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

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

APRNs in Washington complete 45 CE hours every year for board renewal. The APRN renewal fee is $130. The board is one of up to four clocks: your national certification and any DEA registration renew separately.

What the Washington State Board of Nursing requires of APRNs

Requirement	Hours	Status
Suicide Prevention	6 hrs	Conditional
Health Equity	2 hrs	Required
APRN CE	30 hrs	Required
APRN Pharmacology	15 hrs	Required

Renewal deadlines in Washington differ by license type: Birthday annually (RN/LPN) or every 2 years (APRN). Confirm your APRN deadline with the board.

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

Prescriptive authority in Washington

What we verified for Washington

Board-sourced

Practice authority: Full practice authority: ARNPs practice and prescribe independently, with no collaboration or supervision requirement.
Collaboration / supervision: None required. Employers may set internal policies, but the state mandates no agreement.
State controlled-substance registration: No separate state controlled-substance registration: Washington prescribers hold federal DEA registration and enroll in the state prescription monitoring program. Board of Pharmacy registrations apply to manufacturers and distributors, not individual prescribers.
Prescriber CE: ARNPs with prescriptive authority complete 15 hours of pharmacotherapeutics CE per 2-year cycle beyond the general requirement, plus a one-time 4-hour opioid best-practices course (and the one-time federal MATE attestation).
National certification at renewal: Yes. Active national certification in the specialty is required at each 2-year renewal.

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

The other three clocks

Washington 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

Washington APRN renewal FAQ

How many CE hours do APRNs need to renew in Washington?: APRNs in Washington complete 45 CE hours every year 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 Washington?: The Washington APRN renewal fee is $130, which differs from the RN fee; budget for both if you renew both credentials. Fees change, so confirm the current amount on the Washington State Board of Nursing portal.
Can APRNs prescribe independently in Washington?: Full practice authority: ARNPs practice and prescribe independently, with no collaboration or supervision requirement.
Does Washington require a state controlled-substance registration on top of the DEA?: No separate state controlled-substance registration: Washington prescribers hold federal DEA registration and enroll in the state prescription monitoring program. Board of Pharmacy registrations apply to manufacturers and distributors, not individual prescribers.
Is Washington in the APRN Compact?: No. Washington 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 Washington APRN license?: Yes. Active national certification in the specialty is required at each 2-year renewal.

More for Washington nurses

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What the Washington State Board of Nursing requires of APRNs

Requirement	Hours	Status
Suicide Prevention	6 hrs	Conditional
Health Equity	2 hrs	Required
APRN CE	30 hrs	Required
APRN Pharmacology	15 hrs	Required

Renewal deadlines in Washington differ by license type: Birthday annually (RN/LPN) or every 2 years (APRN). Confirm your APRN deadline with the board.

Prescriptive authority in Washington

What we verified for Washington

Board-sourced

Practice authority: Full practice authority: ARNPs practice and prescribe independently, with no collaboration or supervision requirement.
Collaboration / supervision: None required. Employers may set internal policies, but the state mandates no agreement.
State controlled-substance registration: No separate state controlled-substance registration: Washington prescribers hold federal DEA registration and enroll in the state prescription monitoring program. Board of Pharmacy registrations apply to manufacturers and distributors, not individual prescribers.
Prescriber CE: ARNPs with prescriptive authority complete 15 hours of pharmacotherapeutics CE per 2-year cycle beyond the general requirement, plus a one-time 4-hour opioid best-practices course (and the one-time federal MATE attestation).
National certification at renewal: Yes. Active national certification in the specialty is required at each 2-year renewal.

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

The other three clocks

Washington APRN renewal FAQ

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

APRNs in Washington complete 45 CE hours every year 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 Washington?

The Washington APRN renewal fee is $130, which differs from the RN fee; budget for both if you renew both credentials. Fees change, so confirm the current amount on the Washington State Board of Nursing portal.

Can APRNs prescribe independently in Washington?

Full practice authority: ARNPs practice and prescribe independently, with no collaboration or supervision requirement.

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

No separate state controlled-substance registration: Washington prescribers hold federal DEA registration and enroll in the state prescription monitoring program. Board of Pharmacy registrations apply to manufacturers and distributors, not individual prescribers.

Is Washington in the APRN Compact?

No. Washington 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 Washington APRN license?

Yes. Active national certification in the specialty is required at each 2-year renewal.