Texas physician CME checklist for the February 28, 2027 renewal

Key facts: the February 28, 2027 wave

Who

Licenses expiring Feb. 28, 2027. Odd-numbered licenses expire in odd years; check your date in MyTMB. (TMB physician renewal)

Renewal opens

60 to 90 days before expiration (about Nov. 30 to Dec. 30, 2026) (TMB physician renewal)

Total / formal

48 credits; at least 24 formal; up to 24 informal (22 TAC §161.35(a))

Ethics

2 formal hours, every renewal (§161.35(a)(2)(B))

Opioid

2 formal hours, only if due (direct patient care) (Occ. Code §156.055)

Human trafficking

HHSC-approved course, only if due (direct patient care) (Occ. Code §156.060)

Forensic evidence (new)

2 hours if you work in an ER or urgent care; SASTF-approved courses only; none listed as of Oct. 17, 2026 (TMB CE page; §161.35(a)(3)(A))

Nutrition

Not yet; starts with licenses expiring on or after May 30, 2027 (TMB CE page)

Life of the Mother Act (SB 31)

One time, in MyTMB, if your specialty is on TMB's list (TMB CE page)

Fee

$491.48 (TMB physician renewal)

CME short

"Any CME deficiency can be remedied within 30 days after registration renewal due" (22 TAC §161.35(c)(1))

Late

30-day grace period to renew, then $75; $150 after 90 days; canceled at 1 year (TMB physician renewal; Occ. Code §§156.004, 156.005)

Last verified October 17, 2026. Not affiliated with TMB or CE Broker.

What CME do I need for a February 28, 2027 Texas renewal?

You need 48 credits earned in this registration period, with at least 24 formal Category 1 or 1A and 2 formal ethics hours. Opioid and human trafficking courses are due only in certain cycles and only if you see patients. ER and urgent care physicians also need 2 forensic evidence hours. Nutrition CME isn't required until the May 2027 wave.

Your CME counts if you completed it during your current 24-month registration period, which TMB ties to your registration, not the calendar year. Every box below matches what the free TexasCMELog tracker checks for you.

• ☐ 48 total credits this period. At least 24 formal (AMA PRA Category 1, AAFP Prescribed, AOA Category 1-A, or TMA-approved). No more than 24 informal credits count. (22 TAC §161.35(a); full requirements)
• ☐ 2 formal hours of medical ethics and/or professional responsibility. Human trafficking and pain/opioid courses count toward this, and so does the Life of the Mother Act course if your specialty requires it. (TMB CE requirements) See what counts as ethics.
• ☐ Pain management and opioid prescribing, 2 formal hours, only if due. Direct patient care only. (Tex. Occ. Code §156.055) See when opioid CME is due.
• ☐ Human trafficking prevention, at least 1 hour from an HHSC-approved course, only if due. Direct patient care only: your first renewal period, then every 3rd renewal. (Texas human trafficking CME)
• ☐ Forensic evidence collection, 2 hours, if you work in an ER or urgent care. Only courses approved by the Governor's Sexual Assault Survivors' Task Force count. If you don't work in those settings, file the "Not Working in an ER Setting" attestation in CE Broker instead. (Forensic evidence CME guide)
• ☐ Life of the Mother Act course (SB 31), one time, if your specialty is on TMB's list. It's free and taken only in MyTMB, not reported in CE Broker.
• ☐ Everything reported in CE Broker, with status showing Complete. The free Basic account is enough. (TMB CE tracking)
• ☐ Proof of lawful presence on file with TMB. (TMB physician renewal)
• ☐ Fingerprints, if you haven't submitted them to TMB before. TMB needs the background check results before you can get into online renewal. (Tex. Occ. Code §156.0015; TMB physician renewal)
• ☐ Renewal fee paid online: $491.48.

Do I need the new forensic evidence CME for February 2027?

Only if your practice includes treating patients in an emergency room setting, which TMB applies to ER and urgent care work. TMB also says physicians board certified by ABEM, AOBEM or BCEM must take it. February 28, 2027 is the first wave it applies to. Only courses approved by the Governor's Sexual Assault Survivors' Task Force count, and TMB listed none as of October 17, 2026.

