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District of Columbia CME and nursing CE requirements
Continuing education and license renewal rules for physicians, advanced practice clinicians and nurses licensed in District of Columbia, as recorded by ClinLicense for planning.
Planning aid only. ClinLicense is not legal or compliance advice. Boards change rules between cycles, so confirm every requirement with the board before you rely on it.
- Licensing board
- DC Board of Medicine
- License renewal
- Every 2 years
MD CME requirements
Reviewed 2026-10-31 This entry was last reviewed on 2026-10-31. That date records our own review and is not a board approval. Some details below are marked for confirmation, so treat those as unverified until the board confirms them. Always confirm with the board before you rely on it.
- Total hours
- 50 hours every 2 years
- License renewal
- Every 2 years
Required topics
No mandated topics are recorded for this profession in this state. That is not the same as the board having none, so confirm with the board.
Notes. 50 hours per 2 years. DC also has mandated-topic requirements (for example prescriber/opioid and other topics) whose hours are not confirmed here; confirm with the Board.
DO CME requirements
Not yet verified Not yet verified, confirm with the board. This entry has not been checked against the board’s own published rules.
- Total hours
- 50 hours every 2 years
- License renewal
- Every 2 years
Required topics
No mandated topics are recorded for this profession in this state. That is not the same as the board having none, so confirm with the board.
Notes. Copied from the MD block as a planning default; the osteopathic rules were not separately confirmed. Confirm with the board.
NP CME requirements
Reviewed 2026-11-01 This entry was last reviewed on 2026-11-01. That date records our own review and is not a board approval. Some details below are marked for confirmation, so treat those as unverified until the board confirms them. Always confirm with the board before you rely on it.
- Total hours
- 24 hours every 2 years
- License renewal
- Every 2 years
Required topics
| Topic | Hours | How often | Applies to | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmacology | 15 | Every cycle | Everyone | APRN pharmacology hours |
| Cultural competency | 2 | Every cycle | Everyone | LGBTQ cultural competency or clinical training required by DC law |
Notes. 24 hours per cycle; 3 hours must be on DC Health public health priority topics per the 2024 FAQ (a later notice may say 2.5; confirm). PDMP registration required to renew. Renewal runs June 30 of even years.
PA CME requirements
Not yet verified Not yet verified, confirm with the board. This entry has not been checked against the board’s own published rules.
- Total hours
- 100 hours every 2 years, with at least 40 in Category 1 or the equivalent
- License renewal
- Every 2 years
Required topics
No mandated topics are recorded for this profession in this state. That is not the same as the board having none, so confirm with the board.
Notes. 17 DCMR 4906 as published by DC Health (rule text dated March 22, 2013): 40 hours of Category 1 plus 60 hours of Category 1 or 2 in the 2 years before expiration, or in lieu of that a current NCCPA certificate (PA-C). DC Health's public notice also requires at least 10 percent of CE in the District's public health priority topics. The 2013 text may have been amended since; confirm with the board.
CRNA CME requirements
Reviewed 2026-11-01 This entry was last reviewed on 2026-11-01. That date records our own review and is not a board approval. Always confirm with the board before you rely on it.
- Total hours
- 24 hours every 2 years
- License renewal
- Every 2 years
Required topics
| Topic | Hours | How often | Applies to | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmacology | 15 | Every cycle | Everyone | Pharmacology hours required for APRNs |
| Cultural competency | 2 | Every cycle | Everyone | LGBTQ-related CE |
Notes. DC Health RN/APRN renewal FAQ (2024): APRNs complete 24 hours of CE per renewal including 2 hours LGBTQ, 15 hours pharmacology and 3 hours in the DC public health priority topics. DC Code 3-1201.02 defines advanced practice registered nursing to include certified registered nurse anesthetists, so the APRN requirement covers CRNAs.
CAA CME requirements
Reviewed 2026-11-01 This entry was last reviewed on 2026-11-01. That date records our own review and is not a board approval. Some details below are marked for confirmation, so treat those as unverified until the board confirms them. Always confirm with the board before you rely on it.
- Total hours
- Not recorded every 2 years
- License renewal
- Every 2 years
Required topics
No mandated topics are recorded for this profession in this state. That is not the same as the board having none, so confirm with the board.
Notes. Licensed: DC Code 3-1206.31 requires an anesthesiologist assistant to be licensed by the Board of Medicine. Renewal (DC Code 3-1206.32 and 17 DCMR 5108) is met by current NCCAA certification, including the CME needed to maintain it; the board sets no separate hour count, so hours is left empty. Confirm with the board.
District of Columbia nursing CE requirements
Nursing boards usually count continuing education in contact hours rather than CME credits, and the nursing license renews on its own schedule, which may differ from the medical board dates above. Nurse practitioners and nurse anesthetists have their own sections above.
