How to Become a Home Health Aide in Maryland: Training and Exam

To become a home health aide in Maryland, you need to earn a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) credential from the Maryland Board of Nursing (MBON). That means finishing a Board-approved 100-hour training program, passing the state competency evaluation, clearing a fingerprint-based criminal background check, and paying roughly $77 in state fees. Most people move through the whole sequence in two to four months, with background check processing being the most common source of delay.

Who Can Apply

You must be at least 18 years old and hold a high school diploma or GED. Training programs generally won’t accept an application without proof of both.

Maryland law also requires applicants to be “of good moral character,” which the Board evaluates through your criminal history, employment record, and any prior disciplinary action in a healthcare setting.1Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Health Occupations Code 8-6A-05 – Qualifications for Certification A criminal record isn’t an automatic bar, but convictions involving abuse, neglect, or theft against vulnerable people will almost always block certification.

The work is physically demanding. You should be able to transfer patients, assist with mobility, and stand for long stretches. Most training programs and employers require a tuberculosis screening before clinical rotations begin.

Complete a Board-Approved 100-Hour Training Program

Maryland’s training requirements are set out in COMAR 10.39.02.06 and exceed the federal floor. Where Medicare rules require at least 75 hours, Maryland requires 100.2Maryland Department of Health. COMAR 10.39.01-03 Certified Nursing Assistants Those hours split into 60 hours of classroom and lab instruction and 40 hours of supervised clinical training, with at least 16 clinical hours specifically in long-term care or care of the elderly or chronically ill.

The curriculum covers personal care, hygiene, safe patient transfers, vital signs, infection control, nutrition, range-of-motion exercises, and recognizing changes in a patient’s physical or mental condition. Home-setting content like household safety and meal preparation is folded in as the Home Health Aide component.

Community colleges and private vocational schools both offer these programs. Before you enroll, confirm the program is currently on the MBON approved list. Coursework from an unapproved program will not count toward certification, and you would have to start over.

Pass the Competency Evaluation

Finishing training isn’t enough on its own. Maryland requires every candidate to pass a competency evaluation before the Board issues certification.3Maryland Department of Health. COMAR 10.39.01-03 Certified Nursing Assistants – Qualifications for Certification The exam is the Geriatric Nursing Assistant (GNA) test, administered through Credentia Nurse Aide Credentialing Services, and it has two parts:4Maryland Department of Health. Nursing Assistant Certification

  • A written examination covering patient care concepts, safety, and nursing fundamentals.
  • A clinical skills demonstration in which an evaluator watches you perform care tasks on a real or simulated patient. Maryland tests 20 skills, including vital signs, safe transfers, ambulation, and personal care.

Candidates who fail usually stumble on the observed skills rather than the written portion. Hand hygiene, body mechanics during transfers, and accurate vital signs measurement are the ones worth drilling until they are automatic.

Submit the Application and Fee

After training and the exam, you submit the Initial Application for Nursing Assistant Certification to the MBON. The form asks for your Social Security number, a valid government-issued ID, a recent 2×2-inch photograph, your full legal name, current address, and contact details.5Maryland Department of Health. Initial Application for Nursing Assistant Certification Every field has to match your identification exactly; mismatched names or addresses trigger rejection.

The initial certification fee is $20, paid by check, money order, or credit or debit card.6Maryland Department of Health. Schedule of Fees Fees are non-refundable and non-transferable. Checks and money orders should be made out to “Maryland Board of Nursing.”

Your training program typically sends verification of your completion and exam results directly to the Board. Confirm with your program coordinator that it went out. Missing verification is one of the most common reasons an application stalls.

