Nursing CE Requirements by State
Continuing-education hours are the quiet tax on every nursing license — and they differ by state, by role, and sometimes by whether you prescribe. This table compiles the renewal-cycle CE requirement for RNs, Nurse Practitioners, and LPNs in every state, with the board link to confirm your cycle.
Compiled from published state requirements (last verified 2026-10-27). Confirm on your board’s page before buying any course — boards adjust topics and totals.
CE hours by state and role
Format: total hours per renewal cycle + mandatory topics. “No CE required” means the renewal is hours-free (practice-hour tracks may still apply).
| State | Registered Nurse | Nurse Practitioner | LPN / LVN | Confirm |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 24 hours/2yr (4h Nurse Practice Act once) | 24 hours/2yr (+6h pharmacology for prescribers) | 24 hours/2yr (2h NPA once) | board |
| Alaska | 30h CE OR 320 practice hours OR cert (2yr) | national cert + AK RN rules; prescribers +15h pharmacology | same options as RN | board |
| Arizona | No CE required | national cert + 960 APRN practice hours/5yr; <960 => 45h | No CE required | board |
| Arkansas | 15h CE OR national cert OR academic course (2yr) | 15h incl 5h pharmacotherapeutics or cert | same options as RN | board |
| California | 30h/2yr (1h implicit bias once) | 20h/2yr (+3h Schedule-II for prescribers) | 30h/2yr | board |
| Colorado | No CE required | 2h substance-use prevention/2yr (prescribers) | No CE required | board |
| Connecticut | 2h/6yr PTSD-sui screening | 50h/2yr incl 5h pharmacotherapeutics + topic set | 2h/6yr PTSD-sui screening | board |
| Delaware | 30h/2yr incl 3h substance abuse | maintain AK-RN CE + national cert; AGNP +1h dementia; prescribers +2h | 24h/2yr incl 3h substance abuse | board |
| District of Columbia | 24h/2yr (2h LGBTQ/cultural + 3h public health) | 24h/2yr incl 15h specialty pharmacology | 18h/2yr | board |
| Florida | 24h/2yr: 2h med-error, 2h FL laws, 2h trafficking, 1h HIV (once) | 24h/2yr (same topics + 3h controlled-substance prescribing); autonomous NPs +10h graduate CE | 24h/2yr (same topic set) | board |
| Georgia | 30h/2yr | 30h/2yr (+1h hydrocodone ordering for authorized) | 20h/2yr | board |
| Hawaii | 30h/2yr or listed alternative | 30h incl 8h pharmacology (prescribers) + 22h specialty | 30h/2yr | board |
| Idaho | No CE required | 30h/2yr incl 10h pharmacology (prescribers) | No CE required | board |
| Illinois | 20h/2yr incl 1h sexual-harassment + 1h implicit bias + 1h cultural competency + 1h Alzheimer's | 80h/2yr incl 20h pharmacotherapeutics; 10h safe-opioid | 20h/2yr (same topic set) | board |
| Indiana | No CE required | 30h/2yr incl 8h pharmacology + 2h opioids | No CE required | board |
| Iowa | 36h/3yr (child/adult-abuse reporting for relevant nurses) | 36h/3yr incl 2h CDC-opioids | 36h/3yr | board |
| Kansas | 30h/2yr | 30h/2yr (specialty related) | 30h/2yr | board |
| Kentucky | 14h/yr or 1 of 7 options | 5h pharmacology/yr (maintains cert + RN rule) | 14h/yr | board |
| Louisiana | 30h/2yr or 900 practice hours | 30h/2yr incl 6h pharmacotherapeutics | No CE required | board |
| Maine | No CE required | 50h/2yr incl 30h Category-I; prescribers opioid CE | No CE required | board |
| Maryland | 30h CE/2yr near renewal + implicit-bias/racism (once) | national cert (no CE) | same as RN | board |
| Massachusetts | 15h/2yr incl 1h sexual/domestic violence + Alzheimer's once | 15h/2yr + national cert | 15h/2yr | board |
| Michigan | 25h/2yr incl 2h pain + 1h implicit-bias/yr | 25h/2yr + topics | 25h/2yr | board |
| Minnesota | 24h/2yr | 24h/2yr for RN + national cert | 12h/2yr | board |
| Mississippi | 20h only if >5yr out of practice | 5h controlled substances/2yr | as RN | board |
| Missouri | No CE required | national cert (no CE) | No CE required | board |
| Montana | No CE required | No CE required | No CE required | board |
