How many CE hours do APRNs need to renew in Alabama?

APRNs in Alabama complete 24 CE hours every 2 years for board renewal. That includes the Pharmacology CE (APRN) requirement of 6 hours. Your national certification keeps its own CE requirement on a separate clock.

What is the APRN renewal fee in Alabama?

The Alabama APRN renewal fee is $75, which differs from the RN fee; budget for both if you renew both credentials. Fees change, so confirm the current amount on the Alabama Board of Nursing portal.

Can APRNs prescribe independently in Alabama?

Restricted-practice model: CRNPs and CNMs practice in collaboration with a physician, and controlled-substance prescribing runs through the QACSC (below), limited to Schedules III through V.

Does Alabama require a state controlled-substance registration on top of the DEA?

Yes: the Qualified Alabama Controlled Substances Certificate (QACSC), issued by the Alabama Board of Medical Examiners (not the nursing board), is required before DEA registration, renews annually, and covers Schedules III to V only.

Does my national certification have to be current to renew my Alabama APRN license?

Yes. Advanced-practice approval expires with the RN license or the national certification, whichever comes first.

Alabama APRN License Renewal: CE, Fees, and Prescriptive Rules

Built by Keegan, a travel RN · verified against official board sources

NP, CRNA, CNM, CNS · Verified against the Alabama Board of Nursing · 2026-09-04

APRNs in Alabama complete 24 CE hours every 2 years for board renewal. The APRN renewal fee is $75. The board is one of up to four clocks: your national certification and any DEA registration renew separately.

What the Alabama Board of Nursing requires of APRNs

Requirement	Hours	Status
General Continuing Education	24 hrs	Required
Mandatory New Licensee Course	4 hrs	Conditional
Pharmacology CE (APRN)	6 hrs	Required

Renewal deadlines in Alabama differ by license type: December 31 of even-numbered years (RN/APRN); December 31 of odd-numbered years (LPN). Confirm your APRN deadline with the board.

Full renewal context (deadlines, grace period, audits): Alabama nursing license renewal guide.

Prescriptive authority in Alabama

What we verified for Alabama

Board-sourced

Practice authority: Restricted-practice model: CRNPs and CNMs practice in collaboration with a physician, and controlled-substance prescribing runs through the QACSC (below), limited to Schedules III through V.
Collaboration / supervision: A current collaborative practice agreement is required; a single physician can collaborate with at most 3.6 full-time-equivalent positions across CRNPs, CNMs, and PAs combined.
State controlled-substance registration: Yes: the Qualified Alabama Controlled Substances Certificate (QACSC), issued by the Alabama Board of Medical Examiners (not the nursing board), is required before DEA registration, renews annually, and covers Schedules III to V only.
Prescriber CE: 6 hours of pharmacology CE per biennial renewal for prescribers, plus QACSC-specific controlled-substance CE on its own cycle.
National certification at renewal: Yes. Advanced-practice approval expires with the RN license or the national certification, whichever comes first.

Source: Alabama Board of Nursing and Board of Medical Examiners, last checked 2026-06-11. Rules change; confirm with the board before relying on this.

The other three clocks

Alabama has not enacted the APRN Compact (which is not yet operational anywhere). The Nurse Licensure Compact covers RN and LPN/VN licenses only, so multi-state APRN practice still means a separate APRN credential in each state. Your national certification (AANPCB, ANCC, NBCRNA, or AMCB) and any DEA registration renew on their own cycles, with their own CE math.

The four-clock guide: certification cycles, compact status, DEA and MATE

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Alabama APRN renewal FAQ

How many CE hours do APRNs need to renew in Alabama?: APRNs in Alabama complete 24 CE hours every 2 years for board renewal. That includes the Pharmacology CE (APRN) requirement of 6 hours. Your national certification keeps its own CE requirement on a separate clock.
What is the APRN renewal fee in Alabama?: The Alabama APRN renewal fee is $75, which differs from the RN fee; budget for both if you renew both credentials. Fees change, so confirm the current amount on the Alabama Board of Nursing portal.
Can APRNs prescribe independently in Alabama?: Restricted-practice model: CRNPs and CNMs practice in collaboration with a physician, and controlled-substance prescribing runs through the QACSC (below), limited to Schedules III through V.
Does Alabama require a state controlled-substance registration on top of the DEA?: Yes: the Qualified Alabama Controlled Substances Certificate (QACSC), issued by the Alabama Board of Medical Examiners (not the nursing board), is required before DEA registration, renews annually, and covers Schedules III to V only.
Is Alabama in the APRN Compact?: No. Alabama has not enacted the APRN Compact, and the compact itself is not yet operational anywhere. The Nurse Licensure Compact covers RN and LPN/VN licenses only, so it does not extend APRN practice across state lines.
Does my national certification have to be current to renew my Alabama APRN license?: Yes. Advanced-practice approval expires with the RN license or the national certification, whichever comes first.

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Alabama APRN License Renewal: CE, Fees, and Prescriptive Rules

NP, CRNA, CNM, CNS · Verified against the Alabama Board of Nursing · 2026-09-04

Requirement

Hours

Status

General Continuing Education

24 hrs

Required

Mandatory New Licensee Course

4 hrs

Conditional

Pharmacology CE (APRN)

6 hrs

Required