Become a Nurse in Maryland – Licensure & Requirements

Master's-degree and certification requirements for each advanced practice credential above are set by the Maryland Board of Nursing's COMAR regulations cited in that credential's section below.

Maryland Nursing Salaries

^{State-wide and metro-area salaries above were retrieved from the Bureau of Labor Statistics – State Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Maryland, May 2025 release index, May 2025 estimates.}

There are many paths to becoming a nurse in Maryland. The path you take will mostly depend upon the type of nurse you’d like to become and your current or prospective level of education. The higher your level of education, the more opportunities you’ll have to choose where and how you pursue your career in nursing.

In addition to nursing salaries in Maryland, you’ll find information on acquiring and maintaining several types of Maryland nursing licensure. We’re constantly making updates, but with the speed of change in the healthcare sphere it’s difficult to stay current. If you have any comments or suggestions for our information on nursing in Maryland, please email us at info@nursinglicensemap.com!

Effective April 1, 2026, Maryland requires nurses and other licensed health occupation professionals to complete approved training in structural racism at their first license renewal after that date, as a one-time requirement. Implicit-bias training is separately required at the next renewal only for applicants who have not already completed it for a prior renewal; those who previously completed implicit-bias training do not need to repeat it. See the Maryland Board of Nursing's notice for approved course providers.

Compact State Status

Maryland is a Nursing Licensure Compact state (September 2026).

Maryland was the first state to join the compact and now operates under the enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact (eNLC); nurses holding a Maryland multistate license may practice in any other eNLC-participating state. See the Maryland Board of Nursing's compact-states page and the Nurse Licensure Compact's current participating-jurisdiction map for current participation status.

Prescriptive Authority in Maryland

Under Maryland's Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR), Title 10.27.07.03, Scope of Practice for the Nurse Practitioner, a nurse practitioner may independently prescribe drugs as part of the functions authorized within their certified specialty. Under Title 10.27.05.11, Practice of Nurse Midwifery – Prescribing of Substances by a Certified Nurse Midwife, a certified nurse-midwife may prescribe Schedule II-V controlled substances, consulting or collaborating with a physician or other provider as needed under Title 10.27.05.06, Practice of Nurse Midwifery – Scope of Practice.

Nurse Practitioner in Maryland

Education: Master’s Degree or Higher from an Approved Nurse Practitioner Program

Examination: Varies for Different Certifications

Fees:

• $50 Application Fee.
• $25 Fee for Additional Areas of Certification.

^{See the Maryland Board of Nursing's fee schedule.}

Certification Required: National Certification as a Nurse Practitioner.

Additional Information: A current Maryland RN license in good standing or a multistate licensure privilege to practice registered nursing in Maryland is required for standard application. Registered nurses without a Maryland RN license or multistate licensure privilege may apply for licensure through endorsement, subject to a $230 fee. ^{All nurse practitioner applicants must complete an attestation form, in addition to the application forms.}

Renewal: Renewal is biennial (every two years); the CRNP certification-renewal fee is $216, which includes a Maryland Health Care Commission fee and a preceptorship surcharge. Nurse practitioners must provide proof of active national certification and submit the specialty renewal application and fee; the underlying RN license is renewed separately under Maryland's RN active-practice renewal requirements (1,000 practice hours in five years, recent completion of an approved nursing program, or 30 continuing-education credits in two years).

^{See the Maryland Board of Nursing's fee schedule (effective July 1, 2025) and COMAR 10.27.01.13 for the underlying RN active-practice renewal requirements.}

Learn more on how to become a nurse practitioner.

Clinical Nurse Specialist in Maryland

Education: Master's Degree or Higher from an Approved Clinical Nurse Specialist Program.

Certification Required: National Certification as a Clinical Nurse Specialist.

Fees:

• $50 Application Fee.

^{See the Maryland Board of Nursing's fee schedule.}

Additional Information: A current Maryland RN license in good standing or a multistate licensure privilege to practice registered nursing in Maryland is required for standard application.

Renewal: Renewal is biennial (every two years); the Board lists a $10 CNS certification-renewal fee, in addition to the separate RN license renewal. Clinical nurse specialists must provide proof of active national certification and submit the specialty renewal application and fee; the underlying RN license is renewed separately under Maryland's RN active-practice renewal requirements (1,000 practice hours in five years, recent completion of an approved nursing program, or 30 continuing-education credits in two years).

^{See the Maryland Board of Nursing's fee schedule (effective July 1, 2025) and COMAR 10.27.01.13 for the underlying RN active-practice renewal requirements.}

Learn more on how to become a clinical nurse specialist.

