How many CE hours do nurses need in District of Columbia?

Registered Nurses (RN) in District of Columbia need 24 continuing education hours every 2 years for license renewal.

What are the mandatory CE topics in District of Columbia?

Mandatory CE topics in District of Columbia include: Public Health, LGBTQ Cultural Competency.

What is the renewal cycle for nursing licenses in District of Columbia?

Nursing licenses in District of Columbia must be renewed every 2 years. The District of Columbia Board of Nursing oversees license renewals.

What is the RN renewal fee in District of Columbia?

The RN renewal fee in District of Columbia is $195 ($145 application + $50 background check). Fees can change, so confirm the current amount on the District of Columbia Board of Nursing portal before submitting.

When are nursing licenses due for renewal in District of Columbia?

District of Columbia nursing licenses are due 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.

Is District of Columbia part of the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC)?

No. District of Columbia is not part of the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC). Nurses must hold a District of Columbia-issued license to practice there.

Does District of Columbia require CE Broker for tracking continuing education?

No. District of Columbia does not require CE Broker, though some nurses use it voluntarily to track CE across multiple states.

What license types does District of Columbia regulate?

District of Columbia regulates the following nursing license types: RN, APRN, LPN.

How many CE hours do LPNs need in District of Columbia?

Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN) in District of Columbia need 18 continuing education hours every 2 years for license renewal. The LPN renewal fee is $195.

What does APRN renewal require in District of Columbia?

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). District of Columbia also requires 15 hours of APRN Pharmacology per renewal cycle (see the requirements table for details on who it applies to). 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. Your national certification renews separately with its certifying body on its own cycle.

What happens if you miss the license renewal deadline in District of Columbia?

60-day grace period after the deadline with an $85 late fee; for the June 30, 2026 renewal, DC Health stated licensees may not work beyond September 1, 2026 without an active license The RN late-renewal fee is $85 added on top of the standard renewal fee, a penalty for renewing during the roughly 60 day grace period after the June 30 deadline (not a total). If your license has lapsed, do not practice until your renewal is processed; confirm your status with the District of Columbia Board of Nursing.

Field guide · License renewal

District of Columbia RN License Renewal Requirements

Name: District of Columbia Nursing License Renewal
Creator: RenewRN

Verified 2026-07-21

District of Columbia Board of Nursing · 2-year renewal cycle

Verified against the District of Columbia Board of Nursing · Last reviewed July 21, 2026 · How RenewRN verifies its data

Built by Keegan, a travel RN · verified against official board sources

As of 2026, District of Columbia RNs must complete 24 contact hours of continuing education every 2 years to renew. The RN renewal fee is $195 ($145 application + $50 background check).

Recent changes to District of Columbia rules

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Quick Facts

Renewal cycle	Every 2 years
Renewal deadline	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
Total CE hours (RN)	24 contact hours
Renewal fee (RN)	$195 ($145 application + $50 background check)
Compact state (NLC)	No · what if I move to a compact state?
License types	RN, APRN, LPN
Typical pay	See District of Columbia nurse salaries

The District of Columbia requires RNs and APRNs to complete 24 contact hours of continuing education per 2-year renewal cycle, while LPNs need 18 hours. Within those hours, public health priority topics must equal 10% of your CE (2.4 hours for RNs) and 2 must address LGBTQ cultural competency. DC is not a Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) member, so nurses must hold a DC-specific license to practice in the district. DC is transitioning all licenses to a birth-month renewal cycle: licenses issued or renewed on or after June 16, 2024 expire on the last day of the holder's birth month, while older licenses keep the legacy June 30 even-year (RN/APRN) or odd-year (LPN) date until their next renewal. A 60-day grace period is available for late renewal with an additional $85 fee; check your exact expiration date in the DC Health portal.

Verified against the District of Columbia Board of Nursing, last checked 2026-07-21. Found something off? Let me know.

District of Columbia CE Audit Response Guide

Response deadline, retention rules, board address, and the rejections that get nurses dinged.

