Free Nursing CEUS

State

Term (Years)

Continuing Education Requirements (Number of contact hours)

RNs

APNs

Alabama

2

24

24 plus 6 contact hours in area of pharmacology for NPs, CNMs, & RNAs

Alaska

2

Registered and practical nurse licensees must
complete two of the following methods for maintaining continuing
competency (Article 6 of 12 AAC).

1. 30 contact hours of continuing education prescribed under 12 AAC 44.610
2. 30 hours of participation in professional activities prescribed under 12 AAC 44.620
3. 320 hours of employment prescribed under 12 AAC 44.630

In lieu of meeting the above requirements,
licensees may qualify for alternative methods of continuing competency
pursuant 12 AAC 44.640.

National Certification

Arizona

4

None

National Certification

Arkansas

2

Active LPNs, RNs and APNs must complete the continuing education requirement by one of these methods:

1. 15 contact hours of appropriately accredited practice-focused activities, OR
2. Hold a current nationally recognized certification /recertification, OR
3. Completed a minimum of 1 college credit hour course in nursing with a grade of C or better during licensure period.

California

2

30 hours of continuing education for license
renewal. The continuing education course(s) must be taken through a
continuing education provider recognized by the Board of Registered
Nursing.

Continuing education is not required (over the 30
hours required for RN renewal) for renewal of advanced practice
certificates. The board accepts ANCC accredited activities and AMA PRA
Category 1^â„¢ activities.

Colorado

2

None

National certification

Connecticut

1

None

National certification

Delaware

2

30 contact hours (RNs) / 24 contact hours (LPNs)
Plus
and have practiced nursing at least 1000 hours in the past 5 years or 400 hours in the past 2 years

IF national certification for your specialty is available, THEN you must be certified and meet 1 of these requirements:

• Practice of 1500 hours over the past 5 years in the specialty for which you are applying, or
• Practice of 600 hours over the past 2 years in the specialty for which you are applying, or
• Graduation from the specialty program within the past 2 years.

IF national certificate is unavailable, THEN you must meet 1 of these requirements:

• Practice of 1000 hours over the past 2 years in the specialty for which you are applying, or
• Completion of a period of at least 1000 hours of supervised practice.

In addition, APNs who have prescriptive authority
must attest to completing 10 hours of continuing education (CE) in
pharmacology/pharmacotherapeutics in the past 2 years.

District of Columbia

2

The completion of 24 contact hours of continuing education in the licensee’s current area of practice is required.

The completion of 24 contact hours of continuing
education is required. Fifteen of the 24 contact hours must include a
pharmacology component. Nine of the 24 contact hours must be relevant to
the practice of your APRN specialty.

A licensee with multiple
APRN specialties may satisfy the continuing education requirements for
multiple specialties by completing continuing education toward each
specialty license. In other words, a course that counts toward more than
one specialty license can fulfill multiple license requirements at the
same time.

Florida

2

24 hours of appropriate continuing education every 2
years, including a one-time, 1 hour on HIV/AIDS CE requirement to be
completed prior to the first renewal, 2 hours on Prevention of Medical
Errors, 2 hours of Domestic Violence from a Florida-approved provider to
be completed every 3rd renewal.

National Certification

Georgia

2

None

National certification

Hawaii

2

None

National certification

Idaho

2

None

National certification

Illinois

2

RNs and LPNs are required to complete 20 contact hours every 2 years.

50 contact hours

An APN holding more than 1 APN license is required to complete 50 contact hours total per license renewal period.

Indiana

2

RNs and LPNs attempting to renew a license that has
been expired for more than 3 years AND who are not currently licensed
in another jurisdiction will be required to demonstrate continued
competence to practice. For licensees expired 10 years or less, this
requirement is satisfied upon providing proof of completing 24 contact
hours of continuing education for nurses from an accredited provider of
CE for nurses, 6 contact hours each dealing with the following 4 subject
areas: Assessment, Documentation, Pharmacology, and Legal / Ethics.

Advanced practice nurses with prescriptive
authority must obtain at least 30 hours of continuing education, at
least 8 hours of which must be in pharmacology.

Iowa

3

For renewal of a three year license, the
requirement is 36 contact hours or 3.6 CEUs. For renewal of a license
that has been issued for less than three years, the requirement is 24
contact hours or 2.4 CEUs. A license issued for less than three years is
granted for two years, plus the number of months to the birth month.
Thereafter, the license must be renewed every three years. A licensee
(ARNP, RN, LPN) who regularly examines, attends, counsels or treats
children or adults in Iowa is required to complete training related to
the identification and reporting of child/dependent adult abuse. The
licensee is required to complete at least two hours of training every
five years.

