DC Board of Nursing · NP

24 hours. Every two years. Tied to your birth month.

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

Updated April 2026Sourced from DBN~4 min read

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

Mandatory topics

For NPs, 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
DC APRNs must complete 15 contact hours in pharmacology as part of the 24-hour biennial CE requirement. These pharmacology hours count toward the 24-hour total, not in addition to it.
View sourceVerbatim from source
2022 – Total 24 hours required for RNs and APRNs (15 hours in pharmacology for APRNs)
DC BON CE Methods of Compliance 2022/2023; 2026 RN/APRN Renewal Notice ('Fifteen (15) hours in pharmacology'); 17 DCMR § 5903.5(c) (verified 2026-07-03)See source [1] in Primary Sources
Cultural Competency & Health Equity[1]
2 hrs
Biennial
2 of the 24 contact hours must be on LGBTQ topics (cultural competency or specialized clinical training focused on LGBTQ patients). Same requirement as for RNs. Counts toward the 24-hour total.
View sourceVerbatim from source
2 hours in LGTBQ or Cultural Awareness
DC BON CE Methods of Compliance 2022/2023; D.C. Code § 3-1205.10(b)(5)(A) (statutory 2-credit LGBTQ mandate); 2026 RN/APRN Renewal Notice ('2 HOURS of LGBTQ') (verified 2026-07-03)See 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 NPs through the RN-licensure-maintenance chain (§ 5903.5(a) requires an NP certificate holder to independently maintain a current RN license, which is governed by Chapter 54 § 5406; § 5900.2 additionally provides that Chapter 54 'shall supplement' the NP 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 NP via § 5900.2's supplementation clause + § 5903.5(a)'s RN-licensure-maintenance condition. Supersedes the 2022 CE Methods PDF's pre-amendment 3hr HIV/AIDS framing and the 2026 Renewal Notice's uncorroborated 2.5hr figure. § 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-crna.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
ANCC Contact Hour
DC Board of Nursing recognizes CE from ANCC-accredited providers. National certification maintenance CE may count toward the DC 24-hour total if from recognized providers.Sourcehttps://dchealth.dc.gov/service/education-resources-nurses[3]
Board-approved credit
CE from board-recognized organizations, accredited educational institutions, and AMA-certified CME.Sourcehttps://dchealth.dc.gov/service/education-resources-nurses[3]
Documentation & audit

Effective June 16, 2024, DC nursing licenses expire on the last day of the licensee's birth month rather than a fixed date (D.C. Law 25-191).

Waivers & exemptions

APRNs who have not practiced in DC during the previous licensing cycle or who do not see patients in clinical settings may qualify for exemptions.

FAQ
Why does DC require 15 hours of pharmacology CE for NPs?
DC's 15-hour pharmacology requirement reflects the advanced prescribing responsibilities of APRNs and DC's policy that independently practicing NP prescribers maintain current pharmacotherapeutics competency. DC is a full-practice-authority state for NPs, and the pharmacology CE mandate ensures prescribers remain current with drug therapy advances.
Do DC NPs have independent prescriptive authority?
Yes. DC grants NPs full practice authority (FPA). DC NPs may practice and prescribe independently without a mandatory physician collaborative practice agreement.
Is the District of Columbia a Nurse Licensure Compact jurisdiction?
No. DC is not a member of the Nurse Licensure Compact. All nurses practicing in DC must hold a DC-issued license. There are no multistate compact privileges in DC.

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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. Primary sourceAccessed 2026-05-11
    Show verbatim text
    Total 24 hours required for RNs and APRNs (15 hours in pharmacology for APRNs)DC BON CE Methods of Compliance
    2022 – Total 24 hours required for RNs and APRNs (15 hours in pharmacology for APRNs)DC BON CE Methods of Compliance 2022/2023; 2026 RN/APRN Renewal Notice ('Fifteen (15) hours in pharmacology'); 17 DCMR § 5903.5(c) (verified 2026-07-03)
    2 hours in LGTBQ or Cultural AwarenessDC BON CE Methods of Compliance 2022/2023; D.C. Code § 3-1205.10(b)(5)(A) (statutory 2-credit LGBTQ mandate); 2026 RN/APRN Renewal Notice ('2 HOURS of LGBTQ') (verified 2026-07-03)
  2. 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)
  3. Primary sourceAccessed 2026-04-23