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Nurse practitioner CE requirements by state
Every state sets its own continuing education rule for nurse practitioners, on its own clock and with its own required topics. This table covers all 51 jurisdictions, each taken from the board of nursing's own rules, with a link to the full detail on each state page.
The short answer
- 38 of 51 jurisdictions set an opioid, controlled-substance or pain-management topic for nurse practitioners.
- 30 name a pharmacology or pharmacotherapeutics requirement.
- 17 set no general hour total of their own (topic mandates can still apply): Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Wyoming.
- Each state's clock is separate. A course can count in several states only if it meets each state's topic and provider rules.
All 51 jurisdictions
| Jurisdiction | Hours per renewal | Topic mandates | Board |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 24 / 2 years | Pharmacology / pharmacotherapeutics (prescriptive authority): 6 contact hours (within the 24) Opioid / controlled-substance prescribing: 4 h | Alabama Board of Nursing (ABN) Checked July 20, 2026 |
| Alaska | 30 / 2 years | Opioid / controlled-substance prescribing: 2 h | Alaska Board of Nursing Checked October 19, 2026 |
| Arizona | No general hour total Renews every 4 years | Opioid / controlled-substance prescribing: 3 h | Arizona State Board of Nursing (AZBN) Checked October 19, 2026 |
| Arkansas | 15 / 2 years (20 with prescriptive authority) | Pharmacology / pharmacotherapeutics (prescriptive authority): 5 contact hours Prescribing education (professional boundaries + AR prescribing rules) - one-time for new prescriptive authority: 3 h | Arkansas State Board of Nursing (ASBN) Checked October 19, 2026 |
| California | 30 / 2 years | Pharmacology / pharmacotherapeutics (prescriptive authority): None Implicit bias: 1 h Gerontology / older-adult care: 6 h | California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN) Checked July 20, 2026 |
| Colorado | No general hour total Renews every 2 years | Opioid / controlled-substance prescribing: 2 h Pharmacology / pharmacotherapeutics (prescriptive authority): None Cultural competence & equity: TBD (pending Board of Nursing rulemaking) | Colorado State Board of Nursing (DORA/DPO) Checked October 13, 2026 |
| Connecticut | 50 / 2 years | Pharmacology / pharmacotherapeutics (prescriptive authority): 5 contact hours Opioid / controlled-substance prescribing: 1 h Veterans mental health / PTSD, suicide risk & prevention, depression, grief: 2 h Cultural competency: 1 h Sexual assault: 1 h Domestic violence: 1 h Risk management: 1 h Infectious diseases (including AIDS/HIV): 1 h | Connecticut DPH (APRN licensure; Board of Examiners for Nursing) Checked July 20, 2026 |
| Delaware | 30 / 2 years | Opioid / controlled-substance prescribing: 2 h Substance abuse: 3 h Recognition/response to abuse, exploitation, human trafficking, or DV of vulnerable populations: 1 h | Delaware Board of Nursing (Div of Professional Regulation) Checked October 19, 2026 |
| District of Columbia | 24 / 2 years | Pharmacology / pharmacotherapeutics (prescriptive authority): 15 (within the 24) LGBTQ cultural competency: 2 h Public health priorities of the District (including responsible opioid prescribing, sexual health/HIV, implicit bias): 2.4 (10% of 24) | District of Columbia Board of Nursing (DC Health) Checked July 20, 2026 |
| Florida | 27 / 2 years (24 + the 3-hour controlled-substance course) | Safe and effective prescription of controlled substances (counts as the pharmacology requirement): 3 h Prevention of Medical Errors: 2 h Florida Laws and Rules (nursing): 2 h Recognizing Impairment in the Workplace: 2 h Human Trafficking: 2 h Domestic Violence: 2 h HIV/AIDS: 1 h | Florida Board of Nursing Checked October 19, 2026 |
| Georgia | 30 / 2 years | Pharmacology / pharmacotherapeutics (prescriptive authority): Training (no set hours) Opioid / controlled-substance prescribing: 1 h Recognizing and documenting causes of death: 1 h | Georgia Board of Nursing Checked October 19, 2026 |
| Hawaii | 30 (prescribers only) Renews every 2 years | Pharmacology / pharmacotherapeutics (prescriptive authority): 8 contact hours Specialty-specific CE (prescriptive authority renewal): 22 h | Hawaii Board of Nursing (DCCA PVL) Checked October 19, 2026 |
| Idaho | No general hour total Renews every 2 years | None beyond the general hours | Idaho Board of Nursing (DOPL) Checked July 20, 2026 |
