Nursing CE requirements by state

Name: Nursing continuing-education requirements by state (RN, all 50 U.S. states + D.C.)
Creator: RenewRN
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

RN continuing-education requirements range from no required hours in 13 states to 36 hours per cycle at the top, with 27 of 51 jurisdictions setting no fixed hour count at all. Tap any state for its exact rule. Data verified through August 2026; free to cite or embed with attribution.

Key findings

13 states require zero CE hours to renew an RN license, a fact most nurses (and recruiters) get wrong.
14 more use a competency or option pathway, where a stated hour figure is only one of several ways to qualify, so it isn't a hard mandate.
Among states with a flat requirement, hours run from 8 to 36 per cycle, most commonly on a 2-year clock.

Every state's RN CE requirement

Sortable and searchable. Figures are the RN requirement per renewal cycle; select a state for LPN/APRN details, mandatory topics, fees, and deadlines.

		Renewal cycle		CE Broker	Guide
Alabama	24 hrs / 2 yrs	2 years	0	No	View
Alaska	30 hrs or equivalentoption pathway	2 years	0	No	View
Arizona	None required	4 years	0	No	View
Arkansas	15 hrs / 2 yrs	2 years	0	No	View
California	30 hrs / 2 yrs	2 years	0	No	View
Colorado	None required	2 years	0	No	View
Connecticut	None required	1 year	1	No	View
Delaware	30 hrs / 2 yrs	2 years	4	No	View
District of Columbia	24 hrs / 2 yrs	2 years	2	No	View
Florida	24 hrs / 2 yrs	2 years	5	Required	View
Georgia	30 hrs or equivalentoption pathway	2 years	0	Required	View
Hawaii	30 hrs or equivalentoption pathway	2 years	0	No	View
Idaho	None required	2 years	1	No	View
Illinois	20 hrs / 2 yrs	2 years	4	No	View
Indiana	None required	2 years	1	No	View
Iowa	36 hrs / 3 yrs	3 years	0	No	View
Kansas	30 hrs / 2 yrs	2 years	1	No	View
Kentucky	14 hrs or equivalentoption pathway	1 year	0	No	View
Louisiana	30 hrs or equivalentoption pathway	2 years	0	No	View
Maine	None required	2 years	1	No	View
Maryland	30 hrs or equivalentoption pathway	2 years	1	No	View
Massachusetts	15 hrs / 2 yrs	2 years	0	No	View
Michigan	25 hrs / 2 yrs	2 years	2	No	View
Minnesota	24 hrs / 2 yrs	2 years	0	No	View
Mississippi	None required	2 years	1	No	View
Missouri	None required	2 years	1	No	View
Montana	None required	2 years	0	No	View
Nebraska	20 hrs or equivalentoption pathway	2 years	0	No	View
Nevada	30 hrs / 2 yrs	2 years	1	No	View
New Hampshire	30 hrs / 2 yrs	2 years	0	Required	View
New Jersey	30 hrs / 2 yrs	2 years	1	No	View
New Mexico	30 hrs / 2 yrs	2 years	0	Required	View
New York	None required	3 years	1	No	View
North Carolina	30 hrs / 2 yrs	2 years	0	No	View
North Dakota	12 hrs / 2 yrs	2 years	0	No	View
Ohio	24 hrs / 2 yrs	2 years	1	No	View
Oklahoma	24 hrs or equivalentoption pathway	2 years	0	No	View
Oregon	None required	2 years	2	No	View
Pennsylvania	30 hrs / 2 yrs	2 years	2	No	View
Rhode Island	10 hrs / 2 yrs	2 years	1	No	View
South Carolina	30 hrs or equivalentoption pathway	2 years	0	No	View
South Dakota	None required	2 years	1	No	View
Tennessee	10 hrs or equivalentoption pathway	2 years	0	No	View
Texas	20 hrs / 2 yrs	2 years	4	No	View
Utah	30 hrs or equivalentoption pathway	2 years	1	No	View
Vermont	20 hrs or equivalentoption pathway	2 years	0	No	View
Virginia	30 hrs or equivalentoption pathway	2 years	0	No	View
Washington	8 hrs / yr	1 year	2	No	View
West Virginia	12 hrs / 2 yrs	2 years	0	Required	View
Wisconsin	None required	2 years	2	No	View
Wyoming	40 hrs or equivalentoption pathway	2 years	0	No	View

Frequently asked questions

How many CE hours do nurses need to renew a license?

It varies widely by state, from no required hours at all to 36 hours per renewal cycle. Most states with a flat requirement fall between 8 and 30 hours every 1–2 years. 27 of 51 jurisdictions do not set a fixed hour count (they require none, or use a competency/option pathway).

Which states require no continuing education for RN renewal?

13 jurisdictions do not require any CE hours to renew an RN license, and another 14 use a competency or option pathway where a fixed hour figure is only one way to qualify. Always confirm your state's exact rule on its board page before relying on it.

Is the CE requirement the same for RNs, LPNs, and APRNs?

No. CE requirements differ by license type within a state, and APRNs often have additional pharmacology hours. This map shows the RN requirement; each state's guide breaks down LPN/LVN and APRN separately.

If I hold a compact multistate license, do I owe CE in every state I work in?

No, and this is the most common misreading of this map. A multistate license issued under the Nurse Licensure Compact is granted by your primary state of residence, and renewal, including its CE, is handled by that home state alone. Taking assignments in six compact states does not create six CE requirements. Use this map to find the row for the state you declare as your primary residence. Two things this does not mean. You still practice under the laws and regulations of the state where your patient is located, which is a separate obligation from renewal. And any single-state license you hold in addition carries its own hours, its own renewal date, and its own mandatory topics.

How current is this data?

Every figure is compiled from official state Board of Nursing sources and re-verified on a rolling schedule. This dataset was verified through August 2026.

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