Utah CME Requirements for Psychiatrists

Utah requirements for all physicians

• 40 hours of CME every 2-year licensing cycle (MD licenses expire January 31 of even-numbered years) under Utah Admin. Code R156-67-304
• At least 34 of the 40 hours must be ACCME Category 1; up to 6 hours may come from DOPL-provided education; up to 15% may be earned through volunteer health care (1 credit per 4 documented hours); residency participation counts pro rata
• Controlled substance prescribers (anyone with authority to prescribe Schedule II-III opioids, hypnotic depressants, or psychostimulants, which includes psychiatrists) must complete at least 3.5 hours of Category 1 controlled substance prescribing CE each licensing period, with a post-course knowledge assessment, covering the Utah/national opioid problem, the FDA opioid REMS Blueprint, Utah prescribing resources, documentation, office policies, and medical cannabis (Utah Code 58-37-303, renumbered from 58-37-6.5 by 2026 Ch. 362, effective July 1, 2026)
• A one-time 3.5-hour SBIRT (Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment) training class is required for controlled substance prescribers beginning with licensing periods starting after January 1, 2024; completing it satisfies the 3.5-hour prescribing requirement for that period
• The 3.5 prescriber hours count within the 40-hour total and do not add to it; a DATA 2000 waiver obtained on or after July 1, 2017 may satisfy the 3.5 hours for two consecutive periods
• Controlled substance prescribers must also complete a 0.5-hour online tutorial and test on the Utah Controlled Substance Database each cycle, waivable by attesting on the renewal form that the database was used during the period (R156-37-402(3)(c))
• Physicians must complete at least one DOPL-listed online suicide prevention training per renewal (e.g., Suicide Safety Planning with Patients, Talking to Patients About Suicide, Counseling on Access to Lethal Means; 0.5 credit each, counted toward CME)
• Hours are prorated from the date of licensure for licensees not licensed for the full 2-year period; retain documentation for 2 years after the cycle ends

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

• Your Utah 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 the Utah medical board; ABPN figures from the CC Booklet (June 2025) and CC FAQ (April 2026). See the full ABPN CME requirements guide.