2026 · From official Maryland Board of Pharmacy sources · Checked November 1, 2026 How to become a pharmacy technician in Maryland: registration routes, background check and costs
To work as a pharmacy technician in Maryland you need a pharmacy technician registration from the Maryland Board of Pharmacy. While you're in a board-approved training program, you can work as a pharmacy technician trainee under a pharmacist's direct supervision for up to 6 months without registering. You qualify for registration in one of two ways: hold a current national certification, such as the PTCB's CPhT, or be at least 17, complete a board-approved training program (no longer than 6 months, with 160 hours of work experience) and pass a board-approved exam. Applicants must also be high school graduates, have a GED or be enrolled in high school, and must request a Maryland criminal history records check from CJIS, which means getting fingerprinted. The application is on paper and costs $45, mailed with a check or money order. After the first term, the registration renews every two years by the end of your birth month for $45, with 10 hours of continuing education at your first renewal and 20 hours after that, plus a one-time implicit bias training. These requirements come from the board's pages and forms, Health Occupations Article Title 12, Subtitle 6B and the board's regulations in COMAR 10.34.34, checked November 1, 2026.
Maryland requirements at a glance
- Credential
- Pharmacy technician registration. You must be registered and approved by the board before you perform delegated pharmacy acts, and the board says this applies even if you're nationally certified. source
- Trainees
- A pharmacy technician trainee in a board-approved training program may work under a pharmacist's direct supervision without registering, for no more than 6 months. Trainees may not give vaccines. source
- National certification
- Not required. A current national certification plus the criminal history check is one route to registration. Without one, you need a board-approved training program and a board-approved exam. source
- Training program (non-certified route)
- Board-approved, no longer than 6 months, and including 160 hours of work experience completed within 6 months of enrolling. It must cover topics such as the dispensing process, calculations, compounding and pharmacy law. source
- Minimum age
- 17 on the training-program route. You can start working toward the requirements at 16 and a half. source
- Education
- High school graduate or GED, or currently enrolled in high school (with proof you're a student in good standing). source
- Background check
- A Maryland criminal history records check through CJIS, with fingerprints, using the board's authorization number 0600062013. The board won't process your application until it receives the report. source
- Vaccines
- Registered technicians may give COVID-19, flu and pneumococcal vaccines to adults 18 and older, and RSV and shingles vaccines to adults 50 and older, after an ACPE-approved practical training program, in-person CPR certification and the board's written acceptance of their notification form. source
How to get your registration in Maryland, step by step
- Qualify by one route: get nationally certified (such as the PTCB's CPhT), or complete a board-approved training program with 160 hours of work experience and pass a board-approved exam. You can work as a trainee for up to 6 months while in the program. Board: Technician forms and information source
- Request a Maryland Criminal History Record Report from CJIS and get fingerprinted with the board's authorization number, 0600062013. CJIS sends the report to the board, so don't include it with your application. Board: Background check information source
- Download the current technician initial application from the board's website. Applications on outdated forms are returned. Technician initial application (PDF) source
- Fill it in and attach a photo taken within 180 days, proof of your Social Security number, proof of your date of birth, and either your national certificate or proof of program completion and a passing exam score. source
- Mail it with a $45 check or money order to the Maryland Board of Pharmacy, P.O. Box 2013, Baltimore, MD 21203-2013. Processing takes one to two weeks, and the application stays valid for one year. source
- Check whether your registration is pending or active on the board's license verification page. Board license verification source
What it costs in Maryland
| Fee | Amount | Paid to |
|---|---|---|
| Pharmacy technician registration | $45 | Maryland Board of Pharmacy source |
| Renewal, every 2 years | $45 | Maryland Board of Pharmacy source |
| Reinstatement of an expired registration | $45 | Maryland Board of Pharmacy source |
The criminal history check is paid to CJIS; the board's background check page lists $18 by mail or $38 in person for a Maryland-only check. National certification is one route, not a requirement; if you take the PTCE, PTCB charges $129.
Renewal and continuing education
Your first registration expires on the last day of your birth month after one year; after that it renews every two years, and each renewal period ends on the last day of your birth month. Renewal costs $45, online within 60 days before expiration or by a paper form postmarked at least two weeks before. You need 10 hours of approved continuing education for your first renewal and 20 hours for each renewal after that, earned within the renewal period, and you attest to an approved implicit bias training at your first renewal. Technicians who give vaccines need 2 of the 20 hours on vaccination. If your renewal isn't processed by the end of your birth month, you can't work until the registration is reinstated ($45 and 20 hours of CE; after more than 2 years you also pass a board-approved exam). source
Mistakes people make in Maryland
- National certification alone doesn't let you work in Maryland. Every technician who works at a pharmacy in Maryland must be registered with the board. source
- The trainee exemption lasts at most 6 months and only within a board-approved training program. After that you need your registration to keep working. source
- Your application isn't processed until the board receives your CJIS report, so request the background check early. The board accepts CJIS reports completed within 6 months before you apply. source
National certification is one route to a Maryland registration: here's what's on the PTCE
The PTCB's certification exam, the PTCE, has 90 questions (80 scored) in 1 hour 50 minutes and costs $129. On the 2026 content outline, Medications is 35% of the exam, Patient Safety and Quality Assurance 23.75%, Order Entry and Processing 22.5%, and Federal Requirements 18.75%.
PTCE facts from PTCB, checked October 14, 2026.
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Maryland pharmacy technician FAQ
Do you need PTCB certification to be a pharmacy technician in Maryland?
Not necessarily. A current national certification, such as the PTCB's CPhT, is one way to qualify; the other is a board-approved training program with 160 hours of work experience plus a board-approved exam. Either way you also need the CJIS criminal history check.
Can you work as a pharmacy technician in Maryland while you're training?
Yes, as a pharmacy technician trainee in a board-approved training program, under a pharmacist's direct supervision, for up to 6 months. After that you need a registration.
How much does it cost to register as a pharmacy technician in Maryland?
$45 to apply, $45 to renew every two years and $45 to reinstate an expired registration, plus the CJIS background check fee.
How old do you have to be to be a pharmacy technician in Maryland?
17 on the training-program route, and you can start working toward the requirements at 16 and a half. You also need a high school diploma or GED, or be enrolled in high school.
How many CE hours do Maryland pharmacy technicians need?
10 hours for your first renewal and 20 hours every two years after that, plus a one-time implicit bias training. Technicians who give vaccines need 2 of the 20 hours on vaccination.
Requirements in other states
Sources, checked November 1, 2026: Board: Technician forms and information · Board: Technician initial application (rev. June 9, 2025) · Board: Technician renewal application (rev. June 9, 2025) · Board: Technician reinstatement application (rev. June 9, 2025) · Board: FAQs · Board: Background check information · Health Occupations §12-6B-01 (registration required; trainees) · Health Occupations §12-6B-02 (qualifications) · COMAR 10.34.34.03 (delegated acts; vaccines) · COMAR 10.34.34.05 (registration requirements) · COMAR 10.34.34.07 (training programs) · COMAR 10.34.34.09 (renewal) · COMAR 10.34.34.10 (continuing education) · COMAR 10.34.34.11 (reinstatement) · COMAR 10.34.09.02 (fees) · Board license verification · PTCB: CPhT. Rules and fees change; the Maryland Board of Pharmacy is the final word. QuizPrep isn't affiliated with the board, PTCB or NHA.