Learn · Licensing
Maryland's 25-Hour Online Limit on the Assisted Living Manager Course Is Gone
Websites and AI answers still say only 25 of the 80 hours can be taken online. That rule was removed on April 28, 2025. Here is the old text, the current text, and how to check it yourself.
By Aaron Payne · October 1, 2026
If you’ve searched for Maryland’s 80-hour Assisted Living Manager course, you’ve probably read some version of this sentence: “No more than 25 hours of the training can be completed through Internet courses.” It shows up on regulation-summary sites and in AI-generated answers.
It’s out of date. That limit was part of the old regulation. Maryland rewrote its assisted living regulations effective April 28, 2025, and the 25-hour cap did not survive the rewrite. Today the full 80 hours can be delivered online by a vendor the state has approved.
Here’s exactly what changed, so you don’t have to take my word for it.
What the old rule said
The previous version of COMAR 10.07.14.16, in effect from December 29, 2008, required the manager training course to:
(2) Consist of training programs that include direct participation between faculty and participants; and
(3) Include not more than 25 hours of training through Internet courses, correspondence courses, tapes, or other training methods that do not require direct interaction between faculty and participants.
That’s the sentence everyone is still quoting. Under it, at least 55 of the 80 hours had to involve direct interaction with an instructor.
What the rule says now
The current COMAR 10.07.14.16B is two lines. The completed manager’s training course shall:
(1) Consist of 80 hours of course work and include an examination; and
(2) Provide the training through in-person courses, virtual training methods, or a combination of both.
No hour cap on online training. No “direct participation” requirement. You can read it yourself in the Library of Maryland Regulations.
| Before April 28, 2025 | Now | |
|---|---|---|
| Total hours | At least 80, with an exam | 80, with an exam |
| Online hours allowed | No more than 25 | No cap |
| Delivery | Direct faculty participation required | In-person, virtual, or a combination |
| Who approves the course | The Department | The Department (through OHCQ) |
Why you still see the old rule
Three reasons:
- Regulation-summary sites copied the old text and never updated it. One of them is among the first results for this exact question.
- AI answers repeat what those sites say. Ask a chatbot whether the course can be taken online and there’s a fair chance it quotes the 25-hour limit back to you with total confidence.
- Most vendors still teach it the old way. Classroom and live-virtual cohorts on fixed dates are still the norm, so the old rule looks like it’s still in force.
What didn’t change
The delivery rule loosened. The substance didn’t.
- It’s still 80 hours, and it still ends with an examination.
- The content is still set by the state. COMAR 10.07.14.17A lists 13 required content areas with an hour count for each, and a course has to cover all of them.
- The vendor still has to be approved by OHCQ, and approval is per course. A vendor approved only for the 20-hour continuing education can’t take you through the 80 hours, online or otherwise.
- First Aid and CPR are still hands-on. Those certifications come from a certified instructor, in person, whichever course vendor you choose. No online course replaces them.
So “online is allowed” is not the same as “any online course counts.” A course that isn’t on the state’s list doesn’t count no matter how it’s delivered.
How to check a vendor yourself
- Read the regulation. COMAR 10.07.14.16 is short. It takes two minutes.
- Open the OHCQ approved-vendor list. Find the vendor by name and confirm the list says “80 hours” next to it, not just “20 hours.”
- Ask what “online” means. For some vendors it means live Zoom sessions on fixed dates. For others it means self-paced. Both are allowed; they are very different if you work full-time.
Where we fit
The Care Insider is on that OHCQ list for both the 80-hour course and the 20-hour continuing education. Our Maryland 80-hour Assisted Living Manager course is 100% online and self-paced: no cohorts, no class dates, no Zoom, and no access clock. It covers every required content area, ends with the required final exam, and issues a verifiable certificate the moment you pass.
If you’re still deciding, these may help:
- Can you take the 80-hour course online? Who needs it, what it covers, how to pick a vendor
- What the course costs, and whether there’s a free one
- Certificate vs. license: what “assisted living manager certification” means in Maryland
This article is practical guidance, not legal advice. Regulation text was checked against the Library of Maryland Regulations on October 1, 2026. Regulations change, so read the current text before you rely on it.