District of Columbia 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 District of Columbia Board of Nursing · 2026-07-21

APRNs in District of Columbia complete 24 CE hours every 2 years for board renewal. The APRN renewal fee is $118 (+ $130 controlled-substance registration where applicable, + $50 background check). The board is one of up to four clocks: your national certification and any DEA registration renew separately.

What the District of Columbia Board of Nursing requires of APRNs

Requirement	Hours	Status
General Continuing Education	24 hrs	Required
Public Health	2.4 hrs	Required
LGBTQ Cultural Competency	2 hrs	Required
APRN Pharmacology	15 hrs	Required

Renewal deadlines in District of Columbia differ by license type: June 30 of even-numbered years (RN/APRN) and June 30 of odd-numbered years (LPN) are phasing out: DC is transitioning to a birth-month renewal cycle, and credentials issued or renewed on or after June 16, 2024 expire on the last day of the holder's birth month. Confirm your APRN deadline with the board.

Full renewal context (deadlines, grace period, audits): District of Columbia nursing license renewal guide.

Prescriptive authority in District of Columbia

What we verified for District of Columbia

Board-sourced

Practice authority: Full practice authority: APRNs diagnose, treat, and prescribe Schedules II to V independently with no collaborative agreement.
Collaboration / supervision: None required in the District: no collaborative agreement or physician supervision is mandated for APRN practice or prescribing.
State controlled-substance registration: Yes: a District of Columbia Controlled Substances Registration is required alongside federal DEA registration before prescribing controlled substances.
Prescriber CE: 2 pharmacology hours within the 24-hour biennial CE set for prescriptive-authority holders, plus the District's safe-opioid-prescribing training for controlled-substance prescribers.
National certification at renewal: Yes. Current national certification must be demonstrated at renewal.

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

The other three clocks

District of Columbia 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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District of Columbia APRN renewal FAQ

How many CE hours do APRNs need to renew in District of Columbia?: APRNs in District of Columbia complete 24 CE hours every 2 years for board renewal. That includes the APRN Pharmacology requirement of 15 hours. Your national certification keeps its own CE requirement on a separate clock.
What is the APRN renewal fee in District of Columbia?: The District of Columbia APRN renewal fee is $118 (+ $130 controlled-substance registration where applicable, + $50 background check), which differs from the RN fee; budget for both if you renew both credentials. Fees change, so confirm the current amount on the District of Columbia Board of Nursing portal.
Can APRNs prescribe independently in District of Columbia?: Full practice authority: APRNs diagnose, treat, and prescribe Schedules II to V independently with no collaborative agreement.
Does District of Columbia require a state controlled-substance registration on top of the DEA?: Yes: a District of Columbia Controlled Substances Registration is required alongside federal DEA registration before prescribing controlled substances.
Is District of Columbia in the APRN Compact?: No. District of Columbia 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 District of Columbia APRN license?: Yes. Current national certification must be demonstrated at renewal.

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District of Columbia APRN License Renewal: CE, Fees, and Prescriptive Rules

NP, CRNA, CNM, CNS · Verified against the District of Columbia Board of Nursing · 2026-07-21

What the District of Columbia Board of Nursing requires of APRNs

Requirement	Hours	Status
General Continuing Education	24 hrs	Required
Public Health	2.4 hrs	Required
LGBTQ Cultural Competency	2 hrs	Required
APRN Pharmacology	15 hrs	Required

Prescriptive authority in District of Columbia

What we verified for District of Columbia

Board-sourced

Practice authority: Full practice authority: APRNs diagnose, treat, and prescribe Schedules II to V independently with no collaborative agreement.
Collaboration / supervision: None required in the District: no collaborative agreement or physician supervision is mandated for APRN practice or prescribing.
State controlled-substance registration: Yes: a District of Columbia Controlled Substances Registration is required alongside federal DEA registration before prescribing controlled substances.
Prescriber CE: 2 pharmacology hours within the 24-hour biennial CE set for prescriptive-authority holders, plus the District's safe-opioid-prescribing training for controlled-substance prescribers.
National certification at renewal: Yes. Current national certification must be demonstrated at renewal.

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

The other three clocks

District of Columbia APRN renewal FAQ

How many CE hours do APRNs need to renew in District of Columbia?

APRNs in District of Columbia complete 24 CE hours every 2 years for board renewal. That includes the APRN Pharmacology requirement of 15 hours. Your national certification keeps its own CE requirement on a separate clock.

What is the APRN renewal fee in District of Columbia?

The District of Columbia APRN renewal fee is $118 (+ $130 controlled-substance registration where applicable, + $50 background check), which differs from the RN fee; budget for both if you renew both credentials. Fees change, so confirm the current amount on the District of Columbia Board of Nursing portal.

Can APRNs prescribe independently in District of Columbia?

Full practice authority: APRNs diagnose, treat, and prescribe Schedules II to V independently with no collaborative agreement.

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

Yes: a District of Columbia Controlled Substances Registration is required alongside federal DEA registration before prescribing controlled substances.

Is District of Columbia in the APRN Compact?

No. District of Columbia 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 District of Columbia APRN license?

Yes. Current national certification must be demonstrated at renewal.