Home › Guides › CME by state and specialty › California, emergency medicine
California CME requirements for emergency physicians
California sets one CME total for physicians in every specialty: 50 hours every 2 years, with 4 mandated topics. As an emergency physician you also keep up ABEM Continuing Certification (MyEMCert). Below: both, and where one certificate counts for each.
California: the state rule
Checked against the Medical Board of California's rules on October 13, 2026. Citation: Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code ยงยง2190.5, 2190.6.
General CME: 50 hours AMA PRA Category 1 every 2 years.
Opioid / controlled substance
12 hours one-time (by 2nd renewal / within 4 years): pain management and care of the terminally ill, including Schedule II addiction risk. Trigger: all except pathologists & radiologists.
No board pre-approval needed, but the course must reach 12 hours and cover pain + end-of-life; the 8-hour core needs a CA addendum. Content gap, not an approval gap.
Mandated topics, and whether each reaches emergency physicians
| Topic | Hours | Timing | Who it applies to | For emergency physicians |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pain management and care of the terminally ill (including Schedule II addiction risk for post-2019 licensees) | 12 | one-time (by 2nd renewal / within 4 years) | all except pathology/radiology | Applies to emergency physicians: the page exempts only pathologists and radiologists. |
| Geriatric medicine / dementia | At least 20% of hours (about 10) | per cycle while condition applies | IM/FM with >25% pts 65+ | Unlikely: the page limits this to internal medicine and family medicine physicians. |
| Cultural & linguistic competency | embedded course content (no add-on hours) | ongoing (since 7/1/2006) | all courses | Applies to all physicians. |
| Implicit bias | embedded course content (not standalone) | ongoing (since 1/1/2022) | all courses | Applies to all physicians. |
Notes from the California page
- Total is 50 hours (some summaries say 100). Implicit bias and cultural competency are course-content mandates, not extra hours. No standalone recurring opioid CME.
- DOs: the figures above are the Medical Board of California's. Osteopathic requirements now diverge. The OMBC conformed to statute effective October 1, 2025: 50 hours per 2-year cycle with at least 20 AOA Category 1-A, plus new mandated topics. Verify with the Osteopathic Medical Board of California.
Full detail, including the rules for NPs, PAs, CRNAs and CAAs: California CME requirements.
Your board: ABEM Continuing Certification (MyEMCert)
Board figures as tracked in the Ledger, last checked July 25, 2026. Confirm in your board portal.
The American Board of Emergency Medicine (ABEM) runs Continuing Certification on a 5-year cycle: pass 4 MyEMCert modules, complete 1 Patient-Care Practice Improvement activity, and attest an unrestricted license each year.
ABEM sets no CME-credit total. Credit is earned through the modules, and your state licenses still set their own CME totals.
DOs certified by the AOBEM follow the AOA's Osteopathic Continuous Certification instead, with different credit rules.
What usually overlaps
- Opioid course. An accredited opioid course that covers California's required content can count toward the opioid requirement and toward the general 50-hour total at the same time, when the activity awards the credit California accepts.
- Board CME. ABEM sets no CME total of its own, but completed MyEMCert modules come with CME certificates. Each one can count toward California's hours when it awards credit California accepts. Check what credit each certificate awards.
- Federal MATE Act. If you hold a DEA registration, the one-time 8-hour training is federal and does not replace California's own rules. A MATE-qualifying accredited course will usually still count toward California's general total.
For emergency physicians in California
- Pain management and care of the terminally ill (including Schedule II addiction risk for post-2019 licensees): 12 hours, one-time (by 2nd renewal / within 4 years). Applies to emergency physicians: the page exempts only pathologists and radiologists.
- Geriatric medicine / dementia: At least 20% of hours (about 10), per cycle while condition applies. Unlikely: the page limits this to internal medicine and family medicine physicians.
- ABEM sets no CME-credit total, so California's 50 hours every 2 years is your CME number. Keep MyEMCert module certificates: they can count toward it.
One record for your licenses and your board
The Ledger counts one certificate toward every state and board requirement it satisfies, at full hours each, and reminds you before anything is due. 30 days free with a card on file.
Common questions
How many CME hours does California require for emergency physicians?
California's total is the same for physicians in every specialty: 50 hours every 2 years, plus 4 mandated topics, some limited to certain practices. Checked against the Medical Board of California's rules on October 13, 2026.
Does ABEM continuing certification count toward California's CME hours?
ABEM sets no CME total of its own, but completed MyEMCert modules come with CME certificates. Each one can count toward California's hours when it awards credit California accepts. Check what credit each certificate awards.
Related
- California CME requirements, all professions
- CME requirements for all 51 jurisdictions
- CME by state and specialty
- Opioid and controlled-substance CME by state
A summary of the California physician rules as checked on October 13, 2026 and of ABEM rules as last checked July 25, 2026. Informational, not legal advice. Rules change mid-cycle: verify with the Medical Board of California and your board before relying on any entry.