Home / Guides / How to Document CME for a Board Audit

How to Document CME for a Board Audit

Boards commonly verify CME by audit, and the clinicians who handle it calmly are the ones who saved a certificate for every course.

Last reviewed November 1, 2026. General information, not legal or compliance advice.

What to save for each course

• The certificate, showing your name, the title, the date, the hours and the credit type.
• The provider and its accreditation statement.
• A note of which licenses the credit counts toward.

How long to keep it

Boards state how long to retain records, and the period often extends beyond the cycle in which the credit was used. Check your board's rule, and when in doubt keep the records longer.

Organize by cycle

Group certificates by renewal cycle and by state, so that a request for one state's cycle can be answered with one folder or one filtered view.

If you are audited

Respond by the deadline, send exactly what the board asks for and keep a copy of what you sent. See the audit guide.

In MedLicense

Each CME entry can hold its certificate, as described on the CME tracking page.