Nursing Continuing Education Requirements by State: RN and LPN Hours and Required Topics

Thirteen states require no continuing education hours to renew an RN license, and the rest split into two groups. In 24 jurisdictions you need a set number of CE hours, from 8 a year in Washington to 36 every three years in Iowa, with 20 to 30 hours every two years the most common. In the other 14, CE is one of several ways to show competence, and practice hours, a national certification or a course can count instead. On top of the hours, 21 jurisdictions require specific topics, such as human trafficking, implicit bias, suicide prevention or abuse reporting.

This article goes through every state and DC for registered nurses and licensed practical or vocational nurses: the hours, the renewal cycle, the required topics, and the exact words of the rule each one comes from, with a link to the official source. Advanced practice registered nurses have their own, separate CE rules, which this article leaves out. I'm an occupational therapist, not a nurse, so I've stuck to what the rules say.

This isn't legal advice. I checked every rule on November 9, 2026, on the state's own legislature, code or board site. Your board's current rule is the one that counts.

The Short Answer

• No CE hours for RNs in 13 states: Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Indiana, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New York, Oregon, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Some still require practice hours (Arizona, South Dakota) or specific trainings (Connecticut, New York, Oregon).
• A set number of CE hours in 24 jurisdictions. Two years is the usual period and 20 to 30 hours the usual range. Seven of them let a national certification stand in for the hours.
• CE as one option among others in 14 states: Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana (RNs), Maryland, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia and Wyoming. Practice hours, certification or a course can satisfy the rule.
• Practice hours on top of CE in 4: Delaware, Nebraska, North Dakota and Washington.
• Required topics in 21 jurisdictions. Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan and Texas have the longest lists.
• LPNs mostly follow the RN rule. Five jurisdictions set different hours for LPNs, and Louisiana and Pennsylvania require no general CE hours for them.
• Most licenses renew every two years. Connecticut, Kentucky and Washington renew every year, Iowa and New York every three years, and Arizona every four.

Every State at a Glance

No CE required means the practice act and board rules set no CE hours for renewal. Same in the LPN/LVN column means the RN rule covers LPNs too. Each citation links to the official text I read, and the quote next to it is from that text.

The States With No CE Hours

Thirteen states set no CE hours for RN renewal. Several of them ask for something else.

• Arizona: practice hours, renewed every four years. To renew you need a post-licensure nursing program or practice "at the applicable level of licensure for a minimum of 960 hours in the five years before the date on which the application is received." Without that, you must complete "a Board-approved refresher or competency program." (A.A.C. R4-19-312 (opens in a new tab))
• Colorado. The legislature lets the board require CE but it hasn't: "the board is authorized to require no more than twenty hours of continuing education every two years as a condition of renewal of licenses." The board's rules use CE only for nurses coming back after two or more years with an inactive or expired license. (C.R.S. § 12-255-129 (opens in a new tab))
• Connecticut: one topic. No general hours, but RNs and LPNs actively practicing in the state "shall, during the first renewal period and not less than once every six years thereafter, earn not less than two contact hours of training or education on (1) screening for conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder, risk of suicide, depression and grief, and (2) suicide prevention training." (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 20-94e(b) (opens in a new tab))
• Idaho. The statute sets only the cycle: "No license shall be valid unless renewed each and every two (2) years on the renewal dates fixed by the board." The board's rules set fees and the August 31 deadline, and say nothing about CE. (Idaho Code § 54-1411 (opens in a new tab))
• Indiana. The nursing chapter of the Indiana Code sets CE only for APRN prescriptive authority and forensic nurses. For RNs it sets the date: a license "expires on October 31 in each odd-numbered year." (IC 25-23-1-16.1 (opens in a new tab))
• Maine. "The license of every registered nurse licensed under this chapter is renewable every 2 years, except as otherwise provided," with the same wording for practical nurses, and no CE in the act or the board's rules. (32 M.R.S. § 2206 (opens in a new tab))
• Mississippi: only if you've been away. CE comes in only for a nurse who "has not practiced nursing for compensation or performed the function of a RN or LPN in a voluntary capacity with or without compensation within the five (5) year period immediately prior to such application." One way to show competence then is "Completion of twenty contact hours of continuing education directly related to nursing practice within the two (2) year period immediately prior to such application for renewal or reinstatement of the nursing license." (Rule 4.7 (opens in a new tab))
• Missouri. The act says only that "The license of every person licensed under the provisions of this chapter shall be renewed as provided," and the board's rules set CE for APRNs only. (RSMo § 335.056 (opens in a new tab))
• Montana: repealed. Until late 2023, Montana required 24 contact hours every two years for RNs and LPNs. The rule's history now ends "REP, 2023 MAR p. 1611, Eff. 11/18/23," and the board's whole Renewals and Continuing Education subchapter is repealed. (ARM 24.159.2102 (opens in a new tab))
• New York: two trainings. Every RN and LPN "shall, on or before July first, nineteen hundred ninety-four and every four years thereafter, complete course work or training appropriate to the professional's practice approved by the department regarding infection control, which shall include sepsis." (N.Y. Educ. Law § 6505-b (opens in a new tab)) RNs also need, once, "two hours of coursework or training regarding the identification and reporting of child abuse and maltreatment." (NYSED (opens in a new tab), board statement)
• Oregon: no hours until 2028. See the changes section below.
• South Dakota: practice hours. RNs and LPNs "must be employed in nursing for a minimum of 140 hours in any 12-month period over the preceding 6 years to be eligible for active status licensure." Otherwise you can show "employment in nursing of at least 480 hours accumulated during the preceding 6 years" or finish a refresher course. The state's CE chapter was repealed in 1980. (ARSD 20:48:03:16 (opens in a new tab))
• Wisconsin. Chapter 441 requires CE only of APRNs: "at least 16 contact hours per biennium in clinical pharmacology or therapeutics." RNs and LPNs renew on a fixed date with no CE. (Wis. Stat. ch. 441 (opens in a new tab))

