Louisiana Medical Doctor CME

How many CE hours do Louisiana physicians need?

Louisiana physicians need 20 hours of Board-approved CME every year, including AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ or other credit the Board accepts ( Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners — Rules, Continuing Education ). You may complete all 20 hours online with an on-demand Complete Louisiana CME Physician Package

Every physician's license expires on the first day of their birth month each year, and renewal requires the licensee's CE Broker account to show the required hours completed — the Board will not process a renewal until CE Broker reflects the correct number of credits ( Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners — Renewals ).

Which CE topics are required for Louisiana physicians?

Every physician must attend a one-time, 2-hour Board-sponsored orientation on the Louisiana Medical Practice Act before their first license renewal, and receives hour-for-hour credit toward that year's CME requirement for attending it ( Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners — Rules, Continuing Education ).

A physician holding a Louisiana Controlled Dangerous Substances (CDS) license must complete a one-time 3-hour CME course covering best practices for prescribing CDS, drug diversion training, treatment of addiction, and treatment of chronic pain, before their first license renewal — counted hour-for-hour toward the standard annual CME total, not owed in addition to it ( Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners — Rules, Controlled Dangerous Substances CME ; Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners — Board-Approved CME Courses for CDS Requirements ).

A physician practicing family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, psychiatry, endocrinology, gastroenterology, cardiology, oncology, rheumatology, neurology, nephrology, dermatology, pulmonology, surgery, immunology, hematology, obstetrics, or gynecology must complete 1 hour of nutrition and metabolic health training every four years, counted within the standard 20-hour total rather than owed in addition to it, effective January 1, 2026 ( Louisiana State Legislature — 2025 Regular Session, Senate Bill 14 (Act 463), enrolled, amending R.S. 37:1270(A)(8) ).

A physician practicing emergency medicine must also complete a one-time 1-hour course on the treatment of sickle cell disease, with a refresher course every three years, effective January 1, 2026 ( Louisiana State Legislature — 2025 Regular Session, Senate Bill 14 (Act 463), enrolled, amending R.S. 37:1270(A)(8) ).

Physicians holding a DEA registration must also complete a one-time 8-hour DEA MATE Training on Opioid or Substance Use Disorder, per the federal MATE Act — not a Louisiana Board mandate ( DEA Diversion Control Division — MATE Act Training FAQ ).

Do newly licensed Louisiana physicians need CE for their first renewal?

No, not the standard 20 hours. A physician who has held an initial Louisiana license on the basis of examination for less than one year is exempt from the annual 20-hour requirement for that first renewal. Every physician must still attend the Board's 2-hour Medical Practice Act orientation course before that first renewal, and a physician who holds a Louisiana CDS license must also complete the one-time 3-hour CDS course before it ( Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners — Rules, Continuing Education ).

Does the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners audit CE records?

Yes. Renewal itself is gated electronically: a physician cannot renew unless CE Broker shows the required hours completed ( Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners — Renewals ). The Board also reserves the right to audit any questionable documentation of CE activities, and a physician selected for audit must submit verification within 30 days of the audit notice ( Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners — Rules, Continuing Education ).

Sources

Last verified: September 23, 2026

• Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners

• Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners — Renewals

• Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners — Board Orientations & Online Courses

• Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners — Board-Approved CME Courses for CDS Requirements

• Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners — Rules, Continuing Education (LAC 46:XLV §§433–449)

• Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners — Rules, Continuing Medical Education for Controlled Dangerous Substances (LAC 46:XLV Chapter 40)

• Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners — Rules, Physicians (LAC 46:XLV, Subpart 2, Chapter 3)

• Louisiana State Legislature — 2025 Regular Session, Senate Bill 14 (Act 463), enrolled

• DEA Diversion Control Division — MATE Act Training FAQ