Certified Nurse-Midwife in Maryland

Education: Master's Degree or Higher from a Nurse-Midwife Program accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education (ACME), the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), or another Board-recognized accrediting body. Maryland also recognizes a pre-July 1, 2014 exception allowing otherwise-qualified applicants from a non-master's program recognized by the American Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB) to qualify, upon verification of the program and current national certification.

Examination: Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM) Exam from the American Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB).

^{See AMCB's certification and application information.}

Certification Required: Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM) from the American Midwifery Certification Board (AMCB).

Fees:

• $50 Application Fee.
• $425 Certification Examination Fee.

Additional Information: A current Maryland RN license in good standing or a multistate licensure privilege to practice registered nursing in Maryland is required for application.

Renewal: Renewal is biennial (every two years); the current Board APRN certification-renewal fee is $210 when renewing on a Maryland RN license. CNMs must provide proof of active national certification and submit the specialty renewal application and fee; the underlying RN license is renewed separately under Maryland's RN active-practice renewal requirements (1,000 practice hours in five years, recent completion of an approved nursing program, or 30 continuing-education credits in two years).

^{See the Maryland Board of Nursing's fee schedule (effective July 1, 2025) and COMAR 10.27.01.13 for the underlying RN active-practice renewal requirements.}

Learn more on how to become a certified nurse midwife.

Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) in Maryland

Education: Master's Degree or Higher from a Nurse Anesthetist Program Accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs.

^{See COMAR 10.27.06.02.}

Examination: Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) Exam from the National Board on Certification and Recertification of Nurse Anesthetists (NBCRNA).

^{See NBCRNA's National Certification Examination resources.}

Certification Required: Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) from the National Board on Certification and Recertification of Nurse Anesthetists (NBCRNA).

^{See COMAR 10.27.06.02.}

Fees:

• $50 Application Fee. See the Maryland Board of Nursing's fee schedule.
• $1,310 Certification Examination Fee (includes the $160 MAC Check enrollment fee).

^{See the NBCRNA Fee Schedule.}

Additional Information: A current Maryland RN license in good standing or a multistate licensure privilege to practice registered nursing in Maryland is required for application.

^{See COMAR 10.27.06.02.}

Renewal: Renewal is biennial (every two years); the current Board APRN certification-renewal fee is $210 when renewing on a Maryland RN license. CRNAs must provide proof of active national certification and submit the specialty renewal application and fee; the underlying RN license is renewed separately under Maryland's RN active-practice renewal requirements (1,000 practice hours in five years, recent completion of an approved nursing program, or 30 continuing-education credits in two years).

^{See the Maryland Board of Nursing's fee schedule (effective July 1, 2025) and COMAR 10.27.01.13 for the underlying RN active-practice renewal requirements.}

Learn more on how to become a certified registered nurse anesthetist.

Nurse Psychotherapist (PMH/APRN) in Maryland

Education: Master's degree or higher from a Board-approved graduate psychiatric-mental-health clinical nurse specialist program accredited by a national nursing accrediting body recognized by the Maryland Board of Nursing. See COMAR 10.27.12.03.

Examination: Current national certification as a Clinical Nurse Specialist in psychiatric-mental health nursing through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) or another Board-recognized certifying body; ANCC's Adult Psychiatric-Mental Health CNS credential (PMHCNS-BC) is currently a renewal-only credential, so applicants should confirm the certifying body's current initial-certification pathway.

^{See ANCC's Adult Psychiatric-Mental Health CNS renewal-certification page.}

Certification Required: Current national certification as a Clinical Nurse Specialist in psychiatric-mental health nursing from ANCC or another Board-recognized certifying body.

^{See COMAR 10.27.12.03.}

Fees:

• $50 Application Fee.
• Certification fee varies by certifying body and membership status; confirm the current fee directly with the certifying body, as ANCC's PMHCNS-BC credential is currently renewal-only.

^{See ANCC's Adult Psychiatric-Mental Health CNS renewal-certification page.}

Additional Information: A current Maryland RN license in good standing or a multistate licensure privilege to practice registered nursing in Maryland is required for application.

^{See COMAR 10.27.12.03.}

Renewal: Renewal is biennial (every two years); the current Board APRN certification-renewal fee is $210 when renewing on a Maryland RN license. Nurse psychotherapists in Maryland must provide proof of maintenance of a national certification as a PMH/APRN and submit the specialty renewal application and fee; the underlying RN license is renewed separately under Maryland's RN active-practice renewal requirements (1,000 practice hours in five years, recent completion of an approved nursing program, or 30 continuing-education credits in two years).

