Virginia CME Requirements for Psychiatrists (2026): 30 hours every 2 years + ABPN

Virginia requirements for all physicians

Renewal cycle: Biennially, during the licensee's birth month; 30 hours of Type 1 continuing learning activities must be completed in the two years immediately preceding renewal.

30 hours of continuing learning activities in the 2 years immediately preceding each biennial renewal (reduced from 60 hours; amendment effective February 27, 2025)
All 30 hours must be Type 1 activities (courses offered by an accredited sponsor or organization sanctioned by the profession, e.g., ACCME-accredited AMA PRA Category 1 or AOA Category 1-A). Type 2 self-directed hours no longer satisfy the requirement
1 hour of Type 1 CE on human trafficking was required of all Board of Medicine licensees for the 2024 and 2025 renewal cycles (Board notice of December 6, 2023, under 2023 SB 1147/HB 1426, which let the Board mandate up to 2 hours on a designated topic). The Board's CE page and announcements do not extend this mandate to later cycles; check your renewal attestation
Bias reduction training is required at every biennial renewal under Va. Code § 54.1-2928.4 (2026). The statute sets no hour count and directs the Board to adopt implementing regulations; the first covered renewal cycle will be set by those regulations
First biennial renewal after initial Virginia licensure is exempt from CE
Exemptions/extensions available for circumstances beyond the licensee's control (disability, military service, declared disaster), for practice solely in an uncompensated position under physician supervision, and for practice solely as a medical examiner; the Board may grant up to a 1-year extension for good cause
Attestation at renewal; keep documentation for 6 years for random post-renewal audit

Mandated topics

Topic	Hours	How often	Applies to	Rule
Bias reduction training (implicit and explicit bias in health care; first topic: racial bias in pregnancy and postpartum care)	0	every biennial renewal (once Board regulations are in effect)	all Board of Medicine licensees	Va. Code § 54.1-2928.4 (2026); hour count to be set by Board regulation

All mandated topic hours count toward the total above.

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

ABPN sets the pace, not Virginia. Virginia's 30 Type 1 hours per 2 years works out to 15 hours/year; ABPN Continuing Certification expects an average of 30 CME per year (90 per 3-year block), including 16 self-assessment (SA-CME) credits. A psychiatrist current with ABPN CC automatically exceeds the Virginia total.
Board certification can count in lieu of CME. The Board's FAQ states that specialty board (re)certification or the AMA PRA award may satisfy the renewal requirement when the Board has documented proof that its requirements equal or exceed Virginia's. Keep your ABPN CC activity report in case of a post-renewal audit.
Everything must be Type 1. Since the 2025 amendment, Type 2 hours (reading, teaching, self-directed learning) no longer count. Journal-based SA-CME and ABPN-approved self-assessment products that carry AMA PRA Category 1 credit satisfy both Virginia Type 1 and ABPN SA-CME.
Virginia has no opioid or controlled-substance CME mandate. The former 2-hour opioid requirement sunset on July 1, 2022. The only prescribing-related training psychiatrists face is the one-time 8-hour federal DEA MATE Act requirement at DEA registration renewal, which also counts as ordinary Virginia Type 1 CME if accredited.
Mandated topics are ordinary CME for ABPN. The 2024–2025 human trafficking hour and the forthcoming bias reduction training count toward Virginia's 30 hours and toward ABPN's CME total, but are not patient-safety or Improvement in Practice activities unless the specific course is designated as such.
No IMLC pathway in Virginia. Virginia is not a member of the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact; the 2023 bill to join (HB 2073) was left in the House Health, Welfare and Institutions Committee. Virginia-based psychiatrists seeking other state licenses for telepsychiatry apply directly to each state board, and each additional license carries that state's own CME rules.
Your Virginia 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 Virginia Board of Medicine; ABPN figures from the CC Booklet (June 2025) and CC FAQ (April 2026). See the full ABPN CME requirements guide.

ABPN requirements (apply in every state)

Board certification and state licensure are tracked separately. Whatever your state requires below, ABPN Continuing Certification also requires, per 3-year block:

90 AMA PRA Category 1 CME credits per 3-year block (average 30 per year) (full CME rules)
16 Self-Assessment (SA) CME credits per block, counted within the 90, from the ABPN Approved CC Activities List (what counts as SA)
One Performance in Practice (PIP) activity per block — a Clinical or Feedback module (how PIP works)
One Patient Safety activity, one-time, if your first block began in 2017 or later (who it applies to)
Either the 10-year CC exam or 20 ABCC articles per block (compare the two)
An unrestricted license and the annual fee ($175 for one certificate) (fees and statuses)

CME from any ACCME-accredited provider counts toward the 90; SA credit only counts from activities on the ABPN list. Read the complete ABPN CME requirements →

Common questions

How many CME hours do I need in Virginia?

30 hours of Type 1 (accredited-sponsor) continuing learning activities in the two years before each biennial renewal, per 18VAC85-20-235. The requirement was cut from 60 to 30 hours effective February 27, 2025, but all 30 must now be Type 1.

Does board certification count toward Virginia CME?

Yes. The Virginia Board of Medicine FAQ states that specialty board certification or recertification (such as ABPN Continuing Certification) or the AMA Physician's Recognition Award can satisfy the renewal requirement, provided the Board has documented proof that the program's requirements equal or exceed Virginia's. See our guide to ABPN CC requirements.

When is the Virginia medical license renewal deadline?

Licenses renew every two years during the licensee's birth month (18VAC85-20-230). CME must be completed within the two years immediately preceding renewal, and records must be kept for six years in case of audit.

Do I need CME for my first Virginia renewal?

No. Physicians are exempt from continued competency requirements for the first biennial renewal following initial Virginia licensure; the requirement applies to every renewal after that.

Is opioid or controlled-substance CME required in Virginia?

Not by the Board of Medicine. Virginia's 2-hour opioid CME requirement sunset on July 1, 2022. DEA-registered prescribers still must complete the one-time 8-hour federal MATE Act substance use disorder training.

Is human trafficking CME required in Virginia?

The Board required 1 hour of Type 1 CE on human trafficking for licensees renewing in 2024 and 2025 (Board notice of December 6, 2023, under authority granted by 2023 SB 1147/HB 1426). The Board has not published a notice extending the requirement to later renewal cycles; confirm on your renewal form whether an attestation is still required.

Virginia CME Requirements for Psychiatrists