How to Renew Your LPN License by State

Licensed Practice Nurse (LPN) or Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) license renewal differs from state to state. Whether you are taking your LVN certification online or in-person, and no matter where you live, you want to stay on top of your licensing requirements whenever you can. That is why we have gathered a list of LVN license renewal requirements by state as of 2022. Keep in mind that these are always subject to change. For more detailed information, refer to the official State Board of Nursing websites linked in the states below. 

Alabama: 24 Continuing Education (CE) contact hours from a state-approved provider. This can include 12 hours of independent study through your Continuing Education Units (CEUs). Must be fulfilled every two years. 

Alaska: Nurses must complete two of the following: 320 hours of nursing employment, 60 hours of unpaid professional nursing or 30 CE contact hours from a state-approved provider. Must be fulfilled every November 30th, in even years only. 

Arizona: Nurses must complete one of the following: 960 hours of nursing practice in the last 5 years, completion of a board-accredited refresher course, graduation from a nursing program in the last 5 years or obtaining an advanced practice nursing degree over the last 5 years. Requirements must be fulfilled every 4 years. 

Arkansas: Every two years, nurses must complete one of the following: 

• 15 contact hours from accredited activities with an emphasis on practice
• Completion of a nursing-related academic course
• Nationally-recognized certification/recertification

California: 30 CE contact hours from a state-approved provider. LVN license renewal in California must be fulfilled every two years.

Colorado: Renew every two years. There are no additional requirements. 

Connecticut: Renew every year. There are no additional requirements.

Delaware: Every two years, LVNs must complete 24 CE contact hours from a state-approved provider.

District of Columbia: Every two years, nurses can complete one of the following: 

• Completion of graduate or undergraduate courses relevant to nursing practice.
• 15 CE contact hours from a state-approved provider
• Developing or carrying out CE courses or an educational course approved by the State Board of Nursing or a Board-affiliated body. 
• Writing or co-writing a peer-reviewed published nursing writing. This can be a book, article, periodical or book chapter.

Florida: Every two years, LVNs have to finish 24 CE contact hours from a state-approved provider, which includes 2 hours on prevention of medical errors. Applicants must complete a one time, 1 hour AIDS/HIV course before their first renewal and a 2 contact hour domestic violence lesson every third renewal. At least 1 contact hour must be finished, each month of the renewal period.  

Georgia:  Every two years, LVNs must finish 30 CE contact hours from a state-approved provider. Georgia’s other renewal requirements are listed on the official website.

Hawaii:  Every two years, nurses must fulfill  one of the following: 

• Completing a state-approved refresher course.
• 30 CE contact hours from a state-approved provider
• At least two semester credits of post-licensure lessons related to nursing practice. Must come from an accredited school of nursing. 

Idaho: Every two years, nurses must fulfill two of the following:

• Certification for your current nursing specialization or at least 100 hours of practice/simulated practice. 
• Either acknowledgement as a contributor to a published article connected to nursing, or participating in related professional activities. 
• Either 15 CE contact hours from a state-approved provider, at least 1 semester credit of post-licensure education, teaching/developing nursing-related instructional courses, or participation/presentation of a conference/seminar/workshop.

These requirements must be submitted every two years. 

Illinois: Every two years, LVNs must complete 20 CE contact hours from a state-approved provider. 1 contact hour should cover sexual harassment and how to handle it as a nurse. 

Indiana: Renew every two years. There are no additional requirements

Iowa: Nurses must complete 36 CE contact hours from a state-approved provider, 2 of which are devoted to child abuse training. LVNs licensed for less than 3 years only need to complete 24 contact hours. Requirements must be completed every 3 years. 

Kansas: Nurses must complete 30 CE contact hours from a state-approved provider every 2 years. LVNs can do as much independent study as they please, to meet the CE quota. 

Kentucky: Nurses must complete 14 CE contact hours from a state-approved provider, within two years. The Kentucky Board of Nursing’s official site also lists alternative requirements. 

Louisiana: Full time nurses must fulfill 5 CEUs from a state-approved provider, part-time nurses need to finish 10 while inactive nurses have to do 15. LPN license renewal in Louisiana takes place every year. 

Maine: Renew every two years on your birthday. There are no additional requirements.

Maryland: Every two years, LPNs have to complete one of the following:

• A refresher course approved by the State Board of Nursing within the last 5 years
• 1000 practice-related hours within the last 5 years 
• 30 CE contact hours from a state-approved provider within the last 2 years. 

Massachusetts: 15 CE contact hours from a state-approved provider. Must be fulfilled every two years, on odd years and on the nurse’s birthday. 

Michigan: Nurses must complete 25 CE contact hours from a state-approved provider every 2 years.

Minnesota: Nurses must complete 12 CE contact hours from a state-approved provider every 2 years to fulfill LVN license renewal requirements.

Mississippi: Nurses must complete 20 CE contact hours from a state-approved provider every 2 years every odd year, between October 1 and December 31.

Missouri:  Renew every two years, before March 30 on even years. There are no additional requirements

Montana: Nurses must complete 24 CE contact hours from a state-approved provider every 2 years, before December 31 in even years

Nebraska: Renewal requirements are waived in your first two years as a licensed LPN. Otherwise, you must fulfill one of the following: 

• 20 CE contact hours from a state-approved provider within the last two years and 500 combined practice hours across the last five years.  
• Current/new certification for your nursing specialization
• Completing a refresher course approved by the State Board of Nursing over the last five years
• Graduated two to five years ago and 20 CE contact hours from a state-approved provider.
• Portfolio outlining professional goals and proof of professional activity completed to meet said goals. 

