a graduated scale rather than an exemption, and renewal.first_renewal_prorated records that scale. The board has joined the ACCME so that providers can report participation directly, and physicians can track credits through CME Passport.
- How often does a North Dakota DO license need to be renewed?
- Osteopathic Physician (DO) licenses in North Dakota renew every two years. Physician licenses expire on the licensee's birthdate every other year. The license can be renewed starting 59 days before the expiration date, and the board emails notifications 59 days and again 14 days before expiration, so keeping a current email address on file matters. An expired license can still be renewed online for up to three years after expiration; after three years a new application is required.
- What specific CE topics are required for North Dakota osteopathic physicians (DO)?
- North Dakota abortion laws instructional course: required on a periodic schedule set by the board (only physicians who perform an abortion; not required where the procedure is deemed a medical emergency).
- Do North Dakota 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 1 years. The board counts AMA Category 1 hours and has joined the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education so that CME providers can report participation directly to the ACCME, where the board can view and verify it. If CME is not in the ACCME database and the physician is audited, the physician must supply the name of the CME provider, the name of the program, hours completed, dates of attendance, evidence of credit designation, and verification of attendance.
Sources
Last verified September 7, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.
- Continuing Medical Education, North Dakota Board of MedicineState board page, accessed September 7, 2026
- Renew or Reactivate a Medical License, North Dakota Board of MedicineState board page, accessed September 7, 2026
- Laws and Rules, North Dakota Board of MedicineState board page, accessed September 7, 2026
North Dakota has no separate osteopathic board. The North Dakota Board of Medicine licenses both MDs and DOs through a single physician application, so this record and nd-physician_md cite the same sources and carry the same values. Both the two year birthdate cycle and the 40 hour Category 1 requirement were read from the board's own pages. One caution about the board's site: an older page at ndbom.org/practitioners/cme.asp, stamped as updated in February 2022, still describes 60 AMA Category 1 hours every three years. The physician-specific CME page, stamped as updated in April 2026, states that under new laws and rules taking effect April 1, 2024 the requirement is 40 hours every two years, so the stated effective date resolves the discrepancy in favour of 40 hours every two years. North Dakota Century Code section 43-17-27.1 and North Dakota Administrative Code chapter 50-04-01 are the underlying law, but both are published only as PDFs on the legislature's site and were deliberately not downloaded, so carryover, any hour value for the abortion laws course, and any statutory citation for it are left null. Retention of one year and the audit process were read from the board's CME page. The board's physician navigation labels its application section Applications (MD/DO), and it accepts American Osteopathic Association certification, maintenance of certification or recertification in lieu of CME on the same terms as ABMS certification. No separate osteopathic hour total, cycle or mandated topic exists in North Dakota, and the board states the requirement in AMA Category 1 hours for all physicians rather than in AOA credits.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the North Dakota Board of Medicine before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.