Read the full District of Columbia RN License Renewal Guide

Step-by-step walkthrough, common mistakes, and tips for a smooth renewal

How to Renew Your District of Columbia Nursing License

1Log in to the DC Health online renewal portal at doh.force.com/dchealthrenewals
2Select your license type (RN, LPN, or APRN) and begin the renewal application
3Attest to completing CE hours (24 for RN/APRN, 18 for LPN) including public health priority topics equal to 10% of your hours (2.4 for RN/APRN) and 2 hours of LGBTQ cultural competency
4Answer all disclosure questions regarding professional conduct and criminal history
5Pay the renewal fee ($195 for RN/LPN) by Visa or Mastercard
6Retain CE certificates for at least 4 years in case of audit

Visit the District of Columbia Board of Nursing website for the official renewal portal.

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How to Submit Your CE in District of Columbia

You submit CE through the board's own portal as part of renewal.

The RN logs in to the DC Health Renewal Licensing Portal (Salesforce-based) and completes the online renewal, paper applications are no longer accepted. Before starting, the board tells licensees to have CE certificates scanned: the portal "has enhanced features such as the ability to upload your continuing education documents," and "All renewals require proof of continuing education (CE) except for first-time renewals. Licensees must submit CE certificates or transcripts... showing the course title, hours awarded, and approval status." During the application, the nurse uploads the CE certificate files, then must type something in the continuing-education DESCRIPTION BOX (e.g., "I have uploaded all my CEUs") to submit them. If uploads fail (or CE is not yet finished), the nurse may select the "I will complete my CEUs by the License Expiration Date" option to skip uploads and renew on time, but CE documentation must still be uploaded before the license expiration date. So this is NOT an attest-only state: certificates are uploaded into the board's own portal, not reported via CE Broker.

Where it happens: DC Health Renewal Licensing Portal (DC Health online licensure portal, Salesforce)

dohlicenseinfo.secure.force.com/dchealthrenewals

Because District of Columbia makes you upload your CE at renewal, not just attest, you'll need every certificate on hand. Keep them organized in RenewRN so they're ready when it's time to renew, free CE tracking, no card required.

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If District of Columbia audits your CE

By rule (17 DCMR § 5406.3): "The Board may periodically conduct an audit of licensees to determine compliance with the continuing education requirements. A licensee who has been selected to participate in an audit shall, within thirty (30) days of receiving the notice of the audit, submit proof of completion of the continuing education required pursuant to § 5406.1." The 2026 renewal notice adds: "After the renewal, you may be audited and required to submit continuing education documents to the Board. CEUs must be taken during the current licensure period." Selection method (random vs targeted) and the audit-document submission channel are not specified in the code or notice; board contact is bon.dc@dc.gov and the customer-support case site https://dohlicenseinfo.secure.force.com/support/. Response deadline: 30 days from receiving the audit notice.

Announced change

Birth-month renewal system announced in the board's 2026 RN/APRN Renewal Notice: "the Director has moved to change the renewal system to align with each licensee's birth month. As such, all applicable licenses, certificates, or registrations issued on or after June 16, 2024, will expire on the last day of the birth month of the license holder. Additionally, licensees born in even-numbered years will have expiration years that are even-numbered, while those born in odd-numbered years will have odd-numbered expiration years. This applies to all new and renewing licenses." This changes renewal timing (repo's "June 30 of even-numbered years" is now legacy for licenses issued/renewed after June 16, 2024), not the CE-upload mechanic itself. No announced change to the upload mechanic found, the portal's CE-document upload is already live (used in the 2024 and 2026 cycles).

Verified 2026-07-03 against dchealth.dc.gov · dchealth.dc.gov · dchealth.dc.gov · dchealth.dc.gov. Always confirm with the board before relying on it.