^{See the Maryland Board of Nursing's fee schedule (effective July 1, 2025) and COMAR 10.27.01.13 for the underlying RN active-practice renewal requirements.}

Learn more on how to become a psychiatric and mental health nurse practitioner.

Registered Nurse (RN) in Maryland

Education: Completion of an Approved Registered Nurse Program.

^{See COMAR 10.27.01.03.}

Examination: NCLEX-RN

Fees:

• $187 Maryland Board licensure-by-examination fee (a separate NCLEX-RN examination fee is paid directly to the testing service).

^{See COMAR 10.27.01.02.}

Endorsement: Individuals with equivalent licensure in another state who can provide proof of either 1,000 practice hours in the past 5 years or successful completion of an approved refresher course may apply for licensure through endorsement, subject to a $230 fee. Registered nurses who hold an active license in another compact state need not apply for a license in Maryland, unless they plan to change their permanent residency to Maryland.

^{See the Maryland Board of Nursing's fee schedule (effective July 1, 2025).}

Renewal: Renewal is biennial; the renewal fee is $191 (includes a Maryland Health Care Commission fee). Renewals for licensees with an odd birth year renew in an odd-numbered year not later than the 28th day of the licensee's birth month; this same process applies to those born in even-numbered years, renewing in even-numbered years. RNs must provide proof of either 1,000 active hours of nursing practice, completion of a degree from a nursing program, or 30 continuing education credits within two years before the renewal date.

^{See the Maryland Board of Nursing's fee schedule (effective July 1, 2025) and COMAR 10.27.01.13 for the renewal-hours requirement.}

An RN who does not meet one of these active-renewal pathways must complete a Board-approved refresher course or preceptorship before renewing active status, per COMAR 10.27.01.13.

An RN who does not renew is placed on inactive status through a separate application and fee process, and may not practice nursing in Maryland (though the RN title may still be used) until active status is restored by meeting the renewal requirements and submitting an active-status application, including a new criminal history records check, under COMAR 10.27.01.14.

COMAR does not charge an additional fee specifically for this status change, but because active and inactive renewal are set at different rates, the Maryland Board of Nursing's fee schedule lists a separate inactive-to-active conversion charge of $131 for RNs, including the Maryland Health Care Commission assessment. The Board also cannot guarantee that a renewal application submitted less than 30 days before the expiration date will be processed before that date; see COMAR 10.27.01.13 for the submission-timing note and COMAR 10.27.01.14 for the inactive-status requirements.

Learn more on how to become a registered nurse.

Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) in Maryland

Education: Completion of an Approved Licensed Practical Nurse Program. ^{See COMAR 10.27.01.03.}

Examination: NCLEX-PN

Fees:

• $187 Maryland Board licensure-by-examination fee (a separate NCLEX-PN examination fee is paid directly to the testing service).

^{See COMAR 10.27.01.02.}

Endorsement: Individuals with equivalent licensure in another state who can provide proof of either 1,000 practice hours in the past 5 years or successful completion of an approved refresher course may apply for licensure through endorsement, subject to a $230 fee. Licensed practical nurses who hold an active license in another compact state need not apply for a license in Maryland, unless they plan to change their permanent residency to Maryland.

^{See the Maryland Board of Nursing's fee schedule (effective July 1, 2025).}

Renewal: Renewal is biennial; the renewal fee is $165. Renewals for licensees with an odd birth year renew in an odd-numbered year not later than the 28th day of the licensee's birth month; this same process applies to those born in even-numbered years, renewing in even-numbered years. LPNs must provide proof of either 1,000 active hours of nursing practice, completion of a degree from a nursing program, or 30 continuing education credits within two years before the renewal date.

^{See the Maryland Board of Nursing's fee schedule (effective July 1, 2025) and COMAR 10.27.01.13 for the renewal-hours requirement.}

An LPN who does not meet one of these active-renewal pathways must complete a Board-approved refresher course or preceptorship before renewing active status, per COMAR 10.27.01.13. An LPN who does not renew is placed on inactive status through a separate application and fee process, and may not practice nursing in Maryland (though the LPN title may still be used) until active status is restored by meeting the renewal requirements and submitting an active-status application, including a new criminal history records check. COMAR does not charge an additional fee specifically for this status change, but because active and inactive renewal are set at different rates, the Maryland Board of Nursing's fee schedule lists a separate inactive-to-active conversion charge of $105 for LPNs.

^{See COMAR 10.27.01.14 for the inactive-status requirements.}

Learn more on how to become a licensed practical nurse.

Information Disclosure:

^{Information on the above nursing careers in Maryland was retrieved from the Maryland Board of Nursing, fee schedule effective July 1, 2025; verified September 2026.}