Requirements must be submitted for renewal on October 31, in odd years. 

Nevada: Nurses must complete 30 CE contact hours from a state-approved provider, which includes a 2 hour cultural competency course. LPNs must also finish a one time 4 hour bioterrorism class. Requirements must be met every two years. 

New Hampshire: Nurses must complete 30 CE contact hours from a state-approved provider, every year. 

New Jersey: 30 CE contact hours from a state-approved provider. You will also be asked to take a 1 hour course on tissue organ donation. LPN license renewal in NJ must be fulfilled every two years. 

New Mexico: LPNs must complete 30 CE contact hours from a state-approved provider, every two years.

New York: RNs have to complete 3 CE contact hours from an accredited provider. LPN license renewal in NY must be accomplished every 4 years. 

North Carolina: Nurses must submit one of the following: 

• 30 CE contact hours from a state-approved provider
• Completing a refresher course approved by the State Board of Nursing
• At least 2 credit hours of post-licensure lessons related to nursing practice
• 15 CE contact hours from a state-approved provider, along with one of the following
  • Writing or co-writing a peer-reviewed published nursing writing. This can be a book, article or book chapter
  • Completing a research project as principal/co-principal investigator or director. Must include statement of problem, objectives, a summary of findings, completion date and methods 
  • 5 contact hours of developing and carrying out nursing education presentations. Syllabus, program brochure, goals, time/place of presentation and number of attendants must be included.
  • 640 hours of nursing practice over the last two years

Requirements must be submitted every two years. 

North Dakota: Nurses must complete 12 CE contact hours from a state-approved provider. Additional requirements can be found on the site. The renewal period is every year. 

Ohio: 24 CE contact hours from a state-approved provider every two years. For LPN license renewal in Ohio, 1 contact hour must be dedicated to Ohio nursing law. 

Oklahoma: Every two years, nurses can complete one of two requirements:

• 520 annual employed practice hours
• Current certification in nursing speciality
• Completion of a board-approved refresher course
• 24 CE contact hours from a state-approved provider, every two years
• 6 credits of academic coursework at your current licensure level or higher

Oregon: Nurses must complete a one time 7 CE contact hour course on pain management. One of these hours must be the Oregon Pain Management Commission module. New renewals will require 2 CE contact hours on cultural competence. Your regular renewal requirements last two years and can be one of the following:

• 400 practice hours
• 20 CE contact hours if you accrued less than 600 practice hours in the past 3 years.
• 30 CE contact hours if you accrued less than 800 practice hours in the past 4 years.
• Practice re-entry if you accrued less than 960 practice hours in the past 4 years.

Pennsylvania: For LPN license renewal in PA, 2 contact hours must be spent on a DPW-approved course on child abuse recognition and reporting requirements on every renewal.

Rhode Island: 10 CE contact hours from a state-approved provider. 3 contact hours must be spent on substance abuse education. Must be fulfilled every two years.

South Carolina: Every two years, nurses must fulfill must fulfill one of the following:

• Number of practice hours + certification of competency from employer.
• Nationally-recognized certification/recertification.
• 30 CE contact hours from a state-approved provider.
• Finishing a nursing-related academic program

South Dakota: Every two years, nurses must fulfill must fulfill one of the following:

• 140 practice hours over a 12 month period, within the last 6 years.
• 480 total practice hours over the last 6 years
• Completion of a board-accredited refresher course

Tennessee: LPN renewal requires submission of proof of practice every two years.

Texas: To maintain your LVN license in Texas, you must fulfill 20 CE contact hours from a state-approved provider. Must be fulfilled every two years. Additionally, LVN license renewal in Texas includes a one time, 2 contact hour course on bioterrorism.

Utah: Nurses must complete one of the following: 

• 400 practice hours or 15 CE contact hours
• 200 practice hours and 30 CE contact hours. 

Requirements must be fulfilled every two years. 

Vermont: Every two years, nurses must complete one of the following:

• Completion of re-entry program within the last 5 years 
• 400 practice hours accrued within the last 2 years
• 960 practice hours accrued within the last 5 years

Virginia: Every two years, nurses must complete one of the following:

• 640 nursing practice hours and 15 CE contact hours of workshops, seminars, courses relevant to nursing practice and conferences.
• 30 CE contact hours of workshops, seminars, courses relevant to nursing practice and conferences.
• Completion of a board-accredited refresher course
• Teaching 30 contact hours of nursing-related CE lessons
• Finishing an evidence-based practice project or research study related to nursing. 
• Certification for your nursing specialization from a nationally-recognized organization.
• Teaching a minimum of 3 semester hours of speciality certification or college credit. 
• At least 3 credit hours of post-licensure lessons related to nursing practice
• Writing or co-writing a published piece within the renewal period. 

Washington: Every 3 years, nurses must complete 45 CE contact hours from a state-approved provider and 531 nursing practice hours.

West Virginia: Every even year, nurses must complete 24 CE contact hours from a state-approved provider and 400 LPN practice hours. There is also a one time, 2 CE Contact hour course that will cover end-of-life care. 

Wisconsin: Every two years, LVNs must reply for LVN license renewal. There are no additional requirements. 

Wyoming: Every two years, LVNs have to submit one of the following requirements: 

• 20 CE contact hours from a state-approved provider completed within the last 2 years
• 500 practice hours accrued within the last 2 years
• 1,600 practice hours accrued within the last 5 years
• Completion of a reentry program or a refresher course approved by the State Board of Nursing within the last 5 years.