NP and APRN License Renewal Requirements by State

The four renewal clocks

No single agency tracks all of them for you. Each one renews with a different body, on a different cycle, with different CE math.

APRN renewal requirements by state

What each board itself asks of an APRN at renewal. Every number is pulled from the same board-verified registry that powers the state pages; click a state for its full guide.

• "No board CE-hour mandate" does not mean no CE: your national certification (clock three) keeps its own CE requirement regardless of what the board asks for.
• The pharmacology column lists boards that publish an explicit APRN pharmacology or pharmacotherapeutics CE category. Some scope it to prescribers, and many other boards fold prescriber CE into their general requirements; check your state page.
• † This board publishes different renewal deadlines per license type. See the state page for the exact pattern.

National certification renewal cycles

The certification clock runs with your certifying body, not your board, and in most states the board conditions the APRN license on keeping it current.

Choosing or sitting a certification exam is a different problem; those live on the certification guides: FNP boards guide, PMHNP boards guide, AGACNP boards guide, AGPCNP boards guide.

The APRN Compact is not the NLC

The APRN Compact has been enacted in 5 states (DE, ND, SD, UT, WY) and activates once 7 states enact it. It is not yet operational, so no multistate APRN licenses exist today. The Nurse Licensure Compact covers RN and LPN/VN licenses only: an NLC multistate RN license does not extend your APRN practice across state lines. Until the APRN Compact activates, multi-state APRN practice means holding a separate APRN credential in each state, on each state's renewal clock. Moving anyway? Start with the license transfer guide.

DEA registration and the MATE Act

DEA registration renews every 3 years on its own federal cycle, independent of any state license or national certification.

The MATE Act training is a one-time attestation: 8 hours of education on treating patients with opioid or other substance use disorders, made at your first DEA registration or renewal after June 27, 2023. It does not repeat in later cycles. Some states layer their own recurring opioid CE on top; check your state page.

Telehealth runs on the same licensure logic: you practice where the patient is located, and with no operational APRN compact that usually means a license in the patient's state. A few states run special out-of-state telehealth registrations instead; Florida's is the best-known example. Each state page covers its rule where we have verified it.

Full walkthrough: DEA registration guide for nurse practitioners.

Decoding the number itself: how to read an NP DEA number, verify its check digit, and register.

APRN renewal FAQ

Do APRNs renew their RN license and APRN license separately?

In most states, yes. The RN license and the APRN license or certificate are distinct credentials, usually both through the state board but with separate fees and sometimes separate deadlines. 33 of 51 boards charge an APRN renewal fee different from the RN fee.

How many CE hours do APRNs need to renew?

It depends on the board: 33 of 51 boards set a board-level APRN CE-hour mandate, several set none, and your national certification's CE requirement applies on top in every state. The by-state table on this page lists each board's number.

Is there an APRN Compact like the Nurse Licensure Compact?

Not an operational one yet. The APRN Compact has been enacted in 5 states and activates once 7 states enact it. The NLC covers RN and LPN/VN licenses only, so an NLC multistate license does not extend APRN practice across state lines.

Does the DEA MATE Act training repeat every renewal?

No. The MATE Act training is a one-time attestation of 8 hours of substance-use-disorder education, made at your first DEA registration or renewal after June 27, 2023. It does not recur, though some states add their own recurring opioid CE.

What happens if my national certification lapses?

In most states the APRN license is conditioned on holding current national certification, so a certification lapse can make the state credential unrenewable until you reinstate with the certifying body. Confirm the exact consequence with your board before letting any clock run out.

Do CRNAs and CNMs follow the same renewal rules as NPs?

The structure is the same four clocks, but the certifying bodies differ: CRNAs recertify with NBCRNA on 4-year cycles, CNMs with AMCB on 5-year cycles, most NPs with AANPCB or ANCC on 5-year cycles, neonatal NPs with NCC on 3-year cycles, pediatric NPs with PNCB annually, and acute-care APRNs with AACN on 5-year cycles. State board rules generally apply to all APRN roles.