Nursing CE Requirements by State

How to use this list

Each entry shows the baseline RN renewal requirement and any state-specific mandatory topics. APRN, prescribing, and specialty requirements are usually higher and are not listed here. Always confirm on your state board's website.

State-by-state RN CE summary

• Alabama — 24 contact hours / 2 yrs. BON-approved providers.
• Alaska — 30 hrs / 2 yrs. Or 320 practice hours + 30 CE.
• Arizona — None for RN renewal. Required only for APRN.
• Arkansas — 15 hrs / 2 yrs. Or national certification.
• California — 30 hrs / 2 yrs. CA BRN-recognized providers; specific topics for some renewals.
• Colorado — None. Self-attested competence model.
• Connecticut — None. No CE requirement for RNs.
• Delaware — 30 hrs / 2 yrs. 3 hrs in substance use disorder.
• DC — 24 hrs / 2 yrs. 2 hrs LGBTQ; 2 hrs public health priorities.
• Florida — 24 hrs / 2 yrs. Includes 2 hrs prevention of medical errors, 2 hrs HIV/AIDS first renewal, 2 hrs human trafficking.
• Georgia — 30 hrs / 2 yrs. Or active certification / 500 practice hours + 15 hrs CE.
• Hawaii — None. No CE requirement.
• Idaho — None. No CE requirement.
• Illinois — 20 hrs / 2 yrs. 1 hr sexual harassment prevention; 1 hr implicit bias.
• Indiana — None. No CE requirement.
• Iowa — 36 hrs / 3 yrs. 2 hrs child & dependent adult abuse training.
• Kansas — 30 hrs / 2 yrs. KSBN-approved providers.
• Kentucky — 14 hrs / yr. Or national certification; 1.5 hrs domestic violence; pediatric abusive head trauma.
• Louisiana — 5–30 hrs / yr. Tiered by practice hours.
• Maine — None. No CE requirement.
• Maryland — None for RN. APRN requires CE.
• Massachusetts — 15 hrs / 2 yrs. MA-approved providers.
• Michigan — 25 hrs / 2 yrs. 2 hrs pain & symptom management; 1 hr human trafficking; 1 hr implicit bias.
• Minnesota — 24 hrs / 2 yrs. MN BON-recognized providers.
• Mississippi — None. No CE requirement.
• Missouri — None. No CE requirement.
• Montana — 24 hrs / 2 yrs. Provider-approved CE.
• Nebraska — 20 hrs / 2 yrs. Or 200 practice hours + 5 CE.
• Nevada — 30 hrs / 2 yrs. 4 hrs bioterrorism (one-time); cultural competency.
• New Hampshire — 30 hrs / 2 yrs. Or 400 practice hours + 30 CE.
• New Jersey — 30 hrs / 2 yrs. 1 hr opioid prescription; organ donation.
• New Mexico — 30 hrs / 2 yrs. 2 hrs pain management & opioids.
• New York — 3 hrs infection control / 4 yrs. Plus child abuse identification one-time; no general CE hours.
• North Carolina — 15 hrs / yr. Or national certification / refresher; multiple pathways.
• North Dakota — 12 hrs / 2 yrs. Plus practice hours.
• Ohio — 24 hrs / 2 yrs. 1 hr OBN category-A topics.
• Oklahoma — 24 hrs / 2 yrs. Or 520 practice hours.
• Oregon — None for RN. 7 hrs pain management one-time; APRN has hours.
• Pennsylvania — 30 hrs / 2 yrs. 2 hrs child abuse recognition.
• Rhode Island — 10 hrs / 2 yrs. RI BON-approved providers.
• South Carolina — 30 hrs / 2 yrs. Or national certification / practice hours.
• South Dakota — None. Practice hours instead of CE.
• Tennessee — None. No CE requirement for RN.
• Texas — 20 hrs / 2 yrs. Targeted CE in nursing jurisprudence, forensic, geriatric, older-adult, or pediatric topics depending on practice.
• Utah — 30 hrs / 2 yrs. Or 200 practice hours + 15 CE.
• Vermont — None. No CE requirement.
• Virginia — None for RN. Practice + CE pathway options for some.
• Washington — 45 hrs / 3 yrs. Plus 531 practice hours; 6 hrs suicide assessment one-time.
• West Virginia — 12 hrs / yr (RN). 1 hr drug diversion training.
• Wisconsin — None. No CE requirement.
• Wyoming — None. Practice hours instead of CE.

Common mandatory topics

• Opioid prescribing and pain management
• Implicit bias and cultural competency
• Human trafficking recognition
• Child abuse and elder abuse recognition
• Suicide assessment
• Infection control (notably NY)