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Florida CME requirements for emergency physicians
Florida sets one CME total for physicians in every specialty: 40 hours every 2 years, with 5 mandated topics. As an emergency physician you also keep up ABEM Continuing Certification (MyEMCert). Below: both, and where one certificate counts for each.
Florida: the state rule
Checked against the Florida Board of Medicine's rules on October 13, 2026. Citation: Fla. Administrative Code R. 64B8-13.005; Fla. Stat. 458.319, 456.013(7), 456.0301.
General CME: 40 hours every 2 years.
Opioid / controlled substance
2 hours every 2 years: prescribing controlled substances; the required content now includes the treatment of pain for patients with sickle cell disease (CS/SB 844, ch. 2026-6, in force July 1, 2026). Trigger: DEA-registered CS prescribers.
Florida gates this course
Florida gates its opioid/controlled-substance CME: a generic national course may not satisfy it. Board-approved course required: the 2-hour controlled-substance course must be board-approved and offered by a Florida statewide professional association of physicians accredited for AMA PRA Category 1 or AOA Category 1-A credit (Fla. Stat. 456.0301(1)(a)). A generic national Category 1 course does not satisfy it. Reported via CE Broker.
Mandated topics, and whether each reaches emergency physicians
| Topic | Hours | Timing | Who it applies to | For emergency physicians |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medical error prevention | 2 | per renewal | all | Applies to all physicians. |
| Domestic violence | 2 | every 3rd renewal (about 6 years) | all | Applies to all physicians. |
| Controlled substance prescribing (adds sickle-cell pain 7/1/2026) | 2 | per renewal | DEA prescribers (course must be board-approved and offered by a Florida statewide physician association) | Applies if you prescribe controlled substances. Check whether this applies to your practice. |
| HIV/AIDS | 1 | one-time (by 1st renewal) | all | Applies to all physicians. |
| Human trafficking | 1 | one-time | all MDs/DOs (and other listed licensed professions) | Applies to all physicians. |
Notes from the Florida page
- Per Fla. Stat. 456.0341: human trafficking is a one-time 1-hour CME for all MDs and DOs, with no hospital, urgent-care or pain-clinic limitation. It counts toward the 40-hour biennial total.
Full detail, including the rules for NPs, PAs, CRNAs and CAAs: Florida 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. Florida is the exception: its controlled-substance course must be board-approved (see the box above), so a general accredited course does not satisfy that line. Its hours can still count toward Florida's general 40-hour total.
- Board CME. ABEM sets no CME total of its own, but completed MyEMCert modules come with CME certificates. Each one can count toward Florida's hours when it awards credit Florida 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 Florida's own rules. A MATE-qualifying accredited course will usually still count toward Florida's general total.
For emergency physicians in Florida
- ABEM sets no CME-credit total, so Florida's 40 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 Florida require for emergency physicians?
Florida's total is the same for physicians in every specialty: 40 hours every 2 years, plus 5 mandated topics, some limited to certain practices. Checked against the Florida Board of Medicine's rules on October 13, 2026.
Does ABEM continuing certification count toward Florida's CME hours?
ABEM sets no CME total of its own, but completed MyEMCert modules come with CME certificates. Each one can count toward Florida's hours when it awards credit Florida accepts. Check what credit each certificate awards. Florida's controlled-substance course is the exception: it must be board-approved, so a general course does not satisfy that line.
Related
- Florida 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 Florida 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 Florida Board of Medicine and your board before relying on any entry.