How many CE hours do nurses need in Nebraska?

Nebraska does not mandate a fixed number of CE hours. Continuing education is one of several ways to meet the continuing-competency requirement. Nurses who choose the CE option typically complete 20 contact hours every 2 years.

What are the mandatory CE topics in Nebraska?

Mandatory CE topics in Nebraska include: Nursys e-Notify Registration.

What is the renewal cycle for nursing licenses in Nebraska?

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

What is the RN renewal fee in Nebraska?

The RN renewal fee in Nebraska is $123. Fees can change, so confirm the current amount on the Nebraska Board of Nursing portal before submitting.

When are nursing licenses due for renewal in Nebraska?

Nebraska renewal deadline: October 31 of even-numbered years (RN/APRN); October 31 of odd-numbered years (LPN).

Is Nebraska part of the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC)?

Yes. Nebraska is a Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) member state, so an NLC multistate license allows practice in all compact states.

Does Nebraska require CE Broker for tracking continuing education?

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

What license types does Nebraska regulate?

Nebraska regulates the following nursing license types: RN, APRN, LPN.

How many CE hours do LPNs need in Nebraska?

Nebraska does not mandate a fixed number of CE hours for LPNs. Continuing education is one of several ways to meet the continuing-competency requirement; LPNs who choose the CE option typically complete 20 contact hours every 2 years.

What does APRN renewal require in Nebraska?

The Nebraska Board of Nursing does not set a fixed CE-hour mandate for APRN renewal. The APRN renewal fee is $68. Renewal deadlines in Nebraska differ by license type: October 31 of even-numbered years (RN/APRN); October 31 of odd-numbered years (LPN). Your national certification renews separately with its certifying body on its own cycle.

Field guide · License renewal

Nebraska RN License Renewal Requirements

Name: Nebraska Nursing License Renewal
Creator: RenewRN

Verified 2026-10-19

Nebraska Board of Nursing · 2-year renewal cycle

Last reviewed against the board source October 19, 2026 · How RenewRN verifies its data

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As of 2026, Nebraska RNs renew every 2 years by meeting one of several board-approved competency options; the CE option is 20 contact hours. The RN renewal fee is $123.

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Quick Facts

Renewal cycle	Every 2 years
Renewal deadline	October 31 of even-numbered years (RN/APRN); October 31 of odd-numbered years (LPN)
Total CE hours (RN)	No fixed mandate (20 hrs if you choose the CE option)
Renewal fee (RN)	$123
Compact state (NLC)	Yes, NLC member · check your eligibility
License types	RN, APRN, LPN
Typical pay	See Nebraska nurse salaries

Nebraska does not impose a flat continuing-education mandate for RN and LPN renewal. Instead, nurses satisfy continued competency by meeting any ONE of the options in 172 NAC 101: 500 practice hours in five years plus 20 contact hours of approved CE; recent graduation (with or without 20 hours, depending on how recent); a 75-hour Board-approved refresher course; current national specialty certification (the 2026 paper form omits this box, so confirm with DHHS); or a maintained competency portfolio. APRNs renew by maintaining current national certification, nurse practitioners also need 2,080 NP practice hours in five years, and NPs and CNMs who prescribe controlled substances need 3 hours of opiate-prescribing CE until January 1, 2029. Every renewal requires Nursys e-Notify enrollment. RN and APRN licenses expire October 31 of even-numbered years; LPN licenses expire October 31 of odd-numbered years. Nebraska is a Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) member state.

Verified against the Nebraska Board of Nursing, last checked 2026-10-19. Found something off? Let me know.

Nebraska CE Audit Response Guide

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

Read the full Nebraska RN License Renewal Guide

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

How to Renew Your Nebraska Nursing License

1Renew online through DHHS (dhhs.ne.gov/renew) or by mailing the paper renewal form
2Confirm which continued-competency option you meet (practice hours + 20 CE, recent graduate, refresher, or portfolio; national certification is allowed by regulation but not on the 2026 paper form, so confirm with DHHS)
3Enroll in Nursys e-Notify if you have not already (a renewal requirement)
4Update your contact and employment information
5Pay the renewal fee ($123 for RN/LPN, $68 for the APRN credential)
6Submit early: DHHS must process your renewal by October 31 for you to work on November 1

Visit the Nebraska Board of Nursing website for the official renewal portal.

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How to Submit Your CE in Nebraska

You attest to your CE when you renew and keep your certificates; you only submit documents if the board audits you.

