Maryland Occupational Therapist license renewal and CE requirements
Maryland occupational therapists must complete 24 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Maryland Board of Occupational Therapy Practice (Maryland Department of Health).
A Maryland occupational therapy license is valid for a 2-year term and expires on June 30. The Board staggers terms: licensees originally licensed in an even-numbered year hold a license expiring June 30 of even-numbered years, and those originally licensed in an odd-numbered year expire June 30 of odd-numbered years, so half the licensees renew each year. The Board's renewal cycle opens May 1 and closes June 30, online with a credit card or by mailed paper application. Continuing competency must be completed within the same 2-year licensure time frame and is attested to at renewal.
Summary
Maryland occupational therapists must complete 24 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Maryland Board of Occupational Therapy Practice (Maryland Department of Health). A Maryland occupational therapy license is valid for a 2-year term and expires on June 30. The Board staggers terms: licensees originally licensed in an even-numbered year hold a license expiring June 30 of even-numbered years, and those originally licensed in an odd-numbered year expire June 30 of odd-numbered years, so half the licensees renew each year. The Board's renewal cycle opens May 1 and closes June 30, online with a credit card or by mailed paper application. Continuing competency must be completed within the same 2-year licensure time frame and is attested to at renewal. Maryland also mandates specific subjects. Implicit bias and structural racism training: a one-time requirement. Hours do not carry over between cycles and the first renewal is exempt.
Maryland Occupational Therapist renewal and continuing education rules
"Not stated" means the board's pages and rules we read do not address it. We do not fill in typical values.
| Renewal cycle | Two-year (24 months) |
|---|---|
| Renewal deadline | Same date for every licensee, 06/30 each cycle |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 24 contact hours |
| Category 1 minimum | 16 contact hours |
| Self-study or online cap | No cap stated |
| Carryover to next cycle | No |
| First renewal exempt | Yes |
| Other accepted activities | Maintaining current NBCOT certification, which the Board recognizes as fulfilling the whole 24 contact hour requirement on verification; Workshops, seminars, lectures, professional conferences (1 contact hour per hour, up to 24 hours of the principles and procedures portion); University, college or adult education courses (8 contact hours per credit hour); Auditing formal occupational therapy academic coursework (4 contact hours per credit hour, up to 12 hours); Fellowship training of at least 12 full-time weeks (24 contact hours); Specialty certification such as certified hand therapist (1 contact hour per hour of education, up to 20 hours); Physical agent modalities training under COMAR 10.46.06; Internet learning (1 contact hour per hour, up to 16 hours of the principles and procedures portion); Informal self-study through journal articles, texts, video, audio or electronic media with assessment (1 contact hour per hour, up to 12 hours); Employer-provided occupational therapy in-service training (1 contact hour per hour, up to 12 hours); Mentoring or being mentored (1 contact hour per 4 hours, up to 8 hours); Presenting occupational therapy education programs, workshops, seminars or in-services (twice the presentation time, up to 16 hours, credited once per renewal cycle); Developing instructional materials in alternative media to advance others' professional skills (1 contact hour per 3 hours of work, up to 12 hours); Poster presentations at state, national or international meetings (twice the presentation time, up to 12 hours); Academic guest lecturing when teaching is not the licensee's primary role (twice the contact hours per credit hour taught, up to 16 hours) |
COMAR 10.46.04.04.B states one requirement for both credentials: the occupational therapist or occupational therapy assistant certifies a minimum of 24 contact hours of competency activities obtained within the 2-year period preceding the application. Of the 24, a minimum of 16 must relate to occupational therapy principles and procedures and a maximum of 8 may be occupational therapy role-related activities, meaning activities that augment the licensee's job-related duties such as health care administration, billing and regulatory issues, or other disciplines' clinical practices. A contact hour is 1 hour in a qualifying activity and excludes orientations, introductions, breaks, receptions, social gatherings and meals. The requirement is tied to the 2-year licensure time frame. Hours may not be carried from one time frame to another without the Board's written consent. Two exceptions replace the hours entirely or partly: maintaining current NBCOT certification is recognized as fulfilling the contact hour requirement on submission of verification, and a licensee who has held the license less than 1 year before renewal is exempt for the first renewal period. There is no single online or self-study ceiling; instead each activity type has its own two-year cap, with internet learning able to supply up to 16 hours of the principles and procedures portion and informal self-study up to 12. Before the deadline a licensee may ask the Board in writing for an extension, with documentation and a completion plan.
