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You got licensed through the Compact. Your CME did not come with it.

The Interstate Medical Licensure Compact is an expedited licensing pathway. Once a Compact license is issued it is an ordinary license from that state's own board — and that board sets its own renewal cycle, hour totals and mandated topics. Nothing about continuing education is consolidated, waived or coordinated by the Compact.

What that means in practice: across the 51 US jurisdictions there are 4 different renewal cadences (4 on a 1-year cycle, 38 on a 2-year cycle, 8 on a 3-year cycle, 1 on a 4-year cycle). 40 have a controlled-substance or opioid CME mandate and 11 do not — and 7 will not accept a general accredited course at all — see exactly what each of those seven demands (Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah, West Virginia). Hold licenses in several and you are tracking all of that at once.

Not affiliated with the IMLCC. Interstate Medicine is an independent CME planning tool, not connected to, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact Commission. The Compact's member roster changes, so the table below covers every US jurisdiction rather than a snapshot of membership — confirm current participation at imlcc.com.

What each jurisdiction actually requires

Compiled from each board's own rule text and citation. Every row links to the full state page, including advanced practice providers.

JurisdictionTotal CMECycle Controlled-substance / opioid mandateBoard-approved course required
Alabama25 / year1 year2 hours every 2 years — controlled-substance prescribing, abuse recognition, chronic pain.No
Alaska50 / 2 years (Category 1)2 years2 hours every 2 years — pain management and opioid use/addiction. Trigger: DEA registrants.No
Arizona40 / 2 years2 years3 hours per cycle — opioid-, SUD-, or addiction-related. Trigger: DEA registrants.No
Arkansas20 / year (>=10 Category 1)1 year1 hours per year - opioid & benzodiazepine prescribing (counts toward the 20-hour annual total).No
California50 / 2 years2 years12 hours one-time (by 2nd renewal / within 4 years) — pain management and care of the terminally ill, includingNo
Colorado30 / 24 months2 years2 hours per cycle — best-practice opioid prescribing, SUD recognition, referral, PDMP.No
Connecticut50 / 2 years2 years2 hours first renewal + every 6 years — behavioral health (may include SUD).No
Delaware40 / 2 years (Category I)2 years2 hours every 2 years — controlled-substance prescribing / chronic pain. Trigger: all.No
District of Columbia50 / 2 years2 yearsNo opioid-specific mandate.No
Florida40 / 2 years2 years2 hours every 2 years — prescribing controlled substances (sickle-cell pain content added eff.No
Georgia40 / 2 years2 years3 hours one-time (next renewal) — responsible opioid prescribing (+20 hours if ≥50% pain patients).No
Hawaii100 / 2 years (40 Category 1 + 60 Category 2, or 100 Category 1)2 yearsNo opioid-specific mandate. Federal MATE Act (8 hours one-time) only.No
Idaho40 / 2 years (Category 1)2 yearsNo opioid-specific mandate. Federal MATE Act (8 hours one-time) only.No
Illinois150 / 3 years (min 60 Category 1)3 years1 hour per renewal cycle (effective 1/1/2025) - safe opioid prescribing (counts toward the 150-hour total).No
IndianaNone (no general CME mandate)2 yearsNo opioid-specific mandate; no general CME mandate. Federal MATE Act (8 hours one-time) only.No
Iowa40 / 2 years2 years2 hours every 5 years — CDC guideline for prescribing opioids for chronic pain.No
Kansas50 / year (20 Category I + 1 Category III min)1 year1 hours per year (1–3 per cycle) — pain management, opioid prescribing, or PDMP use. Trigger: all.No
Kentucky60 / 3 years (30 Category I)3 years4.Yes
Louisiana20 / year (Category 1)1 year3 hours one-time (before first renewal) — best-practice CDS prescribing, drug diversion, addiction treatment, chronic pain (single curriculum, all four topics).Yes
Maine40 / 2 years (Category 1)2 years3 hours every 2 years — prescribing of opioid medication. Trigger: prescribes controlled substances.No
Maryland50 / 2 years (25 Category 1)2 years2 hours one-time at CDS registration — prescribing/dispensing controlled substances. Trigger: CDS applicants.No
Massachusetts50 / 2 years (current board practice; regulation text says 100)2 years3 credits per 2-year cycle — opioid education and pain management (also count toward the 10 risk-management credits).Yes
Michigan150 / 3 years (75 Category 1)3 years3 hours every 3 years — pain & symptom management (DO: also 1 hour controlled-substance). Trigger: all.No
Minnesota75 / 3 years3 yearsNo opioid-specific mandate. Federal MATE Act (8 hours one-time) only.No
Mississippi40 / 2 years (Category 1)2 years5 hours every 2 years — prescribing medications, emphasis on controlled substances. Trigger: DEA registrants.No
Missouri50 / 2 years2 yearsNo opioid-specific mandate. Federal MATE Act (8 hours one-time) only.No
MontanaNone (no CME required)2 yearsNo opioid-specific mandate; no general CME mandate. Federal MATE Act (8 hours one-time) only.No
Nebraska50 / 2 years2 years3 hours every 2 years (≥0.5 hours on the Nebraska PDMP) — opioids. Trigger: all CS prescribers.No
Nevada40 / 2 years (20 in specialty)2 years2 hours per biennium — misuse/abuse of CS, opioid prescribing, or addiction. Trigger: MDs registered to dispense CS.No
New Hampshire100 / 2 years (40 Category I / 60 Category II)2 years3 hours every 2 years — pain management and addiction disorder. Trigger: DEA-holding PDMP registrants.No
New Jersey100 / 2 years (40 Category I)2 years1 credit per biennium — responsible/safe opioid prescribing, alternatives, abuse signs. Trigger: all MD/DO.No
New Mexico75 / 3 years3 years5 hours one-time in first year (+5 of 75 hours each cycle) — pain management / safe CS prescribing.No
New YorkNone (no general CME hours)2 years≥3 hours every 3 years — pain management, palliative care, and addiction.No
North Carolina60 / 3 years (Category 1)3 years3 hours Category 1 every 3-year cycle — controlled-substance prescribing practices includingNo
North Dakota40 / 2 years2 yearsNo opioid-specific mandate. Federal MATE Act (8 hours one-time) only.No
Ohio50 / 2 years (all Category 1)2 yearsNo general opioid mandate for ordinary MD/DO renewal.No
Oklahoma60 / 3 years (Category I)3 years≥1 hours per year — pain management OR opioid use/addiction.No
Oregon60 / 2 years2 years1 hour / 2 years — the Oregon Pain Management Commission (OPMC) pain-management module (specific mandated course).Yes
Pennsylvania100 / 2 years (20 Category 1)2 years2 hours per biennium — pain management, addiction ID, or opioid prescribing/dispensing (initial: 2+2 within 12 months).No
Rhode Island40 / 2 years2 yearsOne-time 8 hours Category 1 for Schedule-II-opioid prescribers (216-RICR-20-20-4 4.No
South Carolina40 / 2 years (Category 1)2 years2 hours per biennium — safe prescribing/monitoring of Schedule II–IV CS.No
South DakotaNone (no CME required)2 yearsNo opioid/CS mandate; no general CME mandate. Federal MATE Act (8 hours one-time) only.No
Tennessee40 / 2 years (Category 1)2 years2 hours per 2-year cycle — controlled-substance prescribing.Yes
Texas48 / 2 years (24 formal Category 1)2 years≥2 hours — safe/effective pain management re: prescribing opioids & other CS.No
Utah40 / 2 years (34 Category 1)2 years3.Yes
Vermont30 / 2 years2 years2 hours per 2 years — prescribing CS (DEA holders) + 1 hour palliative/hospice/pain (all licensees).No
Virginia30 / 2 years (all Type 1)2 yearsNo standalone opioid/CS CME mandate currently in force (former mandate removed).No
Washington200 / 4 years4 yearsOne-time ≥1 hour — best practices in opioid prescribing (or the WAC ch.No
West Virginia50 / 2 years (Category I; 30 in specialty)2 years3 hours each 2-year period — Board-approved 'Drug Diversion Training and Best-Practice Prescribing of CS.Yes
Wisconsin30 / 2 years2 years2 of 30 Category 1 hours per 2-year cycle — prescribing opioids and other CS. Trigger: DEA-registered physicians.No
Wyoming60 / 3 years3 years1 hour per 2-year cycle - responsible CS prescribing OR SUD treatment (Board of Medicine, W.No

