Kentucky is one of the few states with an annual nursing license renewal cycle, requiring 14 CE contact hours each year, or 7 hours plus a satisfactory employment evaluation. With additional requirements for APRNs and one-time topic mandates, here's how to stay current year after year.
Kentucky RN License Renewal Requirements Overview
The Kentucky Board of Nursing requires all Registered Nurses and Licensed Practical Nurses to complete 14 approved contact hours of continuing education each annual renewal period (November 1 through October 31). Alternatively, nurses may complete 7 CE hours plus a satisfactory employment evaluation.
Kentucky is a Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) member state, so nurses with a multistate license can practice across all compact states at no additional cost.
What Is Required for Renewal?
For RNs and LPNs:
- 14 contact hours of CE per annual renewal cycle (November 1 through October 31)
- Alternative option: 7 contact hours of CE plus a satisfactory nursing employment evaluation
- All hours must be from approved providers: KBN, another state board of nursing, or a national nursing organization listed in 201 KAR 20:220
- One-time: 2 hours suicide prevention, required for nurses who completed a program outside Kentucky or before August 2025
- One-time: 3 hours domestic violence, required within 3 years of initial licensure for nurses who completed a program outside Kentucky or before May 1988
- One-time: 1.5 hours pediatric abusive head trauma, required within 3 years of licensure if you completed a nursing program before December 2011 or outside Kentucky (included in the CE total for the year completed). Graduates of Kentucky programs after December 2011 already covered it in school.
For APRNs (additional requirements):
- 5 contact hours of pharmacology annually (November 1 through October 31)
- DEA-registered APRNs: at least 3 of the 5 pharmacology hours must be in pain management or addiction disorders
- APRN certification satisfies the 14-hour RN CE requirement if it was in effect for the whole earning period or attained or renewed during it (201 KAR 20:215 Section 3)
Important Renewal Dates
- Renewal period: September 15 through October 31 annually
- CE earning period: November 1 through October 31
- Deadline: October 31 at 11:59 p.m. EDT. In 2026 October 31 is a Saturday, and KBN asks nurses to renew by 4:30 p.m. EDT on Friday, October 30
- Fees: $65 for RN/LPN; $55 per APRN designation
Step-by-Step: How to Renew Your Kentucky Nursing License
- Complete your CE hours. Finish 14 approved contact hours (or 7 hours plus an employment evaluation) between November 1 and October 31.
- Verify one-time requirements. Ensure suicide prevention and domestic violence CE have been completed if applicable to your situation.
- Log in to the KBN Nurse Portal. Visit kybn.boardsofnursing.org during the September 15 through October 31 renewal window. Renewal is online only.
- Complete the renewal application. Answer all required questions and attest to meeting CE requirements.
- Pay the renewal fee. $65 for RN/LPN or $55 per APRN designation.
- Retain CE documentation. Keep CE certificates for at least five years. KBN sends 2026 audit notices by November 15 through the Nurse Portal Message Center.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Forgetting it's an annual renewal. Unlike most states that use a 2-year cycle, Kentucky requires renewal every year. Don't assume you have two years to accumulate CE hours.
- Missing the one-time requirements. Suicide prevention (2 hours) and domestic violence (3 hours) are easy to overlook since they're only required once. Check whether they apply to you based on where and when you completed your nursing program.
- Using unapproved CE providers. Every contact hour must come from a provider approved by KBN, another state board of nursing, or a national nursing organization listed in 201 KAR 20:220.
- APRNs skipping pharmacology hours. The 5 hours of pharmacology CE are separate from and in addition to the general RN CE requirement. DEA-registered APRNs have further topic restrictions.
Tips for a Smooth Renewal
- Start early in the CE earning period. With an annual cycle, it's easy to fall behind. Begin accumulating hours shortly after November 1.
- Consider the 7+evaluation option. If you have a current employer who can provide a satisfactory evaluation, you only need 7 CE hours instead of 14.
- Track your hours year-round. RenewRN monitors your CE progress and sends reminders so you never miss Kentucky's annual October 31 deadline.
- Use your NLC multistate license. As a compact state, Kentucky's multistate license lets you practice in other NLC states without additional applications.
Why Kentucky's Annual Cycle Changes Your Plan
Per the Board, Kentucky uses an annual renewal cycle (November 1 through October 31), not the biennial cycle most states use. The annual cadence has practical consequences:
- The 14-hour CE total is per year, not per 2 years, meaning recurring deadlines you can't spread out over a longer window
- The renewal application window itself is just 6 weeks (September 15 through October 31), narrower than most states' biennial windows
- The renewal fee ($65 for RN/LPN) is paid every year, not every two. Budget accordingly across longer time horizons
For nurses moving from a state with biennial renewal, the rhythm change is the biggest adjustment. Build CE into a recurring annual routine so you don't scramble at deadline.
The 14-Hour vs 7-Hour-Plus-Evaluation Pathway Choice
Per the Board, Kentucky offers two CE pathways:
- 14 contact hours of approved CE per renewal cycle, OR
- 7 contact hours of CE plus a satisfactory nursing employment evaluation from your current employer
How to think about which path fits:
- Currently employed full-time: the 7+evaluation path typically saves time. Your employer's standard performance evaluation can satisfy the requirement if documented.
- Self-employed, between jobs, or part-time: the 14-hour CE path is often more straightforward, with no coordination with an employer required.