Where Practice Hours Count

In four states, practice hours sit on top of the CE:

• Delaware. Besides the CE, you must "Have practiced a minimum of 1,000 hours of nursing practice within the previous 5 years or a minimum of 400 hours of nursing practice within the past 2 years." (24 Del. Admin. Code 1900-6.6 (opens in a new tab))
• Nebraska. The usual route is to have "Practiced nursing for a minimum of 500 hours within the last 5 years and have completed 20 contact hours of nursing continuing education from an approved provider within the last 2 years." Recent graduates, a refresher course, a specialty certification or a portfolio are the other ways. (172 NAC 101-005.01 (opens in a new tab))
• North Dakota. "Nursing practice for purposes of renewal must meet or exceed four hundred hours within the preceding four years," on top of the 12 CE hours. (N.D. Admin. Code 54-02-05-05.1 (opens in a new tab))
• Washington. Every year: "A minimum of 96 hours of active nursing practice; and (b) A minimum of eight hours of continuing nursing education of which at least two hours must be on health equity training." (WAC 246-840-220 (opens in a new tab))

In the option states, enough practice hours can replace CE entirely. A few of the clearest:

• Louisiana (RNs): "a minimum of 900 practice hours during the two-year licensure period as verified by the employer on a form provided by the board," instead of 30 CE hours. (§ 3335.C (opens in a new tab))
• Maryland: "1,000 hours of active nursing practice within the 5 years immediately preceding the date of the renewal application," or a recent nursing degree, or 30 CE units in two years. (COMAR 10.27.01.13G (opens in a new tab))
• Oklahoma: "Verify employment in a position that requires a nursing license at the highest level of licensure with verification of at least 520 work hours," within the past two years. (OAC 485:10-7-3(d) (opens in a new tab))
• Vermont: "Have practiced for a minimum of 50 days (400 hours) in the two years preceding application or 120 days (960 hours) in the five years preceding application." (Rule 4-8(a) (opens in a new tab))
• Wyoming: "Four hundred (400) hours of active nursing practice" in the past two years, or 40 CE hours, a refresher, NCLEX or a higher degree. (Ch. 2, § 14(d) (opens in a new tab))
• Alaska, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Utah and Virginia also count work hours, usually with less CE alongside. North Carolina and Virginia, for example, accept "15 contact hours of a continuing education activity related to the nurse's practice and 640 hours of active practice within the previous two years." (21 NCAC 36 .0232(b)(8) (opens in a new tab))
• Tennessee asks for none of it in particular. Nurses keep a personal file with "at least two (2) of the items below," and the list includes "A satisfactory employer evaluation" and "A written self-evaluation based on the standards of your profession," as well as 10 CE hours. (Rule 1000-01-.18(2) (opens in a new tab))

Required Topics, State by State

Topic hours usually count toward the total, and many apply only once or only to nurses in certain settings. The rule or statute is quoted with each.

