Maryland Board of Nursing (MBON) · NP

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

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

Updated April 2026Sourced from MBN(~8 min read

Reviewed by Doug Doehrman, MD · Last reviewed April 25, 2026

Mandatory topics

For NPs, 0 hours is the total CME requirement. Maryland also requires a set of one-time topics that count toward the 0-hour total.

Cultural competency[1]
Hrs vary
Biennial
HB 783/Ch. 478 (2025) mandates implicit bias AND structural racism training at first renewal after April 1, 2026. Attestation-based — no statutory minimum hours. One-time only; applies to all health occupation licensees including NPs.
View sourceVerbatim from source
“Effective April 1, 2026, all applicants renewing a health occupation license or certificate must complete approved training in implicit bias and structural racism. These courses are required only once and should be completed at your first renewal after April 1, 2026.”
Md. Code Ann., Health Occ. § 1-225 / Health-Gen. § 20-1306See source [1] in Primary Sources
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Conditional requirements

These rules apply only when the trigger described under each card is met (for example, holding a state-issued controlled substance registration or treating a specific patient population). Each cites the underlying statute or rule directly.

ConditionalOpioid / controlled substances[2]
2 hrs
Biennial

NPs applying for or renewing a Controlled Dangerous Substances (CDS) registration to prescribe or dispense controlled substances

View detailsEditorial summary
One-time 2-hour training on prescribing/dispensing controlled dangerous substances. Required at initial CDS registration and at each CDS renewal. Per MBON APRN guidance.
MBON APRN CDS requirementSee source [2] in Primary Sources
Accepted credit

Credit must come from an organization accredited by the ACCME, AMA, Maryland 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
ANCC-accredited CE accepted for the underlying RN license renewal (30 CEUs required biennially). NP certification renewal requires national certification documentation — not additional CE hours.SourceCOMAR 10.27.01.13 / COMAR 10.27.07.04
Documentation & audit

The NP certification co-expires with the RN license (same biennial, birth-month cycle). APRNs must ensure MBON has documentation of renewed national certification if the certification expires before the license renewal date.

Waivers & exemptions

No formal waivers or exemptions are published for Maryland.

FAQ
What national certifications are accepted for Maryland NP renewal?
COMAR 10.27.07.04 requires documentation of current national certification from Board-recognized certifying bodies. MBON accepts certifications from major national bodies including the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board (AANPCB), the National Certification Corporation (NCC), and the Pediatric Nursing Certification Board (PNCB), among others that MBON recognizes for specific NP specialties. NPs should confirm with MBON directly if they hold certification from a less common specialty certifying body. Certification must be current and active at the time of renewal — practicing on an expired national certification is prohibited under Health Occ. Art. § 8-316(a) and may result in disciplinary action.
What is the implicit bias training requirement for Maryland NPs?
Effective April 1, 2026, all Maryland health occupation licensees — including NPs — must complete approved training in both implicit bias and structural racism as a one-time condition of their first license or certification renewal after that date, under Md. Code Ann., Health Occ. § 1-225 and Health-Gen. § 20-1306 (HB 783/Chapter 478, 2025 session). NPs who already completed implicit bias training for a prior renewal need not repeat it, but structural racism training is newly required for all. The requirement is attestation-based, and no minimum contact hour count appears in any primary source as of April 2026. Approved programs are available at https://health.maryland.gov/mhhd/Pages/Implicit-Bias-Resources.aspx.
Does Maryland require pharmacology CE for NPs with prescriptive authority?
Maryland does not require recurring pharmacology CE for NPs with prescriptive authority. There is no annual or biennial pharmacology CE mandate in COMAR 10.27.07.04 or COMAR 10.27.01.13. The only prescribing-related training obligation for Maryland NPs is the one-time two-hour controlled dangerous substances training required at initial CDS registration — a non-recurring requirement tied to the CDS registration, not to NP licensure renewal. Maryland NPs have independent prescriptive authority, and the state has not coupled that authority to periodic pharmacology CE as some other states have.
Where can I check my Maryland NP/APRN license renewal date?
Maryland NPs can verify their RN license status and renewal date through MBON's licensure information portal at https://health.maryland.gov/mbon/Pages/licensure-lic-info.aspx. For APRN certification-specific questions and renewal information, the MBON Advanced Practice index page at https://health.maryland.gov/mbon/pages/advanced-practice-index.aspx provides relevant resources and contact information. NPs can also contact MBON's Advanced Practice team directly at MBON.AdvancedPractice@maryland.gov for questions about certification renewal documentation requirements.

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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. MBON Breaking News — Implicit Bias and Structural Racism Training Notice (2026)
    Primary sourceAccessed 2026-04-24
    Show verbatim text
    “Effective April 1, 2026, all applicants renewing a health occupation license or certificate must complete approved training in implicit bias and structural racism. These courses are required only once and should be completed at your first renewal after April 1, 2026.”Md. Code Ann., Health Occ. § 1-225 / Health-Gen. § 20-1306 · Effective 2026-04-01
  2. https://health.maryland.gov/regs/Pages/10-27-01-01-and--13-Examination-and-Licensure-(BOARD-OF-NURSING).aspx
    Source

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 Maryland Board of Nursing (MBON), 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's medical board before relying on any information presented here.

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