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Maryland CME requirements 2026 rules for physicians, NPs, PAs, CRNAs and CAAs
Maryland regulates four clinician professions through different boards, each with its own continuing-education rules: physicians (MD/DO), nurse practitioners (APRN/NP), physician assistants (PA) and nurse anesthetists (CRNA). Anesthesiologist assistants (CAA) cannot practice in Maryland. Below, each profession's total hours, mandated topics, opioid/controlled-substance rule, and tracking, plus the one federal rule they share. Physician rules reviewed October 13, 2026.
Physicians (MD / DO)
Set by the Maryland Board of Physicians. Verified October 13, 2026.
General CME: At least 50 hours of Category I or II CME every 2 years, at least 25 of them Category I (COMAR 10.32.01.10).
Opioid / controlled substance
2 hours one-time at CDS registration, prescribing/dispensing controlled substances. Trigger: CDS applicants.
✓ No board pre-approval needed: generic ACCME Category 1 counts.
All mandated CME topics
| Topic | Hours | Timing | Applies to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Implicit bias and structural racism (one combined approved program) | approved program (no set hours; not in the 50) | one-time: attested at your first renewal after April 1, 2026 (A to L at the September 30, 2026 renewal; M to Z at the 2027 renewal). Renewal is blocked without it. | all |
| Controlled substances / opioid prescribing | 2 (not in 50) | one-time (before 1st CDS reg on/after 10/1/2018) | MD CDS registrants |
Citation: COMAR 10.32.01.10; Md. Health Occ. §1-225; HB 1452 (2018)
Nurse Practitioners (APRN / NP)
Set by the Maryland Board of Nursing (MBON), separate from the physician rules above, with its own hours and topics. Verified October 19, 2026.
General CE: No state-mandated numeric CE hours for NP/APRN certification renewal. MBON renews NP certification biennially on the basis of maintaining current national NP certification from a Board-recognized certifying body (AANPCB, ANCC, etc.) plus application and fee (COMAR 10.27.07.04). CE volume/content is therefore driven by the national certifier, not the state (e.g., AANPCB Option 1 = 100 contact hours advanced CE per 5-year cycle; ANCC comparable). Maryland sets no pharmacology hours for NP renewal; pharmacology CE comes from the national certifier (for example AANPCB: 25 of 100 hours in each 5-year cycle).
Opioid / controlled substance
2 hours, one time, for holders of controlled-substance prescriptive authority. Timing is built into the free multi-state planner.
All mandated CE topics
| Topic | Hours | Timing | Applies to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opioid / controlled-substance prescribing | 2 | One-time; attested before/at first Maryland CDS (Controlled Dangerous Substances) registration issued or renewed on or after 10/1/2018 (not repeated thereafter) | All Maryland CDS registrants who prescribe or dispense controlled dangerous substances (profession-agnostic 'all prescribers,' includes NPs) |
| Implicit bias and structural racism training (combined approved program) | Course (no set hours) | One-time, at your first renewal after April 1, 2026; one combined course replaces the separate implicit bias training | All Maryland health-occupation licensees/certificate holders, including RNs and NPs |
Tracking: Self-report/attestation to MBON at renewal; Board verifies current national NP certification directly with certifying body; documentation retained by licensee for audit. Maryland does not use CE Broker for nurses.
Physician Assistants (PA)
Set by the Maryland Board of Physicians (MBP), separate from the physician rules above, with its own hours and topics. Verified October 19, 2026.
General CE: 50 hours of continuing education every 2 years: at least 42 hours AMA PRA Category 1 CME plus at least 8 hours Category 1 on pharmacology, all earned in the 2-year period preceding license expiration/reinstatement. Alternative: proof of maintenance of NCCPA certification satisfies the CE requirement. First renewal after initial licensure: only the 8-hour Category 1 pharmacology component is required (other Category 1 hours waived).
Opioid / controlled substance
2 hours, one time, for holders of controlled-substance prescriptive authority. Timing is built into the free multi-state planner.