Required CE topics for Maryland occupational therapists
State-specific subject mandates. Where a mandate applies only to some licensees, the scope is listed.
| Topic | Hours | Frequency | Applies to | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Implicit bias and structural racism trainingHealth Occupations 1-225 requires an applicant renewing a license or certificate issued by a Maryland health occupations board to attest to completing an implicit bias and structural racism training program approved by the Cultural and Linguistic Health Care Professional Competency Program, and it applies to the applicant's first renewal after April 1, 2026. The statute speaks to health occupations boards generally rather than naming occupational therapy, and the Board of Occupational Therapy Practice's own pages read do not restate it, so treat the scope as the statute's. No hour count is stated. COMAR 10.46.04 sets no subject mandate of its own. | Not stated | One time | All licensees | Md. Code, Health Occupations 1-225 |
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | No, attestation only |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | 4 years |
| Board audits compliance | Yes |
| Approved providers | The Board preapproves contact hours provided by AOTA, the Maryland Occupational Therapy Association, AOTA approved providers, and NBCOT. Any other provider may seek Board review at least 60 days before the program, with an hour-by-hour agenda, course description, presenter qualifications, a sample certificate and the course review fee, and a licensee may submit the same package for a course not previously reviewed. The Board does not preapprove role-related activities. At licensure, renewal, reactivation or reinstatement the licensee attests to completing the required contact hours and provides documentation to the Board on request; supporting documents are kept 4 years after the renewal date, and physical agent modality documentation is kept for the licensee's whole career under COMAR 10.46.06. The Board audits randomly selected licensees at its discretion, and a false statement or a failure to cooperate or substantiate leads to formal disciplinary action. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Maryland OT need to renew?
- Maryland occupational therapists must complete 24 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Maryland Board of Occupational Therapy Practice (Maryland Department of Health). COMAR 10.46.04.04.B states one requirement for both credentials: the occupational therapist or occupational therapy assistant certifies a minimum of 24 contact hours of competency activities obtained within the 2-year period preceding the application. Of the 24, a minimum of 16 must relate to occupational therapy principles and procedures and a maximum of 8 may be occupational therapy role-related activities, meaning activities that augment the licensee's job-related duties such as health care administration, billing and regulatory issues, or other disciplines' clinical practices. A contact hour is 1 hour in a qualifying activity and excludes orientations, introductions, breaks, receptions, social gatherings and meals. The requirement is tied to the 2-year licensure time frame. Hours may not be carried from one time frame to another without the Board's written consent. Two exceptions replace the hours entirely or partly: maintaining current NBCOT certification is recognized as fulfilling the contact hour requirement on submission of verification, and a licensee who has held the license less than 1 year before renewal is exempt for the first renewal period. There is no single online or self-study ceiling; instead each activity type has its own two-year cap, with internet learning able to supply up to 16 hours of the principles and procedures portion and informal self-study up to 12. Before the deadline a licensee may ask the Board in writing for an extension, with documentation and a completion plan.
- How often does a Maryland OT license need to be renewed?
- Occupational Therapist licenses in Maryland renew every two years. A Maryland occupational therapy license is valid for a 2-year term and expires on June 30. The Board staggers terms: licensees originally licensed in an even-numbered year hold a license expiring June 30 of even-numbered years, and those originally licensed in an odd-numbered year expire June 30 of odd-numbered years, so half the licensees renew each year. The Board's renewal cycle opens May 1 and closes June 30, online with a credit card or by mailed paper application. Continuing competency must be completed within the same 2-year licensure time frame and is attested to at renewal.
