DC Board of Nursing · CRNA

24 hours. Every two years. Tied to your license anniversary.

Below is exactly what DC Board of Nursing requires: mandatory topics, exemptions, accepted credit types, and documentation rules.

Updated April 2026Sourced from DBN~5 min read

Compiled by Atlas CME from official board sources · Last updated July 11, 2026

Mandatory topics

For CRNAs, 24 hours is the total CME requirement. District of Columbia also requires a set of one-time topics that count toward the 24-hour total.

Pharmacology[1]
15 hrs
Biennial
APRNs must complete 15 of the 24 hours in pharmacology. CRNAs are subject.
View sourceVerbatim from source
“Total 24 hours required for RNs and APRNs (15 hours in pharmacology for APRNs)”
DC BON CE Methods of ComplianceSee source [1] in Primary Sources
Cultural Competency & Health Equity[1]
2 hrs
Biennial
2 hours LGBTQ or Cultural Awareness — required of all RN/APRN licensees per DC law.
View sourceVerbatim from source
“2 hours in LGTBQ or Cultural Awareness”
DC BON CE Methods of ComplianceSee source [1] in Primary Sources
Public Health Priority Topics[2]
2.4 hrs
Biennial
17 DCMR § 5406.1(b) sets public-health-priority CE at ten percent (10%) of the 24-hour RN CE total, i.e. 2.4 hours — reached by CRNAs through the RN-licensure-maintenance chain (§ 5703.5(a) requires a CRNA certificate holder to independently maintain a current RN license, which is governed by Chapter 54 § 5406; § 5700.2 additionally provides that Chapter 54 'shall supplement' the CRNA chapter). The statutory HIV/AIDS-specific 3-credit mandate (D.C. Code § 3-1205.10(b)(4)) is separately WAIVED for registered nursing by 17 DCMR § 5406.2 — so there is no live, additive HIV/AIDS obligation; HIV/AIDS content is absorbed into the Director's public-health-priorities topics under 'sexual and reproductive health.' Topics identified by the Director include: sexual and reproductive health, chronic disease management, One Health, healthcare professional retention/capacity building (including suicide prevention, burnout, substance use, and implicit bias/cultural humility/CLAS), and community and patient safety. Counts toward the 24-hour RN total, not the separate 15-hour APRN pharmacology block.
View sourceVerbatim from source
“Ten percent (10%) of the total shall be in subjects determined by the Director as public health priorities of the District, which shall be duly published every five (5) years or as deemed necessary.”
17 DCMR § 5406.1(b), current as of 2026-07-11 — 'Ten percent (10%) of the total.' Reaches CRNA via § 5700.2's supplementation clause + § 5703.5(a)'s RN-licensure-maintenance condition. Supersedes the 2022 CE Methods PDF's pre-amendment 3hr HIV/AIDS framing. § 5406.2 waives the D.C. Code § 3-1205.10(b)(4) HIV/AIDS mandate for registered nursing specifically, matching the identical treatment on the sibling district-of-columbia-rn.md and district-of-columbia-np.md pages. Topic list per the Director's public health priorities designation notice.See source [2] in Primary Sources
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Accepted credit

Credit must come from an organization accredited by the ACCME, AMA, District of Columbia Medical Association, or AAFP. ACGME residency or fellowship time accrues toward the requirement. Teaching or presenting accredited CME can satisfy a portion of required hours.

Credit systemNotes
NBCRNA Class A
NBCRNA Class A / MAC Ed credits qualify toward the underlying RN CE.
ANCC Contact Hour
ANCC contact hours from accredited providers qualify.
Documentation & audit

Physicians are responsible for retaining CME documentation and producing it on request. Requirements include course title, dates, hours, sponsoring organization, and accrediting body.

Waivers & exemptions

First-time renewals are exempt from CE except the COVID Vaccinations requirement (if licensed by August 11, 2021).

FAQ
How many state-level CE hours do DC CRNAs need?
24 contact hours per biennium. APRNs (including CRNAs) must devote 15 of those hours to pharmacology. The 24 hours must also include 2 hours of LGBTQ cultural competency and 2.4 hours (10% of the total, per 17 DCMR § 5406.1(b)) of public health priority topics; licensees holding active DC licenses on August 11, 2021 also needed 2 hours of COVID Vaccinations CE (one-time historical). A separate 3-hour statutory HIV/AIDS mandate exists on the books (D.C. Code § 3-1205.10(b)(4)) but is waived for registered nursing by 17 DCMR § 5406.2 — it is not an additional requirement on top of the public health priority hours. CRNAs upload CE evidence at renewal (DC is one of the few jurisdictions that requires upload rather than audit-only retention).
Does DC require NBCRNA certification for CRNA licensure?
Yes. NBCRNA initial certification is required for APRN/CRNA licensure, and active NBCRNA certification must be maintained for renewal.
Is DC part of the APRN Compact?
No. DC is not a member of the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) and has not enacted the APRN Compact. CRNAs practicing in DC must hold DC-issued credentials.
Where can I check my DC CRNA license renewal date?
License status and renewal information are available through the DC Health eServices portal at eservices.dchealth.dc.gov.

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Other roles in District of Columbia

CRNAs CME requirements in other states

Sources & Citations

Every mandatory topic and conditional requirement above cites the underlying statute or rule. Numbered references below correspond to the bracketed citations next to each requirement.

  1. DC BON — CE Methods of Compliance (2022/2023 Renewal)
    Primary sourceAccessed 2026-04-30
    Show verbatim text
    “Total 24 hours required for RNs and APRNs (15 hours in pharmacology for APRNs)”DC BON CE Methods of Compliance
    “2 hours in LGTBQ or Cultural Awareness”DC BON CE Methods of Compliance
  2. 17 DCMR § 5406 — Renewal of License (RN CE; eff. 2022-09-02; capture district-of-columbia/crna/dcmr-17-5406-rn-renewal)
    Primary sourceAccessed 2026-07-11
    Show verbatim text
    “Ten percent (10%) of the total shall be in subjects determined by the Director as public health priorities of the District, which shall be duly published every five (5) years or as deemed necessary.”17 DCMR § 5406.1(b)/.2 (current)

This page is provided for general educational purposes and reflects the best available information as of the last reviewed date above. CME requirements change. Atlas CME is not affiliated with the DC Board of Nursing, or any other state medical board, licensing authority, or professional organization. Physicians are solely responsible for verifying their own current CME requirements directly with their state medical board before relying on any information presented here.

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