Renewing a license: 90 PDPs every 5 years
The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) renews professional licenses every five years. Renewal requires a 90-PDP Individualized Professional Development Plan, or qualifying National Board Certification. The conversions are set in COMAR 13A.12.02.06:
- 1 semester hour = 15 PDPs;
- 1 MSDE-approved continuing professional development (CPD) credit = 15 PDPs;
- 1 clock hour = 1 PDP;
- 1 CEU = 10 PDPs.
"1 semester hour is equivalent to 15 PDPs"COMAR 13A.12.02.06
For how the units compare, see clock hours, CEUs and semester credits.
How pay moves: MA and MEQ lanes
MSDE publishes the salary schedules of all 24 local education agencies. Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) is a published example. Its FY2027 schedule, effective July 1, 2026, has four lanes, and the "MEQ" (master's equivalent) route lets a teacher reach the master's lanes on post-baccalaureate credits:
| Lane | MEQ route (MCPS) |
|---|---|
| BA | Bachelor's degree |
| MA / MEQ | At least 30 post-baccalaureate credits, at least 15 of them graduate-level |
| MA / MEQ + 30 | At least 60 post-baccalaureate credits, at least 15 of them graduate-level |
| MA / MEQ + 60 | At least 90 post-baccalaureate credits, at least 15 of them graduate-level |
MCPS defines "credit" as semester hours, and converts quarter hours at 3:2. The remaining credits in each lane may be graduate-level or CPD credits. The general mechanics are in lane change, explained.
District schedules
Items marked "confirm" are being verified for this guide and will be updated with a source and date.
Montgomery County Public Schools
Submit Form 475-1 with documentation to the Certification Unit. Lane changes take effect no later than the second pay period after all verified documentation is received.
Source: MCPS certification and salary page; FY2027 salary schedule.Prince George's County Public Schools
In research.
Source to be added. Schedule listed in MSDE's LEA index.Baltimore County Public Schools
In research.
Source to be added. Schedule listed in MSDE's LEA index.Anne Arundel County Public Schools
In research.
Source to be added. Schedule listed in MSDE's LEA index.Baltimore City Public Schools
In research.
Source to be added. Schedule listed in MSDE's LEA index.Before you enroll in anything
- Check your license's expiration date and your Individualized Professional Development Plan.
- Count 15 PDPs per semester hour toward the 90.
- For salary, open your school system's schedule through MSDE's index and read its lane rules.
- In Montgomery County, check how many of your credits are graduate-level: each MEQ lane needs at least 15.
- Ask HR in writing whether the specific course counts toward your next lane. Keep the reply.
- Submit verified documentation promptly; the lane change follows the documentation.
MEQ rules are local. The thresholds above are Montgomery County's. Other Maryland systems set their own lanes and definitions.
Teaching near a state line? See the Virginia guide, or compare course providers.
Sources
- Maryland State Department of Education, Certificate renewal.
- COMAR 13A.12.02.06 (PDP requirements and conversions).
- Maryland State Department of Education, Local salary schedules.
- Montgomery County Public Schools, Certification: salary.
- Montgomery County Public Schools, FY2027 salary schedule (PDF).
- National Education Association, Rankings of the States 2025 and Estimates of School Statistics 2026, Table B-2 (teacher counts).
Last reviewed 2026-11-03. How we correct errors.