A Nebraska RN or LPN attests at renewal to meeting ONE continued-competency option (172 NAC 101-005.01), for example 500 hours of nursing practice in the past five years plus 20 contact hours of approved continuing education in the past two years (no more than 4 hours from CPR/BLS), or graduation within the past two years. Since the 2025 renewals all 20 hours must come from an approved provider; the old peer-reviewed split was removed in 2019. Proof is not submitted at renewal: the licensee attests, keeps certificates, and produces them only if audited (retain 4 years).

Where it happens: Nebraska DHHS Licensure online renewal

dhhs.ne.gov/licensure/Pages/License-Renewals.aspx

If Nebraska audits your CE

Random audit; selected nurses are notified with instructions to provide proof of the competency option they attested to; retain records 4 years.

Verified 2026-07-03 against dhhs.ne.gov. Always confirm with the board before relying on it.

How every other state takes CE proof

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CE Hours by License Type

Nebraska ranks #27 of 51 for RN renewal burden, in the middle in the country.See the CE Burden Index

Type	CE hours	Renewal fee
RN	20 / 2 yrs (CE option)	$123
APRN	0 / 2 yrs	$68
LPN	20 / 2 yrs (CE option)	$123

CE deadline calculator Check if a course counts Compare all states

APRN renewal in Nebraska. 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 Nebraska APRN renewal guide

CE Requirements

Category	Hours	Required	Types	Description
Continuing Competency (one option required)	20	Required	RNLPN	Nebraska RN/LPN renewal requires meeting ONE of these continued-competency options (172 NAC 101-005.01; no flat CE mandate): (1) 500 practice hours in the past five years PLUS 20 contact hours of approved CE in the past two years; (2) graduated 2 to 5 years ago PLUS 20 contact hours within the past two years; (3) graduated within the last two years (no CE); (4) a Board-approved refresher course of at least 75 contact hours within the last five years; (5) current national specialty certification; or (6) a maintained continuing-competency portfolio. Note: the regulation (172 NAC 101-005.01(E)) allows national specialty certification, but the 2026 paper RN renewal form does not list it as a box, so confirm with DHHS (DHHS.NursingOffice@nebraska.gov) before renewing on certification alone.
APRN National Certification	0	Required	APRNFNPCRNACNMPMHNP	APRNs renew by maintaining current national certification in their specialty (granted by a nationally recognized certifying organization). Nebraska sets no separate APRN CE-hour total beyond the controlled-substance opiate CE below.
APRN Practice Hours	0	Required	FNPPMHNP	Nurse practitioners must also show 2,080 hours of practice as an NP within the five years before renewal (Neb. Rev. Stat. 38-2319; 172 NAC 98), in addition to current national certification. The 2026 NP renewal form accepts graduation from an NP program after 10/31/2021 instead. These hours also satisfy the RN practice-hour option.
Opiate Prescribing CE (prescribers only, 2020–2028)	3	Conditional	FNPCNMPMHNP	APRN-NPs and APRN-CNMs who prescribe controlled substances must complete 3 hours on prescribing opiates, including at least 30 minutes on the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) (Neb. Rev. Stat. 38-145). This is a time-limited mandate that terminates January 1, 2029.
Nursys e-Notify Registration	0	Required	RNLPNAPRNFNPCRNACNMPMHNP	Enrollment in Nursys e-Notify is a renewal requirement on every 2026 Nebraska renewal form. Create a free individual account at nursys.com if you do not have one.

Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs): Nebraska 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 Nebraska CE. Verified courses, accredited or state-approved, with free certificates. Browse free Nebraska nursing CE courses

Important Deadlines

Renewal Due: October 31 of even-numbered years (RN/APRN); October 31 of odd-numbered years (LPN)
Grace Period: No grace period. Your application must be postmarked or submitted by October 31, but DHHS must also PROCESS it before you can keep working: if it is not processed by October 31, your license expires November 1 and you cannot work until it is processed, even though it will still be renewed without reinstatement. Postmarked after October 31 means the license has expired and you must reinstate. DHHS assesses an administrative penalty of $10 per day, up to $1,000, for practicing after expiration (2026 renewal form; DHHS Nurse Licensing FAQs).
Record Retention: The Nebraska Board of Nursing sets no fixed retention period, so keep your CE certificates in case of audit

Missed your Nebraska renewal deadline?

