How to Become a Pharmacy Technician in Maryland

Checked against Maryland Board of Pharmacy (Maryland Department of Health) · Verified 2026-10-14

Exam: Required
Training: Required
Term: The first registration expires on the last day of your birth month after about 1 year; each renewal after that is for 2 years.
State fee: $45 registration fee (non-refundable); renewal $45; reinstatement $45 (COMAR 10.34.09.02).
Regulated by: Maryland Board of Pharmacy (Maryland Department of Health)

Take the free PTCB practice test →

Who can apply

Be enrolled in high school, be a high school graduate, or have a GED.
Applicants who are not nationally certified must be 17 or older (COMAR 10.34.34.05).
Either hold current national pharmacy technician certification, or finish a Board-approved training program (no longer than 6 months, with 160 hours of work experience) and pass a Board-approved exam.
Request a State of Maryland criminal history records check through CJIS; the Board will not process the application until it receives the report.

Step by step

Choose your route: current national certification, or a Board-approved training program with 160 hours of work experience plus a Board-approved exam.
Download the current Technician Initial Application (revised 06/09/2025) from the Board's Technicians page; the Board returns applications sent on outdated forms.
Get fingerprinted for a Maryland CJIS criminal history check using the Board's authorization number 0600062013; CJIS sends the report to the Board.
Mail the application, a recent photo, proof of certification or of training and exam, proof of Social Security number and proof of birth date, with a $45 check or money order to the Board's P.O. Box.
Do not work as a technician until your registration is active.
Renew on the Board's renewal form with $45 and proof of continuing education before your registration expires at the end of your birth month.

Official application →

Training and exam

Training: Only if you are not nationally certified: complete a Board-approved pharmacy technician training program that lasts no longer than 6 months and includes 160 hours of work experience (COMAR 10.34.34.05). Programs may be run by pharmacy employers, national training programs or accredited schools, and must cover topics such as the dispensing process, pharmaceutical calculations and Maryland and federal pharmacy law (COMAR 10.34.34.07). Nationally certified applicants do not need this program.

Exam: You need either current national pharmacy technician certification (for example PTCB's PTCE) or a passing score on a Board-approved technician exam taken with an approved training program. A Board-approved exam must have at least 100 multiple-choice questions and a passing score of 75% or higher (COMAR 10.34.34.08). No separate state exam for certified applicants.

Practice for the PTCE (PTCB) exam free — medications, federal requirements, patient safety and order entry →

What it costs in Maryland

Fixed amounts are set by the state. Items marked “your quote” are priced by private sellers, so enter what you’re quoted.

Pharmacy technician registration (Maryland Board of Pharmacy)$45
Maryland CJIS state background check ($18 by mail, $38 in person)$18–$38
PTCE exam fee (PTCB), only if you use the national-certification route; NHA's ExCPT is priced by NHA(optional)$129
Board-approved training program and exam, only if you are not nationally certified(optional)$

Estimated total in Maryland$63–$83

Cost details from the state

Maryland CJIS state background check: $18 by mail or $38 in person (in-person total includes a $20 CJIS service fee), per the Board's background check page
National certification exam fee (PTCB PTCE $129 as of Oct 2026) if you use the certification route
Board-approved training program tuition, if you use the training route (set by the program)

Pay in Maryland

Maryland adds a local income tax on top of the state rate, so look up the local rate for your area before you budget.

Starting out on an entry-level wage? Check the SNAP income limits in Maryland by household size.

How long it takes

The Board's application instructions say to allow one to two weeks for processing, and the application is not processed until the Board receives your CJIS background report.

What other sites get wrong about Maryland

Myth: Maryland pharmacy technicians pay an annual renewal fee of $45.

Fact: The $45 renewal covers a 2-year term. After the first registration, Maryland technician registrations are renewed for 2-year terms (COMAR 10.34.34.09). source

Once you're registered

Renewal: Renew every 2 years by the end of your birth month, using the Board's renewal form and a $45 fee. You need 20 hours of approved continuing education per 2-year period, but only 10 hours for your first renewal; technicians who give vaccines must include 2 hours on vaccination. All health practitioners must attest to an approved implicit bias training on their first renewal after April 1, 2022. Mail the renewal at least two weeks before expiration; if it is not processed by the end of your birth month you may not work until the registration is reinstated.

Good to know in Maryland

Transferring from another state: Send proof of your registration in another state with similar requirements and a letter of good standing from that state's board. If your state does not register technicians, a pharmacist must complete a notarized affidavit showing at least six months of technician work before you apply.

Application valid one year: Your application stays open for one year from the date the Board receives it. If you have not met all requirements in that time, you must reapply and pay the fee again. Fees are not refunded.

Pharmacy students: First-year pharmacy students who are not on a school rotation can file a student exemption form with proof of enrollment instead of registering, but only for their first professional year.

No work before registration: Working as a pharmacy technician without an active registration violates Maryland law and can lead to Board discipline.

Sources

General information, not legal advice. Fees and rules change — confirm with Maryland Board of Pharmacy (Maryland Department of Health) before you apply.