| Illinois | 80 / 2 years | Pharmacology / pharmacotherapeutics (prescriptive authority): 20 hours Opioid prescribing or substance abuse education (within the 20 pharmacotherapeutics hours): 10 h Opioid / controlled-substance prescribing: 1 h Sexual harassment prevention training: 1 h Implicit bias awareness training: 1 h Alzheimer's disease & other dementias: 1 h Cultural competency: 1 h Mandated reporter (child abuse/neglect) training: Course (no set hours) | Illinois Board of Nursing / Illinois Nursing Workforce Center (IDFPR, Division of Professional Regulation) Checked October 19, 2026 |
| Indiana | None for RN or basic APRN renewal; 30 / 2 years to renew prescriptive authority | Pharmacology / pharmacotherapeutics (prescriptive authority): 8 contact hours Federal DEA MATE Act one-time 8-hour substance use disorder training (NOT a state requirement): 8 h Continuing competency CE for prescriptive authority renewal: 30 h | Indiana State Board of Nursing (Indiana Professional Licensing Agency) Checked October 19, 2026 |
| Iowa | 36 Renews every 3 years | Pharmacology / pharmacotherapeutics (prescriptive authority): None Opioid / controlled-substance prescribing: 2 h Child abuse identification & reporting (mandatory reporter training): 2 h Dependent adult abuse identification & reporting (mandatory reporter training): 2 h | Iowa Board of Nursing (Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner / ARNP), Department of Inspections, Appeals & Licensing (DIAL) Checked July 20, 2026 |
| Kansas | 30 Renews every 2 years | None beyond the general hours | Kansas State Board of Nursing (KSBN) Checked July 20, 2026 |
| Kentucky | 14 Renews every year | Pharmacology / pharmacotherapeutics (prescriptive authority): 5 contact hours Opioid / controlled-substance prescribing: 3 h 8-hour substance use disorder training (DEA): 8 h Pediatric abusive head trauma (recognition and prevention): 1.5 h Domestic violence and elder abuse, neglect and exploitation: 3 h Alzheimer's disease and other dementias: 1 h Suicide prevention: 2 h | Kentucky Board of Nursing (KBN) Checked October 19, 2026 |
| Louisiana | 30 Renews every 2 years | Pharmacology / pharmacotherapeutics (prescriptive authority): 12 h Controlled dangerous substance (CDS) prescribing: 3 credits hours (drug diversion, best-practice prescribing, addiction treatment, chronic pain): 3 h Nutrition & metabolic health: 1 h | Louisiana State Board of Nursing (LSBN) Checked October 19, 2026 |
| Maine | 50 Renews every 2 years | Opioid / controlled-substance prescribing: 3 h | Maine State Board of Nursing Checked October 19, 2026 |
| Maryland | No general hour total Renews every 2 years | Opioid / controlled-substance prescribing: 2 h Implicit bias and structural racism training (combined approved program): Course (no set hours) | Maryland Board of Nursing (MBON) Checked October 19, 2026 |
| Massachusetts | 15 Renews every 2 years | Pharmacology / pharmacotherapeutics (prescriptive authority): None Opioid / controlled-substance prescribing: Course (no set hours) Domestic and sexual violence training: Course (no set hours) Alzheimer's disease and dementia care training (diagnosis, treatment and care of patients with cognitive impairments): Course (no set hours) Medical marijuana / cannabis certification education (proper use, side effects, dosage, contraindications, substance-abuse recognition): Course (no set hours) | Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing Checked July 20, 2026 |
| Michigan | 25 Renews every 2 years | Opioid / controlled-substance prescribing: Course (no set hours) Human trafficking identification training: Course (no set hours) Implicit bias training: 2 h Pain & symptom management: 2 h | Michigan Board of Nursing (LARA, Bureau of Professional Licensing) Checked July 20, 2026 |
| Minnesota | 24 Renews every 2 years | None beyond the general hours | Minnesota Board of Nursing Checked July 20, 2026 |
| Mississippi | National certificate (no fixed hour total) Renews every 2 years | Controlled-substance CE (prescriptive authority): 5 h | Mississippi Board of Nursing (MSBN) Checked July 20, 2026 |
| Missouri | No general hour total Renews every 2 years | None beyond the general hours | Missouri State Board of Nursing (MSBN), Division of Professional Registration Checked July 20, 2026 |
| Montana | No general hour total Renews every 2 years | None beyond the general hours | Montana Board of Nursing Checked October 13, 2026 |
| Nebraska | National certificate + 2,080 practice hours per 5 years (NP); RN 20 hours per 2 years or alt. | Opioid / controlled-substance prescribing: 3 h | Nebraska DHHS Division of Public Health, Licensure Unit / Board of Nursing (APRN-Nurse Practitioner) Checked July 20, 2026 |