Nurse Licensure Compact District of Columbia is not a member of the Nurse Licensure Compact. Nurses practicing in District of Columbia need a District of Columbia license, and a multistate license from a compact state does not cover practice there. The compact covers RN and LPN/LVN licenses only, and advanced practice authority is still granted state by state. This compact list was last reviewed on November 3, 2026. Read the compact guide for RNs and LPNs.
Registered nurses (RN)
Reviewed 2026-11-03 This entry was last reviewed on 2026-11-03 against the source linked below. That date records our own review and is not a board approval.
- Continuing education
- 24 contact hours every 2 years
- Nursing license renewal
- Every 2 years, based on a fixed calendar date (06-30)
- Board
- DC Board of Nursing
- Source
- The board page this entry was checked against
Required topics
| Topic | Contact hours | How often | Applies to | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cultural competency | 2 | Every cycle | Everyone | LGBTQ cultural competency, required by DC law |
| Public health priority topics | 3 | Every cycle | Everyone | Hours on DC Health public health priority topics |
Notes. 24 hours per cycle including 2 hours of LGBTQ content and 3 hours on DC Health public health priority topics. RN and APRN renewal runs to June 30 of even years, and the 2024 FAQ is the source.
Licensed practical and vocational nurses (LPN/LVN)
Reviewed 2026-11-03 This entry was last reviewed on 2026-11-03 against the source linked below. That date records our own review and is not a board approval. Some details are marked for confirmation, so treat those as unverified until the board confirms them.
- Continuing education
- 18 contact hours every 2 years
- Nursing license renewal
- Every 2 years, based on a fixed calendar date (06-30)
- Board
- DC Board of Nursing
- Source
- The board page this entry was checked against
Required topics
| Topic | Contact hours | How often | Applies to | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cultural competency | 2 | Every cycle | Everyone | LGBTQ or cultural awareness, required by law |
| Public health priority topics | Not recorded | Every cycle | Everyone | Relevant topics based on DC Health public health priorities, with no hour count stated |
Notes. 18 hours for LPNs per the board's 2023 LPN renewal document, including 2 hours of LGBTQ or cultural awareness, and first-time renewals are exempt. The document is dated 2023 and the LPN renewal year is inferred as odd years from secondary sources, so confirm both with the board.
Certified nurse-midwives (CNM)
Not yet verified This nursing entry has not been checked against the board’s own published rules, so confirm it with the board before you rely on it.
- Continuing education
- 24 contact hours every 2 years
- Nursing license renewal
- Every 2 years, based on a fixed calendar date (06-30)
- Board
- DC Board of Nursing
- Source
- The board page this entry was checked against
Required topics
| Topic | Contact hours | How often | Applies to | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cultural competency | 2 | Every cycle | Everyone | LGBTQ cultural competency, required by DC law |
| Public health priority topics | 3 | Every cycle | Everyone | Hours on DC Health public health priority topics |
| Pharmacology | 15 | Every cycle | Everyone | APRN pharmacology hours |
Notes. APRN rule: 24 hours with 2 LGBTQ, 15 pharmacology and 3 public health priority hours. APRNs must also register with the DC PDMP to renew. The FAQ addresses APRNs generally and does not name nurse midwives, so confirm with the board.
Clinical nurse specialists (CNS)
Not yet verified This nursing entry has not been checked against the board’s own published rules, so confirm it with the board before you rely on it.
- Continuing education
- 24 contact hours every 2 years
- Nursing license renewal
- Every 2 years, based on a fixed calendar date (06-30)
- Board
- DC Board of Nursing
- Source
- The board page this entry was checked against
Required topics
| Topic | Contact hours | How often | Applies to | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cultural competency | 2 | Every cycle | Everyone | LGBTQ cultural competency, required by DC law |
| Public health priority topics | 3 | Every cycle | Everyone | Hours on DC Health public health priority topics |
| Pharmacology | 15 | Every cycle | Everyone | APRN pharmacology hours |
Notes. APRN rule: 24 hours with 2 LGBTQ, 15 pharmacology and 3 public health priority hours. APRNs must also register with the DC PDMP to renew. The FAQ addresses APRNs generally and does not name clinical nurse specialists, so confirm with the board.
See nursing CE requirements by state to compare District of Columbia with other states.
Plan this renewal
Use the free opioid CME planner to see the controlled-substance rules for District of Columbia next to other states, or the license cost calculator to estimate fees. Read how multi-state CME works if you hold more than one license.
Nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurse anesthetists and anesthesiologist assistants usually also maintain national certification, which has its own cycle. The recertification basics guide explains how that fits alongside state rules. Nurses who hold licenses in more than one state can read the Nurse Licensure Compact for RNs and LPNs.
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