Ohio CME Requirements for Psychiatrists

Ohio requirements for all physicians

Renewal cycle: Licenses renew every 2 years on a staggered schedule set by the first letter of the licensee's last name (January 1, April 1, July 1 or October 1 of an even- or odd-numbered year), per ORC 4731.281.

• 50 hours of CME every 2-year registration period (reduced from 100 hours effective October 17, 2019).
• All 50 hours must be AMA PRA Category 1 (or AOA Category 1-A / equivalent) credit certified by OSMA, the Ohio Osteopathic Association, an ACCME-accredited provider, or awarded directly by the AMA; Category 2 no longer counts toward renewal.
• At least 1 of the 50 hours must be a board-approved course on a licensee's duty to report misconduct (ORC 4731.224); the board offers a free 1-hour course. Required for renewal or reinstatement applications submitted on or after July 1, 2021.
• Physicians who own, operate, or practice at a pain management clinic must complete 20 hours of Category 1 CME in pain medicine every 2 years, including content on the potential for addiction (OAC 4731-29-01); these hours count toward the 50.
• Volunteer health-care service may be credited for no more than 3 CME hours per renewal period.
• A CME waiver is available only for illness, accident, or absence from the US lasting at least 6 consecutive months, and must be requested at least 60 days before the registration period ends (OAC 4731-10-03).

Mandated topics

All mandated topic hours count toward the total above.

What this means if you are a board-certified psychiatrist in Ohio

• Ohio is close to ABPN's pace. Ohio asks for 50 Category 1 hours per 2 years (25/yr); ABPN Continuing Certification expects an average of 30 CME per year. A psychiatrist who keeps up with ABPN will clear the Ohio total automatically, but the reverse is not true: plan around ABPN's 90 CME per 3-year block, not Ohio's 50.
• Ohio does not accept ABPN board certification or Continuing Certification participation in lieu of CME. You must still document 50 Category 1 hours per registration period, though the same Category 1 activities can be reported to both the board and ABPN.
• The only mandated topic is the 1-hour duty-to-report course, which the board provides free. It is ordinary Category 1 CME for ABPN purposes and does not satisfy ABPN's self-assessment (SA-CME), patient-safety, or improvement-in-practice (PIP) components. See ABPN CME requirements.
• Ohio has no general opioid, suicide-prevention, or implicit-bias CME mandate for physicians. The 20-hour pain-medicine rule applies only if you own, operate, or practice at a licensed pain management clinic, which is rare for psychiatrists. Ohio's controlled-substance prescribing rules (OAC 4731-11) impose OARRS checks and prescribing limits but no CME hours.
• Ohio is an IMLC member. An Ohio license obtained through the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact has the same 50-hour requirement and staggered renewal schedule as any other Ohio license; telepsychiatry into Ohio still requires an Ohio license.
• Your Ohio license and your ABPN certificate run on separate clocks: the state rules above are checked at license renewal; ABPN checks 90 CME and 16 SA-CME at the end of each 3-year block. One activity can count for both.
• Any AMA PRA Category 1 activity satisfies both. Only activities on the ABPN Approved CC Activities List earn Self-Assessment credit; topic-specific state hours (ethics, opioids, etc.) satisfy the state but are ordinary CME for ABPN.
• A state-mandated patient-safety or risk-management course can also satisfy the ABPN patient safety requirement; a hospital QI project may satisfy your PIP.

Last reviewed August 23, 2026. State figures come from State Medical Board of Ohio; ABPN figures from the CC Booklet (June 2025) and CC FAQ (April 2026). See the full ABPN CME requirements guide.

Common questions

How many CME hours do I need in Ohio?

50 hours of AMA PRA Category 1 (or equivalent) CME every 2-year registration period, including at least 1 hour on a licensee's duty to report misconduct (OAC 4731-10-02). Category 2 credit no longer counts.

Does board certification count toward Ohio CME?

No. The State Medical Board of Ohio does not accept specialty board certification or ABPN Continuing Certification participation as a substitute for the 50-hour requirement. Category 1 activities you complete for ABPN can be reported to Ohio, however.

Is the duty-to-report course required in Ohio?

Yes. Since May 31, 2021 (enforced for renewals on or after July 1, 2021), every MD, DO, and DPM must complete at least 1 hour of board-approved CME on the duty to report misconduct each registration period. The board offers a free 1-hour course that satisfies it, and the hour counts toward your 50.

Is opioid or pain-management CME required in Ohio?

Not for most physicians. Ohio has no general opioid CME mandate; the 20-hour pain-medicine requirement in OAC 4731-29-01 applies only to physician owners, operators, and physicians practicing at pain management clinics.

When is the Ohio medical license renewal deadline?

It depends on your last name. ORC 4731.281 staggers renewals across January 1, April 1, July 1, and October 1, with each initial group renewing every 2 years in either even- or odd-numbered years. Your exact expiration date is shown on your eLicense Ohio account.