| Nevada | 45 hours Renews every 2 years | Opioid / controlled-substance prescribing: 2 h Suicide prevention and awareness (evidence-based): 2 h Bioterrorism / medical consequences of an act of terrorism involving a weapon of mass destruction (WMD): 4 h SBIRT (screening, brief intervention and referral to treatment for substance use disorder): 2 h Cultural competency and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI): 4 h HIV stigma, discrimination and unrecognized bias: 2 h | Nevada State Board of Nursing Checked October 19, 2026 |
| New Hampshire | 60 contact hours Renews every 2 years | Pharmacology / pharmacotherapeutics (prescriptive authority): 5 contact hours Opioid / controlled-substance prescribing: 3 h | New Hampshire Board of Nursing (NH Office of Professional Licensure and Certification) Checked October 19, 2026 |
| New Jersey | 30 contact hours Renews every 2 years | Pharmacology / pharmacotherapeutics (prescriptive authority): 6 contact hours Opioid / controlled-substance prescribing: 1 h End-of-life care / palliative care: 2 h Explicit and implicit bias (perinatal care): 1 h | New Jersey Board of Nursing (Division of Consumer Affairs) Checked October 19, 2026 |
| New Mexico | No general hour total (certification-based) Renews every 2 years | Opioid / controlled-substance prescribing: 5 h | New Mexico Board of Nursing Checked July 20, 2026 |
| New York | No general hour total Renews every 3 years | Opioid / controlled-substance prescribing: 3 h Child abuse identification and reporting: 2 h Infection control and barrier precautions: NYSED/NYSDOH-approved coursework (no fixed hour count set by NYSED) | New York State Education Department (NYSED), Office of the Professions - State Board for Nursing Checked October 19, 2026 |
| North Carolina | 50 contact hours Renews every 2 years | Opioid / controlled-substance prescribing: 1 h | North Carolina Board of Nursing (NP approval granted jointly with the NC Medical Board) Checked September 27, 2026 |
| North Dakota | None for the APRN license (national certification); 12 / 2 years for the RN license | Pharmacology / pharmacotherapeutics (prescriptive authority): 15 contact hours RN license continuing competency CE (concurrent RN license): 12 h | North Dakota Board of Nursing Checked October 19, 2026 |
| Ohio | 24 (APRN license; 48 combined with RN) Renews every 2 years | Pharmacology / pharmacotherapeutics (prescriptive authority): 12 hours RN license continuing competency CE (concurrent RN license): 24 h Category A - Ohio Nurse Practice Act & Board administrative rules (via concurrent RN license): 1 h | Ohio Board of Nursing Checked October 19, 2026 |
| Oklahoma | No general hour total (certification-based) Renews every 2 years | Pharmacology / pharmacotherapeutics (prescriptive authority): 15 contact hours Opioid / controlled-substance prescribing: 2 h | Oklahoma Board of Nursing (OBN) Checked July 20, 2026 |
| Oregon | No general hour total (current national certification) Renews every 2 years | Opioid / controlled-substance prescribing: 1 h Cultural competency: 2 h | Oregon State Board of Nursing (OSBN) Checked October 19, 2026 |
| Pennsylvania | 30 hours Renews every 2 years | Pharmacology / pharmacotherapeutics (prescriptive authority): 16 hours (within the 30) Opioid / controlled-substance prescribing: 2 h Opioid education for new prescribers (one-time): 4 h Child abuse recognition and reporting (Act 31 of 2014): 2 h Organ donation and tissue recovery education: 2 h | Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing Checked October 19, 2026 |
| Rhode Island | 10 contact hours Renews every 2 years | Opioid / controlled-substance prescribing: 8 h Alzheimer's disease and dementia (cognitive impairment training): 1 h Substance abuse: 2 h | Rhode Island Department of Health, Board of Nurse Registration and Nursing Education Checked October 19, 2026 |
| South Carolina | No general hour total (certification-based) Renews every 2 years | Pharmacology / pharmacotherapeutics (prescriptive authority): 20 hours Opioid / controlled-substance prescribing: 2 h Human trafficking awareness & prevention: 1 h | South Carolina Board of Nursing (SC LLR) Checked October 19, 2026 |
| South Dakota | No general hour total Renews every 2 years | None beyond the general hours | South Dakota Board of Nursing Checked July 20, 2026 |
| Tennessee | No general hour total Renews every 2 years | Pharmacology / pharmacotherapeutics (prescriptive authority): None Opioid / controlled-substance prescribing: 2 h | Tennessee Board of Nursing Checked July 20, 2026 |
| Texas | 20 contact hours Renews every 2 years | Pharmacology / pharmacotherapeutics (prescriptive authority): 5 h Opioid / controlled-substance prescribing: 2 h Best practices / alternatives / multi-modal approaches to pain management: 1 h Human trafficking prevention (HHSC-approved course): 1 h Older adult / geriatric populations: 2 h Nursing jurisprudence and ethics: 2 h Forensic evidence collection: 2 h Nutrition & metabolic health: To be set by Board rule | Texas Board of Nursing (BON) Checked October 19, 2026 |
