New York's Child Abuse Training Update: Nov. 2026 Deadline

If you hold a New York physician license, there is a compliance box coming due that is easy to miss — not because it is new, but because it is an update to something you may have finished years ago. New York's mandated Child Abuse Identification and Reporting training now covers an added topic, and everyone subject to the requirement must complete the updated version by a hard deadline of November 17, 2026 — roughly two months from now. This is not a brand-new CME mandate taking effect; it is an existing one-time training requirement that got a new module, with a firm date attached. Here is who has to act, and the 15-minute shortcut for people who trained recently.

What actually changed

New York has long required specified licensed professionals — physicians included — to complete coursework in the identification and reporting of child abuse and maltreatment as a condition of licensure. It is a one-time requirement, not a recurring CME cycle. What changed is the curriculum: the training now must include guidance on identifying abuse and maltreatment in children with intellectual or developmental disabilities.

The addition comes from state law. Social Services Law § 413(6) directs the state to update mandated-reporter training to include “guidance on identifying an abused or maltreated child when such child is an individual with an intellectual or developmental disability.” That requirement was created by Chapter 646 of the Laws of 2023 and amended by Chapter 25 of the Laws of 2024, which gave mandated reporters two years to complete the updated training. The New York State Education Department (NYSED) Office of the Professions has set that compliance deadline at November 17, 2026.

Who has to act

New York physicians, including MDs and DOs, are covered unless an applicable exemption has been granted. If you completed the original training before the curriculum was updated, complete the applicable update. The requirement extends beyond physicians, too — registered nurses, nurse practitioners, dentists, psychologists, social workers, and other specified licensed professions are on NYSED's list of covered professionals.

NYSED may grant a practice-based exemption upon a written application establishing that training is unnecessary because of the nature of the practice. Its criteria address professional contact with people under 18 and contact with adults with a handicapping condition who reside in a residential care school or facility. An exemption holder must notify NYSED in writing within 30 days if a practice change eliminates the basis for the exemption. See 8 NYCRR Section 59.12(b) and NYSED's exemption criteria.

Two ways to comply — and a shortcut

Approved providers began offering the updated training that includes the new intellectual-and-developmental-disability content on September 1, 2025. How you satisfy the requirement depends on when you last trained:

• Already completed the updated course on or after September 1, 2025: you are done. The version offered from that date already includes the intellectual-and-developmental-disability content, so no repeat course and no addendum are required.
• Completed approved training between November 1, 2022 and August 31, 2025: you do not need to repeat the whole course. You may instead complete a short 15-minute addendum that covers only the new topic. It is available through most approved providers, and if you took the state's online mandated reporter training, you can generally be registered for the addendum by logging back in with the same email address you used the first time.
• Never completed qualifying training, or last trained before November 1, 2022: complete the full updated course through a NYSED-approved provider; the statutory minimum is two hours. November 17, 2026 is the deadline for the disability-content update, not an extension of initial licensure requirements or the earlier curriculum-update deadline of April 1, 2025.

Complete any outstanding disability-content update by November 17, 2026. This deadline does not extend initial licensure requirements or the earlier curriculum-update deadline of April 1, 2025; if you have not met those obligations, complete the full updated course promptly.

How this differs from your CME

New York does not impose a general CME-hour minimum for physician registration renewal, although specific training requirements apply. Child-abuse training is a licensure requirement with legislatively required updates, rather than a recurring general CME cycle. Ordinary CME coursework does not automatically satisfy it; use qualifying NYSED-approved training. Whether the course also awards CME credit depends on its accreditation.

What to do now

1. Check when you last trained. If you already completed the updated course on or after September 1, 2025, you are done — no repeat is required. If you last trained between November 1, 2022 and August 31, 2025, you qualify for the 15-minute addendum. If you never completed qualifying training or last trained before November 1, 2022, complete the full updated course promptly; the statutory minimum is two hours, and the initial licensure and April 1, 2025 update obligations have not been extended.
2. Complete the disability-content update before the deadline. Finish any outstanding disability-content update by November 17, 2026 through a NYSED-approved provider. Do not wait until then to address unmet initial licensure requirements or the earlier April 1, 2025 curriculum update.
3. Keep and submit your completion documentation. NYSED requires an authorized Certification of Completion at initial application or reregistration. Current licensees can upload their completed form through NYSED's licensee document-upload service; retain a copy for your records.
4. Verify with NYSED. Requirements and exemptions can turn on your specific situation, so confirm the details with the New York State Education Department Office of the Professions before relying on them.

Deadlines like this one are exactly the kind of thing that slips through the cracks — a one-time item that does not show up on your annual CME radar. Med Ed Tracker keeps your New York license renewal and CME details in one place, across every state you are licensed in, so a stray requirement is less likely to catch you off guard:

Sources

• NYSED Office of the Professions — Mandated Training Related to Child Abuse
• New York Social Services Law § 413
• New York Assembly Bill A8486 (2023), enacted as Chapter 25 of the Laws of 2024
• NY Mandated Reporter Training — Addendum Instructions
• NYSED Office of the Professions — Training & Continuing Education
• New York Education Law Section 6507(3)(a)
• 8 NYCRR Section 59.12 — Child Abuse Training and Exemptions
• Impact CE — Updated NYS Mandated Reporter Training 2026: Course Credit Listing