New Jersey Medical Doctor CME

How many CE hours do New Jersey physicians need?

New Jersey physicians need 100 hours of continuing medical education every two years, of which at least 40 hours must be Category I; up to 25 excess hours may carry forward into the next cycle ( New Jersey Board of Medical Examiners — Orientation ).

Renewal falls every two years, with all licenses expiring June 30 of odd-numbered years ( New Jersey Board of Medical Examiners — Orientation ).

Which CE topics are required for New Jersey physicians?

Every physician must complete, every renewal cycle, 2 hours of end-of-life care — counted within the 40 required Category I hours, not on top of them — 1 hour of opioid prescribing (covering responsible prescribing and substance use disorder), and 2 hours of sexual misconduct prevention covering seven required subtopics, including informed consent for sensitive procedures, patient interaction after sexual abuse or harassment, bystander intervention, and human-trafficking identification and reporting (N.J.A.C. 13:35-6.15(e)). The sexual misconduct requirement was adopted by the Board in May 2025; every currently licensed physician must complete it by their June 30, 2027 renewal, and it continues as a standing per-cycle requirement after that ( New Jersey Board of Medical Examiners — End-of-Life Care ; N.J.A.C. 13:35-6.15).

A physician must also complete a one-time 6-hour cultural competency training covering six required subtopics, under a requirement the Legislature created by statute in 2005 (N.J.S.A. 45:9-7.2 and 7.3) and the Board implemented by regulation adopted April 7, 2008 (N.J.A.C. 13:35-6.25). Timing depends on licensure date: a physician licensed on or before June 29, 2007 was required to comply before their 2009 renewal (a deadline long since passed), while a physician licensed on or after June 30, 2007 must comply by the end of their first full renewal cycle after licensure. Whether the hours count toward the 100-hour total also depends on licensure date: for a physician licensed before March 24, 2005, the 6 hours are required in addition to the standard CME and do not count toward the 100-hour total; for a physician licensed on or after March 24, 2005, the 6 hours count within the 100-hour total ( New Jersey Board of Medical Examiners — Cultural Competency ; N.J.A.C. 13:35-6.25).

A physician who provides perinatal care to pregnant patients must also complete 1 hour of implicit and explicit bias training each renewal cycle ( 56 N.J.R. 1228(b) ).

A physician who is credentialed by a hospital, or alternatively privileged by the Board itself (a separate application process requiring ACLS certification and documented case logs, N.J.A.C. 13:35-4A.12), to provide anesthesia services in an office setting owes additional CME tied to that specific privilege, recurring on its own 3-year window rather than the 2-year license cycle: 60 Category I hours for general anesthesia (N.J.A.C. 13:35-4A.8), 8 Category I hours for regional anesthesia (N.J.A.C. 13:35-4A.9), or 8 Category I or II hours for conscious sedation (N.J.A.C. 13:35-4A.10). These apply only to the small subset of physicians who hold that specific office-based anesthesia authorization.

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

Do newly licensed New Jersey physicians need CE for their first renewal?

Not always. A physician who completed graduate medical education within 12 months of initial licensure is exempt from CME for their first renewal cycle, though they must still complete a one-time Orientation course within 24 months of initial licensure ( New Jersey Board of Medical Examiners — Orientation ).

A newly licensed physician's cultural competency training deadline is tied to their own licensure date rather than a fixed calendar year: it is due by the end of their first full renewal cycle after licensure ( New Jersey Board of Medical Examiners — Cultural Competency ).

Does the New Jersey Board of Medical Examiners audit CE records?

Yes. The Board conducts random post-renewal audits and requires verified transcripts or Certificates of Participation; documentation must be retained for 6 years ( New Jersey Board of Medical Examiners — Orientation ).

Sources

Last verified: September 24, 2026

• New Jersey State Board of Medical Examiners

• New Jersey Board of Medical Examiners — Orientation

• New Jersey Board of Medical Examiners — End-of-Life Care

• New Jersey Board of Medical Examiners — Cultural Competency

• N.J.S.A. 45:9-7.2 and 7.3 — Cultural Competency Training, enabling statute (2005)

• N.J.A.C. 13:35-6.25 — Cultural Competency Training, implementing regulation (adopted 4/7/2008)

• 56 N.J.R. 1228(b) — Implicit and Explicit Bias Training Rule Proposal

• N.J.A.C. 13:35-6.15(e) — Sexual Misconduct Education and Prevention Training

• New Jersey Board of Medical Examiners — Alternative Privileges

• DEA Diversion Control Division — MATE Act Training FAQ