BY STATE · MARYLAND · 49 CFR §40.281

How to Become a DOT SAP in Maryland

Becoming a DOT Substance Abuse Professional is one uniform federal pathway, set in 49 CFR §40.281 and applied the same way in every state. What is specific to Maryland is the underlying clinical credential — the license or certification you earn through the boards below to satisfy the §40.281(a) requirement before you complete SAP qualification training and pass the national exam.

TRACK A

Addiction-counselor certification (the DOT counselor path)

This is the path that satisfies the §40.281(a) “drug and alcohol counselor” category, which DOT accepts only through a NAADAC-, IC&RC-, or NBCC-affiliated board. In Maryland that credential is:

Certified Associate Counselor-Alcohol and Drug (CAC-AD); LCADC is the master-level clinical license

IC&RC-affiliated: No

Issuing board: Maryland Board of Professional Counselors and Therapists (MBPCT), Maryland Dept. of Health
Education requirement: CAC-AD: a bachelor's degree in a Board-approved counseling / health-and-human-services field with required addiction coursework (secondary guides cite ~45 credit hours). Confirm current coursework on health.maryland.gov/bopc.
Supervised hours: CAC-AD / higher tiers: ~2,000 supervised clinical hours (per secondary guides); CSC-AD ~1,000 hours. Verify exact figures with MBPCT.
Required exam: NAADAC NCAC-II + Maryland Law Assessment (CAC-AD); NAADAC MAC + Maryland Law Assessment (LCADC)
Also accepted: State-issued CAC-AD/LCADC use NAADAC exams — the Board authorizes candidates to sit for the NAADAC NCAC-II (plus a Maryland Law Assessment); LCADC uses the NAADAC MAC. Confirmed on health.maryland.gov/bopc. (A separate private IC&RC affiliate, MABPCB, also certifies addiction counselors in MD, but the STATE credential is NAADAC-based.)

TRACK B

State clinical license

Maryland also issues a clinical license that qualifies on its own under §40.281(a).

Licensed Clinical Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LCADC) / Licensed Graduate Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LGADC) — master-level state licenses

Issuing board: Maryland Board of Professional Counselors and Therapists (MBPCT)

OTHER PATHS

Other SAP-eligible boards in Maryland

You do not have to be an addiction counselor. Any one of these Maryland boards licenses a profession that satisfies one of the other five §40.281(a) SAP credential categories — physician, social worker, psychologist, employee assistance professional, or marriage and family therapist.

Social worker Maryland Board of Social Work Examiners

Psychologist Maryland Board of Examiners of Psychologists

Marriage & family therapist Maryland Board of Professional Counselors and Therapists (MFTs)

Physician Maryland Board of Physicians

THE FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS

The federal steps are the same in every state

Once you hold a qualifying Maryland credential above, the rest of the SAP pathway is set by federal rule and does not change by state. See the full federal requirements →

1 What credential do you need to become a DOT SAP?
2 What knowledge does a SAP need?
3 What qualification training and exam are required?
4 What continuing education must a SAP maintain?
5 What documentation must a SAP keep?
6 What does a DOT SAP actually do?

Sources

Last reviewed: 2026-07-07

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