Minnesota Medical Doctor CME

How many CE hours do Minnesota physicians need?

Minnesota physicians need 75 hours of AMA PRA Category 1 CME every three years. AOA-accredited CME and Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada credit are recognized as Category 1 equivalents; Category 2 credit does not count ( Minn. R. 5605.0100 ; Minn. R. 5605.0300 ).

The physician license itself renews annually, on the last day of the licensee's birth month ( Minn. R. 5600.0605 ). The 75-hour CME requirement is tracked separately, on a three-year cycle that begins on the first day of the physician's birth month, and compliance is attested at the single annual renewal that coincides with the end of that three-year cycle — not at every annual renewal ( Minn. R. 5605.0100 ; Minn. R. 5605.0200 ; Minn. R. 5605.0900 ).

A physician who holds active board certification or recertification from ABMS, the AOA, or the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada may substitute that certification for the CME requirement, but only for the specific cycle in which the certification or recertification is granted — it is not a standing exemption ( Minn. R. 5605.0700 ).

Which CE topics are required for Minnesota physicians?

Minnesota's 75-hour requirement carries no mandated topic; every hour may be earned from general Category 1 CME ( Minn. R. 5605.0100 ).

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 Minnesota Board mandate ( DEA Diversion Control Division — MATE Act Training FAQ ).

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

The full 75 hours are not due at the first annual renewal merely because the license renews annually. A newly licensed physician's first three-year CME cycle begins on the first day of their birth month following initial licensure. CME earned after initial licensure and before that cycle begins counts toward the first cycle's 75-hour requirement ( Minn. R. 5605.0200 ). Physicians in full-time residency or fellowship training at a professionally accredited institution are exempt from the CME requirement entirely for the duration of that training ( Minn. R. 5605.1000 ).

Does the Minnesota Board of Medical Practice audit CE records?

The Board can request CME documentation. Physicians submit a signed compliance statement at the annual renewal that coincides with the end of their three-year CME cycle ( Minn. R. 5605.0900 ). The Board retains discretion to require additional evidence of CME completion at any time, and physicians must retain their own documentation for this purpose. A physician who fails to comply risks the Board refusing to renew, suspending, conditioning, limiting, or qualifying the license ( Minn. R. 5605.1100 ).

Sources

• Last verified: September 23, 2026

• Minnesota Board of Medical Practice

• Minnesota Board of Medical Practice — Continuing Education

• Minn. R. 5600.0605 — License Renewal Procedures

• Minn. R. 5605.0100 — Continuing Education Cycles

• Minn. R. 5605.0200 — Licensee Classes

• Minn. R. 5605.0300 — Credit Types

• Minn. R. 5605.0700 — Alternative Compliance

• Minn. R. 5605.0900 — Verification of Compliance

• Minn. R. 5605.1000 — Exemptions

• Minn. R. 5605.1100 — Penalties for Noncompliance

• DEA Diversion Control Division — MATE Act Training FAQ