Provided for planning only — verify against your state board before relying on it. Totals shown are for physicians (MD/DO); APRN and PA requirements differ and appear on each state page.

Work out the fewest, best-timed courses

Select the states you're licensed in and when each renews. The planner maps every mandate against your actual cycles and schedules the smallest number of courses that keeps all of them satisfied — including the one-time federal DEA MATE Act requirement.

Open the free CME planner →

Common questions

Does the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact cover my CME requirements?

No. The Compact is an expedited pathway to obtaining a license in a member state. Once issued, each license is an ordinary license from that state's own medical board, and that board sets its own CME requirements, renewal cycle and mandated topics. The Compact does not consolidate, waive or coordinate continuing education.

Do I need separate CME for each state license?

Not usually separate courses — but you must satisfy each state separately. Most boards accept AMA PRA Category 1 credit from any ACCME-accredited provider, so one well-chosen activity can count toward several states at once. The exceptions are states that mandate a specific topic, and the five that require a board-approved or state-specific course.

Why don't my renewal dates line up?

Each board sets its own cycle independently. Across the 51 US jurisdictions: 4 on a 1-year cycle, 38 on a 2-year cycle, 8 on a 3-year cycle, 1 on a 4-year cycle. Two licenses obtained on the same day can still renew in different years.

Which states won't accept a general accredited course?

7 jurisdictions require a board-approved or state-specific course for their controlled-substance requirement: Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah, West Virginia. A generic ACCME activity will not satisfy them, and physicians usually discover this at renewal.

What happens if CME slips in one state?

The obligation sits with the licensee — not with the Compact, an employer or a staffing agency. A lapse is addressed to you by that state's board, and it can affect the license supporting your Compact eligibility.