Pennsylvania Physician (MD) license renewal and CE requirements
Pennsylvania physicians (MD) must complete 100 CME credits of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Pennsylvania State Board of Medicine.
Medical doctor licenses expire December 31 of every even-numbered year and are renewed biennially through PALS. The board emails a renewal notice about 60 days before expiration, but failure to send or receive it does not relieve the licensee of the duty to renew. Failing to pay the biennial fee on time puts the license in unregistered status, and anyone who keeps practicing owes 5 dollars for each month past the deadline and may face discipline.
Summary
Pennsylvania physicians (MD) must complete 100 CME credits of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Pennsylvania State Board of Medicine. Medical doctor licenses expire December 31 of every even-numbered year and are renewed biennially through PALS. The board emails a renewal notice about 60 days before expiration, but failure to send or receive it does not relieve the licensee of the duty to renew. Failing to pay the biennial fee on time puts the license in unregistered status, and anyone who keeps practicing owes 5 dollars for each month past the deadline and may face discipline. Pennsylvania also mandates specific subjects. Child abuse recognition and reporting: 2 CME credits every renewal cycle. Patient safety and risk management: 12 CME credits every renewal cycle. Pain management, identification of addiction, or prescribing and dispensing opioids: 2 CME credits every renewal cycle (licensees who hold a current DEA registration or who use the DEA registration of another person or entity). Organ and tissue donation and recovery process: a one-time requirement of 2 CME credits. The first renewal is exempt.
Pennsylvania 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, 12/31 each cycle |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 100 CME credits |
| Category 1 minimum | 20 CME credits |
| Self-study or online cap | No cap stated |
| Carryover to next cycle | Not stated |
| First renewal exempt | Yes |
100 credit hours in the preceding biennial period (49 Pa. Code 16.19(b)). At least 20 must be AMA PRA Category 1. At least 12 must be AMA PRA Category 1 or Category 2 in patient safety and risk management. At least 2 must be approved child abuse recognition and reporting training. Physicians who hold a DEA registration, or who use another's DEA registration, must include at least 2 hours in pain management, the identification of addiction, or the practices of prescribing or dispensing opioids, in Category 1 or Category 2; the PA-SUPPORT curriculum satisfies this but is not required. The remaining hours may be Category 1 or Category 2. No credit is granted for courses in office management or practice building. A first-time Pennsylvania licensee is exempt from CME for the biennial renewal period following initial licensure; holders of a temporary training license, retired physicians treating only immediate family, and physicians on inactive status are also exempt, though reinstating an inactive or lapsed license requires proof of compliance for the preceding biennium. A physician suspended for disciplinary reasons is not exempt. The board may grant a hardship waiver of all or part of the requirement for serious illness, military service, or other good cause, on written request with documentation.
Required CE topics for Pennsylvania 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Child abuse recognition and reportingA condition of biennial renewal and part of the 100-hour total. The course must be approved by the Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs in consultation with the Department of Human Services, and the board will not renew until the Bureau receives an electronic report from the approved provider showing attendance in the applicable renewal period. Initial licensure requires 3 hours instead of 2. A written exemption is possible in narrow cases, and it is granted for one renewal period at a time; the board will not exempt a physician simply because children are not part of the practice. | 2 CME credits | Every renewal | All licensees | 49 Pa. Code 16.108(b); 49 Pa. Code 16.15(c.1); 23 Pa.C.S. 6383(b)(2) |
| Patient safety and risk managementAMA PRA Category 1 or Category 2. The rule lists qualifying topics: improving medical records and recordkeeping, reducing medical errors, professional conduct and ethics, improving communications, preventative medicine, and healthcare quality improvement. Counts toward the 100-hour total. | 12 CME credits | Every renewal | All licensees | 49 Pa. Code 16.19(b)(1) |
| Pain management, identification of addiction, or prescribing and dispensing opioidsAMA PRA Category 1 or Category 2. The board's PA-SUPPORT safe opioid prescription curriculum satisfies the requirement but is not mandatory curriculum. Counts toward the 100-hour total. | 2 CME credits | Every renewal | Licensees who hold a current DEA registration or who use the DEA registration of another person or entity | 49 Pa. Code 16.19(b)(1) |
| Organ and tissue donation and recovery processEffective May 1, 2026, a one-time 2 credit hour requirement using the board-approved curriculum posted on the board's website, covering the donation and transplantation system, tissue donation, organ donation, determining death and family communication, caring for families, and organ donor management. A physician licensed before May 1, 2026 verifies completion within 5 years of a licensure renewal; a physician licensed on or after that date verifies within 5 years of initial licensure; a physician reactivating on or after that date verifies within 5 years of reactivation. The 2 hours count toward the biennial 100-hour total. | 2 CME credits | One time | All licensees | 49 Pa. Code 16.19(c) |
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | No, attestation only |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | 2 years |
| Board audits compliance | Yes |
| Approved providers | Category 1 activities must be documented by an AMA PRA certificate, a certificate from an ACCME-accredited sponsor or ACCME designee, a certificate from a medical professional society or ABMS member board specialty certification, healthcare system credential certification, third party payor credentialing certification, certification by a CME organization whose standards meet or exceed AMA PRA, or certification by an organ procurement organization. Category 2 activities may be documented the same way or by contemporaneous personal records such as log books, diaries, or journal notes that identify the activity and time spent. Physicians verify completion on the biennial renewal application and retain official documentation for 2 years after renewal, producing it on board demand under random audits. Child abuse training is reported electronically to the Bureau by the approved provider, and the license will not renew without that report. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Pennsylvania MD need to renew?