- What specific CE topics are required for Maryland occupational therapists?
- Implicit bias and structural racism training: a one-time requirement. Citations: implicit bias and structural racism training (Md. Code, Health Occupations 1-225).
- Do Maryland occupational therapists have to submit CE certificates at renewal?
- Licensees attest to completion at renewal rather than submitting certificates, the board audits a sample of renewals and asks for documentation, and records must be kept for 4 years. The Board preapproves contact hours provided by AOTA, the Maryland Occupational Therapy Association, AOTA approved providers, and NBCOT. Any other provider may seek Board review at least 60 days before the program, with an hour-by-hour agenda, course description, presenter qualifications, a sample certificate and the course review fee, and a licensee may submit the same package for a course not previously reviewed. The Board does not preapprove role-related activities. At licensure, renewal, reactivation or reinstatement the licensee attests to completing the required contact hours and provides documentation to the Board on request; supporting documents are kept 4 years after the renewal date, and physical agent modality documentation is kept for the licensee's whole career under COMAR 10.46.06. The Board audits randomly selected licensees at its discretion, and a false statement or a failure to cooperate or substantiate leads to formal disciplinary action.
- Is the first Maryland OT renewal exempt from CE?
- Yes. Maryland does not require continuing education for a OT's first renewal.
Sources
Last verified September 9, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.
- COMAR 10.46.04.04, Licensure and Contact Hour Requirements, Board of Occupational Therapy PracticeStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 9, 2026
- COMAR 10.46.04.03, Maintaining Records of Contact HoursStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 9, 2026
- COMAR 10.46.04.05, Approval of Contact Hour ProgramsStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 9, 2026
- COMAR 10.46.04.06, Continuing Competency ActivitiesStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 9, 2026
- COMAR 10.46.04.07, Audit of Continuing CompetencyStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 9, 2026
- COMAR 10.46.04.02, DefinitionsStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 9, 2026
- Board of Occupational Therapy Practice, Maryland Department of HealthState board page, accessed September 9, 2026
- Renewal Procedures, Maryland Board of Occupational Therapy PracticeState board page, accessed September 9, 2026
- Md. Code, Health Occupations 1-225, implicit bias and structural racism trainingStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 9, 2026
Maryland has a standalone Board of Occupational Therapy Practice under the Department of Health, with its own COMAR subtitle 10.46, so occupational therapy shares nothing with the separate Board of Physical Therapy Examiners at COMAR 10.38. Both credentials are covered by the same rule and by the same sentence: COMAR 10.46.04.04.B.1 reads "The occupational therapist or occupational therapy assistant shall certify a minimum of 24 contact hours", and the exceptions in .04.C are worded the same way, so the figures in this occupational therapist record come from text that names it, not from the other credential. Nothing in subtitle 10.46 sets a different total, split, renewal date or exemption for assistants. The genuinely distinctive feature here is NBCOT: unlike most states, Maryland accepts maintenance of current NBCOT certification as fulfilling the entire contact hour requirement, on verification, so it is recorded under alternatives_accepted rather than as an hour total, and the board's renewal page confirms that continuing competency documentation is needed only when NBCOT certification is not current, the licensee graduated more than a year ago, or there has been a lapse of 3 or more years. The 24 hours, the 16 and 8 split, the 2-year staggered June 30 term, the under-one-year first renewal exemption, the 4 year retention and the random audit were read in COMAR 10.46.04 on the state's regulation site. The May 1 to June 30 renewal window was read on the board's own renewal page. The implicit bias attestation comes from the Health Occupations Article rather than from the occupational therapy board. Not read: the board's continuing competency information page loaded but its main content area was empty, and the reference guide, compliance report and PAMs log it links are documents that were not downloaded, so nothing from them is recorded. Not stated in the rules read: a live or in person minimum and a single overall cap on online or self-study hours.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Maryland Board of Occupational Therapy Practice (Maryland Department of Health) before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.