• Florida has the longest standing list. The rule requires "(a) A two hour course in prevention of medical errors each biennium; (b) A one hour course in HIV/AIDS in the first biennium only; (c) A two hour course in Florida laws and rules each biennium; (d) A two hour course in recognizing impairment in the workplace every other biennium thereafter; (e) For biennial renewal on or after January 1, 2019, a two hour course on human trafficking, and each biennium thereafter; (f) A course in domestic violence every third biennium." (r. 64B9-5.002 (opens in a new tab)) Three of these come from statutes: medical errors (§ 456.013(7) (opens in a new tab): "a 2-hour course relating to prevention of medical errors"), human trafficking (§ 464.013(3)(c) (opens in a new tab)) and domestic violence (§ 456.031 (opens in a new tab): "as part of every third biennial relicensure or recertification").
• Illinois adds four from professions-wide laws. Implicit bias: "at least a one-hour course in training on implicit bias awareness per renewal period." (20 ILCS 2105/2105-15.7 (opens in a new tab)) Dementia, for nurses who see patients 26 or older: "at least a one-hour course in training on the diagnosis, treatment, and care of individuals with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias per renewal period." (2105-365 (opens in a new tab)) Sexual harassment prevention training "prior to a licensee's renewal of his or her license." (2105-15.5 (opens in a new tab)) And nurses who work with children "must complete mandated reporter training at least every 6 years." (325 ILCS 5/4 (opens in a new tab))
• Kentucky has four one-time topics: "(a) A minimum of one and one-half (1.5) contact hours in pediatric abusive head trauma as required by KRS 314.073(6); (b) A minimum of three (3) contact hours on domestic violence and elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation as required by KRS 194A.540(9)(d); (c) A minimum of one (1) contact hour on Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia as required by KRS 314.073(7); and (d) A minimum of two (2) contact hours on the subject of suicide prevention." Nurses licensed before July 15, 2024 have until October 31, 2027 for the dementia hour, and newer licensees have three years. (201 KAR 20:215 § 5 (opens in a new tab))
• Michigan. Each renewal, "not less than 2 hours of the 25 required hours, of continuing education in pain and pain symptom management." (R 338.10601 (opens in a new tab)) Implicit bias: "a minimum of 1 hour of implicit bias training for each year of the applicant’s license or registration cycle." (R 338.7004 (opens in a new tab)) And, once, training "in identifying victims of human trafficking." (R 338.10105 (opens in a new tab))
• Texas. A nurse "who provides direct patient care must complete a human trafficking prevention course approved by the Health and Human Services Commission." Every nurse needs "at least two contact hours of CNE relating to nursing jurisprudence and nursing ethics before the end of every third two-year licensing period," and a nurse "whose practice includes older adult or geriatric populations" needs two hours on that every period. (22 TAC § 216.3 (opens in a new tab)) The statutes behind them are Occupations Code §§ 301.305, 301.307 and 301.308. (Tex. Occ. Code ch. 301 (opens in a new tab))
• District of Columbia. RNs need "Two (2) hours shall be in cultural competency or specialized clinical training focusing on patients or clients who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer," and "Ten percent (10%) of the total shall be in subjects determined by the Director as public health priorities of the District." (17 DCMR § 5406.1 (opens in a new tab)) The LGBTQ credits come from a statute that covers "the practice of any health occupation," LPNs included. (D.C. Code § 3-1205.10(b)(5) (opens in a new tab)) That statute also still lists "The practice of practical nursing" for 3 credits on HIV and AIDS. The RN rule waives that requirement for RNs, and I found no matching waiver in the LPN chapter, so DC LPNs should ask the board.
• Nevada. Every nurse needs "at least 4 hours of instruction relating to cultural competency and diversity, equity and inclusion to be completed biennially," and, within two years of first licensure, a course on "the medical consequences of an act of terrorism that involves the use of a weapon of mass destruction" of at least 4 hours. Nurses in emergency or primary care also need 2 hours on HIV stigma and bias. (NRS 632.343 (opens in a new tab))
• Delaware. Of the 30 or 24 hours, "At least 3 of these contact hours must be in the area of substance abuse, and at least one hour on the recognition of and response to suspected or known sexual abuse, physical abuse, exploitation, trafficking, or domestic violence of vulnerable persons." (1900-9.2.1.1 (opens in a new tab)) The second came from a statute effective with renewals on or after October 1, 2025. (24 Del. C. § 1906(a)(18) (opens in a new tab))
• Pennsylvania. RNs: "At least 2 of the 30 hours shall be completed in approved continuing education in child abuse recognition and reporting requirements." (§ 21.131(a) (opens in a new tab)) LPNs, who have no general hours, "shall complete at least 2 hours of approved training in child abuse recognition and reporting." (§ 21.156(b.1) (opens in a new tab)) New in 2026 for RNs: 2 hours on organ and tissue donation, once within five years (see the changes below).
• Iowa. A licensee who regularly treats children must report on the renewal application "completion of training in child abuse identification and reporting," taken in the previous three years, and one who regularly treats adults must report the same for dependent adult abuse. (481 IAC 617.8 (opens in a new tab)) The statute: "The person shall complete the core training curriculum relating to the identification and reporting of child abuse every three years." (Iowa Code § 232.69 (opens in a new tab))
• Washington. "Nurses must complete a minimum of two hours of health equity continuing education every year upon license renewal," and those hours count toward the eight. (WAC 246-840-222 (opens in a new tab)) RNs and LPNs also "must complete a one-time, six-hour training in suicide assessment, treatment, and management from a qualified suicide prevention training program. The training must be completed by the end of the first full year of licensure." (WAC 246-840-220 (opens in a new tab)) The statute behind the health equity rule sets a floor of "at least once every four years," and the board chose every year. (RCW 43.70.613 (opens in a new tab))
• New Jersey. The 30 hours must "include at least one hour in topics concerning prescription opioid drugs, including alternatives to opioids for managing and treating pain and the risks and signs of opioid abuse, addiction, and diversion." (N.J.A.C. 13:37-5.3(b) (opens in a new tab)) The consolidated code is on a commercial site, so this is the 2021 adoption notice that added the hour; the board readopted the chapter without change in 2024. (56 N.J.R. 2195(b) (opens in a new tab))
• West Virginia. RNs and LPNs "shall complete drug diversion training, best-practice prescribing of controlled substances training, and training on prescribing and administering an opioid antagonist if that person prescribes, administers, or dispenses a controlled substance," within a year of first licensure. (W. Va. Code § 30-1-7a (opens in a new tab)) The RN board's CE rule doesn't mention this. My reading is that the word administers reaches most bedside and home health nurses who give controlled substances, so check with your board if that's you.
• Massachusetts. The board must set standards "that require training and education on the issue of domestic violence and sexual violence" for licensure and renewal. (M.G.L. c. 112, § 264 (opens in a new tab))
• California. New RNs are exempt from CE for the first two years, "except that, beginning January 1, 2023, those licensees shall complete one hour of direct participation in an implicit bias course." (Bus. & Prof. Code § 2811.5(h) (opens in a new tab))
• Ohio. Of the 24 hours, "at least one of the required hours needs to be in category A continuing education," which covers Ohio nursing law and rules. (Ohio Adm.Code 4723-14-03 (opens in a new tab))
• Alabama. On your first renewal you must take "four contact hours of Board-provided continuing education related to statutory and administrative frameworks for nursing regulation, scope of practice, and standards of practice." (r. 610-X-4-.08 (opens in a new tab))
• Utah. The Division's renewal page says you must have "completed at least ONE of the following online suicide prevention trainings (these qualify for CE credit)." (DOPL (opens in a new tab), board statement)
• Connecticut, New York and Oregon require topic training without general hours. They're covered in the no-CE section above and the changes section below.