All mandated CE topics
| Topic | Hours | Timing | Applies to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmacology / pharmacotherapeutics (prescriptive authority) | 8 hours | per cycle (within the 50; Category 1) | All PAs (COMAR 10.32.03.10) |
| Opioid / controlled-substance prescribing | 2 | One-time; attested before/at first Maryland CDS registration issued or renewed on or after 10/1/2018 (not repeated thereafter) | All Maryland CDS registrants who prescribe or dispense controlled dangerous substances (profession-agnostic 'all prescribers,' includes PAs) |
| Implicit bias and structural racism training (combined approved program) | Course (no set hours) | One-time, at your first renewal after April 1, 2026; one combined course replaces the separate implicit bias training | All Maryland health-occupation licensees, including physician assistants |
Tracking: Self-report/attestation at renewal via MBP online renewal; documentation (program title, sponsor, dates, location, hours, verification of attendance) retained by licensee for 6 years; subject to MBP audit (civil penalty up to $100 per missing credit hour). Maryland does not use CE Broker for PAs.
Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA)
Set by the Maryland Board of Nursing (MBON), separate from the physician rules above, with its own hours and topics. Verified October 19, 2026.
General CE: COMAR 10.27.06.04 (Renewal of Certification): the nurse anesthetist certification expires with the RN license and is renewed biennially upon (a) continued eligibility, (b) fee, (c) completed renewal application, and (d) 'documentation of a current national certification as a nurse anesthetist from the Council on Certification of Nurse Anesthetists or some other national certifying body recognized by the Board'; practicing on an expired national certification is prohibited. No contact-hour requirement appears anywhere in COMAR 10.27.06 or Health Occ. § 8-513. Maryland RN renewal likewise has no CE (COMAR 10.27.01.13). The CE content/volume therefore flows entirely from the NBCRNA CPC program.
NBCRNA recertification is accepted in place of state CE. Maintaining NBCRNA certification is the state renewal standard; there is no separate state CE count. Loss of national certification bars practice. National layer: NBCRNA continued certification (4-year cycle: 60 Class A + 40 Class B credits, MAC Check).
Opioid / controlled substance
2 hours, one time, for CRNAs who hold controlled-substance registration. Timing is built into the free multi-state planner.
All mandated CE topics
| Topic | Hours | Timing | Applies to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opioid / controlled-substance prescribing | 2 | one-time; attested at first Maryland CDS registration issued or renewed on/after 10/1/2018 | Profession-agnostic: any Maryland CDS registrant who prescribes or dispenses CDS. Reaches a CRNA only if the CRNA personally holds a Maryland CDS registration (needed to prescribe/order CDS under § 8-513). CRNAs who administer CDS solely under facility/anesthesiologist orders without their own CDS registration owe nothing. |
| Implicit bias and structural racism training (combined approved program) | Course (no set hours) | One-time, at your first renewal after April 1, 2026; one combined course replaces the separate implicit bias training | All Maryland health-occupation licensees/certificate holders incl. RNs and CRNAs |
Tracking: Self-attestation at MBON online renewal; Board verifies national certification with NBCRNA; licensee retains documentation for audit. Maryland does not use CE Broker for nurses. CDS CE attested to OCSA.
Anesthesiologist Assistants (CAA)
Not authorized to practice in Maryland. Verified August 24, 2026.
Certified anesthesiologist assistants cannot practice in Maryland: there is no CAA license, certification or physician-delegation pathway, so there are no state CE requirements to track here. Pending / recent legislation: HB 1558 (Del.) / SB 951 (Sen. Ellis), 2026 Regular Session – 'State Board of Physicians – Anesthesiologist Assistants – Licensing' (proposed effective October 1, 2026; regs due October 1, 2027; at most 4 AAs per anesthesiologist). HB 1558: first reading House Health February 13, 2026, hearing 3/18 canceled; SB 951: first reading Senate Finance February 6, 2026, hearing 3/06. Neither advanced out of committee before sine die (April 6, 2026 approx.) – dead for 2026. No AA bill in 2025 session (MBP 2025 legislative summary). NCCAA certification requirements (50 CME hours every 2 years + the CDQ exam) still apply nationally.
