Continuing-Education Audit Guide
Texas Nursing CE Audit Response Guide
What to do if the Texas Board of Nursing audits your continuing education for the current renewal cycle. Built from Texas-specific board guidance, not generic advice.
Audit guidance verified against the Texas Board of Nursing · last checked · How RenewRN verifies its data
Response window
30 days
from audit notice receipt
Records retention
4 years
required by Texas Board of Nursing
Submission method
Upload through the Texas Board of Nursing online portal; certified mail to the TBON as backup.
What Texas reviewers actually look for
- Texas requires 20 contact hours per 2-year renewal. The TBON Nursing Jurisprudence and Ethics 2-hour requirement applies to all nurses every third renewal cycle (Rule 216.3(g)).
- Forensic evidence collection (at least 2 hrs, Rule 216.3(d)) is a one-time requirement for nurses working in an ER setting (including float, agency, and travel shifts), due within two years of starting ER employment. Keep the certificate indefinitely, even after changing jobs.
- Targeted CE hours (e.g., older adults, pediatrics) are required only for RNs practicing in those populations; be ready to document your practice area.
Top reasons audit responses get rejected
- Workplace in-services without an ANCC or state-board-approved provider on the certificate: boards routinely reject these.
- BLS/ACLS/PALS certifications submitted as CE hours: these are competencies, not continuing education.
- Journal article reading without an associated CE quiz/certificate from an approved provider.
- Courses from providers whose accreditation lapsed before the renewal cycle's start date.
- Certificates that don't state the contact hours awarded (reviewers can't credit hours they can't see).
- Courses completed BEFORE the audited renewal cycle's start date (you can't use hours twice).
- Screenshots or phone photos of certificates instead of original PDFs or printed certificates.
- Duplicate certificates for the same course title from the same provider: submit once.
RenewRN Pro builds this response packet in one click
Keep your CE logged year-round and Pro assembles a board-ready audit response packet (your certificates plus a cover summary) whenever you are selected, so you are never scrambling to find proof.
See RenewRN ProPaper submission address
Texas Board of Nursing 1801 Congress Avenue, Suite 10.200 Austin, TX 78701
Always send by trackable mail (certified return-receipt). Keep proof of delivery for your own records.
Step-by-step: respond to a Texas CE audit
- 1Read the audit notice carefully. Note the renewal cycle being audited and the 30-day response deadline.
- 2Pull every CE certificate from the audited cycle. Each must show course title, accredited provider number, completion date, and contact hours.
- 3Group certificates by mandatory topic. Texas requires Jurisprudence & Ethics, Human Trafficking Prevention. Verify the accredited provider number is visible on every page.
- 4Write a brief cover letter listing your full legal name, license number, the audit reference, and a numbered inventory of attached certificates.
- 5Upload through the Texas Board of Nursing online portal; certified mail to the TBON as backup.
Audit-ready in one click. RenewRN tracks every CE certificate, provider number, and category, then bundles a Texas-formatted response packet and every certificate for the audited period into a single download.
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