District of Columbia RN licensure 2026: $200 fee, 4–6 weeks

District of Columbia licensure at a glance

Apply and check current fees at dchealth.dc.gov/bon.

District of Columbia renewal and licensing rows checked 2026-09-26 against dchealth.dc.gov (1, 2), dcregs.dc.gov.

District of Columbia RN license renewal: 2 years; moving to expiry on last day of birth month. Continuing education for District of Columbia renewal: 24 contact hours per 2 years, incl. 2 LGBTQ cultural competency and 10% public-health priorities.

Same in all 51: licensing · renewal · discipline · international · CEUs · defence.

District of Columbia required CE topics, and free courses for them

Can District of Columbia nurses finish CE for free? Not for the required topics: none of the 2 topics District of Columbia names for RN or LPN renewal had a free course we could verify (LGBTQ cultural competency or specialized clinical training; DC Health public health priorities), so those hours usually come from a paid, board-accepted provider.

District of Columbia renewal CE: 24 contact hours every 2 years for RN renewal, incl. 2 hours LGBTQ cultural competency and 10% in DC public health priorities. Topics the District of Columbia board names, checked Sep 2026:

• LGBTQ cultural competency or specialized clinical training: 2 contact hours · every renewal · RN/LPN/APRN. Source
  No free course found for District of Columbia's version of this yet.
• DC Health public health priorities: every renewal (10% of the required total) · RN. Source
  No free course found for District of Columbia's version of this yet.

Every free course, with filters: free CEUs for District of Columbia nurses.

Compact status: Compact state

District of Columbia issues multistate licenses. With District of Columbia as your primary state of residence, one license covers every other NLC state; it follows your residence, not your job. Compact map.

Getting licensed in District of Columbia

Endorsing into District of Columbia runs through the DC Board of Nursing at $200, quoted at 4–6 weeks, with no second NCLEX. Because District of Columbia participates in the compact, a travel nurse holding a multistate license can start an assignment here without a separate application, which is why District of Columbia contracts often list short lead times.

Advanced practice in District of Columbia

Whether an NP may prescribe independently in District of Columbia is set by the DC Board of Nursing and moves by legislative session. Check it before accepting an APRN role there.

Practice environment

Staffing ratios: District of Columbia has no statutory nurse-to-patient ratio law. Staffing is governed by hospital policy and, where one exists, the collective bargaining agreement — so safe-staffing concerns are raised through the facility's chain of command and its staffing committee rather than through a state standard.

Highest urban concentration of academic medical centers (Georgetown, GWU, Howard, MedStar, Children's National); federal employer presence sets benefit floors.

Licensure in states bordering District of Columbia

Maryland · Virginia · Delaware · Pennsylvania.

Related District of Columbia guides

District of Columbia RN salary data · travel nursing in District of Columbia · compact license map · national licensing guide.