An advanced registered nurse practitioner (ARNP)
holding current certification in his/her specialty is deemed to be in
compliance with Iowa continuing education (CE) requirements. There are
no extra CE credits required for the RN renewal and ARNP registration.
The ARNP is required to meet the CE requirements that are recognized by
the credentialing body that offers certification in the nurse’s
specialty area of practice. Current certification is required to be
maintained.

Kansas

2

30 credits/2 years

Same as for RN; education must be related to the practice specialty.

Kentucky

1

14 contact hours/year OR national certification
(see state site for additional substitutions for CE hours). There are
the following specific requirements: a one time requirement to earn 3
contact hours of approved domestic violence CE within 3 years of initial
licensure; earn 2 hours of mandatory HIV/AIDS CE once every 10 years; a
one time requirement to earn 1.5 contact hours of pediatric abusive
head trauma

14 contact hours/year OR national certification. 5 credits must be in the area of pharmacology

Louisiana

1

5 contact hours/year if employed full time; 10 if employed part time;;15 hours if not employed

Same as for RN

Maine

2

None

An APRN seeking renewal of license(s) to practice
must have completed during the 2-year period a minimum of 75 CEUs in
nursing, medicine, or allied health in the area of practice for which
the individual has been licensed as an APRN.

Maryland

2

None

National certification

Massachusetts

2

15 contact hours/every two years

National certification

Michigan

2

25 contact hours every two years. An applicant for
license renewal shall complete at least one (1) continuing education
contact hour in pain and pain symptom management in each renewal period.

National certification

Minnesota

2

24 contact hours of continuing education during a
24 month period of registration (for RNs).  LPN must participate
in 12 contact hours. The continuing education activity must last at
least one contact hour. A contact hour is 50 minutes. If an activity
lasts more than 50 minutes, fractions of an hour are acceptable.

National certification

Mississippi

2

None

All APRNs must have 40 continuing education units with two of these CEUs related to the prescribing of controlled substances.

Missouri

2

None

National certification

Montana

2

Nurses must complete a minimum of 24 contact hours during the two-year renewal period

40 CEUs every 2 years for APRN, 10 additional CEUs every 2 years for prescriptive authority

Nebraska

2

20 contact hours within the last renewal period, 10
of which was peer reviewed and approved. ANCC accredited Provider
activities are considered peer reviewed.

40 contact hours of continuing education in
appropriate clinical specialty area within the 2 years proceeding the
renewal period. 10 of the 40 contact hours must be in
pharmacotherapeutics.

Nevada

2

30 contact hours of continuing education during the
24 months which immediately precede the nurse’s most recent birthday;
there is a one-time requirement that four of the 30 continuing education
credits must be earned in a bioterrorism course that meets state
requirements.

APNs must meet the CE requirement for RNs.
Additionally, APNs must take an additional 15 CEUs directly related to
their specialties.

New Hampshire

2

30 contact hours in 2 years immediately preceding license application

30 hours for RN licensure, 30 additional hours
specific to the area of advanced practice specialization, 5 of which
must be related to pharmacology. Current certification in specialty will
meet requirements for 30 continuing education hours for RN licensure.

New Jersey

2

30 hours of continuing education. If the licensee
has earned more than the required 30 contact hours during a given
licensing period, the licensee may carry over no more than 15 of such
extra contact hours earned into the next licensing period.

National certification

New Mexico

2

30 hours of approved CE within the 24 months immediately preceding expiration of license

Certified nurse practitioners and clinical nurse
specialist must complete a total of 50 hours of approved CE each
renewal. Thirty contact hours shall meet the requirements for licensure
as an RN and an additional 20 contact hours, 15 of which must be
pharmacology and 5 in the area of practice. APRNs with DEA registration
and prescriptive authority must take 5 pharmacology hours in management
of non-cancer or chronic pain. Certified registered anesthetists must
submit a copy of the recertification card issued by AANA Council on
Recertification for renewal of the CRNA license.

New York

2

3 contact hours in infection control every 4 years;
2 contact hours child abuse (one time requirement for initial
licensure); Both must be from an approved provider.

National certification

North Carolina

2

As part of a continuing competency requirement, all
nurses are expected to select a learning activity that will help you
reach your goal/goals. One option of a learning activity is to complete
thirty (30) contact hours of continuing education activities. Activities
less than 30 minutes will not receive credit.

NP Rule 21 NCAC 36.0807 states
that the nurse practitioner shall earn 50 contact hours of continuing
education each year. At least 20 hours of the required 50 hours must be
those hours for which approval has been granted by the American Nurses
Credentialing Center (ANCC), or the Accreditation Council on Continuing
Medical Education (ACCME), or other national credentialing bodies, or
practice relevant courses in an institution of higher learning.

North Dakota

2

12 contact hours per 24 month renewal period.

If you received your first license in North Dakota by endorsement from
another state in the year you are renewing, you must complete 6 contact
hours for renewal of your nursing license.