No grace period. Your application must be postmarked or submitted by October 31, but DHHS must also PROCESS it before you can keep working: if it is not processed by October 31, your license expires November 1 and you cannot work until it is processed, even though it will still be renewed without reinstatement. Postmarked after October 31 means the license has expired and you must reinstate. DHHS assesses an administrative penalty of $10 per day, up to $1,000, for practicing after expiration (2026 renewal form; DHHS Nurse Licensing FAQs).

What to do if your Nebraska license lapsed

Important Notes

• Nebraska RN/LPN renewal is a continued-competency MENU, not a flat CE mandate: meet any one option (500 practice hours in the past five years plus 20 contact hours in the past two years; graduation two to five years ago plus 20 contact hours; graduation within the past two years; a Board-approved refresher course of at least 75 hours within five years; current national specialty certification; or a professional portfolio).
• The regulation (172 NAC 101-005.01(E)) lets a nurse with current national specialty certification renew without CE hours, and the 2025 LPN renewal form offered that box, but the 2026 paper RN renewal form does not. Confirm with DHHS (DHHS.NursingOffice@nebraska.gov) before relying on certification alone.
• The peer-reviewed/non-peer-reviewed split was removed from 172 NAC 101 in its 2019 update; since the 2025 renewals all 20 hours must come from an approved provider (Board CE advisory, rev. 9/2025). RNs and LPNs cannot use CME toward renewal.
• If you use the 20-hour CE option, no more than 4 hours may be claimed for current CPR or BLS certification.
• APRNs renew by maintaining current national certification; Nebraska sets no separate APRN CE-hour total.
• APRN-NPs and APRN-CNMs who prescribe controlled substances must complete 3 hours of opiate-prescribing CE (incl. 30 min on the PDMP); the mandate terminates January 1, 2029.
• APRN credential renewal fee is $68 (in addition to the $123 RN renewal fee).
• RN and APRN licenses expire October 31 of even-numbered years; LPN licenses expire October 31 of odd-numbered years.
• Nebraska is a Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) member state.
• This information is for guidance only. Always verify requirements with the Nebraska Board of Nursing.
• Reinstatement fee is $158 for RN and LPN, reduced to $65.75 when the reinstated license would expire within six months (DHHS reinstatement form rev. 08.11.26). A license reinstated in November or December 2026 next expires in October 2028, so it pays the full $158. APRN reinstatement is $103, or $60 within six months of expiration (APRN reinstatement form rev. 07.02.25).
• Reinstating an expired RN/LPN license uses a narrower competency list than renewal: 500 practice hours in five years plus 20 approved CE hours in the last 24 months, graduation within 24 months, graduation within five years plus 20 CE hours, or a 75-hour refresher within five years. National certification and a portfolio are NOT reinstatement options, so a certified nurse who renewed with no CE needs 20 approved hours to reinstate. It is a mailed paper application and DHHS cannot provide same-day processing.
• You can choose Inactive status (no fee) before your license expires; you cannot practice on it, and returning to active status requires reinstatement.

CE Providers & Renewal

Approved CE Providers

ANCCJoint Accreditation for Interprofessional Continuing EducationAny U.S. Board of Nursing

Renew Online

Late Fees & Reinstatement

Reinstatement Fees

RN: $158
LPN: $158
APRN: $103
FNP: $103
CRNA: $103
CNM: $103
PMHNP: $103

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

Getting your first Nebraska RN license

Background check: Fingerprint-based criminal background check required. Neb. Rev. Stat. §38-131 requires initial RN applicants to submit a full set of fingerprints, forwarded by the Nebraska State Patrol to the FBI, for a national criminal history record check.
Application fee: $123 (prorated $30.75 late in the cycle; waived for under-26, low-income, and military applicants) (initial license by examination)
Temporary permit: Not issued. Nebraska has no working temporary-permit path for exam-track graduates. Neb. Rev. Stat. section 38-2225 still authorizes a temporary license on paper, but the current DHHS examination application materials never mention one, and the licensing FAQ offers a 60-day temporary permit only in the licensure-by-endorsement pathway (issued while the criminal background check is in process). DHHS provisional-license pages still hosted online are frozen COVID-era content tied to Executive Order 20-37 and are no longer operative.

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

Full guide: how to get your first Nebraska RN license

First-Time Licensee Exemption

First licensed in Nebraska within the 24 months before renewal (after 10/31/2024 for the 2026 RN cycle): the continuing-competency requirement is waived (DHHS Renewal and Continuing Education page; 2026 RN renewal form). Active-duty military who served 30 consecutive days on full-time active duty since 11/01/2020 may choose Active-Military status, which has no fee and no continuing-competency requirement.

