Idaho Board of Medicine · MD

40 hours. Every two years. Tied to your birthday.

A source-verified guide to Idaho's CME requirements for physicians — hours, mandatory topics, audit rules, and exemptions.

Updated April 2026Sourced from IBM~6 min read

Compiled by Atlas CME from official board sources · Last updated July 9, 2026

Mandatory topics

Idaho has no state-mandated topic requirements beyond the 40-hour total.

Atlas CME tracks each of these mandatory topics against your Idaho cycle automatically. Start tracking free →
Accepted credit

Credit must come from an organization accredited by the ACCME, AMA, Idaho Medical Association, or AAFP. ACGME residency or fellowship time accrues toward the requirement. Teaching or presenting accredited CME can satisfy a portion of required hours.

Credit systemNotes
AMA PRA Category 1
SourceIDAPA 24.33.01.100.04.a.i (eff 7-1-25, current codification)[1]
AOA Category 1-A
Idaho uses a single unified Board of Medicine for MDs and DOs — the same 40-hour biennial rule applies to both, and AOA Category 1-A is accepted equivalently.SourceIDAPA 24.33.01.100.04.a.i (eff 7-1-25, current codification)[1]
AAFP Prescribed
Accepted under the ACCME-reciprocating framework; not enumerated individually in the rule text.SourceIDAPA 24.33.01.100.04.a.i (eff 7-1-25, current codification)[1]
Board-approved credit
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada accredited activities are accepted. The Board also allows current Royal College certification itself as an attestation alternative to CME compliance.SourceIDAPA 24.33.01.100.04.a.i–ii (eff 7-1-25, current codification)[1]
Documentation & audit

Beginning April 1, 2026, DOPL is transitioning the Board of Medicine from annual/June-based renewals to fully biennial renewals that expire on the licensee's birth date. The transition is phased by birth year: even birth years expire in 2028 or 2030, odd birth years expire in 2029 or 2031.[3]

Waivers & exemptions

Maintaining current board certification from the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS), the American Osteopathic Association (AOA), or the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (or its successor organization) is an attestation alternative to the 40-hour CME requirement — the certification need not have been granted during the current cycle, only currently held.[1]

Full-time participation in a residency or fellowship training program at a professionally accredited institution is an attestation alternative to the 40-hour biennial CME requirement.[1]

FAQ
How many CME hours do Idaho physicians need?
Idaho physicians, both MDs and DOs, must complete no fewer than 40 hours of practice-relevant continuing medical education every two years.[1] The requirement applies uniformly through the Idaho Board of Medicine. There is no separate total for osteopathic physicians. Maintaining current board certification (ABMS, AOA, or the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada), or full-time participation in a residency or fellowship training program, can substitute for the requirement as an attestation alternative — the certification need not have been granted during the current cycle, only currently held.[1]
Are there mandatory CME topics in Idaho?
No. Idaho does not require any state-mandated CME topics for physicians.[1] There is no opioid prescribing mandate, no pain management mandate, no suicide prevention requirement, no ethics requirement, and no human trafficking training requirement at the state level. The Idaho Board of Medicine instead requires only that CME be "practice-relevant."[1] Physicians with a DEA registration should be aware that the federal MATE Act separately requires a one-time eight-hour substance use disorder training, but this is a federal requirement and not part of Idaho's CME rule.
Where can I check my Idaho medical license renewal date?
You can check your Idaho medical license renewal date through the DOPL online services portal at edopl.idaho.gov.[2] Starting April 1, 2026, the Board of Medicine is transitioning to fully biennial renewals tied to the licensee's birth date, so your next expiration may be different from the old June-based schedule.[3] The Idaho Board of Medicine also maintains a public license lookup through its portal. Because 2026 is a transition year, it is worth confirming both your next expiration date and whether you fall into the 2028, 2029, 2030, or 2031 transition cohort based on your birth year.[3]
Does Idaho accept AOA Category 1-A credit for DOs?
Yes. The Idaho rule applies equally to physicians licensed "to practice medicine and surgery or osteopathic medicine or surgery," and the Idaho Board of Medicine recognizes AOA Category 1-A CME as counting toward the 40-hour biennial requirement on the same footing as AMA PRA Category 1 credit.[1] DOs in Idaho are not subject to a separate hour total the way they are in a few states (notably California, where DOs fall under a different board entirely). The same 40-hour, practice-relevant CME standard applies to both, with no accreditor-specific carve-out.
What happens if I am audited by the Idaho Board of Medicine?
If the Board of Medicine audits your CME at renewal, you will need to produce documentation for each activity used to satisfy the 40-hour requirement, typically the course title, date, hours, sponsoring organization, and accrediting body. Idaho rules allow the Board to require such additional evidence as is necessary to verify compliance, and the consequences of failing an audit can be significant: the Board may condition, limit, suspend, or refuse to renew your license.[1] Idaho does not prescribe a specific minimum retention period, but keeping records for at least the full two-year cycle (and ideally longer) is the accepted best practice, and it is also the standard Atlas CME's record-keeping workflow is built around.
Do Idaho MDs and DOs have different CME requirements?
No. Idaho does not maintain a separate osteopathic licensing board — DOs and MDs are both licensed by the Idaho Board of Medicine and subject to the same CME requirements (40 hours per renewal cycle).[1]

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Other roles in Idaho

Physicians CME requirements in other states

Sources & Citations

Every mandatory topic and conditional requirement above cites the underlying statute or rule. Numbered references below correspond to the bracketed citations next to each requirement.

  1. IDAPA 24.33.01 — Rules of the Board of Medicine (effective 7-1-25)
    Primary sourceAccessed 2026-04-17
  2. Idaho Board of Medicine — DOPL
    Primary sourceAccessed 2026-04-21
  3. DOPL Press Release: Biennial Licensure Transition for the Board of Medicine (April 1, 2026)
    Primary sourceAccessed 2026-04-13
    Show verbatim text
    “DOPL will continue transitioning from the option of 1-year licenses or 2-year licenses in the month of June to 2-year licenses that renew on the licensees' birthdates.”
  4. Idaho Admin. Code r. 24.33.01.079 — Continuing Medical Education (CME) Required
    Primary sourceAccessed 2026-04-21
    Show verbatim text
    “Each person licensed to practice medicine and surgery or osteopathic medicine or surgery in Idaho shall complete no less than forty (40) hours of practice relevant, Category 1, CME every two (2) years.”IDAPA 24.33.01.079 · Effective 2023-03-28

This page is provided for general educational purposes and reflects the best available information as of the last reviewed date above. CME requirements change. Atlas CME is not affiliated with the Idaho Board of Medicine, or any other state medical board, licensing authority, or professional organization. Physicians are solely responsible for verifying their own current CME requirements directly with their state medical board before relying on any information presented here.

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