- APRNs: if you maintain current APRN certification, that may satisfy the 14-hour RN CE requirement per Board notes, but you still need the additional 5 hours of pharmacology.
The APRN Pharmacology Add-On
Per the Board, APRNs must complete an additional 5 contact hours of pharmacology annually on top of the 14-hour RN CE requirement. This is per renewal cycle, every year.
For DEA-registered APRNs, the 5 pharmacology hours have a further breakdown:
- At least 3 of the 5 pharmacology hours must be in pain management or addiction disorders
- The remaining 2 hours can be in any pharmacology topic relevant to your practice
APRNs with DEA registration also need to complete the federal 8-hour MATE Act training on opioid and substance use disorder treatment. This is a federal requirement at DEA registration or renewal, separate from Kentucky state CE.
Kentucky's One-Time Topic Requirements
Kentucky has several one-time topic requirements, each applying to different subsets of nurses:
- 2 hours suicide prevention, required once for nurses who completed a nursing program outside Kentucky, OR who completed a Kentucky program prior to August 2025
- 3 hours domestic violence and elder abuse, neglect and exploitation, required within 3 years of initial licensure for nurses who completed a nursing program outside Kentucky, OR prior to May 1988
- 1.5 hours pediatric abusive head trauma, required once (within 3 years of licensure) for nurses who completed a nursing program before December 2011 or outside Kentucky; included in the CE total for the year completed
- 1 hour Alzheimer's disease and dementia, required once: by October 31, 2027 for nurses licensed as of July 15, 2024, or within three years of initial licensure for nurses licensed later
A newer law, HB 778 (KRS 314.073(6)(b), effective July 15, 2026), adds 1 hour every three years on recognizing and preventing pediatric ingestion or inhalation of controlled substances, counted inside the 14 hours. As of October 2026 KBN has not published when the first three-year window ends, so watch the KBN continuing education page.
Each requirement applies to a defined group based on practice area or program origin. Check the KBN portal to confirm which apply to your specific situation, especially if you completed nursing school out of state.
CE Broker Is No Longer Part of Kentucky Renewal
KBN no longer uses CE Broker. The Kentucky roster is no longer reported to it, and if you are selected for a CE audit you upload your documents through the KBN Nurse Portal instead (201 KAR 20:215 was amended in July 2025 to remove the CE Broker requirement). You can still keep a CE Broker account as personal storage, but nothing about your renewal depends on it.
Renewal itself is by attestation. You may submit the renewal before finishing your hours, but they must be completed before midnight EDT on October 31.
If You Miss October 31
There is no grace period. An unrenewed license lapses, practicing on it is illegal (KRS 314.071(4)), and you must reinstate: a Nurse Portal application, a $135 fee, a state and FBI fingerprint background check, and CE scaled to how long the license has been lapsed (201 KAR 20:225). CE used to reinstate cannot also count toward your next renewal.
How Kentucky Audits Work
Kentucky may conduct random CE audits. Per KBN guidance, retain all CE documentation for at least 5 years after renewal.
Documentation auditors verify:
- Course certificates for all 14 hours (or 7 hours plus employment evaluation documentation)
- For pathway 2: a satisfactory nursing employment evaluation from your employer covering the renewal period
- For APRNs: separate documentation of the 5 pharmacology hours (with pain management/addiction breakdown for DEA-registered APRNs)
- For applicable nurses: one-time suicide prevention, domestic violence, and pediatric abusive head trauma course certificates
Failed audits can result in license discipline. Save certificates digitally with clear filenames covering the rolling retention window.
NLC Compact and Kentucky
Kentucky is a Nurse Licensure Compact member state with no additional fee for compact licensure (per Board notes). If your primary state of residence is Kentucky, you can apply for a multistate license through the KBN portal and practice in the other NLC member states without separate applications.
Two practical notes:
- A multistate Kentucky license still requires the annual 14-hour CE plus all applicable one-time requirements
- The October 31 annual deadline applies to multistate licenses too. A lapsed Kentucky license ends practice privileges in all NLC states
Kentucky RN Renewal FAQ
Do I really need to complete 14 CE hours every year? Yes, OR 7 hours plus a satisfactory employment evaluation. RN and LPN renewal in Kentucky is annual.
Does the suicide prevention requirement apply to me if I completed nursing school in Kentucky? Per the Board, only if you completed a Kentucky nursing program prior to August 2025, OR you completed a program outside Kentucky. Check your specific situation on the KBN portal.
As an APRN, can my certification satisfy the 14-hour RN CE requirement? Yes. Per KBN and 201 KAR 20:215, a current national certification that was in effect for the whole earning period, or attained or renewed during it, meets the 14-hour RN requirement. The 5 pharmacology hours and any one-time topics are still separately required.
Can I take all 14 hours online? Yes. Kentucky doesn't require any in-person CE.
I'm a first-time renewer. Am I exempt? Don't count on it. We found no first-renewal CE exemption in 201 KAR 20:215 or KBN's CE pages. What does exist: a license issued on or after May 1, 2026 is valid through October 31, 2027, so it does not renew this year.
Track Your Kentucky CE Requirements with RenewRN
Kentucky's annual renewal cycle means staying on top of your CE every year. RenewRN tracks your hours, monitors APRN pharmacology requirements, and sends deadline reminders so you never miss a renewal.