How many CE hours do nurses need? 2026 requirements by state

The short answer

• Most common: 20 to 30 contact hours per renewal period. Of the 22 states we track with a fixed hour requirement, 16 fall in that range.
• Some states require no CE hours at all, and a few require practice hours instead.
• Many states let you pick CE as one option among practice hours, certification or coursework, and many add mandatory topics on top of the hours.

Every state below links to its full page, with the official board source and the date we last checked it. For a one-page table of all 50 states + DC, use the printable CE chart.

CE hours by state at a glance

No general CE-hour requirement

• Arizona: no CE hours; practice requirement of 960 hours in 5 years (or a recent nursing degree or refresher course)
• Colorado: CE hours are not currently required to renew
• Connecticut: no general hours; 2 contact hours every six years on mental health screening and suicide prevention
• Idaho: no RN/LPN CE requirement in the current board rules (the former 15-hour rule was removed)
• Indiana: the board says there are no CEU requirements to renew RN or LPN licenses
• Maine: renewal is an application and fee; no CE-hour requirement
• Mississippi: none routinely; 20 contact hours only if you haven't practiced for five years
• Missouri: the board's renewal page lists no CE requirement
• Montana: the board no longer requires CE contact hours to renew
• New York: no general hours on the board's FAQ; mandated infection control coursework every four years and child abuse reporting coursework
• South Dakota: no CE; at least 140 practice hours in any 12-month period over the past six years (or 480 hours in six years, or a refresher course)
• Wisconsin: the state says no continuing education is required for the RN license

See the full no-CE states guide for details.

Lower requirements (15 hours or fewer)

• Rhode Island: 10 hours every two years, including 2 on substance abuse
• North Dakota: 12 contact hours in the two years before renewal
• West Virginia: 12 contact hours per renewal cycle
• Massachusetts: 15 contact hours per renewal
• Washington: 8 CE hours plus 96 practice hours every year

20 to 25 hours

• Texas: 20 contact hours per two-year licensing period, or a board-approved national certification
• Illinois: 20 hours per two-year renewal cycle
• Nebraska: 20 contact hours in two years plus 500 practice hours in five years (or other listed options)
• Alabama: 24 hours per license period
• Florida: 24 hours per two-year renewal, including mandatory topics
• Minnesota: 24 contact hours per 24-month participation period
• Ohio: 24 contact hours per reporting period, including 1 hour of Category A
• Michigan: 25 hours in the two years before renewal

30 hours or more

• California: 30 contact hours every two years
• Delaware: 30 contact hours per renewal period
• Kansas: 30 contact hours per licensing period
• Nevada: 30 hours per renewal
• New Hampshire: 30 contact hours in two years plus 400 practice hours in four years
• New Jersey: 30 contact hours in the two years before renewal
• New Mexico: 30 contact hours per 24 months, or a current national certification
• Pennsylvania: 30 hours per two-year renewal period
• Iowa: 36 contact hours per renewal period

CE is one of several options

In these states you meet renewal by completing one option, such as CE hours, practice hours, certification or coursework:

• Arkansas: 15 contact hours, a national certification, or a college nursing course
• Georgia: one of five continuing competency options (see the board's CE packet)
• Hawaii: one learning activity, most commonly 30 contact hours
• Kentucky: for example, 14 contact hours per November 1 to October 31 earning period, or one of several other options
• Louisiana: 30 contact hours or 900 employer-verified practice hours per two-year period
• Maryland: 30 CEUs in two years, 1,000 practice hours in five years, or a recent nursing program
• North Carolina: one of eight options, such as 30 contact hours, or 15 contact hours plus 640 practice hours
• Oklahoma: 24 contact hours, 520 work hours, a certification, a refresher course, or 6 academic credit hours
• Tennessee: continued-competence activities; the CE option is 5 contact hours (10 if not practicing)
• Utah: 400 practice hours, 200 practice hours plus 15 CE hours, or 30 CE hours in two years
• Vermont: 400 practice hours in two years, 960 in five years, 20 CE hours in two years, or a certification
• Virginia: for example, 15 contact hours plus 640 practice hours, or 30 contact hours
• Wyoming: 400 practice hours, 40 CE hours, passing the NCLEX, a refresher course, or other listed options
• Alaska and South Carolina: option-based; check your board for the current numbers

Check your board: District of Columbia. We couldn't confirm DC's hour figure on the official page this week, so we don't print it here.

Changing soon: Oregon

Oregon dropped its practice-hour requirement on January 1, 2026. Beginning January 1, 2028, RNs and LPNs will need 20 hours of CE to renew. For now, Oregon requires 1 hour of pain management education every 36 months and 2 hours of cultural competency every 48 months.

Why the hours number isn't the whole story

• Mandatory topics. Many states require specific courses inside (or on top of) the total, such as human trafficking, implicit bias, opioids or state law. See free CE for mandatory topics.
• Timing windows. Hours usually must be earned inside the current renewal period, and some states run one-year cycles (Washington) or an earning period that doesn't match your expiration date (Kentucky).
• Alternatives. Practice hours, a national certification or academic credit can replace CE in some states.

RN vs LPN vs APRN

In most states in our data, LPN/LVN rules match RN rules, but there are exceptions. Minnesota requires 24 contact hours for RNs and 12 for LPNs. Georgia lists 20 hours for LPNs.

APRNs often owe extra pharmacology hours:

• Alabama: 6 of the 24 hours must carry pharmacology credit for APRNs.
• Arkansas: APRNs with prescriptive authority add 5 contact hours of pharmacotherapeutics each renewal.
• West Virginia: APRNs complete 24 contact hours every two years, 12 in pharmacotherapeutics and 12 in clinical management.

If you hold more than one license

Hours from one course can often count for several licenses, but you must meet the highest total and every state's mandatory topics. See using the same CE for multiple licenses, and if you have a compact license, read whose CE rules apply to a multistate license.

How to check your exact number

1. Open your state page for the hours, topics, deadline and official source.
2. Download the printable chart if you hold several licenses.
3. Check whether your state uses CE Broker or its own portal in the CE Broker states guide.
4. Confirm on your board's site before you renew. Rules change; always confirm with your board.