Recent and Coming Changes

• Oregon dropped practice hours and adds CE in 2028. The board says: "As of January 1, 2026, practice hours will no longer be required for Oregon licensed nurses." (OSBN fact sheet (opens in a new tab), board statement) The rule now requires "a one-hour pain management education program developed by the Oregon Pain Management Commission or through a Board approved nursing education program at initial or endorsement licensure and every 36 months thereafter" and "two hours of cultural competency continuing education (CE) every other renewal cycle." Then: "Starting January 1, 2028, all renewal applicants must complete the required CE hours for their license type before submitting their renewal application: (a) LPN or RN applicants, 20 hours within the prior two years." (OAR 851-031-0008 (opens in a new tab)) The pain course comes from a statute that covers "A nurse licensed under ORS chapter 678." (ORS 413.590 (opens in a new tab))
• Montana repealed its CE rule effective November 18, 2023 (above).
• Pennsylvania added organ donation for RNs. "Effective May 1, 2026, a registered nurse who obtained a license prior to May 1, 2026, shall verify completion of at least 2 of the 30 hours in Board-approved continuing education in organ and tissue donation and recovery process." It's a one-time requirement within five years. (§ 21.131(a.1) (opens in a new tab))
• New York's updated child abuse course is due this month. NYSED says mandated reporters, "including those who have previously undergone the current training, complete the updated training curriculum by November 17, 2026 ." (NYSED (opens in a new tab), board statement)
• Kentucky's dementia hour is due by October 31, 2027 for nurses licensed before July 15, 2024 (above).
• Texas will add nutrition. A 2025 law says a nurse "shall complete, in accordance with this section and rules adopted under this section, continuing education regarding nutrition and metabolic health." The board hasn't yet set the hours; its CE rule was last amended in 2019. (Tex. Occ. Code § 301.309 (opens in a new tab))

