New Mexico Medical Board · MD

75 hours. Every three years. Tied to your license expiration.

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

Updated April 2026Sourced from NMMB~7 min read
Licensed as a DO instead? New Mexico has a separate osteopathic board. See New Mexico DO CME requirements →

Reviewed by Doug Doehrman, MD · Last reviewed April 16, 2026

Mandatory topics

For physicians, 75 hours is the total CME requirement. New Mexico also requires a set of one-time topics that count toward the 75-hour total.

Legal / risk[1]
1 hr
Triennial
One hour per triennial cycle reviewing the New Mexico Medical Practice Act and the board's rules. Physicians must certify completion at renewal. Universal mandate.
View sourceVerbatim from source
“One hour of required CME must be earned by reviewing the New Mexico Medical Practice Act and these board rules. Physicians must certify that they have completed this review at the time they submit their triennial renewal application.”
16.10.4.8(B) NMACSee source [1] in Primary Sources
Atlas CME tracks each of these mandatory topics against your New Mexico 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.

ConditionalPain management & end-of-life care[1]
5 hrs
Triennial

Physicians holding both a federal DEA registration and a New Mexico controlled substances registration

View sourceVerbatim from source
“The five hours of CME in pain management continuing education set forth in Subsections A and B of 16.10.14.11 NMAC may apply toward the 75 hours required in Subsection A of this section and may be included as part of the required CME hours in pain management in either the triennial cycle in which these hours are completed, or the triennial cycle immediately thereafter.”
16.10.4.8(D) NMACSee source [1] in Primary Sources
Accepted credit

Credit must come from an organization accredited by the ACCME, AMA, New Mexico 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
AMA PRA Category 1 Credit from ACCME-accredited providers accepted.Source16.10.4.10(A) NMAC[1]
AOA Category 1-A
DOs only
AOA Category 1-A or 1-B credit accepted. DOs licensed by the separate NM Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners must have at least 30 of 75 hours in AOA Category 1-A or 1-B per 16.17.3 NMAC.Source16.10.4.11(B) NMAC[1]
AAFP Prescribed
AAFP Prescribed credit accepted.Source16.10.4.11(B) NMAC[1]
ABMS Maintenance of Certification
ABMS specialty board certification or recertification activity counts in full during the triennial renewal cycle.Source16.10.4.10(B)-(C) NMAC[1]
Board-approved credit
max 40 hrs
AACOM, AAPS, or CCME-accredited programs accepted. Up to 40 hours per cycle of New Mexico Medical Society-certified NM-specific CME.Source16.10.4.11(C) NMAC[1]
Documentation & audit

CME records must be retained for at least one year following the renewal cycle in which they were earned. The board audits a random sample of renewal applications each cycle.[1]

Renewal is triennial.[1] Each physician is assigned an individual renewal date tied to original licensure, not a calendar-year rollover.

Waivers & exemptions

CME is not required for federal emergency, telemedicine, postgraduate training, public service, temporary teaching, or youth camp/school license categories.[1]

Physicians without a federal DEA registration and New Mexico controlled substances registration are not required to complete the five-hour pain management CME.

FAQ
How many CME hours do New Mexico physicians need?
New Mexico physicians must complete 75 hours of continuing medical education during each three-year renewal cycle.[1] The requirement is the same for MDs licensed by the New Mexico Medical Board and DOs licensed by the New Mexico Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners, but the osteopathic rule requires that at least 30 of the 75 hours be AOA Category 1-A or 1-B.
Are there mandatory CME topics in New Mexico?
Yes. Every physician must earn one hour of CME each triennial cycle reviewing the New Mexico Medical Practice Act and the board's rules, and must attest to completing that review at renewal.[1] Physicians who hold a federal DEA registration and a New Mexico controlled substances registration must also complete five hours of non-cancer pain management CME each cycle, covering 16.10.14 NMAC, controlled substance pharmacology, abuse and addiction recognition, and prescribing regulations. Both the Medical Practice Act review and the pain management hours count toward the 75-hour triennial total rather than being additive.
Where can I check my New Mexico medical license renewal date?
The New Mexico Medical Board publishes a public license verification tool at nmmb.state.nm.us/licensing, which shows current status and expiration date for any licensee.[2] The board sends a renewal notice to the physician's address of record before expiration, but the renewal date is assigned at initial licensure and does not follow the calendar year. Physicians should track their actual expiration date rather than relying on notices, because a lapsed New Mexico medical license cannot be used to practice even briefly while waiting for renewal to process.
Does the DEA MATE Act 8-hour training count in New Mexico?
Yes. When the training is accredited for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit, the federal MATE Act 8-hour one-time requirement can be applied toward the 75-hour New Mexico triennial total. The MATE Act is a federal rule tied to DEA registration, not a New Mexico state rule, so it does not add hours beyond the state requirement. Most New Mexico physicians structure a single accredited course that simultaneously satisfies the MATE Act 8 hours and contributes toward the state's 75-hour total and, where applicable, the five-hour pain management CME.
Do residency and fellowship hours count toward New Mexico CME?
Yes. Postgraduate training accredited by the ACGME counts toward the 75-hour triennial total, and the regulation allows postgraduate education to satisfy up to the full 75 hours per cycle.[1] This is particularly useful for residents and fellows who hold an active New Mexico medical license while still in training, since an accredited training year can fully cover the state CME requirement on its own.
Do New Mexico MDs and DOs have different CME requirements?
Partially. New Mexico licenses DOs through the New Mexico Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners under 16.17.3 NMAC, separately from the New Mexico Medical Board that regulates MDs. Both require 75 hours of CME per triennial cycle and include a 1-hour Practice Act review. The key difference is the credit-mix requirement: the osteopathic board requires at least 30 of the 75 hours to be AOA Category 1-A or 1-B (16.17.3 NMAC); the MD board has no AOA category minimum. Active AOA membership, specialty board certification/recertification, or passage of COMVEX or SPEX can satisfy the DO CME requirement in the alternative. See [DO board requirements](/cme-requirements/new-mexico/osteopathic) for the complete osteopathic requirements.

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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. 16.10.4.8 NMAC — Hours Required (New Mexico Medical Board)
    Primary sourceAccessed 2026-04-21
    Show verbatim text
    “Seventy-five hours of continuing medical education are required for all medical licenses during each triennial renewal cycle. CME may be earned at any time during the licensing period, July 1 through June 30 immediately preceding the triennial renewal date.”16.10.4.8 NMAC
    “One hour of required CME must be earned by reviewing the New Mexico Medical Practice Act and these board rules. Physicians must certify that they have completed this review at the time they submit their triennial renewal application.”16.10.4.8(B) NMAC · Effective 2002-04-18
    “The five hours of CME in pain management continuing education set forth in Subsections A and B of 16.10.14.11 NMAC may apply toward the 75 hours required in Subsection A of this section and may be included as part of the required CME hours in pain management in either the triennial cycle in which these hours are completed, or the triennial cycle immediately thereafter.”16.10.4.8(D) NMAC
  2. Continuing Medical Education — New Mexico Medical Board
    Primary sourceAccessed 2026-04-13

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 Mexico Medical Board, 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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