To keep their licenses active, nurses are typically required to renew them once in a while. Because states have their own nursing laws, there is no set of universal renewal guidelines. The requirements you will be asked to submit will depend entirely on the state you live or work in. To make life easier for you, we have compiled a list of RN 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, on even years. The only exception is if you applied between August 31 and December 31.
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: Nurses must complete one of the following: 15 contact hours from accredited activities with an emphasis on practice, one college credit hour in nursing with at least a grade of C or better, or a nationally-recognized certification/recertification. This must be fulfilled every two years. If you are born in an odd-numbered year, you renew in even years and vice-versa.
California: To renew an RN license in California, you must fulfill 30 CE contact hours from a state-approved provider. If you are unsure of your license’s status, the state offers online RN license verification for CA nurses. RN license verification in California can be found here.
RN license renewal in California must be fulfilled every two years on your birthday.
Colorado: Renew every two years by September 30. There are no additional requirements.
Connecticut: Renew every year, on the first day of a nurse’s birth month. There are no additional requirements.
District of Columbia: Every two years, RNs must complete 30 CE contact hours from a state-approved provider. 3 hours are devoted to HIV/Aids while 2 will concern cultural sensitivity training for handling patients who identify as LGBTQ+.
Delaware: You must fulfill one of the following requirements for renewal: 1,000 practice hours over the last 5 years, 400 practice hours over 2 years, or a refresher course within the past 2 years AND 30 CE contact hours from a state-approved provider (which includes 3 on substance abuse.) Nurses have to meet these requirements every two years in odd-numbered years. Depending on when they got their certification, they must submit them on either February 28, September 30 or May 31.
Florida: 24 CE contact hours from a state-approved provider, which includes 2 hours on Florida’s nursing laws and 2 hours on human trafficking. RN license renewal in Florida is fulfilled every two years. This is waived for the first two years of first-time licensees who passed the exam.
Georgia: RNs must finish 30 CE contact hours from a state-approved provider. Georgia’s other renewal requirements are extensive and listed on the official website. Depending on when you got certified, you will have to renew your license in every even or odd numbered year. No matter what, you have to meet your requirements every two years.
Hawaii: Nurses must fulfill one of the following:
Regardless of what you choose, your requirements must be fulfilled every June 30th in odd years.
Idaho: Nurses are expected to complete the following:
These requirements must be submitted every two years on August 31.
Illinois: 20 CE contact hours from a state-approved provider. Must be fulfilled every even year on May 21. Interestingly, fees for rn license renewal have been reduced to $0.
Indiana: Renew every two years on odd years, on October 31. There are no additional requirements for RN license renewal in Indiana.
Iowa: Nurses must complete 36 CE contact hours from a state-approved provider, 2 of which are devoted to child abuse training. RNs 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. RNs can do as much independent study as they please, to meet the CE quota.
Kentucky: Nurses must complete one of the following, every year (this requirement is waived for your first renewal:)
RNs must renew their license every year, on October 31.
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. RNs have to renew every year, on a date between October 31 and January 31.
Maine: Renew every two years on your birthday. There are no additional requirements.
Maryland: Every two years, RNs have to complete one of the following:
Massachusetts: 15 CE contact hours from a state-approved provider. Must be fulfilled every two years, on even years and on the nurse’s birthday. RN license renewal in Massachusetts is waived for the first two years of first-time licensees who passed the exam.
Michigan: Nurses must complete 25 CE contact hours from a state-approved provider every 2 years.
Minnesota: Nurses must complete 24 CE contact hours from a state-approved provider every 2 years.
Mississippi: Nurses must complete 20 CE contact hours from a state-approved provider every even 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 RN. Otherwise, you must fulfill one of the following:
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. RNs 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. RNs will also be asked to take a 1 hour course on tissue organ donation. RN license renewal in NJ must be fulfilled every two years.
New Mexico: Nurses must complete 30 CE contact hours from a state-approved provider, every two years.
New York: RNs have to complete 2 CEUs on child abuse recognition and 3 CEUs on infection control. While the latter has to be fulfilled every 4 years, the license renewal period is every three years.
North Carolina: Nurses must submit one of the following:
Requirements must be submitted every two years.
North Dakota: Nurses must complete 12 CE contact hours from a state-approved provider and 400 practice hours. 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 RN 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:
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:
Pennsylvania: 30 CE contact hours from a state-approved provider. For RN license renewal in PA, 3 contact hours must be spent on a DPW-approved course on child abuse recognition and reporting requirements. Must be fulfilled every two years in April or October.
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:
South Dakota: Every two years, nurses must fulfill must fulfill one of the following:
Tennessee: RN license renewal in TN requires submission of proof of practice every two years. This must be accomplished on the final day of a nurse’s birth month.
Texas: 20 CE contact hours from a state-approved provider. Must be fulfilled every two years. Additionally, RN license renewal in Texas includes a one time, 2 contact hour course on bioterrorism.
Utah: Nurses must complete one of the following:
. Requirements must be fulfilled every two years.
Vermont: Every two years, nurses must complete one of the following:
Virginia: Every two years, nurses must complete one of the following:
Washington: Every 3 years, nurses must complete 45 CE contact hours from a state-approved provider and 531 nursing practice hours.
West Virginia: Every year on October 31, nurses must complete 12CE contact hours from a state-approved provider. Two hours will be spent on mental health while one will be devoted to drug diversion training and best practices for prescribing controlled substances.
Wisconsin: On the last day of February in even years, nurses have to apply for renewal. There are no additional requirements.
Wyoming: Every two years, RNs have to submit one of the following requirements:
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