Question 1

How many CME hours do Texas physicians need?

Accepted Answer

48 credits every 24-month registration period. At least 24 must be formal Category 1 or 1A, including 2 hours of medical ethics or professional responsibility. Up to 24 can be informal (22 TAC §161.35).

Question 2

Is CE Broker required in Texas?

Accepted Answer

Yes, for renewals on or after September 1, 2026. TMB verifies CME only through CE Broker, and online renewal stays locked until your status shows Complete.

Question 3

Do I have to pay for CE Broker?

Accepted Answer

No. TMB says the free Basic account is enough. Paid plans, starting at $39.99 a year for Professional, are optional.

Question 4

Do I need opioid CME every renewal?

Accepted Answer

No. If you provide direct patient care, you need 2 formal hours within one year of licensure, again at the next renewal, and then every fourth renewal (every 8 years).

Question 5

How often is human trafficking CME due?

Accepted Answer

If you provide direct patient care: in your first renewal period, then every third renewal (every 6 years). The course must be on HHSC's approved list.

Question 6

Do human trafficking and opioid courses count toward ethics?

Accepted Answer

Yes. TMB says both may also fulfill the medical ethics and/or professional responsibility requirement.

Question 7

Who needs the forensic evidence CME?

Accepted Answer

Physicians whose practice includes treating patients in an emergency room setting, which is the statute's wording. TMB's guidance also includes urgent care. They need 2 hours from a course approved by the Governor's Sexual Assault Survivors' Task Force, starting with licenses that expire February 28, 2027, and no approved course exists yet. Others file the "Not Working in an ER Setting" attestation in CE Broker.

Question 8

What is the nutrition CME requirement?

Accepted Answer

All physicians need 1 hour on nutrition and metabolic health, starting with licenses that expire in May 2027 (TMB: on or after May 30, 2027).

Question 9

What is the Life of the Mother Act course?

Accepted Answer

A free, one-time TMB course on pregnancy-related medical emergencies, required for physicians in specialties TMB lists (including OB/GYN, family medicine and emergency medicine). Take it in MyTMB. It isn't reported in CE Broker.

Question 10

Can extra CME carry over?

Accepted Answer

Up to 48 excess credits can carry forward to the next registration period only. Required ethics, opioid and human trafficking credits can't (22 TAC §161.35(c)).

Question 11

Do I need CME for my first Texas renewal?

Accepted Answer

Newly licensed physicians are exempt the first time they register. If your initial registration period was shorter than 24 months, you don't need CE before your first renewal.

Question 12

Does TexasCMELog report my CME to TMB or store my certificates?

Accepted Answer

No. TexasCMELog has no accounts and doesn't send anything to TMB or CE Broker. Your entries are saved in your browser on your device, and you report each course yourself in CE Broker.

Texas CME and CE Broker: frequently asked questions