Maryland Physician Assistant license renewal and CE requirements
Maryland physician assistants must complete 50 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Maryland Board of Physicians (Physician Assistant Advisory Committee).
A Maryland physician assistant license, which carries the license prefix C, expires June 30 of odd-numbered years and is renewed every two years. Practice is not authorized if the license is not renewed by 11:59 pm Eastern on the expiration date. Renewal is an online application with the fee and an attestation that the required continuing education was completed. A criminal history records check is required only for initial licensure and reinstatement, not for renewal.
Summary
Maryland physician assistants must complete 50 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Maryland Board of Physicians (Physician Assistant Advisory Committee). A Maryland physician assistant license, which carries the license prefix C, expires June 30 of odd-numbered years and is renewed every two years. Practice is not authorized if the license is not renewed by 11:59 pm Eastern on the expiration date. Renewal is an online application with the fee and an attestation that the required continuing education was completed. A criminal history records check is required only for initial licensure and reinstatement, not for renewal. Maryland also mandates specific subjects. Category 1 education on pharmacology topics: 8 contact hours every renewal cycle. Implicit bias and structural racism training: a one-time requirement (every applicant for renewal of a license or certificate issued by a Maryland health occupations board, at the applicant's first renewal after April 1, 2026).
Maryland Physician Assistant 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 cycleFirst renewal is prorated. |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 50 contact hours |
| Category 1 minimum | 50 contact hours |
| Self-study or online cap | No cap stated |
| Carryover to next cycle | Not stated |
| First renewal exempt | No |
| Other accepted activities | Proof of maintenance of certification by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants may be used to document compliance with the continuing education requirement |
COMAR 10.32.03.10D: to renew or reinstate, a physician assistant completes at least 50 hours of continuing education, made up of at least 8 hours of Category 1 education on pharmacology topics plus at least 42 further hours of Category I education, all earned in the 2 year period before the license expires (or before the reinstatement application). Maryland sets a state hour count of its own and separately accepts proof of NCCPA certification maintenance as documentation of compliance. Unlike most Maryland allied health licenses, the physician assistant is not excused at the first renewal: a physician assistant renewing for the first time after initial licensure or reinstatement must still earn the 8 hours of Category 1 pharmacology education, and is excused only from the other 42 hours.
Required CE topics for Maryland physician assistants
State-specific subject mandates. Where a mandate applies only to some licensees, the scope is listed.
| Topic | Hours | Frequency | Applies to | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category 1 education on pharmacology topicsEight of the 50 hours, earned in the 2 years before expiration. This is the one part of the requirement that survives at a first renewal, where the other 42 hours are waived. Non-canonical topic key. | 8 contact hours | Every renewal | All licensees | COMAR 10.32.03.10D(1)(a) and D(2)(a) |
| Implicit bias and structural racism trainingThe applicant attests in the renewal application to having completed an implicit bias and structural racism training program approved by the Cultural and Linguistic Health Care Professional Competency Program under Health-General section 20-1306. The statute states no hour count and leaves it to each board whether the training also earns continuing education credit. | Not stated | One time | Every applicant for renewal of a license or certificate issued by a Maryland health occupations board, at the applicant's first renewal after April 1, 2026 | Md. Code, Health Occupations, section 1-225 |
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | No, attestation only |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | 6 years |
| Board audits compliance | Yes |
| Approved providers | Renewal is by attestation. The physician assistant obtains documentation of attendance at Category I continuing education and keeps it for 6 years; the documentation must show the program title, the sponsor's name, the physician assistant's name, the dates and location, the Category I designation and hours earned, and verification of attendance by stamp, signature, printout or other official proof. The board may request evidence at any time, and proof of NCCPA certification maintenance may be used instead. A physician assistant who cannot show the required hours faces a civil penalty of up to $100 per missing credit hour. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Maryland PA need to renew?
