Arizona Medical License Renewal: Fees, CME, and Deadlines

To renew an Arizona medical license, allopathic (MD) physicians file with the Arizona Medical Board every two years on or before their birthday, and osteopathic (DO) physicians file with the Arizona Board of Osteopathic Examiners in Medicine and Surgery every two years on or before January 1.¹² Both boards require 40 hours of continuing medical education during the two-year cycle, both charge a late penalty after a 30-day grace period, and both treat the license as automatically expired four months after the renewal date.

When Your License Is Due

If you hold an MD license, your renewal is due on or before your birthday every other year. You still have 30 days after that date to file without a penalty beyond the standard fee. From day 31 through four months past your birthday, you can renew but owe a late penalty on top of the fee. Four months out, the license expires automatically and you can no longer legally practice medicine in Arizona.¹

DO licensees follow the same structure built around a January 1 renewal date. The 30-day penalty window and the four-month expiration cutoff work the same way. The osteopathic board may grant an extension to May 1 for physicians who could not complete their CME hours due to disability, military service, absence from the country, or other circumstances beyond their control.²

Fees and Late Penalties

The AMB biennial renewal fee for allopathic physicians is $500. Renew more than 30 days after your birthday and the total climbs to $850, which is the $500 renewal fee plus a $350 late penalty. If your license lapses and you need to reactivate it, the AMB charges a separate $500 reactivation fee.³

The AZDO biennial renewal fee for osteopathic physicians is $636, with a $175 late penalty.⁴ Both boards accept payment electronically through their online portals.

Continuing Medical Education

Both boards require at least 40 hours of CME during each two-year renewal cycle.⁵² For allopathic physicians, the AMB requires that three of those 40 hours cover opioid prescribing.

You don’t submit CME proof with the renewal itself. The AMB audits at least 10 percent of physicians at random every two years, and if you’re selected you have to produce documentation for all 40 hours.⁵ Failing an audit without adequate cause is grounds for probation, suspension, or revocation, so keep the records whether or not you expect a notice.

CME credits come in two forms. AMA PRA Category 1 credits are issued by providers accredited through the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education or a recognized state medical society. Category 2 credits are self-claimed by physicians for activities they determine meet the AMA’s definition of continuing education. AMB rules typically require some portion of your hours to be Category 1, so confirm the current split with the board before relying on self-directed learning.

What the Application Asks For

The renewal form includes a block of disclosure questions covering disciplinary actions, license restrictions, and sanctions imposed by any state licensing board or federal agency. A “yes” answer requires an attached explanation along with the name and address of the sanctioning body, the nature of the action, and a general statement of the underlying charges.¹ Answer every question. A blank triggers a deficiency notice, and an unresolved deficiency causes your license to expire after 60 days. A knowingly false or misleading answer is unprofessional conduct in its own right.

For allopathic renewals, you’ll also need to confirm or supply:

A government-issued photo ID if the board doesn’t already have a legible copy on file.
Proof of immigration status if yours is not current in the file.
An attestation that you completed a training unit prescribed by the board covering the Medical Practice Act and board rules.¹
A review of your physician profile on the AMB website, with corrections for any inaccurate information.
An attestation that you have a protocol for secure storage, transfer, and access of patient records if your practice closes.

DEA, CSPMP, and the MATE Act

If you hold an active DEA registration in Arizona, you must also maintain an active account with the Arizona Controlled Substances Prescription Monitoring Program. There are no specialty or practice-setting exceptions, and every DEA number you hold must be entered into your CSPMP registration.⁶ Failure to register can prompt board action.⁷

Federal law adds a separate, one-time requirement tied to DEA renewal, not to your state license. Under the Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act, which took effect June 27, 2023, anyone obtaining or renewing a DEA registration must complete eight hours of training on opioid or substance use disorders and check a box affirming completion. The eight hours can be accumulated across multiple courses, including past training on the relevant subject matter. Physicians board-certified in addiction medicine or addiction psychiatry are exempt.

Submitting the Renewal

Allopathic physicians renew through the AMB’s online physician portal. Osteopathic physicians use the AZDO’s separate system. In either case you log in, verify your personal and practice information, answer the disclosure questions, confirm your CSPMP registration if applicable, and pay the fee. The system saves progress, but everything must be completed and paid before your deadline.

One scheduling note for MDs: the AMB is moving to a new portal in April 2026, and the licensing system will be offline April 3 through April 8. Any application or renewal not paid or completed by April 2 must be restarted in the new portal, so build in extra time if your birthday falls in that window.⁸

What Happens If You Miss the Deadline

For MDs, the timeline after your birthday looks like this:

Day 1 through day 30: renew at the standard $500 fee, no penalty.
Day 31 through four months out: renew at $850 (the $500 fee plus the $350 late penalty).
After four months: the license expires automatically, and you cannot legally practice medicine in Arizona.¹

DO physicians follow the same 30-day penalty window and four-month expiration cutoff running from January 1.²

Once a license has expired, a late renewal is no longer an option. You have to reapply for licensure under the standard application process, with more paperwork, additional fees, and potentially a longer board review.¹ The board can require evidence of current competency, and it has broad discretion over what else it asks for.

Practicing after expiration is a violation of the Medical Practice Act.¹ Even a short lapse can disrupt hospital credentialing, insurance panel participation, and Medicare or Medicaid enrollment, and the board reports disciplinary actions to national databases accessible to other states.⁹

Renewing a Compact License

Arizona participates in the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact. If you originally obtained your Arizona license through the Compact, you renew it through the IMLC portal rather than directly with the AMB. The Compact renewal pathway is only available for licenses that were originally issued through it.¹⁰

The IMLC charges a $25 application fee per renewal on top of the state’s standard renewal fee. The issuing state board then verifies your information and determines whether you qualify. You don’t need an active Letter of Qualification to renew, but you remain responsible for tracking the renewal dates and fees for each state license you hold through the Compact.¹⁰

1
Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 32-1430 – License Renewal; Expiration
2
Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 32-1825 – Renewal of Licenses; Continuing Medical Education
3
Arizona Medical Board. Schedule of Fees
4
Osteopathic Board Payments. Renewal Fees
5
Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 32-1434 – Continuing Medical Education; Audit
6
Prescription Monitoring Program. Prescriber Registration FAQs
7
Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 36-2606 – Registration; Access; Requirements; Mandatory Use; Annual User Satisfaction Survey; Report; Definitions
8
Arizona Medical Board. Arizona Medical Board Home Page
9
Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Effect of Exclusion From Participation in Federal Health Care Programs
10
Interstate Medical Licensure Compact. License Renewal