Tennessee APRN license renewal: CE, fees, and prescriptive rules

NP, CRNA, CNM, CNS · Verified 2026-06-04

Tennessee does not mandate a fixed number of CE hours for APRNs; CE is one of several competency options (10 contact hours on the CE pathway). The APRN renewal fee is $100. The board is one of up to four clocks: your national certification and any DEA registration renew separately.

What the Tennessee Board of Nursing requires of APRNs

Requirement	Hours	Status
Continuing Competence	10 hrs	One of several options
APRN Controlled Substances	2 hrs	Required
Nursing Practice	Course-based	Optional

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

Prescriptive authority in Tennessee

What we verified for Tennessee

Board-sourced

Practice authority: Restricted-practice model: NPs practice and prescribe under physician supervision with a collaborative arrangement; the supervising physician visits the practice site every 30 days and reviews at least 20 percent of charts.
Collaboration / supervision: A Certificate of Fitness plus a filed notice naming the collaborating physician and a formulary of prescribed drug categories must stay current with the board; update filings when anything changes. Beginning 2026 the board runs an annual supervision survey.
State controlled-substance registration: No separate state controlled-substance license identified; the Certificate of Fitness plus DEA registration and the state controlled-substance monitoring database govern. Confirm current specifics with the board.
Prescriber CE: Certificate of Fitness holders owe 2 contact hours of controlled-substance prescribing CE per renewal cycle covering Tennessee's chronic-pain guidelines; Schedule II-III opioids are limited to non-refillable 30-day courses absent physician approval.
National certification at renewal: National certification underpins APRN certification in Tennessee; confirm renewal specifics with the board.

Source: Tennessee Board of Nursing and Tenn. Comp. R. 0880-06, last checked 2026-06-11. Rules change; confirm with the board before relying on this.

The other three clocks

Tennessee 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

Tennessee APRN renewal FAQ

How many CE hours do APRNs need to renew in Tennessee?: Tennessee does not mandate a fixed number of CE hours for APRNs; CE is one of several competency options (10 contact hours if you choose the CE pathway). Your national certification keeps its own CE requirement on a separate clock.
What is the APRN renewal fee in Tennessee?: The Tennessee APRN renewal fee is $100, which differs from the RN fee; budget for both if you renew both credentials. Fees change, so confirm the current amount on the Tennessee Board of Nursing portal.
Can APRNs prescribe independently in Tennessee?: Restricted-practice model: NPs practice and prescribe under physician supervision with a collaborative arrangement; the supervising physician visits the practice site every 30 days and reviews at least 20 percent of charts.
Does Tennessee require a state controlled-substance registration on top of the DEA?: No separate state controlled-substance license identified; the Certificate of Fitness plus DEA registration and the state controlled-substance monitoring database govern. Confirm current specifics with the board.
Is Tennessee in the APRN Compact?: No. Tennessee 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 Tennessee APRN license?: National certification underpins APRN certification in Tennessee; confirm renewal specifics with the board.

More for Tennessee nurses

Four clocks are too many to keep in your head

Track your RN license, APRN credential, national certification, and DEA registration in one place, free to start.

Start Tracking — Free

Tennessee APRN license renewal: CE, fees, and prescriptive rules

NP, CRNA, CNM, CNS · Verified 2026-06-04

Requirement

Hours

Status

Continuing Competence

10 hrs

One of several options

APRN Controlled Substances

2 hrs

Required

Nursing Practice

Course-based

Optional

Prescriptive authority in Tennessee

What we verified for Tennessee

Board-sourced

Practice authority: Restricted-practice model: NPs practice and prescribe under physician supervision with a collaborative arrangement; the supervising physician visits the practice site every 30 days and reviews at least 20 percent of charts.
Collaboration / supervision: A Certificate of Fitness plus a filed notice naming the collaborating physician and a formulary of prescribed drug categories must stay current with the board; update filings when anything changes. Beginning 2026 the board runs an annual supervision survey.
State controlled-substance registration: No separate state controlled-substance license identified; the Certificate of Fitness plus DEA registration and the state controlled-substance monitoring database govern. Confirm current specifics with the board.
Prescriber CE: Certificate of Fitness holders owe 2 contact hours of controlled-substance prescribing CE per renewal cycle covering Tennessee's chronic-pain guidelines; Schedule II-III opioids are limited to non-refillable 30-day courses absent physician approval.
National certification at renewal: National certification underpins APRN certification in Tennessee; confirm renewal specifics with the board.

Source: Tennessee Board of Nursing and Tenn. Comp. R. 0880-06, last checked 2026-06-11. Rules change; confirm with the board before relying on this.

The other three clocks

Tennessee APRN renewal FAQ

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

Tennessee does not mandate a fixed number of CE hours for APRNs; CE is one of several competency options (10 contact hours if you choose the CE pathway). Your national certification keeps its own CE requirement on a separate clock.

What is the APRN renewal fee in Tennessee?

The Tennessee APRN renewal fee is $100, which differs from the RN fee; budget for both if you renew both credentials. Fees change, so confirm the current amount on the Tennessee Board of Nursing portal.

Can APRNs prescribe independently in Tennessee?

Restricted-practice model: NPs practice and prescribe under physician supervision with a collaborative arrangement; the supervising physician visits the practice site every 30 days and reviews at least 20 percent of charts.

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

No separate state controlled-substance license identified; the Certificate of Fitness plus DEA registration and the state controlled-substance monitoring database govern. Confirm current specifics with the board.

Is Tennessee in the APRN Compact?

No. Tennessee 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 Tennessee APRN license?

National certification underpins APRN certification in Tennessee; confirm renewal specifics with the board.