Arkansas Medical License Renewal, 2026

i Deadlines, fees, and what happens if you are late

1 Step-by-Step: Renewing Your Arkansas Medical License

Follow these steps to renew your medical license with the Arkansas State Medical Board:

1. Complete your CME for the cycle (20 hours) (see details below)
2. Log in to the Arkansas State Medical Board renewal portal
3. Complete the renewal application and answer the attestation questions
4. Pay the renewal fee ($11 (MD/DO annual renewal, per the ASMB fee schedule PDF reflecting the Act 114 of 2023 fee reduction stated to run 7/1/2023 through 6/30/2026))
5. Submit and save your confirmation

2 Arkansas CME Requirements

20 hours per year.

• At least 10 hours in Category 1
• 1 hour of opioid prescribing
• 3 hours of controlled substances

Tracking your CME across multiple states is one of the most time-consuming parts of credential management. CredentialDOMD automatically monitors your CME progress and alerts you when you're falling behind, so you never miss a requirement.

3 Common Pitfalls to Avoid

These are the mistakes Arkansas physicians most commonly make during renewal:

• There is no grace period at all: the license auto-expires at midnight on the last day of your birth month, a $50 late fee applies to reinstate, and practicing on the lapsed license in the interim is illegal (MD application packet, Rev 4/15/2026).
• Renewal reminders come only by email to the private email address on file, and the board states that failure to receive notice is NOT an excuse for nonrenewal, so a stale email address can silently cost you your license.
• The CME compliance window is birth month to birth month, not the calendar year: 20 hours annually measured from the birth month of the previous year through the birth month of the current year, 50% Category 1 in your primary practice area, plus 1 of the 20 hours in prescribing opioids and/or benzodiazepines (board FAQ, Rule 17).
• The posted $11 renewal fee is a temporary reduction under Act 114 of 2023 that the fee schedule says ends June 30, 2026 and may or may not continue; the statutory fee is $70 per year (A.C.A. 17-95-411), so verify the amount at checkout rather than budgeting from the old schedule.
• A license lapsed for 5 or more consecutive years cannot simply be reinstated: the board requires a complete new application as if applying for the first time.
• The board's web domain moved from armedicalboard.org to armedicalboard.adh.arkansas.gov; old bookmarks redirect today, but use the arkansas.gov address for the login portal.

4 Frequently Asked Questions

✓ Where this comes from

Double-checked against a second official source, August 2026. These are the primary sources we read:

• Board homepage: licensee login for online renewal, fee schedule link, contact info; confirms armedicalboard.org 301-redirects here
• Official ASMB fee schedule PDF: MD/DO renewal $11, $50 late fee, Act 114 of 2023 reduction effective 7/1/2023 to 6/30/2026, misc fees
• MD/DO application packet (Rev 4/15/2026): exact renewal language (annual, last day of birth month, no grace period, email reminders at 60/45/30 days, auto-expiration, $50 late fee, illegal to practice on lapsed license)
• Board FAQ: renewal timing during birth month, expired license reinstatement, 5-year lapse rule, military fee waiver, IT support contact
• CME requirement: ASMB Rule 17 (CME) and Rule 2 (prescriber education), armedicalboard.org/professionals/pdf/mpa.pdf

Boards change fees and rules; always confirm on the board page before you pay. Report anything out of date to [email protected].