South Carolina Board of Medical Examiners · MD

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

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

Updated April 2026Sourced from SCBME~5 min read

Reviewed by Doug Doehrman, MD · Last reviewed April 18, 2026

Mandatory topics

For physicians, 40 hours is the total CME requirement. South Carolina also requires a set of one-time topics that count toward the 40-hour total.

General CME[1]
30 hrs
Biennial
Applies universally to all MDs and DOs licensed by SCBME. At least 30 of your 40 hours must be directly related to your primary area of practice or specialty; the remaining 10 may be any qualifying Category 1 CME. Counts within the 40-hour total.
View sourceVerbatim from source
“Thirty of these hours must be in their specialty; 10 may be non-specialty.”
SC Board Medical CE Requirements PDFSee source [1] in Primary Sources
Opioid / controlled substances[1]
2 hrs
Biennial
Universal mandate for all MDs and DOs — not conditional on DEA registration. Counts within the 40-hour total. Each renewal application must include a certificate of participation issued by the CME organization; keep the original, as it's required documentation at renewal.
View sourceVerbatim from source
“Two hours must be in safe prescribing and monitoring of controlled substances.”
SC Board Medical CE Requirements PDFSee source [1] in Primary Sources
Atlas CME tracks each of these mandatory topics against your South Carolina cycle automatically. Start tracking free →
Accepted credit

Credit must come from an organization accredited by the ACCME, AMA, South Carolina 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
All 40 hours must be AMA or AOA Category 1 CME, completed within the 2-year renewal period. Hours from providers not accredited by AMA or AOA must be individually approved by the board.SourceSC Code § 40-47-40[2]
AOA Category 1-A
DOs only
AOA Category 1 is explicitly named alongside AMA Category 1 as an acceptable source.SourceSC Code § 40-47-40[2]
ABMS Maintenance of Certification
ABMS 'certification of added qualifications or recertification after examination by a national specialty board' satisfies the requirement in lieu of the 40-hour CME total.SourceSC Code § 40-47-40 (Option B)[2]
Board-approved credit
Providers not accredited by AMA or AOA may be accepted if individually approved by the SC Board of Medical Examiners.SourceSC Code § 40-47-40[2]
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

Physicians may alternatively satisfy requirements through certification of added qualifications or recertification after examination by a national specialty board.[2] Ongoing board certification/recertification activity may substitute in lieu of the 40-hour CME requirement.

First renewal following initial licensure requires compliance with all educational, examination, and other requirements for the issuance of a permanent license.[2] Interpreted by the Board as a de facto first-renewal exemption from the 40-hour CME rule.

A person whose profession or occupation is regulated by this title is exempt from completing continuing education requirements for his profession or occupation while serving on active military duty.[5]

Physicians may claim up to 10 hours for volunteer medical service (applied toward the 40-hour total, not as an exemption).[4]

FAQ
How many CME hours do South Carolina physicians need?
South Carolina physicians must complete 40 hours of AMA/AOA Category 1 CME every two years.[2][1] Of the 40 hours, at least 30 must relate directly to the licensee's practice area or specialty, and at least 2 hours must address approved procedures of prescribing and monitoring controlled substances. Both MDs and DOs follow the same rule because SC uses a single unified Board of Medical Examiners.
Does South Carolina require specialty-specific CME?
Yes. At least 30 of the 40 required hours must be directly related to the licensee's primary area of practice or specialty.[2][1] The remaining 10 hours may be any qualifying Category 1 CME. This is one of the more prescriptive specialty-relevance rules in the country.
How does South Carolina's 2-hour controlled substance CME requirement work?
'Two hours must be in safe prescribing and monitoring of controlled substances.'[2][1] Layer 1 treats this as a universal requirement for all licensed MDs and DOs (not conditional on DEA registration). The 2 hours count within the 40-hour total. Each renewal application must include a certificate of participation with the prescribing and monitoring education requirement issued by the organization.
How do I report CME to the South Carolina Board of Medical Examiners?
The Board partners with CE Broker for electronic CME reporting.[3] Physicians link CME activity to their SC license through the CE Broker platform. Most ACCME-accredited providers that participate in CE Broker will auto-report hours; courses from non-participating providers need to be uploaded manually.
Can board certification substitute for the 40-hour CME requirement?
Yes. 'Physicians may alternatively satisfy requirements through certification of added qualifications or recertification after examination by a national specialty board.'[2] Ongoing ABMS or AOA board certification / recertification activity may substitute in lieu of the 40-hour CME total.
Do South Carolina MDs and DOs have different CME requirements?
No. South Carolina does not maintain a separate osteopathic licensing board — DOs and MDs are both licensed by the South Carolina Board of Medical Examiners and subject to the same CME requirements (40 hours per renewal cycle).

Never miss a South Carolina CME deadline.

Atlas CME tracks your hours, maps them to your state requirements, and reminds you before your a fixed calendar cycle renewal.

Start tracking freeSee how it works

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. Medical CE Requirements — South Carolina Board of Medical Examiners
    Primary sourceAccessed 2026-04-17
    Show verbatim text
    “Medical physicians are required to complete 40 Hours of continuing medical education to renew. Thirty of these hours must be in their specialty; 10 may be non-specialty. Two hours must be in safe prescribing and monitoring of controlled substances. All hours must be AMA/AOA Category 1 taken within the 2-year renewal period.”SC Board Medical CE Requirements PDF
    “Thirty of these hours must be in their specialty; 10 may be non-specialty.”SC Board Medical CE Requirements PDF
    “Two hours must be in safe prescribing and monitoring of controlled substances.”SC Board Medical CE Requirements PDF
  2. SC Code of Laws Title 40 Chapter 47 — Physicians
    Primary sourceAccessed 2026-04-17
    Show verbatim text
    “forty hours of Category I continuing medical education sponsored by the American Medical Association, American Osteopathic Association, or another organization approved by the board”SC Code Title 40 Chapter 47
  3. Continuing Education — South Carolina Board of Medical Examiners
    Primary sourceAccessed 2026-04-17
  4. SC Code § 38-79-30(B) — Volunteer Medical Service CME Credit
    Primary sourceAccessed 2026-04-17
  5. SC Code § 40-1-610 — Continuing Education Exemption (Active Military Duty)
    Primary sourceAccessed 2026-04-17
    Show verbatim text
    “A person whose profession or occupation is regulated by this title is exempt from completing continuing education requirements for his profession or occupation while serving on active military duty.”SC Code § 40-1-610

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 South Carolina Board of Medical Examiners, 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.

Privacy policyTerms of serviceContact