Federal: DEA MATE Act (all professions)
One rule is the same for every profession on this page. Every DEA-registered prescriber (physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and any CRNA or CAA who holds a DEA registration) must complete a one-time 8-hour training on treating patients with opioid or other substance use disorders, as a condition of DEA registration/renewal (since June 27, 2023). It is federal and applies in every state, and it does not replace Maryland's own one-time opioid/controlled-substance course. A MATE-qualifying accredited course will usually still count toward your state general CME/CE total. How the MATE Act differs from state rules
Authority: MATE Act §1263, Consolidated Appropriations Act 2023 (21 U.S.C. §823).
Common questions about Maryland CME
How many CME hours does Maryland require for physicians?
Maryland requires 50 / 2 years (25 Category 1) of continuing medical education (COMAR 10.32.01.10; Md. Health Occ. §1-225; HB 1452 (2018)). At least 50 hours of Category I or II CME every 2 years, at least 25 of them Category I (COMAR 10.32.01.10).
Does Maryland require opioid or controlled-substance CME?
Yes. 2 hours one-time at CDS registration, prescribing/dispensing controlled substances. Trigger: CDS applicants.
Does my opioid CME course need Maryland board approval?
No board pre-approval: generic ACCME Category 1 counts.
How is CME tracked in Maryland?
Maryland tracking: Self-report (attest at renewal). Board: Maryland Board of Physicians.
Do nurse practitioners and physician assistants have different CME requirements in Maryland?
Yes. In Maryland, nurse practitioners (APRNs) are licensed by the board of nursing and physician assistants (PAs) by the PA/medical board, each setting its own CE hours and mandated topics. These differ from the physician (MD/DO) figures. The federal DEA MATE Act and most state opioid/controlled-substance prescribing CME still apply to APRNs and PAs who hold a DEA registration. See the profession-specific sections on this page.
What are the CME requirements for CRNAs and anesthesiologist assistants in Maryland?
CRNAs in Maryland are regulated by the Maryland Board of Nursing (MBON) and must also maintain NBCRNA certification (a 4-year cycle of 60 Class A and 40 Class B credits). Certified anesthesiologist assistants are not authorized to practice in Maryland, so there are no state CAA CE requirements; NCCAA certification (50 CME hours every 2 years plus the CDQ exam) still applies nationally. See the CRNA and CAA sections on this page.
More on Maryland
- What a Maryland license costs, and how long the board says it takes
- What else can hold up a renewal: PDMP accounts, fingerprints, lawful presence
- Licensed in more than one state? How one course can count in several
- Adding a state through the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact
- Track Maryland CME next to your other licenses
Every license, certificate and renewal date on one list, checked against each board’s own rules, with a reminder before anything is due. 30 days free with a card on file. Licensed in more than one state? The free planner times your opioid and controlled-substance hours so one course counts in as many states as it can.
This page summarizes Maryland board rules and statutes as of October 13, 2026 for five separately-regulated professions: physicians (MD/DO), nurse practitioners (APRNs), physician assistants (PAs), nurse anesthetists (CRNAs), and anesthesiologist assistants (CAAs). Each is governed by its own board and its hour totals and mandated topics differ. Never assume one profession's figures apply to another. Physician data is compiled from FSMB and state medical-board sources; APRN/PA data was validated against nursing- and PA/medical-board rules on July 20, 2026, with the opioid/controlled-substance timing structured on July 23, 2026; CRNA and CAA data was researched against nursing-board, medical-board and practice-act primary sources on August 24, 2026 (items the research could not pin to a primary source are marked “Confirm with the board”). This is educational information, not legal advice. Always verify current requirements with your own board before relying on them.