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CE Hours by License Type

District of Columbia ranks #4 of 51 for RN renewal burden, one of the heaviest in the country.See the CE Burden Index

Type	CE hours	Renewal fee
RN	24 / 2 yrs	$195 ($145 application + $50 background check)
APRN	24 / 2 yrs	$118 (+ $130 controlled-substance registration where applicable, + $50 background check)
LPN	18 / 2 yrs	$195

CE deadline calculator Check if a course counts Compare all states

APRN renewal in District of Columbia. 15 hours of APRN Pharmacology apply per renewal cycle (details in the requirements table below). Renewal deadlines here differ by license type; see Important Deadlines below. The board is only one clock: your national certification and any DEA registration renew on their own cycles. Full District of Columbia APRN renewal guide

CE Requirements

Category	Hours	Required	Types	Description
General Continuing Education	24	Required	RNLPNAPRNFNPCRNACNMPMHNP	24 contact hours of continuing education per 2-year renewal cycle for RNs and APRNs; 18 contact hours for LPNs.
Public Health	2.4	Required	RNLPNAPRNFNPCRNACNMPMHNP	Public health priority topics equal to 10% of your CE hours (2.4 hours within the 24-hour RN/APRN total; 1.8 for LPN), included in the total.
LGBTQ Cultural Competency	2	Required	RNLPNAPRNFNPCRNACNMPMHNP	2 hours in LGBTQ cultural competency (included in the 24-hour total).
APRN Pharmacology	15	Required	APRNFNPCRNACNMPMHNP	APRNs must complete 15 of their 24 CE hours in pharmacology (APRN only; counted within the 24-hour total, not additional). (Source: DC Health 2024 RN/APRN renewal FAQ, dchealth.dc.gov.)

Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs): District of Columbia CNA renewal is handled by the state nurse-aide registry, not the Board of Nursing, and follows a work-hours / in-service model rather than the CE above. Check your state nurse-aide registry for CNA requirements.

Find free District of Columbia CE. Verified, accredited and state-approved courses. No upsells. Browse free District of Columbia nursing CE courses

Important Deadlines

Renewal Due: 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
Grace Period: 60-day grace period after the deadline with an $85 late fee; for the June 30, 2026 renewal, DC Health stated licensees may not work beyond September 1, 2026 without an active license
CE Completion Window: All CE must be completed during the 2-year period immediately preceding the renewal date
Record Retention: Keep CE certificates for at least 6 years in case of audit by the District of Columbia Board of Nursing

Missed your District of Columbia renewal deadline?

60-day grace period after the deadline with an $85 late fee; for the June 30, 2026 renewal, DC Health stated licensees may not work beyond September 1, 2026 without an active license

What to do if your District of Columbia license lapsed

Important Notes

• DC requires 24 CE hours per 2-year renewal cycle for RNs and APRNs; LPNs need 18 CE hours
• One-time transition adjustment: licensees whose term runs shorter than 2 years during the birth-month transition owe only 50% of the CE requirement, but the 2-hour LGBTQ cultural competency and public-health priority hours are still due in full, and fees are not prorated
• Mandatory topics include public health priority topics equal to 10% of your CE hours (2.4 hours for RNs) and 2 hours of LGBTQ cultural competency and 15 hours of pharmacology for APRNs
• RN and APRN licenses historically expired June 30 of even-numbered years (LPN in odd years); DC is transitioning all licenses to a birth-month cycle, so newer credentials expire on the last day of the holder's birth month
• District of Columbia is NOT a Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) member
• A 60-day grace period is available after the June 30 deadline with an $85 late fee
• CE certificates should be retained for at least 4 years for audit purposes
• This information is for guidance only. Always verify requirements with the DC Board of Nursing.

CE Providers & Renewal

Approved CE Providers

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Late Fees & Reinstatement

Late Renewal Fees

RN: $85 added on top of the standard renewal fee, a penalty for renewing during the roughly 60 day grace period after the June 30 deadline (not a total)
LPN: $85 added on top of the standard renewal fee, a penalty for renewing during the roughly 60 day grace period after the June 30 deadline (not a total)

Reinstatement Fees

RN: $280

Already lapsed? The District of Columbia re-entry guide covers refresher rules, costs by lapse length, and the path back.

Getting your first District of Columbia RN license

Background check: Fingerprint-based criminal background check required. DC Health requires a fingerprint-based criminal background check for RN applicants: after paying the combined application/CBC fee, applicants receive a code and link to schedule a fingerprint appointment with the CBC vendor Fieldprint, which submits prints electronically to the FBI.
Application fee: $237 (initial license by examination)
Temporary permit: Available. DC Health's Supervised Practice Form lets an RN applicant with a pending license application practice under the direct supervision of a licensed RN, but only at the approved location, only for the time period stated in the board-approved letter, and the letter is not renewable.