Clear the Criminal Background Check

The Board will not issue certification until a Criminal History Records Check (CHRC) has been completed and reviewed. It covers state and federal records and uses your fingerprints.7Maryland Department of Health. Fact Sheet: Criminal History Record Checks for NCLEX, Endorsement and 1st-time CNA Applicants

You get fingerprinted at a State Police barracks, a CJIS office equipped for electronic fingerprinting, or another authorized site. Electronic fingerprinting at a State Police barracks produces the fastest results. The fee is $57.25, paid directly to Maryland’s Criminal Justice Information System, separate from the $20 certification fee.7Maryland Department of Health. Fact Sheet: Criminal History Record Checks for NCLEX, Endorsement and 1st-time CNA Applicants The Board supplies fingerprint cards preprinted with the return address, and you receive a verification number to follow up on the results.

Convictions for patient abuse, neglect, theft, sexual offenses, and violent crimes are the most likely to result in denial. If you have to answer “yes” to any criminal or disciplinary question on the application, include court documents, a written explanation of the circumstances, and two character references. The Board reviews each case individually.

Start Working on a Temporary Certificate

Maryland issues a 90-day temporary practice certificate that lets you begin working while the Board finishes processing your full certification. It’s available if you’ve met the certification requirements, have no criminal record, and have no disciplinary history in any state.8Library of Maryland Regulations. COMAR 10.39.06.06 – Temporary Practice Certificate

If your criminal history check still hasn’t come back after 90 days, the Board can extend the certificate for another 90. The temporary certificate can be suspended or revoked at any time if something surfaces in the background check.

Know What You Can and Can’t Do

In Maryland, a Home Health Aide’s services include assisting with activities of daily living and performing health care tasks delegated by a Registered Nurse or Licensed Practical Nurse.9Legal Information Institute. Maryland Code of Regulations 10.09.69.11 – Covered Optional Services The operative word is “delegated.” You work under a nurse’s direction, not independently.

Permitted tasks typically include bathing and grooming, mobility and transfer assistance, meal preparation, light housekeeping tied to patient care, monitoring vital signs, and documenting changes in a patient’s condition. You cannot administer medications, perform sterile wound care, insert or remove catheters, give injections, or make independent medical judgments. Aides who want to handle medications can pursue a separate Certified Medication Technician (CMT) credential through additional training and testing.

If You’re Already Certified in Another State

Maryland offers an endorsement pathway that lets an existing CNA transfer without repeating the full training program. Your out-of-state certification has to be current, active, and in good standing on that state’s nurse aide registry, and it must meet federal OBRA training requirements. You cannot have any findings of abuse or neglect on your record.10Maryland Department of Health. CNA Endorsement Fact Sheet

You submit a copy of your current out-of-state certificate or a registry printout, your Social Security number, proof of fingerprinting for the Maryland CHRC, and the standard application. Any disciplinary history requires court documents, a written explanation, and two character references.

If you aren’t listed on any state’s registry, even if you completed training somewhere else, Maryland requires you to complete a full 100-hour Board-approved program before applying.10Maryland Department of Health. CNA Endorsement Fact Sheet Make sure your out-of-state listing is active before you move.

Renewing Every Two Years

Certification lasts two years. Your renewal cycle follows your birth year: born in an odd year, you renew in odd years; born in an even year, you renew in even years. The deadline each cycle is the 28th day of your birth month.11Legal Information Institute. Maryland Code of Regulations 10.39.01.07 – Renewal

To renew, you have to show at least 16 hours of paid employment as a nursing assistant during the two years before your renewal date. If you fall short, the Board will not renew you until you complete an entirely new Board-approved training program.11Legal Information Institute. Maryland Code of Regulations 10.39.01.07 – Renewal Track your hours carefully.

The renewal fee is $40.6Maryland Department of Health. Schedule of Fees If you keep practicing more than 30 days past your expiration date without renewing, the Board can impose a civil fine of up to $50 on top of the fee. You can verify your status any time through the “Look Up A License” tool on the MBON website, which updates daily.12Maryland Department of Health. Nursing Assistant Certification

What It Costs

The state fees are modest. Training tuition is the real expense.

State fees come to about $77.25 before exam registration. Ask any program you’re considering about financial aid, scholarships, or employer-sponsored options before you commit.