- Maryland physician assistants must complete 50 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Maryland Board of Physicians (Physician Assistant Advisory Committee). COMAR 10.32.03.10D: to renew or reinstate, a physician assistant completes at least 50 hours of continuing education, made up of at least 8 hours of Category 1 education on pharmacology topics plus at least 42 further hours of Category I education, all earned in the 2 year period before the license expires (or before the reinstatement application). Maryland sets a state hour count of its own and separately accepts proof of NCCPA certification maintenance as documentation of compliance. Unlike most Maryland allied health licenses, the physician assistant is not excused at the first renewal: a physician assistant renewing for the first time after initial licensure or reinstatement must still earn the 8 hours of Category 1 pharmacology education, and is excused only from the other 42 hours.
- How often does a Maryland PA license need to be renewed?
- Physician Assistant licenses in Maryland renew every two years. A Maryland physician assistant license, which carries the license prefix C, expires June 30 of odd-numbered years and is renewed every two years. Practice is not authorized if the license is not renewed by 11:59 pm Eastern on the expiration date. Renewal is an online application with the fee and an attestation that the required continuing education was completed. A criminal history records check is required only for initial licensure and reinstatement, not for renewal.
- What specific CE topics are required for Maryland physician assistants?
- Category 1 education on pharmacology topics: 8 contact hours every renewal cycle. Implicit bias and structural racism training: a one-time requirement (every applicant for renewal of a license or certificate issued by a Maryland health occupations board, at the applicant's first renewal after April 1, 2026). Citations: Category 1 education on pharmacology topics (COMAR 10.32.03.10D(1)(a) and D(2)(a)) and implicit bias and structural racism training (Md. Code, Health Occupations, section 1-225).
- Do Maryland physician assistants 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 6 years. Renewal is by attestation. The physician assistant obtains documentation of attendance at Category I continuing education and keeps it for 6 years; the documentation must show the program title, the sponsor's name, the physician assistant's name, the dates and location, the Category I designation and hours earned, and verification of attendance by stamp, signature, printout or other official proof. The board may request evidence at any time, and proof of NCCPA certification maintenance may be used instead. A physician assistant who cannot show the required hours faces a civil penalty of up to $100 per missing credit hour.
- Is the first Maryland PA renewal exempt from CE?
- No. Maryland applies the continuing education requirement to the first renewal as well.
Sources
Last verified September 8, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.
- COMAR 10.32.03.10 Renewal, Reinstatement, Change in Name or Address, and Continuing Education, Physician AssistantStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- Allied Health License Renewal, Maryland Board of Physicians (expiration dates by license type and continuing education requirements)State board page, accessed September 8, 2026
- COMAR 10.32.03.06 Collaboration Agreements, Core Duties, Physician AssistantStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- Md. Code, Health Occupations, section 1-225, implicit bias and structural racism training attestation at license renewalStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- Maryland Board of PhysiciansState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
Maryland licenses physician assistants through the Board of Physicians, the same board that licenses physicians, with a Physician Assistant Advisory Committee named in COMAR 10.32.03.03, and treats the license as allied health for renewal purposes. The requirement is separate from the Maryland physician requirement of 50 CME credits per two years and differs in composition: the physician assistant total is 50 hours with an 8 hour Category 1 pharmacology carve out. Hours, the pharmacology carve out, the first renewal treatment, the 6 year retention, the documentation contents and the per hour civil penalty were read in the official COMAR text on the Department of Legislative Services regulations site; the June 30 odd-year expiration and the note that physician assistants are one of the few allied health types with a first renewal continuing education requirement were read on the Board of Physicians allied health renewal page. category_1_minimum is recorded as 50 because the regulation requires all 50 hours to be Category 1 or Category I (8 of them specifically pharmacology). One topic key is outside the canonical list: pharmacology. The collaboration agreement with one or more patient care team physicians under COMAR 10.32.03.06 is a practice condition, not continuing education, and is not recorded as such.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Maryland Board of Physicians (Physician Assistant Advisory Committee) before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.