Texas CME Requirements for Psychiatrists

Texas requirements for all physicians

Renewal cycle: Biennial registration (24-month cycle) with the Texas Medical Board; 48 CME credits are due each registration period, with exemptions for the first registration and for board certification/recertification in the prior 36 months.

• 48 CME credits every 24-month registration period
• At least 24 credits must be formal (AMA PRA Category 1, AOA Category 1-A, AAFP, or TMA-approved); up to 24 may be informal (self-study, hospital lectures, grand rounds, case conferences)
• At least 2 of the formal credits must be in medical ethics and/or professional responsibility
• 2 formal credits in safe and effective pain management related to opioid prescribing in each of the first two renewal periods (the first completed by the first anniversary of licensure), then every 8 years (physicians in direct patient care)
• 1 formal credit in identifying and assisting victims of human trafficking (HHSC-approved course) in the first renewal period, then every third renewal
• Exemptions: first registration after initial licensure; residency/fellowship completed within 6 months before licensure; retired or voluntary-charity-care status; board certification or recertification (ABMS/AOA) within the preceding 36 months creates a presumption of compliance
• Up to 48 excess credits may be carried forward to the next registration period only; required ethics, opioid, and trafficking credits cannot be carried forward. Mandatory CE tracking via CE Broker begins September 1, 2026

Mandated topics

All mandated topic hours count toward the total above.

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

• ABPN sets the pace, not Texas. Texas asks for 48 credits per 2 years, only 24 of them formal; ABPN Continuing Certification requires an average of 30 Category 1 credits per year (90 per 3-year block). Meeting ABPN automatically exceeds both the 48-credit total and the 24 formal-credit floor.
• Board certification can replace most CME, but not all of it. Under Tex. Occ. Code §156.052, a physician who became ABPN-certified or recertified in the 36 months before registration is presumed compliant with the formal/informal hour requirement. The TMB chart limits this to one registration period, states that it covers the ethics requirement but does not cover the human trafficking course, and that coverage of the opioid requirement depends on the specialty board. Ongoing ABPN Continuing Certification (MOC) can be used for multiple renewal periods under the same terms.
• The 2-hour ethics requirement is ordinary CME for ABPN — it counts toward the 90-credit block but is not an ABPN Patient Safety or Improvement in Practice activity. Choosing an ethics course that is also self-assessment (SA-CME) lets it count toward the 24 SA-CME credits ABPN requires per block.
• Opioid/pain management CME is psychiatry-relevant: the required content (standards of care, drug-seeking behavior, communicating about controlled substances) maps well to benzodiazepine and stimulant prescribing. Psychiatrists who do not provide direct patient care (pure administrative or research roles) are exempt.
• Texas is a member of the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact; telepsychiatry into Texas requires a Texas license, and each compact license carries its own state CME rules.
• Texas has no suicide prevention, implicit bias, or cultural competency CME mandate for physicians, and child abuse/domestic violence courses may be used to satisfy the ethics credits.
• Your Texas 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 Texas Medical Board; 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 Texas?

48 credits every 24-month registration period, at least 24 of which must be formal (AMA PRA Category 1 or equivalent). Two formal credits must be in medical ethics or professional responsibility.

Does board certification count toward Texas CME?

Mostly. Under Texas Occupations Code §156.052, a physician who became board certified or recertified (ABMS/AOA, including ABPN) in the 36 months before registration is presumed to have met the CME hour requirement for one registration period; ongoing MOC participation can be used across multiple renewals. Per the TMB requirement chart, this covers the ethics credits but not the human trafficking course, and whether it covers the opioid course depends on the specialty board.

Is opioid CME required in Texas?

Yes for physicians in direct patient care: 2 formal credits in safe and effective pain management related to opioid prescribing in each of the first two renewal periods (the first within one year of licensure), then 2 credits every 8 years (§156.055).

Is human trafficking CME required in Texas?

Yes. One HHSC-approved human trafficking prevention course is required in the first renewal period after licensure and then every third renewal (about every 6 years) under §156.060.

Do I need CME for my first Texas license renewal?

No. Newly licensed physicians are exempt from the CME requirement the first time they register. Physicians who completed residency or fellowship within 6 months before licensure are also exempt. The opioid course still must be completed by the first anniversary of licensure.

Does Texas track my CME automatically?

Currently documentation is kept by the physician and provided to the TMB on request or audit. Mandatory CE tracking through CE Broker begins September 1, 2026.