National certification. Advanced Practice
Registered Nurse with Prescriptive Authority must complete 15 contact
hours of CE related to pharmacology. These 15 contact hours may fulfill
the RN/APRN renewal contact hour requirements of 12 CE.

Ohio

2

24 hours/2 year renewal period, 1 hour of which must be in Ohio nursing law

National certification and must also meet RN requirements

Oklahoma

2

None

National certification. APNs seeking prescriptive
authority must also submit evidence of 45 contact hours or 3 academic
credits in the area of pharmacotherapeutics every 3 years. Renewing
prescriptive authority: a minimum of 15 contact hours or one academic
credit hour is required for renewal. This continuing education or
academic credit must be directly related to pharmacotherapeutics,
clinical application and use of pharmacological agents in the prevention
of illness, and in the restoration and maintenance of health. If you
are a CRNA, a minimum of eight units of continuing education in advanced
pharmacology relating to the administration of anesthesia

Oregon

2

Seven hours of pain management-related CE. One hour
must be a course to be provided by the Oregon Pain Management
Commission. CE earned on Medscape may be used to meet Oregon’s Pain
Management requirement. An NP or CNS with prescriptive authority must
complete CE at the appropriate level of licensure as noted by a target
audience statement that includes NPs, PAs and/or MDs.

Nurse practitioners: 100 contact hours/2 years. CNS
with prescriptive authority must earn 100 contact hours every two
years. CNS without prescriptive authority must earn 40 contact hours
every two years. For APRNs with prescriptive authority, at least 15
hours of pharmacotherapeutic content must have been earned in the past
two years.

Pennsylvania

2

30 hours of continuing education approved by the
Board during the biennial period immediately preceding the application
for renewal.

30 hours of continuing education in the two years
preceding the renewal. CRNPs with prescriptive authority approval must
complete at least 16 of the 30 hours in the area of pharmacology. For
more detailed information, click here.

Rhode Island

2

10 contact hours/2 year licensing period

National certification

South Carolina

2

30 contact hours per renewal period

National certification plus 45 hours in the area of
pharmacotherapeutics at initial licensure (15 of which must be in
controlled substance pharmacology for NPs wishing to prescribe these
drugs)

South Dakota

2

None

National certification

Tennessee

2

None

National certification and 3 hours in pharmacology.
APNs with certificate of fitness to prescribe must complete a minimum 1
hour in controlled substance prescribing practices.

Texas

2

Nurses must obtain 20 hours of CE credit every 2 years.

All nurses practicing in emergency room settings as either their home
unit, floating, contracted, or other duties that involve functioning in
an ER setting or role must take the Forensic Evidence Collection in
Continuing Education.

20 contact hours every two years. Advance Practice
Nurses (APNs) are required to complete CE within their advanced
specialty area and role recognized by the BON. APNs with limited
prescriptive authority must also complete an additional five contact
hours in pharmacotherapeutics.

Utah

2

No CE requirement if practiced at least 400 hours/2 years; 15 CE required if practiced 200-400 hours; 30 hours if no practice

National certification

Vermont

2

None

National certification

Virginia

2

For any renewals after August 1, 2015, RNs and LPNS
must demonstrate continued competency within the 2 years prior to
renewal by methods including 15 contact hours of continuing education
relevant to practice of nursing and 640 hours of active practice as a
nurse or 30 hours of continuing education relevant to the practice of
nursing.

National certification. If you were licensed as a
Nurse Practitioner PRIOR to May 8, 2002, you must hold current
professional certification OR have completed at least 40 hours of
continuing education in the area of specialty practice If you were
licensed as a Nurse Practitioner AFTER May 8, 2002, you must hold
current professional certification in the area of specialty practice. If
you have prescriptive authority, you must also have eight hours of
continuing education in pharmacology or pharmacotherapeutics for each
biennium.

Washington

3

As of January 1, 2011, RNs must document 531 hours
of active nursing practice within previous 36 month review period; 45
hours of continuing education.

30 hours every two years in area of specialty; additional 15 hours in pharmacotherapeutics if prescriptive authority

West Virginia

1

12 hours every year. The activity must be at least 50 minutes/1 contact hour in length.

National certification

Wisconsin

2

None

National certification. Advanced Practice Nurse
Prescriber: 8 contact hours per year through AANA, ACNM, ANCC, NCBPNPN,
AANP, NCC, and AACN.

Wyoming

2

No CE requirement if worked 500 hours in the past 2 years or 1600 in the past 5 years

If the practice requirement is not met, may renew if 20 hours of CE.

Must meet the RN requirements and (1) National
Certification OR (2) 60 contact hours of CE in practice area and 400
hours of employment.  If Rx authority: 15 contact hours in
pharmacology and clinical management of drug therapy or
pharmacotherapeutics.