West Virginia Physician (MD) license renewal and CE requirements
West Virginia physicians (MD) must complete 50 CME credits of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the West Virginia Board of Medicine.
Medical doctor licenses renew every two years and expire at 11:59 pm on June 30. The board splits the profession alphabetically: physicians whose last names begin with A through L renew in even numbered years and physicians whose last names begin with M through Z renew in odd numbered years. There is no grace period for practice after expiration. The reporting period for CME is the two years preceding the renewal deadline, for example July 1, 2024 through the renewal application submission date for a license expiring June 30, 2026.
Summary
West Virginia physicians (MD) must complete 50 CME credits of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the West Virginia Board of Medicine. Medical doctor licenses renew every two years and expire at 11:59 pm on June 30. The board splits the profession alphabetically: physicians whose last names begin with A through L renew in even numbered years and physicians whose last names begin with M through Z renew in odd numbered years. There is no grace period for practice after expiration. The reporting period for CME is the two years preceding the renewal deadline, for example July 1, 2024 through the renewal application submission date for a license expiring June 30, 2026. West Virginia also mandates specific subjects. Risk Assessment and Responsible Prescribing of Controlled Substances Training / Drug Diversion Training and Best Practice Prescribing of Controlled Substances Training: 3 CME credits every renewal cycle (physicians who have prescribed, administered, or dispensed any controlled substance under a West Virginia license during the two year reporting period preceding renewal. A physician may seek a waiver by attesting on the renewal application either that they did not and will not prescribe, administer, or dispense any controlled substance under a West Virginia license during the reporting period, or that they were initially licensed after the midpoint of the cycle and will complete the training within one year of initial licensure.).
West Virginia 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, 06/30 each cycle |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 50 CME credits |
| Category 1 minimum | 50 CME credits |
| Self-study or online cap | No cap stated |
| Carryover to next cycle | Not stated |
| First renewal exempt | Not stated |
| Other accepted activities | Sitting for and passing a certification or recertification examination of an ABMS member board and receiving certification or recertification during the reporting period; Successful involvement in maintenance of certification through an ABMS member board during the reporting period; Successful completion of one full year of ACGME approved postgraduate training during the reporting period; Up to 20 hours of medical student teaching or preceptorship may count toward the 50 hour total |
Option 1, the classic pathway, is 50 hours of CME designated as Category I by the AMA or the AAFP during the two year reporting period, which is why the Category 1 minimum equals the total. At least 30 of the 50 must be in the physician's area or areas of specialty, and up to 20 hours may be medical student teaching or preceptorship. Options 2 through 4, board certification or recertification, active MOC participation, and one full year of ACGME approved postgraduate training, satisfy every CME requirement except the separate three hour controlled substance course. The three hour controlled substance CME may be used for three of the 50 hours. Inactive status licensees must also renew every two years and complete all required CME. All required CME must be completed in advance of renewal; a licensee cannot renew and finish CME afterward.
Required CE topics for West Virginia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Risk Assessment and Responsible Prescribing of Controlled Substances Training / Drug Diversion Training and Best Practice Prescribing of Controlled Substances TrainingThree hours, and the board states expressly that this is not a one time only requirement: it must be completed during each reporting period. The course must be on the board's list of approved three hour courses. It may count for three of the 50 CME hours, and it is required even for physicians who satisfy the hour requirement through board certification, MOC, or a year of ACGME training. Physicians who have prescribed or dispensed Schedule II through V controlled substances under a West Virginia license during the reporting period must also be registered with the West Virginia Board of Pharmacy's Controlled Substance Monitoring Program and attest to that registration at renewal. | 3 CME credits | Every renewal | Physicians who have prescribed, administered, or dispensed any controlled substance under a West Virginia license during the two year reporting period preceding renewal. A physician may seek a waiver by attesting on the renewal application either that they did not and will not prescribe, administer, or dispense any controlled substance under a West Virginia license during the reporting period, or that they were initially licensed after the midpoint of the cycle and will complete the training within one year of initial licensure. | W. Va. Code 30-1-7a(b) |
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | No, attestation only |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | Not stated |
| Board audits compliance | Not stated |
| Approved providers | Hours must be designated Category I by the AMA or the AAFP. The three hour controlled substance course must be one the board has approved and published on its list. CME certificates are not uploaded with the renewal application; the licensee verifies successful completion of CME on the application. Reinstatement of an expired license, unlike renewal, does require submission of CME documentation. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a West Virginia MD need to renew?
