Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) — Physicians and Surgeons Licensing Board · MD

40 hours every two years. Minimum 34 ACCME Category 1. Tied to January 31 even-year expiration.

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

Updated April 2026Sourced from UDPL(—PSLB~7 min read
Licensed as a DO instead? Utah has a separate osteopathic board. See Utah DO CME requirements →

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

Mandatory topics

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

Suicide prevention[1]
0.5 hrs
Biennial
Universal for all renewing Utah physicians. Three DOPL-approved options (developed with University of Utah's Zero Suicide Initiative): 'Suicide Safety Planning with Patients,' 'Talking to Patients About Suicide,' and 'Counseling on Access to Lethal Means' — each worth 0.5 CE credit. Complete at least one. Counts toward the 40-hour total.
View sourceVerbatim from source
“all renewing physicians must complete at least one online suicide prevention training course, each worth 0.5 CE credit”
DOPL Physician License Renewal / CME FAQSee source [1] in Primary Sources
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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[2]
3.5 hrs
Biennial

Physicians holding a Utah controlled substance license

View sourceVerbatim from source
“the required 1/2 hour of continuing education for the online tutorial and test relating to the controlled substance database shall be waived by the division for a controlled substance prescriber renewing a license, if the prescriber attests on the license renewal form that: (i) in the past license period, the prescriber accessed the controlled substance database; and (ii) upon the prescriber's information and belief, the prescriber's use of the database reduced the prescribing, dispensing, and use of opioids in an unprofessional or unlawful manner”
R156-37-402(3)(c)See source [2] in Primary Sources
Accepted credit

Credit must come from an organization accredited by the ACCME, AMA, Utah 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 34 hrs
At least 34 of the 40 hours must be ACCME Category 1. The remaining 6 hours may come from non-Category 1 sources — DOPL-offered CE and charity volunteer service are each separately capped at 6 hours.SourceR156-67-304(1)(a)[3]
AOA Category 1-A
DOs only
This file covers MDs under Chapter 58-67 / R156-67; the MD rule accepts only ACCME Category 1. Utah DOs are licensed under a separate Chapter 58-68 / R156-68 rule that expressly also accepts AOA Category 1 — see the utah-osteopathic file for DO-specific credit types.SourceR156-67-304(1)(d)[3]
DOPL-offered CE
max 6 hrs
DOPL-offered CE — including the suicide prevention trainings — counts within this 6-hour cap.SourceR156-67-304(1)(b)[3]
Charity care volunteer service
max 6 hrs
Up to 6 of your 40 hours may come from charity health care volunteer work at a qualifying location — you earn 1 CME hour for every 4 hours of documented volunteer service.SourceR156-67-304(1)(c)[3]
Documentation & audit

Licensees must be able to document completion of CE upon DOPL request and must retain such documentation until the next renewal cycle.[3]

Waivers & exemptions

No formal waivers or exemptions are published for Utah.

FAQ
How many CME hours do Utah physicians need?
The qualified continuing professional education requirements shall consist of 40 hours during each two-year licensure cycle.[3] Of those 40 hours, a minimum of 34 must be in category 1 offerings as established by the ACCME. DOPL-provided CE is capped at 6 hours, and charity volunteer CE is capped at 15% of the requirement (6 hours), with 1 CME hour earned per 4 documented hours of qualifying volunteer service under Utah Code § 58-13-3. Participation in an AOA- or ACCME-approved residency satisfies the requirement on a pro-rata basis.
Are there mandatory CME topics in Utah?
Yes. At renewal the licensee must view a suicide prevention video described in Section 58-1-601 and submit proof in the form required by the division.[4] DOPL implements this by requiring at least one approved online suicide prevention training (0.5 CE credit each) — currently 'Suicide Safety Planning with Patients,' 'Talking to Patients About Suicide,' and 'Counseling on Access to Lethal Means' (developed with University of Utah's Zero Suicide Initiative).[1] Physicians holding a Utah controlled substance license additionally must satisfy CE under § 58-37-6.5 (controlled substance prescriber CE).[2] DOPL must also count any CE completed under § 26B-4-219 (public-health CE) toward the 40-hour total.[4]
Where can I check my Utah medical license renewal date?
Physician licenses expire on January 31 of even years; DOPL sends renewal notices via email at least 60 days before expiration.[1] All Utah physicians share the same January 31 even-year deadline. You can verify your license status at secure.utah.gov/llv.
Do Utah MDs and DOs have different CME requirements?
Structurally, almost identical. Utah licenses DOs through a separate Osteopathic Physician and Surgeon Licensing Board under Utah Code Chapter 58-68 and R156-68-304. DOs, like MDs, must complete 40 hours of CE per two-year licensure cycle with at least 34 hours in Category 1. Three codified differences exist: (a) DO licenses expire May 31 of even years (not January 31 like MDs); (b) R156-68-304(1)(a) accepts Category 1 credit from AOA or ACCME (R156-67-304(1)(a) accepts only ACCME); and (c) the DO renewal fee is $193. All other requirements (suicide prevention video, public-health CE recognition under § 26B-4-219, charity-care credit, residency pro-rata, documentation retention, 3.5 Controlled Substance CE for CS licensees) are the same.
Does a Utah controlled substance license add CE requirements for physicians?
Yes, conditionally. Physicians with controlled substance licenses follow § 58-37-6.5 requirements.[1] Utah Admin. Code R156-37-402 applies uniformly to all Utah controlled substance prescribers — physicians, osteopathic physicians, and physician assistants.[2] The statutory total is 4 hours per licensing period: 3.5 hours in approved controlled-substance prescribing classes plus 0.5 hour for the online CS database tutorial under § 58-37f-402. R156-37-402(3)(c) makes the 0.5 hour tutorial waivable via attestation on the renewal form, so DOPL advertises 3.5 hours across all renewal pages (the DO renewal page is explicit: 'For those holding a Utah controlled substance license: 3.5 Controlled Substance CE credit hours approved by the Division'). Physicians without a Utah controlled substance license are not subject to this mandate.

