Colorado's New CME Requirement (2027): What MDs & DOs Need to Know

For years, Colorado was one of a small handful of states that did not require continuing medical education (CME) to renew a physician license. That is changing. Colorado is phasing in a formal CME requirement for MDs and DOs, and the first cycle it applies to is the one ending in 2027. If you hold a Colorado license, here is what to know — and how to make sure the deadline does not sneak up on you.

What is changing

Under rules adopted by the Colorado Medical Board, physicians renewing their license will need to complete continuing medical education as a condition of renewal. The key details:

• How much: 30 credits of Category 1 CME (AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ for MDs; AOA Category 1 accepted for DOs) per two-year renewal cycle.
• When it starts: the requirement phases in with the 2027 renewal. Colorado licenses renew on a two-year cycle ending April 30 of odd-numbered years, so the 2025–2027 window is the first accrual period that counts.
• Who it applies to: actively licensed MDs and DOs renewing in Colorado.

Why it matters

If you have practiced in Colorado for a while, this is a genuine change of habit: there was previously no CME box to check at renewal. Thirty credits over two years is a modest, very achievable total — but it is easy to forget a requirement that never existed before, and CME earned before the accrual window opened generally will not count. Starting to log credits now, rather than in early 2027, keeps the requirement from becoming a last-minute scramble.

What to do now

1. Confirm your renewal date. Colorado renewals fall on April 30 of odd years. Know exactly which cycle you are in.
2. Start counting Category 1 credits. Most conferences, journal-based CME, and accredited online courses qualify. Keep your certificates.
3. Track it automatically. Add your Colorado license to Med Ed Tracker and we will calculate your deadline, show how many of the 30 credits you have logged, and remind you before it is due.

Colorado is not the only state that changed

Requirements shift more often than most physicians realize — boards adjust renewal cadences, move deadlines, and revise CME totals from cycle to cycle. Colorado is simply one of the clearer examples this year. A few others worth a quick check if they apply to you: several states have adjusted whether renewal is annual or biennial, and a number have refined their required CME hours and special-topic courses.

Rather than list every tweak here, we keep the details current in our state-by-state guides:

^* Alongside Colorado, we recently refreshed license-renewal and CME details for a number of other states across the site. If you hold a license outside Colorado, it is worth a quick look at the guides above to confirm your current renewal cycle, deadline, and credit total.