West Virginia Osteopathic Physician (DO) license renewal and CE requirements
West Virginia osteopathic physicians (DO) must complete 32 CME credits of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the West Virginia Board of Osteopathic Medicine.
Licenses to practice as an osteopathic physician and surgeon renew biennially on or before July 1. The board's renewal instructions say the application and fee must be submitted to the board by June 30. The board notifies each licensee at least 30 days before the license expires. Failure to renew operates as an automatic suspension of the rights and privileges the license granted.
Summary
West Virginia osteopathic physicians (DO) must complete 32 CME credits of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the West Virginia Board of Osteopathic Medicine. Licenses to practice as an osteopathic physician and surgeon renew biennially on or before July 1. The board's renewal instructions say the application and fee must be submitted to the board by June 30. The board notifies each licensee at least 30 days before the license expires. Failure to renew operates as an automatic suspension of the rights and privileges the license granted. West Virginia also mandates specific subjects. Medical education in nutrition: required every renewal cycle. Drug Diversion Training and Best Practice Prescribing of Controlled Substances Training: 3 CME credits (osteopathic physicians who prescribe, administer, or dispense a controlled substance as defined in W. Va. Code 60A-1-101. A person newly licensed must complete the requirement within one year of receiving the initial license.); the board does not state how often.
West Virginia 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 | Same date for every licensee, 06/30 each cycle |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 32 CME credits |
| Category 1 minimum | 16 CME credits |
| Self-study or online cap | No cap stated |
| Carryover to next cycle | Not stated |
| First renewal exempt | Not stated |
As a prerequisite to renewal, the licensee furnishes the board satisfactory evidence of 32 hours of educational refresher course training every two years. The total number of hours must be approved by the American Osteopathic Association, and 50 percent of the 32 hours, that is 16 hours, must be classified as category 1. The requirement must include continuing medical education in nutrition. For reinstatement of a license suspended by failure to renew, the licensee presents evidence of refresher training of a quantity and standard approved by the board for the previous two years, pays all fees that would have been due, and pays a reinstatement fee.
Required CE topics for West Virginia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medical education in nutritionThe statute says the continuing medical education requirement shall include completion of medical education in nutrition, but it does not state a number of hours, so hours is null. | Not stated | Every renewal | All licensees | W. Va. Code 30-14-10(b) |
| Drug Diversion Training and Best Practice Prescribing of Controlled Substances TrainingThe statute requires drug diversion training, best practice prescribing of controlled substances training, and training on prescribing and administering an opioid antagonist for licensees of the Board of Osteopathy who prescribe, administer, or dispense controlled substances. The board's CME page publishes a list of board-approved courses that satisfy a three hour Drug Diversion Training and Best Practice Prescribing of Controlled Substances Training requirement, which is where the three hour figure comes from. Neither the statute nor the board's page states whether the training repeats every renewal cycle, so frequency is recorded as unknown; the Board of Medicine, a separate board, states that its equivalent three hour requirement is not one time only. | 3 CME credits | Frequency not stated | Osteopathic physicians who prescribe, administer, or dispense a controlled substance as defined in W. Va. Code 60A-1-101. A person newly licensed must complete the requirement within one year of receiving the initial license. | W. Va. Code 30-1-7a(b) |
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | Yes |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | Not stated |
| Board audits compliance | Not stated |
| Approved providers | The total number of CME hours must be approved by the American Osteopathic Association, with 16 of the 32 in category 1. The board publishes a list of approved courses that satisfy the three hour drug diversion and best practice prescribing requirement. The statute requires the licensee to furnish the board satisfactory evidence of the training as a prerequisite to renewal. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a West Virginia DO need to renew?
- West Virginia osteopathic physicians (DO) must complete 32 CME credits of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the West Virginia Board of Osteopathic Medicine. As a prerequisite to renewal, the licensee furnishes the board satisfactory evidence of 32 hours of educational refresher course training every two years. The total number of hours must be approved by the American Osteopathic Association, and 50 percent of the 32 hours, that is 16 hours, must be classified as category 1. The requirement must include continuing medical education in nutrition. For reinstatement of a license suspended by failure to renew, the licensee presents evidence of refresher training of a quantity and standard approved by the board for the previous two years, pays all fees that would have been due, and pays a reinstatement fee.
- How often does a West Virginia DO license need to be renewed?
- Osteopathic Physician (DO) licenses in West Virginia renew every two years. Licenses to practice as an osteopathic physician and surgeon renew biennially on or before July 1. The board's renewal instructions say the application and fee must be submitted to the board by June 30. The board notifies each licensee at least 30 days before the license expires. Failure to renew operates as an automatic suspension of the rights and privileges the license granted.
- What specific CE topics are required for West Virginia osteopathic physicians (DO)?
- Medical education in nutrition: required every renewal cycle. Drug Diversion Training and Best Practice Prescribing of Controlled Substances Training: 3 CME credits (osteopathic physicians who prescribe, administer, or dispense a controlled substance as defined in W. Va. Code 60A-1-101. A person newly licensed must complete the requirement within one year of receiving the initial license.); the board does not state how often. Citations: medical education in nutrition (W. Va. Code 30-14-10(b)) and Drug Diversion Training and Best Practice Prescribing of Controlled Substances Training (W. Va. Code 30-1-7a(b)).
- Do West Virginia osteopathic physicians (DO) have to submit CE certificates at renewal?
- Proof of completion must be submitted with the renewal. The total number of CME hours must be approved by the American Osteopathic Association, with 16 of the 32 in category 1. The board publishes a list of approved courses that satisfy the three hour drug diversion and best practice prescribing requirement. The statute requires the licensee to furnish the board satisfactory evidence of the training as a prerequisite to renewal.
Sources
Last verified September 7, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.
- W. Va. Code 30-14-10, Renewal of license; fee; refresher training a prerequisiteStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 7, 2026
- W. Va. Code 30-1-7a, Continuing educationStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 7, 2026
- D.O. Renewal Application Instructions, West Virginia Board of Osteopathic MedicineState board page, accessed September 7, 2026
- CME Approved Courses, West Virginia Board of Osteopathic MedicineState board page, accessed September 7, 2026
- Legislative Rules, West Virginia Board of Osteopathic MedicineState board page, accessed September 7, 2026
West Virginia has a separate osteopathic board, and its requirements differ sharply from the Board of Medicine's: 32 hours every two years with 16 in category 1 and AOA approval of the total, versus 50 AMA or AAFP Category I hours for MDs. Nothing was copied between the two records. Hours, the category 1 share, the AOA approval requirement, the nutrition subject, and the biennial July 1 renewal come from W. Va. Code 30-14-10; the June 30 submission deadline comes from the board's own renewal instructions. The board publishes all of its legislative rules, including series 24-1 on osteopathic physicians and surgeons and series 24-7 on controlled substance licensure, only as PDFs, which were not downloaded. As a result three things could not be confirmed: whether all DOs renew in the same calendar year or the cycle is staggered, whether excess hours carry over, and whether the board audits CME. The three hour drug diversion figure comes from the board's CME course list page rather than from a rule, and the statute does not say whether that training repeats each cycle.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the West Virginia Board of Osteopathic Medicine before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.