Nursing home administrator license requirements in the District of Columbia.

Board

District of Columbia Board of Long-Term Care Administration (DC Health, Health Regulation and Licensing Administration) Board source · checked 2026-07-29

Education floor

A bachelor's degree A baccalaureate degree from an accredited four-year institution is required, including specific 3-credit-hour coursework in accounting, human resources, management, gerontology, health care law and ethics, and long-term care management (17 DCMR Section 6202). A master's degree from an ACEHSA-accredited program is an alternate pathway with a shorter, 6-month practical-experience component in place of the standard 12-month track. Board source · checked 2026-07-29

Administrator-in-Training hours

910 to 1,820 hours depending on your degree or experience

• 1,820 hours: Standard Administrator-in-Training program: at least 35 hours weekly under a Board-certified preceptor at a DC-licensed nursing home, normally a 12-month program (partial credit for qualifying prior experience within the preceding 5 years can shorten this). Hours shown (1,820) are calculated from the rule's 35-hour weekly minimum across 12 months, not a single literally stated total (17 DCMR Section 6202, 6202.4(b)).
• 910 hours: Master's-degree pathway: a 6-month experiential component built into the degree, or 6 months of employment in a DC-licensed facility, in place of the standard 12-month AIT program. Hours shown (910) are calculated from the same 35-hour weekly minimum applied to a 6-month program length, not a separately stated total (17 DCMR Section 6202).

Board source · checked 2026-07-29

National NAB exams

Required (CORE of Knowledge + Nursing Home Administrator) The national NAB examination (referred to in Board guidance as NABENHA) is required; a candidate must pass it within 12 months of completing the AIT program, and within 3 attempts (17 DCMR Section 6204; Board of Nursing Home Administration AIT Guidelines). Board source · checked 2026-07-29

Separate state exam

Required The District Examination is required in addition to the national NAB examination, and must be passed within 12 months of passing the national exam (17 DCMR Section 6205). Both the licensure-by-reciprocity and licensure-by-endorsement pathways also require passing the District Examination (17 DCMR Sections 6209, 6210). Board source · checked 2026-07-29

Initial license fee

$406 $356 application and license fee plus a mandatory $50 criminal background check fee equal $406, per the Board's official Nursing Home Administrator New License Application Checklist (Examination track). The national NAB examination fee is paid directly to NAB, not to DC Health. Board source · checked 2026-07-29

Renewal fee

$203 $203 biennial renewal fee plus a mandatory $50 criminal background check (name-based search) fee, per DC Health's Board of Long Term Care Administration renewal notice for the most recent 2-year renewal cycle located this pass (the 2022 to 2024 cycle notice, the freshest official notice reachable). A $85 late fee applies within the 60-day grace period after the June 30 expiration. Board source · checked 2026-07-29

Continuing education

40 hours per biennial cycle 40 contact hours of continuing education per 2-year renewal cycle, including 2 hours of LGBTQ cultural competency training and 10 hours in a designated current area of practice (staff management, resident-centered care, wound care, pain management, fall prevention, and similar topics under 17 DCMR Section 6206.4(a)). First-time renewal applicants are exempt. Board source · checked 2026-07-29

Reciprocity / endorsement

by exam only The District recognizes two named pathways, Licensure by Reciprocity (17 DCMR Section 6209) and Licensure by Endorsement (17 DCMR Section 6210), both requiring a current license in good standing under substantially equivalent standards, at least 3 years of current practice as a nursing home administrator, 3 letters of recommendation, and, in both pathways, passage of the District Examination; DC does not waive its own exam for either reciprocity route. Board source · checked 2026-07-29

Assisted living / RCAL administrator license

Licensed separately The District of Columbia licenses Assisted Living Administrators as a separate, dedicated credential under a distinct chapter of the DC Municipal Regulations (17 DCMR Chapter 113), apart from the Nursing Home Administration chapter (17 DCMR Chapter 62) that this row otherwise documents. Board source · checked 2026-07-29

Statutes and rules: D.C. Official Code Section 3-1201 et seq. (Health Occupations Revision Act of 1985); 17 DCMR Chapter 62 (Nursing Home Administration). Figures change on the board's own schedule. Confirm against the board before you apply or pay.

1. Get your checklist. The requirements wizard resolves District of Columbia's requirements for your exact degree.
2. Plan your hours. The AIT-hours tracker turns District of Columbia's hour target into a finish date.
3. Moving here from another state? The reciprocity checker reads District of Columbia's endorsement rule.
4. Also want assisted living? Read holding both a nursing home and an assisted living administrator license for how District of Columbia's two credentials relate.