- West Virginia physicians (MD) must complete 50 CME credits of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the West Virginia Board of Medicine. Option 1, the classic pathway, is 50 hours of CME designated as Category I by the AMA or the AAFP during the two year reporting period, which is why the Category 1 minimum equals the total. At least 30 of the 50 must be in the physician's area or areas of specialty, and up to 20 hours may be medical student teaching or preceptorship. Options 2 through 4, board certification or recertification, active MOC participation, and one full year of ACGME approved postgraduate training, satisfy every CME requirement except the separate three hour controlled substance course. The three hour controlled substance CME may be used for three of the 50 hours. Inactive status licensees must also renew every two years and complete all required CME. All required CME must be completed in advance of renewal; a licensee cannot renew and finish CME afterward.
- How often does a West Virginia MD license need to be renewed?
- Physician (MD) licenses in West Virginia renew every two years. Medical doctor licenses renew every two years and expire at 11:59 pm on June 30. The board splits the profession alphabetically: physicians whose last names begin with A through L renew in even numbered years and physicians whose last names begin with M through Z renew in odd numbered years. There is no grace period for practice after expiration. The reporting period for CME is the two years preceding the renewal deadline, for example July 1, 2024 through the renewal application submission date for a license expiring June 30, 2026.
- What specific CE topics are required for West Virginia physicians (MD)?
- Risk Assessment and Responsible Prescribing of Controlled Substances Training / Drug Diversion Training and Best Practice Prescribing of Controlled Substances Training: 3 CME credits every renewal cycle (physicians who have prescribed, administered, or dispensed any controlled substance under a West Virginia license during the two year reporting period preceding renewal. A physician may seek a waiver by attesting on the renewal application either that they did not and will not prescribe, administer, or dispense any controlled substance under a West Virginia license during the reporting period, or that they were initially licensed after the midpoint of the cycle and will complete the training within one year of initial licensure.). Citations: Risk Assessment and Responsible Prescribing of Controlled Substances Training / Drug Diversion Training and Best Practice Prescribing of Controlled Substances Training (W. Va. Code 30-1-7a(b)).
- Do West Virginia physicians (MD) have to submit CE certificates at renewal?
- Licensees attest to completion at renewal rather than submitting certificates. Hours must be designated Category I by the AMA or the AAFP. The three hour controlled substance course must be one the board has approved and published on its list. CME certificates are not uploaded with the renewal application; the licensee verifies successful completion of CME on the application. Reinstatement of an expired license, unlike renewal, does require submission of CME documentation.
Sources
Last verified September 7, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.
- Continuing Education, Medical Doctors, West Virginia Board of MedicineState board page, accessed September 7, 2026
- Online License Renewal For Physicians Whose Last Names Begin With The Letters A Through L, West Virginia Board of MedicineState board page, accessed September 7, 2026
- License Renewal For Physicians Whose Last Names Begin With The Letters M Through Z, West Virginia Board of MedicineState board page, accessed September 7, 2026
- 2026 Medical Doctor Renewal FAQs, West Virginia Board of MedicineState board page, accessed September 7, 2026
- W. Va. Code 30-1-7a, Continuing educationStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 7, 2026
West Virginia splits the two professions: the Board of Medicine licenses medical doctors, podiatric physicians, and their physician assistants, while osteopathic physicians are licensed by the separate West Virginia Board of Osteopathic Medicine under a different statute with different hours. This record cites only the Board of Medicine. Hours, the four compliance pathways, the specialty and teaching sublimits, and the three hour controlled substance course were read on the board's own continuing education page, and the June 30 expiration with the A through L even year and M through Z odd year split was read on the board's 2026 and 2025 renewal landing pages. The board publishes its legislative rules as PDFs, which were not downloaded, so carryover of excess hours, a record retention period, and whether the board audits CME could not be confirmed and are left null. Renewal basis is recorded as fixed_date because the deadline is always June 30; the alphabetical split determines which year, and the schema has no basis value for an alphabetical stagger.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the West Virginia Board of Medicine before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.