Texas Medical License Retired Status: No Inactive Option

Retired vs emeritus vs voluntary charity care vs cancellation

	Retired	Emeritus retired	Voluntary charity care	Cancellation by request
Can practice?	No clinical activities or practice in Texas	No (same as retired)	Only unpaid care to indigent people, in medically underserved areas, or for a disaster relief organization; not family members; no self-prescribing of controlled substances or dangerous drugs	No, in any capacity
Registration fee	Exempt	Exempt	Exempt	n/a
CME	Exempt	Exempt	Sources conflict: TMB says none; the rule says 12 informal credits (see below)	n/a
Eligibility	Not under investigation, a Board order or otherwise restricted	Retired criteria plus: never a TMB remedial plan or discipline; no Texas criminal history (including pending charges or deferred adjudication); no license ever restricted, canceled, suspended or revoked for cause, or otherwise disciplined, anywhere	Retired physician whose only practice is voluntary charity care	Any time; TMB notifies you if a pending investigation or another reason blocks it
Return to practice	Online application for re-activation/re-licensure; meet current requirements	Same as retired	Not described on TMB's page; ask TMB Registrations	New application for re-licensure under the rules in effect then (including postgraduate training and exam attempt limits)
How to request	Retirement request form, before the permit expires	Emeritus retirement request form, before expiration	Voluntary charity care request form, before expiration	Cancellation request form, before expiration

Source: TMB: license cancellation or retirement options for physicians, read October 17, 2026.

Is there an inactive status for Texas physicians?

No. TMB's own FAQ answers "Not at this time." Texas law lets the board create an inactive status by rule, but it hasn't. Your options for stepping back are retired, emeritus retired, voluntary charity care, or cancellation, and each must be requested before your current registration permit expires.

Occ. Code §156.009 says the board may adopt rules for an inactive status; TMB says none exists "at this time." (Occ. Code ch. 156; TMB FAQ)

What does retired status mean for a Texas medical license?

Retired status exempts you from registration, the registration fee and CME, but you can't practice medicine or engage in clinical activities in Texas. Your license can't be under investigation, under a Board order or restricted. To come back, you apply online for re-activation or re-licensure and meet the current licensure requirements.

What is emeritus retired status?

Emeritus is a subgroup of retired status with the same exemptions and the same ban on practice, plus a clean-record test. You must never have had a TMB remedial plan or discipline, have no Texas criminal history, including pending charges or deferred adjudication, and never have held a license disciplined for cause anywhere.

TMB's page doesn't describe a practical benefit of emeritus over standard retired status, so we don't claim one.

Can I volunteer as a physician in retired status?

Not under standard retired status, which bars all clinical practice. Voluntary charity care status lets a retired physician practice only uncompensated care for indigent people, in medically underserved areas, or for a disaster relief organization. You can't treat family members, prescribe controlled substances or dangerous drugs for yourself, or accept compensation beyond reasonable travel expenses.

How much CME does voluntary charity care need? The official sources conflict

TMB says none. TMB's FAQ answers "How many CMEs do I need when in Voluntary Charity Care status?" with: "None at this time. Pursuant to Texas Occupations Code 156.051(d), individuals exempt from registration fees are also exempt from all continuing medical education requirements" (TMB retirement options FAQ).

The rule says 12 informal credits. 22 TAC §161.35(e): "Voluntary Charity Care CME requirements are reduced to twelve informal CME credits per biennium" (22 TAC §161.35, Cornell LII; current rule text, Texas Register).

We show both and don't pick one. If you're in or applying for this status, ask TMB Registrations (512-305-7030) which applies to you.

Retire or cancel: what's the difference?

Retired status keeps your license on file with a defined path back through re-activation. Cancellation ends your license. To practice again you file a new application and meet every requirement in effect then, including postgraduate training and exam-attempt limits. Both must be requested before your registration permit expires, and investigations can block either.

This is cancellation by request. A license that lapses is canceled for nonrenewal after one year, and a new license may be issued without examination if it was canceled for less than two years (Occ. Code §156.005(c)-(d)). See canceled for nonrenewal.

When should I file, and do I get my fee back?

File before your current registration permit expires. On refunds, TMB's pages say two different things: each status section says fees already paid can't be refunded, while TMB's FAQ lists an exception for licensees who retire or request cancellation within 90 days of paying the fee. If you just renewed, ask TMB Registrations promptly.

Each status section on TMB's page: "Refunds of registration fees already paid cannot be made." TMB's renewal fee table also says "Fees are not refundable."
TMB's FAQ "Can fees be refunded?" (on both the retirement options page and the renewal page): fees "may be refunded in cases of administrative error by the TMB; applicants who withdraw their applications within 45 days of initial application, licensees who retire or request cancellation within 90 days of paying the fee," and in certain cases of death.

The two statements on TMB's own pages differ. We quote both and don't pick one. Ask TMB Registrations before you count on a refund. (TMB retirement options; TMB physician renewal)

How do I come back from retired status?

Submit TMB's online application for re-activation or re-licensure and meet all current licensure requirements. TMB's page doesn't list a separate CME make-up amount for returning physicians, so expect the application to set what's needed. Start well before you plan to see patients and confirm the steps with TMB Registrations.

Retired status FAQ

Does Texas have an inactive medical license status?

No. The Texas Medical Board's FAQ says there is no inactive status for physicians at this time. Options are retired, emeritus retired, voluntary charity care, or cancellation.

Do retired Texas physicians need CME?

No. Retired and emeritus retired status exempt physicians from registration, the registration fee and CME, but they cannot practice medicine in Texas.

How much CME does voluntary charity care status require in Texas?

The official sources conflict. TMB's FAQ says none at this time, citing Occupations Code 156.051(d). Board rule 22 TAC 161.35(e) says 12 informal credits per biennium. Confirm with TMB Registrations.

When must I request retired status in Texas?

Before the expiration date of your current registration permit, using TMB's retirement request form.

Informational only, not legal advice. TMB decides your status. Contact TMB Registrations (Registrations@tmb.state.tx.us, 512-305-7030).

Retiring your Texas medical license: retired, emeritus, charity care or cancel?