- Pennsylvania physicians (MD) must complete 100 CME credits of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Pennsylvania State Board of Medicine. 100 credit hours in the preceding biennial period (49 Pa. Code 16.19(b)). At least 20 must be AMA PRA Category 1. At least 12 must be AMA PRA Category 1 or Category 2 in patient safety and risk management. At least 2 must be approved child abuse recognition and reporting training. Physicians who hold a DEA registration, or who use another's DEA registration, must include at least 2 hours in pain management, the identification of addiction, or the practices of prescribing or dispensing opioids, in Category 1 or Category 2; the PA-SUPPORT curriculum satisfies this but is not required. The remaining hours may be Category 1 or Category 2. No credit is granted for courses in office management or practice building. A first-time Pennsylvania licensee is exempt from CME for the biennial renewal period following initial licensure; holders of a temporary training license, retired physicians treating only immediate family, and physicians on inactive status are also exempt, though reinstating an inactive or lapsed license requires proof of compliance for the preceding biennium. A physician suspended for disciplinary reasons is not exempt. The board may grant a hardship waiver of all or part of the requirement for serious illness, military service, or other good cause, on written request with documentation.
- How often does a Pennsylvania MD license need to be renewed?
- Physician (MD) licenses in Pennsylvania renew every two years. Medical doctor licenses expire December 31 of every even-numbered year and are renewed biennially through PALS. The board emails a renewal notice about 60 days before expiration, but failure to send or receive it does not relieve the licensee of the duty to renew. Failing to pay the biennial fee on time puts the license in unregistered status, and anyone who keeps practicing owes 5 dollars for each month past the deadline and may face discipline.
- What specific CE topics are required for Pennsylvania physicians (MD)?
- Child abuse recognition and reporting: 2 CME credits every renewal cycle. Patient safety and risk management: 12 CME credits every renewal cycle. Pain management, identification of addiction, or prescribing and dispensing opioids: 2 CME credits every renewal cycle (licensees who hold a current DEA registration or who use the DEA registration of another person or entity). Organ and tissue donation and recovery process: a one-time requirement of 2 CME credits. Citations: child abuse recognition and reporting (49 Pa. Code 16.108(b); 49 Pa. Code 16.15(c.1); 23 Pa.C.S. 6383(b)(2)), patient safety and risk management (49 Pa. Code 16.19(b)(1)), pain management, identification of addiction, or prescribing and dispensing opioids (49 Pa. Code 16.19(b)(1)), and organ and tissue donation and recovery process (49 Pa. Code 16.19(c)).
- Do Pennsylvania 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 2 years. Category 1 activities must be documented by an AMA PRA certificate, a certificate from an ACCME-accredited sponsor or ACCME designee, a certificate from a medical professional society or ABMS member board specialty certification, healthcare system credential certification, third party payor credentialing certification, certification by a CME organization whose standards meet or exceed AMA PRA, or certification by an organ procurement organization. Category 2 activities may be documented the same way or by contemporaneous personal records such as log books, diaries, or journal notes that identify the activity and time spent. Physicians verify completion on the biennial renewal application and retain official documentation for 2 years after renewal, producing it on board demand under random audits. Child abuse training is reported electronically to the Bureau by the approved provider, and the license will not renew without that report.
- Is the first Pennsylvania MD renewal exempt from CE?
- Yes. Pennsylvania 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.
- 49 Pa. Code 16.19, Continuing medical educationStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 7, 2026
- 49 Pa. Code 16.15, Biennial registration; inactive status and unregistered statusStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 7, 2026
- 49 Pa. Code 16.108, Child abuse recognition and reporting, mandatory training requirementStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 7, 2026
- Renewal Information, Pennsylvania State Board of MedicineState board page, accessed September 7, 2026
- State Board of Medicine, Pennsylvania Department of StateState board page, accessed September 7, 2026
Pennsylvania runs two separate physician boards under the Department of State: the State Board of Medicine for MDs and the State Board of Osteopathic Medicine for DOs. This record covers only the State Board of Medicine, and nothing was copied from the DO record. The two are close but not identical. Both require 100 hours per biennium, 12 hours in patient safety and risk management, 2 hours of child abuse recognition and reporting, 2 hours on pain management, addiction, or opioid prescribing for DEA registrants, and the new 2-hour organ and tissue donation module. The differences are the deadline, December 31 of even-numbered years for MDs versus October 31 of even-numbered years for DOs, and the accreditation of the 20-hour core, AMA PRA Category 1 for MDs versus AOA Category 1-A for DOs. All rule values were read from the official Pennsylvania Code site, where 49 Pa. Code 16.19 was last amended April 24, 2026, effective April 25, 2026. The board publishes its licensee CME summary sheets only as PDFs, which were not downloaded; the rule text is the stronger source and was used instead. Carryover and live or self-study limits are not addressed in Chapter 16 and are left null. Pennsylvania sets no human trafficking, implicit bias, suicide prevention, or jurisprudence CME mandate for MDs in the sources read. The topic key organ_tissue_donation is not on the canonical list and is used because the rule names the subject that way.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Pennsylvania State Board of Medicine before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.