CE Audit Information

Nebraska randomly audits a percentage of renewals for continuing competency; selected nurses submit documentation. Keep your CE certificates in case of audit. Nebraska sets no fixed retention period.

Frequently asked questions about Nebraska nursing renewal

How many CE hours do nurses need in Nebraska?: Nebraska does not mandate a fixed number of CE hours. Continuing education is one of several ways to meet the continuing-competency requirement. Nurses who choose the CE option typically complete 20 contact hours every 2 years.
What are the mandatory CE topics in Nebraska?: Mandatory CE topics in Nebraska include: Nursys e-Notify Registration.
What is the renewal cycle for nursing licenses in Nebraska?: Nursing licenses in Nebraska must be renewed every 2 years. The Nebraska Board of Nursing oversees license renewals.
What is the RN renewal fee in Nebraska?: The RN renewal fee in Nebraska is $123. Fees can change, so confirm the current amount on the Nebraska Board of Nursing portal before submitting.
When are nursing licenses due for renewal in Nebraska?: Nebraska renewal deadline: October 31 of even-numbered years (RN/APRN); October 31 of odd-numbered years (LPN).
Is Nebraska part of the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC)?: Yes. Nebraska is a Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) member state, so an NLC multistate license allows practice in all compact states.
Does Nebraska require CE Broker for tracking continuing education?: No. Nebraska does not require CE Broker, though some nurses use it voluntarily to track CE across multiple states.
What license types does Nebraska regulate?: Nebraska regulates the following nursing license types: RN, APRN, LPN.
How many CE hours do LPNs need in Nebraska?: Nebraska does not mandate a fixed number of CE hours for LPNs. Continuing education is one of several ways to meet the continuing-competency requirement; LPNs who choose the CE option typically complete 20 contact hours every 2 years.
What does APRN renewal require in Nebraska?: The Nebraska Board of Nursing does not set a fixed CE-hour mandate for APRN renewal. The APRN renewal fee is $68. Renewal deadlines in Nebraska differ by license type: October 31 of even-numbered years (RN/APRN); October 31 of odd-numbered years (LPN). Your national certification renews separately with its certifying body on its own cycle.
What happens if you miss the license renewal deadline in Nebraska?: No grace period. Your application must be postmarked or submitted by October 31, but DHHS must also PROCESS it before you can keep working: if it is not processed by October 31, your license expires November 1 and you cannot work until it is processed, even though it will still be renewed without reinstatement. Postmarked after October 31 means the license has expired and you must reinstate. DHHS assesses an administrative penalty of $10 per day, up to $1,000, for practicing after expiration (2026 renewal form; DHHS Nurse Licensing FAQs). If your license has lapsed, do not practice until your renewal is processed; confirm your status with the Nebraska Board of Nursing.

Sources & Board Resources

Nebraska Board of Nursing

https://dhhs.ne.gov/licensure/Pages/Nurse-Licensing.aspx

Sources

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Type

CE hours

Renewal fee

20 / 2 yrs (CE option)

$123

APRN

0 / 2 yrs

$68

LPN

20 / 2 yrs (CE option)

$123

Nebraska RN License Renewal Requirements

Quick Facts

How to Renew Your Nebraska Nursing License

How to Submit Your CE in Nebraska

If Nebraska audits your CE

Get the Nebraska RN renewal checklist

CE Hours by License Type

CE Requirements

Important Deadlines

Important Notes

CE Providers & Renewal

Late Fees & Reinstatement

Getting your first Nebraska RN license

Frequently asked questions about Nebraska nursing renewal

Sources & Board Resources

Cite or embed this page

Other Nurse Licensure Compact states

Don't miss your Nebraska renewal

More for Nebraska nurses

Nebraska RN License Renewal Requirements

Quick Facts

How to Renew Your Nebraska Nursing License

How to Submit Your CE in Nebraska

If Nebraska audits your CE

Get the Nebraska RN renewal checklist

CE Hours by License Type

CE Requirements

Important Deadlines

Important Notes

CE Providers & Renewal

Late Fees & Reinstatement

Getting your first Nebraska RN license

Frequently asked questions about Nebraska nursing renewal

Sources & Board Resources

Cite or embed this page

Other Nurse Licensure Compact states

Don't miss your Nebraska renewal

More for Nebraska nurses