Everyone else files the "Not Working in an ER Setting" attestation in CE Broker, which TMB says removes the requirement. TMB's CE page doesn't say what happens if no course is approved before your renewal window opens, so check TMB's CE page before you renew. Our forensic evidence CME guide covers who's included, what courses must teach and how to report.

Is opioid or human trafficking CME due for my February 2027 renewal?

It depends on your renewal count and whether you provide direct patient care. Opioid CME is due at your first two renewals, then every eight years. Human trafficking CME is due at your first renewal, then every third renewal. If you finished one for a recent renewal, it's probably not due now. The tracker works out both from your renewal history.

Both apply only to direct patient care. The table is calculated from Tex. Occ. Code §§156.055 and 156.060 with the same logic the tracker uses, and it matches TMB's own examples: opioid done for a 2024 renewal is due again in 2032, and human trafficking done for a 2024 first renewal is due again in 2030 (TMB CE requirements). If trafficking isn't due, CE Broker still asks for your most recent completion date (TMB Quick FAQs).

Is nutrition CME required for a February 2027 renewal?

No. TMB says the 1-hour nutrition and metabolic health requirement applies to licenses expiring on or after May 30, 2027, so the February 2027 wave isn't covered. It starts with the May 31, 2027 expirations and applies to every physician each renewal after that. Formal or informal accredited courses based on Texas Nutrition Advisory Committee guidelines count.

More on the 2027 changes: New Texas CME requirements for 2027.

What blocks a Texas renewal in CE Broker?

TMB won't let you into online renewal until CE Broker shows your CME status as Complete and TMB has proof of lawful presence. The free Basic account is enough, but CE Broker says Basic's Requirements tab is a general outline, not a live progress view, so compare it with your Course History. A missing attestation, such as the one for not working in an ER setting, can also keep you Not Complete.

Sources: TMB CE tracking; CE Broker: Why Am I Not Complete? (Basic). Full troubleshooting list: Why CE Broker says "Not Complete". Step-by-step reporting: How to report CME in CE Broker.

What happens if I miss the February 28 deadline?

Two different 30-day rules apply. For CME, 22 TAC §161.35(c)(1) says: "Any CME deficiency can be remedied within 30 days after registration renewal due" (rule text, Texas Register). For the license itself, TMB gives a 30-day grace period to renew the registration (Tex. Occ. Code §156.004). After that a $75 penalty applies, rising to $150 after 90 days, and a license expired for one year or longer is automatically canceled. Texas law also says practicing medicine after the 30-day grace period on a registration that hasn't been renewed has the same effect as practicing without a license (Tex. Occ. Code §156.008).

Either way, TMB's online renewal stays blocked until CE Broker shows Complete, and TMB's pages don't say how make-up credits are applied, so report any make-up CME in CE Broker and confirm with TMB Registrations. Finishing before February 28 is still the simplest path.

Sources: TMB physician renewal; Tex. Occ. Code §§156.004, 156.005, 156.008.

Exemptions that can save hours

• Board certification or recertification within the past 36 months (good for one registration), ABMS MOC / AOA OCC, or residency or fellowship (in training, or finished within 6 months) covers most formal and informal hours and the ethics requirement.
• None of these cover human trafficking. TMB's chart says they "might" cover the opioid requirement, depending on your specialty board. (TMB CME Hours Chart)
• No direct patient care? CE Broker's attestation waives the opioid and human trafficking requirements. (CE Broker exemptions)
• Written exemptions (catastrophic illness, military service or residence abroad over a year, good cause) are requested through CE Broker and reviewed by TMB. The rule asks for the request at least 30 days before renewal (22 TAC §161.35(d)).

Details: exemptions and alternate compliance.

Renewing in a different month?

• November 30, 2026: Texas physician CME checklist for the Nov. 30, 2026 renewal
• All four expiration dates, fees and late penalties: Texas medical license renewal dates