New Hampshire Board of Medicine · MD

100 hours. Every two years. Tied to your license expiration.

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

Updated April 2026Sourced from NHBM~7 min read

Reviewed by Doug Doehrman, MD · Last reviewed April 17, 2026

Mandatory topics

New Hampshire has no state-mandated topic requirements beyond the 100-hour total.

Atlas CME tracks each of these mandatory topics against your New Hampshire cycle automatically. Start tracking free →
Conditional requirements

These rules apply only when the trigger described under each card is met (for example, holding a state-issued controlled substance registration or treating a specific patient population). Each cites the underlying statute or rule directly.

ConditionalOpioid / controlled substances[1]
3 hrs
Biennial

Physicians registered with the New Hampshire Controlled Drug Prescription Health and Safety Program

View sourceVerbatim from source
“All licensees required to register with the controlled drug prescription health and safety program shall complete 3 credit hours of approved online continuing education or pass an online examination in the area of pain management or addiction disorders.”
Med 402.01See source [1] in Primary Sources
Accepted credit

Credit must come from an organization accredited by the ACCME, AMA, New Hampshire 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
min 40 hrs
At least 40 of the 100 hours must be Category I (AMA PRA Category 1 or ACCME-equivalent).SourceMed 402.01[1]
AOA Category 1-A
DOs only
New Hampshire Osteopathic Association-equivalent programs are accepted for DOs.SourceMed 402.01[1]
Category 2 self-directed activities
max 60 hrs
teaching, scientific publications (10 hrs each), journal/AV self-study, patient care review, self-assessment exams.SourceMed 402.01[1]
ABMS Maintenance of Certification
Passing an American specialty board examination for initial certification or recertification counts as 100 Category I hours — satisfies the entire biennial requirement. MOC programs deemed adequate by the Board also satisfy the requirement.SourceMed 402.01[1]
AOA Maintenance of Certification
DOs only
AOA recertification and MOC accepted equivalently.SourceMed 402.01[1]
Board-approved credit
50 Category I hours per training year. Medical-related advanced degrees: 25 hours each year.SourceMed 402.01[1]
Documentation & audit

Physicians are responsible for retaining CME documentation and producing it on request. Requirements include course title, dates, hours, sponsoring organization, and accrediting body.

Waivers & exemptions

Hardship waiver. The Board of Medicine may grant a waiver based on prolonged illness, disability, or similar circumstances, evaluated case-by-case.[1]

Specialty board exam equivalency. Passing an American specialty board examination for initial certification or recertification is treated as the equivalent of 100 Category I CME hours, effectively satisfying the entire biennial requirement for that cycle.[1]

MOC program equivalency. A physician maintaining an MOC program from their specialty organization that the Board deems adequate may satisfy the entire two-year CME requirement through MOC activity alone.

FAQ
How many CME hours do New Hampshire physicians need?
New Hampshire physicians licensed by the New Hampshire Board of Medicine must complete 100 hours of continuing medical education every two years.[1][2] At least 40 of the 100 hours must be Category I (AMA PRA Category 1 or ACCME-equivalent), and up to 60 hours may be Category II, a broad bucket that includes teaching, publications, self-study, patient care review, and MOC activity. Both MDs and DOs follow the same rule because New Hampshire uses a single unified board.
Does New Hampshire require opioid or pain management CME?
Conditionally. Physicians registered with the New Hampshire Controlled Drug Prescription Health and Safety Program must complete three hours of CME per biennial cycle on pain management or addiction disorders.[1] Physicians without NH CDS registration are not subject to this rule. The three hours count within the 100-hour total and can typically be satisfied with a single comprehensive opioid course. The federal DEA MATE Act operates in parallel and may satisfy the state rule in the cycle in which it is completed.
Does board certification satisfy New Hampshire's CME requirement?
Yes, and this is one of the most generous equivalency rules in the country. Passing an American specialty board examination for initial certification or recertification counts as 100 Category I CME hours, which satisfies the entire biennial requirement in a single activity.[1] A physician maintaining an MOC program that the Board of Medicine deems adequate may also satisfy the full two-year requirement through MOC activity alone. This means a physician sitting for ABMS recertification during a reporting period has effectively completed the New Hampshire CME requirement for that cycle.
What is Category II credit in New Hampshire?
Category II credit is New Hampshire's flexible category for non-CME activities that still contribute to continuing education.[1] It includes teaching, scientific paper presentations and publications (10 hours each), self-directed journal and audiovisual study, patient care review, self-assessment exams, consultant education, and uncompensated psychiatric service (at a rate of four hours of service per one CME hour). Up to 60 of the 100 required hours each biennium may be Category II.
Do MDs and DOs follow different CME rules in New Hampshire?
No. New Hampshire has a single unified Board of Medicine under the NH Office of Professional Licensure and Certification, and both allopathic and osteopathic physicians are regulated under identical rules. There is no separate osteopathic board. DOs may satisfy the requirement through NH Osteopathic Association-equivalent programs, AMA PRA Category 1 Credit, ACGME/AOA-accredited training, and the same Category II activities available to MDs.
Do New Hampshire MDs and DOs have different CME requirements?
No. New Hampshire does not maintain a separate osteopathic licensing board — DOs and MDs are both licensed by the New Hampshire Board of Medicine and subject to the same CME requirements (100 hours per renewal cycle).

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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. N.H. Admin. Code § Med 402.01 — Continuing Medical Education (Cornell LII)
    Primary sourceAccessed 2026-04-21
    Show verbatim text
    “All licensed physicians shall complete 100 hours of approved continuing medical education (CME) requirements every 2 years, 40 hours of which shall be in Category I, and no more than 60 credit hours of which shall be in Category II.”N.H. Admin. Code Med 402.01
    “All licensees required to register with the controlled drug prescription health and safety program shall complete 3 credit hours of approved online continuing education or pass an online examination in the area of pain management or addiction disorders.”Med 402.01
  2. RSA 329:16-g — Continuing Medical Education (New Hampshire Statute)
    Primary sourceAccessed 2026-04-17

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 New Hampshire 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's medical board before relying on any information presented here.

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