Applies to new RN licensure by examination. Verified against the District of Columbia Board of Nursing.

Full guide: how to get your first District of Columbia RN license

CE Audit Information

DC Board of Nursing may conduct random CE audits and uses CE Broker for tracking.

Frequently asked questions about District of Columbia nursing renewal

How many CE hours do nurses need in District of Columbia?: Registered Nurses (RN) in District of Columbia need 24 continuing education hours every 2 years for license renewal.
What are the mandatory CE topics in District of Columbia?: Mandatory CE topics in District of Columbia include: Public Health, LGBTQ Cultural Competency.
What is the renewal cycle for nursing licenses in District of Columbia?: Nursing licenses in District of Columbia must be renewed every 2 years. The District of Columbia Board of Nursing oversees license renewals.
What is the RN renewal fee in District of Columbia?: The RN renewal fee in District of Columbia is $195 ($145 application + $50 background check). Fees can change, so confirm the current amount on the District of Columbia Board of Nursing portal before submitting.
When are nursing licenses due for renewal in District of Columbia?: District of Columbia nursing licenses are due 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.
Is District of Columbia part of the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC)?: No. District of Columbia is not part of the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC). Nurses must hold a District of Columbia-issued license to practice there.
Does District of Columbia require CE Broker for tracking continuing education?: No. District of Columbia does not require CE Broker, though some nurses use it voluntarily to track CE across multiple states.
What license types does District of Columbia regulate?: District of Columbia regulates the following nursing license types: RN, APRN, LPN.
How many CE hours do LPNs need in District of Columbia?: Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN) in District of Columbia need 18 continuing education hours every 2 years for license renewal. The LPN renewal fee is $195.
What does APRN renewal require in District of Columbia?: 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). District of Columbia also requires 15 hours of APRN Pharmacology per renewal cycle (see the requirements table for details on who it applies to). 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. Your national certification renews separately with its certifying body on its own cycle.
What happens if you miss the license renewal deadline in District of Columbia?: 60-day grace period after the deadline with an $85 late fee; for the June 30, 2026 renewal, DC Health stated licensees may not work beyond September 1, 2026 without an active license The RN late-renewal fee is $85 added on top of the standard renewal fee, a penalty for renewing during the roughly 60 day grace period after the June 30 deadline (not a total). If your license has lapsed, do not practice until your renewal is processed; confirm your status with the District of Columbia Board of Nursing.

Sources & Board Resources

District of Columbia Board of Nursing

https://dchealth.dc.gov/bon

Sources

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Type

CE hours

Renewal fee

24 / 2 yrs

$195 ($145 application + $50 background check)

APRN

24 / 2 yrs

$118 (+ $130 controlled-substance registration where applicable, + $50 background check)

LPN

18 / 2 yrs

$195

District of Columbia RN License Renewal Requirements

Quick Facts

How to Renew Your District of Columbia Nursing License

How to Submit Your CE in District of Columbia

If District of Columbia audits your CE

Get the District of Columbia RN renewal checklist

CE Hours by License Type

CE Requirements

Important Deadlines

Important Notes

CE Providers & Renewal

Late Fees & Reinstatement

Getting your first District of Columbia RN license

Frequently asked questions about District of Columbia nursing renewal

Sources & Board Resources

Cite or embed this page

Other state renewal guides

Don't miss your District of Columbia renewal

More for District of Columbia nurses

District of Columbia RN License Renewal Requirements

Quick Facts

How to Renew Your District of Columbia Nursing License

How to Submit Your CE in District of Columbia

If District of Columbia audits your CE

Get the District of Columbia RN renewal checklist

CE Hours by License Type

CE Requirements

Important Deadlines

Important Notes

CE Providers & Renewal

Late Fees & Reinstatement

Getting your first District of Columbia RN license

Frequently asked questions about District of Columbia nursing renewal

Sources & Board Resources

Cite or embed this page

Other state renewal guides

Don't miss your District of Columbia renewal

More for District of Columbia nurses