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Florida CME requirements for family physicians
Florida sets one CME total for physicians in every specialty: 40 hours every 2 years, with 5 mandated topics. As a family physician you also keep up ABFM Family Medicine Certification. 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 family physicians
| Topic | Hours | Timing | Who it applies to | For family 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: ABFM Family Medicine Certification
Board figures as tracked in the Ledger, last checked August 1, 2026. Confirm in your board portal.
The American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) moved to a 5-year cycle in January 2025: 200 CME credits per cycle, at least 100 of them ABFM Division I, plus 60 certification points from a self-assessment (KSA) and a Performance Improvement activity.
You also take the FMCLA longitudinal assessment or the one-day exam. Division I is ABFM's own credit taxonomy and includes AMA PRA Category 1.
DOs certified by the AOBFP 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. ABFM Division I includes AMA PRA Category 1, so a Category 1 certificate can count toward your ABFM 200 and toward Florida's hours at the same time. 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 family physicians in Florida
- Pace: Florida asks for 40 hours every 2 years, about 20 a year. ABFM asks for 200 credits over 5 years, about 40 a year. Certificates that carry credit both accept count toward each, so plan to the larger of the two.
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 family 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 ABFM CME count toward Florida's CME hours?
ABFM Division I includes AMA PRA Category 1, so a Category 1 certificate can count toward your ABFM 200 and toward Florida's hours at the same time. 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 ABFM rules as last checked August 1, 2026. Informational, not legal advice. Rules change mid-cycle: verify with the Florida Board of Medicine and your board before relying on any entry.