LPNs and LVNs: Where the Rules Differ

In most states one rule covers both licenses. These are the exceptions:

• Separate boards. California's LVNs answer to their own board: "Each licensee renewing a license under Section 2892 of the code shall submit proof of having completed, during the preceding two years, thirty (30) hours of continuing education acceptable to the Board," with the first renewal exempt. (16 CCR § 2540.1 (opens in a new tab)) West Virginia's LPN board requires "twenty-four (24) contact hours of continuing education during the prescribed two (2) year reporting period." (§ 10-06-3.1.a (opens in a new tab)) Louisiana's practical nurse board sets no CE and requires a refresher only for "Licensees or applicants for licensure in Louisiana who have been out of practice for four or more years." (§ 1707.C (opens in a new tab))
• Fewer hours for LPNs. Delaware (24 against 30), DC (18 against 24), Minnesota ("one contact hour of acceptable continuing education for each two months of registration," so 12 against 24) and Georgia (20 hours, or an RN program, against the RNs' five options). (Minn. R. 6310.2800 (opens in a new tab))
• No general hours for LPNs. Louisiana and Pennsylvania, though Pennsylvania's LPNs still need the child abuse training.

A Multistate License Doesn't Change This

Under the Nurse Licensure Compact, your multistate license is renewed by your home state under its own rules, so its CE, practice-hour and topic requirements are the ones you meet. Our Nurse Licensure Compact page lists the member states. If you're an LPN weighing home health, see LPNs and LVNs in home health.

APRNs have separate CE requirements in almost every state, usually pharmacology and controlled substance hours on top of the RN rule, and they aren't covered here.

Key Takeaways

• Thirteen states require no CE hours for RNs, but some of them require practice hours or specific trainings instead.
• Twenty-four jurisdictions set a number of hours, most often 20 to 30 every two years, and seven of them accept a national certification in place of the hours.
• Fourteen states let practice hours, a certification or a course satisfy the rule.
• Twenty-one jurisdictions require at least one topic, often only once or only for nurses in certain settings.
• Oregon changed the most in 2026: practice hours are gone, and 20 CE hours start in 2028.
• This isn't legal advice. I checked these rules on November 9, 2026, and your board's current rule is the one that counts.

Frequently asked questions

How many CE hours does an RN need to renew a license?

It depends on the state, and 13 states require none. Where a set number applies, it ranges from 8 hours a year in Washington and 10 hours every two years in Rhode Island to 30 hours every two years in states such as California, Kansas, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and 36 hours every three years in Iowa. In another 14 states, CE hours are one option among several, and practice hours, a national certification or a course can satisfy the rule instead.

Which states don't require continuing education for nurses?

For RNs, 13: Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Indiana, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New York, Oregon, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Some of them still require something else. Arizona and South Dakota require practice hours, Mississippi asks for CE only if you haven't practiced in five years, Connecticut and New York require specific trainings, and Oregon requires two short topic courses now and 20 hours every two years from January 1, 2028. Louisiana and Pennsylvania require no general CE hours for LPNs.

Do LPNs need the same continuing education as RNs?

In most states, yes: the same rule covers both. The exceptions are Delaware (24 hours for LPNs, 30 for RNs), DC (18 and 24), Minnesota (12 and 24), Georgia (20 hours or an RN program for LPNs, five options for RNs) and West Virginia, where a separate LPN board sets 24 hours every two years. Louisiana's and Pennsylvania's LPNs have no general CE hours, though Pennsylvania LPNs need child abuse reporting training.

Does a multistate compact license change my CE requirements?

No. A multistate license under the Nurse Licensure Compact is still renewed by your home state, the state where you live, under that state's renewal rules. Meet your home state's CE, practice-hour and topic requirements. The states where you practice on your multistate privilege don't add their own CE.

What CE topics are nurses required to take?

21 jurisdictions require at least one topic for RNs or LPNs. The most common are abuse and mandated reporting, implicit bias or cultural competency, human trafficking, suicide prevention, pain management or opioids, and state nursing law. Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan and Texas have the longest lists. Some topics apply only to nurses in certain settings, such as Texas's geriatric requirement or Illinois's dementia hour.

Sources

Every state's rule is linked in the table and the sections above, to the state's legislature, its official administrative code publisher or its board of nursing, and labeled by type. All were read on November 9, 2026. Where a board's own page was the only copy I could read, the row says so (board statement), and the research note for this article lists every page read and what was searched in the states with no CE.