Georgia CME requirements for physicians come down to 40 hours of Board-approved continuing education every two years, plus two one-time topic requirements that catch a lot of people at renewal. Here is what the Georgia Composite Medical Board requires, who is exempt, and how audits work.
We checked these requirements against the Georgia Composite Medical Board’s website in October 2026. Rules change, so confirm with the Georgia Composite Medical Board before your renewal. For other states, see our CME requirements by state guide.
The short answer
- Georgia physicians need at least 40 hours of Board-approved CME every two years, and the license renews by the last day of your birth month.
- All 40 hours must be in a category the Board accepts, such as AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™, AOA Category 1, AAFP Prescribed, ACOG Cognates Category 1, or ACEP Category 1.
- Physicians with an active DEA registration who prescribe controlled substances must complete a one-time course of at least 3 hours on controlled substance prescribing.
- Every physician must complete a one-time training of at least 2 hours on professional boundaries and physician sexual misconduct.
- Physicians whose practice is heavily focused on opioid pain management, and who lack pain or palliative certification, need 20 hours of pain management or palliative medicine CME each cycle.
Georgia CME requirements at a glance
| Requirement | What Georgia requires | How often |
|---|---|---|
| Total CME | At least 40 hours of Board-approved CME | Every two-year renewal cycle |
| Accepted credit | AMA Category 1, AOA Category 1, AAFP Prescribed, ACOG Cognates Category 1, or ACEP Category 1 | Applies to all hours |
| Controlled substance prescribing | At least 3 hours of AMA/AOA PRA Category 1 CME (if you hold an active DEA certificate and prescribe controlled substances) | Once in your career |
| Professional boundaries and sexual misconduct | At least 2 hours | Once in your career |
| Pain management or palliative medicine | 20 hours, for physicians described in Rule 360-15-.01(3) | Every cycle |
| Record keeping | Keep attendance records and supporting documents | 5 years from date of attendance |
Total hours and the renewal cycle
Rule 360-15-.01 requires physicians licensed under O.C.G.A. 43-34-26 to complete Board-approved continuing education of not less than 40 hours biennially. The hours must be completed during the two-year term of the license.
Your license expires on the last day of the month in which your birthday falls, and it renews every two years by that date. You have to meet the CME requirement during the renewal cycle to be eligible to renew.
What counts as Board-approved CME
Georgia doesn’t set a separate “Category 1 share.” Instead, the Board approves specific credit types, and your hours need to come from that list. The accepted types are AMA Category 1, AOA Category 1, AAFP Prescribed credit, ACOG Cognates Category 1, and ACEP Category 1. If you want a refresher on how the AMA credit system works, our AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ explainer covers it.
The Board puts the burden of checking approval on you. Its rule says the licensee should verify approval with the source of the program, not with the Board, and should do that before taking the course.
Required topics
Controlled substance prescribing (3 hours, one time)
Physicians who maintain an active DEA certificate and prescribe controlled substances must complete, at least once, three or more hours of AMA/AOA PRA Category 1 CME designed specifically to address controlled substance prescribing practices. Residency training permit holders are excluded, and so are physicians already covered by the pain management rule described below.
The course has to cover controlled substance prescribing guidelines, recognizing signs of abuse or misuse of controlled substances, and prescribing for chronic pain management. Completion is certified at your first renewal after licensure (the rule took effect January 1, 2018). Those 3 hours can also count toward your 40.
Professional boundaries and physician sexual misconduct (2 hours, one time)
Since January 1, 2022, all physicians must complete one-time training of at least two hours on professional boundaries and physician sexual misconduct. The training must address how to proceed with basic and sensitive or intimate examinations, and the communication with patients those exams require. The Board also keeps a page of resources on sexual misconduct and professional boundaries.
Like the prescribing course, this is certified at the first renewal following licensure, and the 2 hours can count toward your total.
Pain management or palliative medicine (20 hours, every cycle)
Physicians who don’t hold a certification in pain management or palliative medicine, and whose opioid pain management patients make up 50% or more of their patient population, must earn 20 hours of CME in pain management or palliative medicine each biennium. That CME must be AMA/AOA PRA Category 1, a Board-approved program, or federally approved CME, and it can count toward the 40 hours.
One note here. The Board’s CE web page describes this group as physicians who work in a pain clinic, while the rule text uses the 50% opioid patient threshold. If you think this applies to you, check with the Board about which definition it applies.
Who is exempt or gets a reduced requirement
Rule 360-15-.01 lists several exceptions to the 40-hour requirement:
- Physicians in full-time residency or fellowship programs accredited by the ACGME or the AOA are exempt.
- Newly licensed physicians don’t need the 40 hours until after they have renewed for the first time.
- Physicians whose licenses are inactive or revoked are exempt, but suspended or disciplined physicians must still comply unless a Board order says otherwise.
- Retired physicians with an active license who provide uncompensated care under Code Section 43-34-41 need 10 hours each biennium.
- Physicians can request an exemption for hardship, disability, illness, military service, or service in Congress or the Georgia General Assembly, with documentation, and should submit the request well before the license expires.
Two waivers can also reduce your hours. The Board waives one CME hour for every four documented hours of uncompensated care, such as free clinic work, up to 10 hours per biennium (you submit documentation at renewal). It also waives two hours for each investigative case peer review you do for the Board, up to eight hours per biennium.
Renewal, audits, and record keeping
You don’t upload certificates when you renew. Instead, you answer questions on the renewal form confirming compliance or an exception. The Board audits a fixed percentage of randomly selected renewals, and audited physicians must produce records of attendance and certificates of completion. False statements on the renewal form can lead to discipline.
Keep your records for 5 years from the date of attendance. At minimum, each record should show the provider name, the program name, the hours completed, the completion date, and evidence of AMA or AOA Category 1 credit. The Board has also partnered with CE Broker for free tracking, though using it isn’t required.
If you miss the deadline, Rule 360-15-.02 allows a late renewal during the three months after expiration, with proof of completed CME and a late fee. Licenses not renewed within three months are revoked for failure to renew. Hours you use to make up a deficiency don’t count toward the next cycle.
Fitting your CME around the Georgia rules
Because the 40 hours can come from any accepted category, most physicians build them around their specialty and fit the one-time topic courses in where needed. Travel Medical Seminars offers Audio-Digest self-study courses in 10-credit and 20-credit formats, each designated for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ by the Lippincott Continuing Medical Education Institute, an ACCME-accredited provider. You study at your own pace and complete testing online. Browse all courses or the pain management category, and check each program’s materials to see whether it’s approved for a specific Georgia topic requirement.
Sources
- Georgia Composite Medical Board: Continuing Education and Other Required Training for Physicians
- Rules of the Georgia Composite Medical Board, Chapter 360-15 Continuing Education (Rules 360-15-.01 and 360-15-.02)
- Georgia Composite Medical Board: Resources on Physician Sexual Misconduct, Professional Boundaries, Trauma, and Implicit Bias