| Utah | No general hour total Renews every 2 years | Pharmacology / pharmacotherapeutics (prescriptive authority): None Opioid / controlled-substance prescribing: 3.5 h SBIRT (Screening, Brief Intervention, Referral to Treatment) training: 3.5 h Suicide prevention training: 0.5 h | Utah Board of Nursing (Utah Division of Professional Licensing, DOPL) Checked July 20, 2026 |
| Vermont | No general hour total Renews every 2 years | Opioid / controlled-substance prescribing: 2 h | Vermont Board of Nursing (Office of Professional Regulation, Vermont Secretary of State) Checked October 19, 2026 |
| Virginia | No general hour total (certification-based) Renews every 2 years | Pharmacology / pharmacotherapeutics (prescriptive authority): 8 hours | Virginia Board of Nursing (licensure of APRNs is issued jointly by the Boards of Nursing and Medicine; continued-competency rules are set by the Board of Nursing) Checked July 20, 2026 |
| Washington | 30 (45 with prescriptive authority) Renews every 2 years | Pharmacology / pharmacotherapeutics (prescriptive authority): 15 hours Opioid / controlled-substance prescribing: 4 h Suicide assessment, treatment, and management training: 6 h Health equity continuing education: 2 h RN continuing competency: 96 active practice hours + 8 CE hours: 8 h | Washington State Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission (Washington State Board of Nursing), Department of Health Checked October 19, 2026 |
| West Virginia | 24 contact hours Renews every 2 years | Pharmacology / pharmacotherapeutics (prescriptive authority): 12 contact hours Opioid / controlled-substance prescribing: 3 h | West Virginia Board of Examiners for Registered Professional Nurses (WV RN Board) Checked July 20, 2026 |
| Wisconsin | 16 Renews every 2 years | Pharmacology / pharmacotherapeutics (prescriptive authority): 16 contact hours Opioid / controlled-substance prescribing: 2 h | Wisconsin Board of Nursing (DSPS) Checked October 19, 2026 |
| Wyoming | No general hour total Renews every 2 years | Pharmacology / pharmacotherapeutics (prescriptive authority): None Opioid / controlled-substance prescribing: 3 h | Wyoming State Board of Nursing (WSBN) Checked October 19, 2026 |
Summaries only. Open a state for the full rule, citations and every exception. Latest check: October 19, 2026.
National certification is a separate clock
Your national certification renews separately from every state license. AANPCB and ANCC certifications run on 5-year cycles with their own hour and practice requirements, so track them as their own credential.
Common questions
How many CE hours does a NP need to renew a state license?
It depends on the state. The table lists the total for each of the 51 jurisdictions, from no state total (the board relies on national certification) to the highest hour counts, plus any required topics.
Do NP opioid or controlled-substance CE rules differ by state?
Yes. 38 of 51 jurisdictions set an opioid, controlled-substance or pain-management topic for nurse practitioners, with different hours and timing. Separately, every DEA registrant owes the one-time 8-hour MATE Act training.
Does national certification count toward state CE for a NP?
Your national certification renews separately from every state license. AANPCB and ANCC certifications run on 5-year cycles with their own hour and practice requirements, so track them as their own credential.
How do I track CE for NP licenses in several states?
Keep one record per license with its own renewal date, total hours and topic mandates, and check each course against every state it should count in. The Interstate Medicine Ledger does this for nurse practitioners across all 51 jurisdictions.
Track every state in one record
The Interstate Medicine Ledger keeps each license, DEA and state controlled-substance registration, national certification and CE certificate in one record, and counts each course against every state it applies to. $60 a year ($5 a month), 30 days free.
Related: NP CE by state · PA CME by state · CRNA CE by state · State controlled-substance registration · DEA registration renewal
Sources
- Each row: that state's board of nursing rules and statutes, linked in the Board column and cited in full on the state page.
- AANPCB renewal requirements (5-year cycle)
- ANCC certification renewals (every five years)
- DEA Diversion Control Division (MATE Act training)
Educational information, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the board before you renew. Interstate Medicine is not affiliated with any licensing or certifying board.