| Nebraska | 20h/2yr + 500 practice hours | 20h/2yr + cert | 20h/2yr + 500 practice hours | board |
| Nevada | 30h/2yr incl 4h cultural + 4h bioterrorism | 45h/2yr incl 15h specialty + 2h substances + topics | 30h/2yr | board |
| New Hampshire | 30h/2yr | 60h/2yr incl 20h specialty + 5h pharmacology | 30h/2yr | board |
| New Jersey | 30h/2yr incl 1h opioids | 30h/2yr incl 1h opioids | 30h/2yr incl 1h opioids | board |
| New Mexico | 30h/2yr | 50h/2yr incl 10h pharmacology + 10h specialty for non-DEA; DEA: +5h non-cancer pain | 30h/2yr | board |
| New York | infection control + 2h child-abuse/4yr | infection control + cert + 2h child-abuse (once); DEA +3h/3yr | infection control/4yr | board |
| North Carolina | 30h OR 15h+640 practice OR cert OR options | 50h incl 20h specialty OR cert; prescribers +1h controlled substances | same options as RN | board |
| North Dakota | 12h/2yr + 400 practice hours | 12h/2yr; prescribers +15h pharmacotherapy | 12h/2yr + 400 practice hours | board |
| Ohio | 24h/2yr incl 1h Nurse Practice Act | 24h incl 12h advanced pharmacology per APRN | 24h/2yr incl 1h NPA | board |
| Oklahoma | 520 practice hours OR 24h CE OR cert OR 6 academic hours | RN requirements; prescribers +15h pharmacotherapeutics | same options | board |
| Oregon | 1h pain + 2h cultural + 3h suicide + practice track | RN track + cert; 400 APRN hours | 1h pain + 2h cultural + 3h suicide + practice track | board |
| Pennsylvania | 30h/2yr incl 2h child-abuse | 30h incl 2h child-abuse; prescribers +2h opioids | 2h child-abuse/2yr | board |
| Rhode Island | 10h/2yr incl 2h substance-abuse + 1h Alzheimer's | 10h/2yr + DEA: +8h opioids | 10h/2yr | board |
| South Carolina | 30h OR cert OR academic OR employer certification | cert + renewal options; prescribers pharmacotherapeutics | same options | board |
| South Dakota | No CE required | cert + practice-hour options | No CE required | board |
| Tennessee | 2 of 14 TN competency requirements/2yr | cert + 1 competency; cert-of-fitness + controlled substances | 2 of 14 competency reqs/2yr | board |
| Texas | 20h/2yr incl 2h jurisprudence-ethics + trafficking if direct care; geriatric/forensic by setting | 20h specialty or cert; +jurisprudence; prescribers +5h pharmacotherapeutics; controlled-substance +4h | 20h/2yr (same topic set as RN) | board |
| Utah | 30hCE OR 400 practice hours OR 200h+15h; suicide prevention | national cert; prescribers pharmacology | as RN | board |
| Vermont | 20h OR cert OR practice-hour tracks (2yr) | RN track + cert | as RN | board |
| Virginia | 15h + 640 practice OR 30h OR cert OR tracks | cert (post-5-8-22); pre: +40h specialty | same options | board |
| Washington | 8h CE/yr incl 2h health-equity (from 2026) + 96 practice hours | 30h/2yr; prescribers +15h pharmacology | 8h/yr + 96 practice hours | board |
| West Virginia | 12h/2yr + 3h safe-prescribing once | 24h incl 12h pharmacotherapeutics + 12h clinical; topics set | 400 practice hours + 24h incl topics | board |
| Wisconsin | No CE required | 16h pharmacology or therapeutics/2yr incl 2h controlled | No CE required | board |
| Wyoming | 400 practice hours OR 200h + 15h OR 30h CE (2yr) | cert OR 60h specialty + 400 practice hours | as RN | board |
How Nurses actually finish CE cheaply
- Start the day after you renew. 24–30 hours spread over two years is easy; 24 hours in renewal month is a paid panic.
- Free first, paid to fill gaps. CDC TRAIN, Medscape, and employer in-services (certificate required) cover a surprising share of hours before you pay for anything.
- Match mandatory topics to a bundle. One state bundle covering that cycle’s mandated topics beats buying single-topic courses.
- CE Broker states: pick auto-reporting providers. Saves manual certificate filing at renewal.
We’re auditing CE providers for an honest, accredited shortlist — no links until that check passes.
Planning a state move? Your new state’s CE clock starts with its first renewal — see the practice checker and the NLC fee table.