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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. Renew a Physician and Surgeon License — Utah DOPL
    Primary sourceAccessed 2026-04-17
    Show verbatim text
    “Physician licenses expire on January 31 of even years. The Division of Professional Licensing sends renewal notices via email at least 60 days before expiration. … Physicians must complete required CE hours per R156-67-304 regulations. Those with controlled substance licenses follow 58-37-6.5 requirements. Additionally, all renewing physicians must complete at least one online suicide prevention training course, each worth 0.5 CE credit.”
    “all renewing physicians must complete at least one online suicide prevention training course, each worth 0.5 CE credit”DOPL Physician License Renewal / CME FAQ
  2. Utah Admin. Code R156-37-402 — Continuing Professional Education for Controlled Substance Prescribers
    Primary sourceAccessed 2026-04-20
    Show verbatim text
    “R156-37-402. Continuing Professional Education for Controlled Substance Prescribers. In accordance with Section 58-37-6.5, qualified continuing professional education requirements for controlled substance prescribers are further established as follows: … (3)(c) In accordance with Subsection 58-37f-304(3), the required 1/2 hour of continuing education for the online tutorial and test relating to the controlled substance database shall be waived by the division for a controlled substance prescriber renewing a license, if the prescriber attests on the license renewal form that: (i) in the past license period, the prescriber accessed the controlled substance database; and (ii) upon the prescriber's information and belief, the prescriber's use of the database reduced the prescribing, dispensing, and use of opioids in an unprofessional or unlawful manner, or in quantities or frequencies inconsistent with generally recognized standards of dosage for an opioid.”R156-37-402
    “the required 1/2 hour of continuing education for the online tutorial and test relating to the controlled substance database shall be waived by the division for a controlled substance prescriber renewing a license, if the prescriber attests on the license renewal form that: (i) in the past license period, the prescriber accessed the controlled substance database; and (ii) upon the prescriber's information and belief, the prescriber's use of the database reduced the prescribing, dispensing, and use of opioids in an unprofessional or unlawful manner”R156-37-402(3)(c)
  3. Utah Admin. Code R156-67-304 — Qualified Continuing Professional Education (Physician CE)
    Primary sourceAccessed 2026-04-18
    Show verbatim text
    “R156-67-304. Qualified Continuing Professional Education. (1) In accordance with Subsection 58-67-304(1), the qualified continuing professional education requirements shall consist of 40 hours during each two-year licensure cycle, as follows: (a) A minimum of 34 of the required hours shall be in category 1 offerings as established by the ACCME. (b) A maximum of six hours of continuing education may come from the Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing. (c) Up to 15% of the required hours may come from providing volunteer health care services within the scope of the licensee's license at a qualified location, in accordance with Section 58-13-3 concerning charity health care. One hour of continuing education credit may be earned for every four documented hours of volunteer services. (d) Participation in a residency program approved by the AOA or the ACCME shall meet the continuing education requirement in a pro-rata amount equal to any part of the two-year period. … (4) A licensee must be able to document completion of the continuing professional education upon the request of the Division. Such documentation shall be retained until the next renewal cycle.”R156-67-304
  4. Utah Code § 58-67-303 — Term of License; Expiration; Renewal
    Primary sourceAccessed 2026-04-18
    Show verbatim text
    “(1)(a) Except as provided in Section 58-67-302.7, the division shall issue each license under this chapter in accordance with a two-year renewal cycle established by division rule. (b) The division may by rule extend or shorten a renewal period by as much as one year to stagger the renewal cycles the division administers. (2) At the time of renewal, the licensee shall: (a) view a suicide prevention video described in Section 58-1-601 and submit proof in the form required by the division; (b) show compliance with continuing education renewal requirements; and (c) show compliance with the requirement for designation of a contact person and alternate contact person for access to medical records and notice to patients as required by Subsections 58-67-304(1)(b) and (c).”Utah Code § 58-67-303
  5. Physician and Surgeon Licensing Board — Utah DOPL
    Primary sourceAccessed 2026-04-17
    Show verbatim text
    “As of April 1, 2026 a fingerprint background check is required of all applications for this profession.”

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 Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) — Physicians and Surgeons Licensing 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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