Nursing Continuing Education (CEU) Requirements for Every U.S. State

Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are necessary for nurse practitioners to remain current on training and proper health care operating standards and practices. In all but 13 states, RNs are required to complete a certain number or type of CE courses in order to maintain their nursing license.

CEU requirements for RNs to maintain their licensure is determined by each state’s Board of Nursing. Most states require nurses to earn credits every two years. Some states mandate specific courses as either one-time or ongoing requirements. 

See below to learn more about each state’s requirements.

Nursing CEU requirements from state to state

• Alabama – RNs and LPNs are required to have 24 contact hours per every two years  (full Alabama nursing CEU requirements)

• Alaska – RNs and LPNs are required to have EITHER 30 contact hours of other professional nursing activities every two years

• Arizona – No CEU requirements

• Arkansas – RNs and LPNs are required to have 15 contact hours every two years (full Arkansas nursing CEU requirements)

• California – RNs and LPNs are required to have 30 contact hours every two years (full California nursing CEU requirements)

• Colorado – No CEU requirements

• Connecticut – No CEU requirements

• Washington DC – RNs and LPNs are required to have 24 contact hours every two years

• Delaware – RNs and LPNs are required to have 30 contact hours every two years (full Delaware nursing CEU requirements)

• Florida – RNs and LPNs are required to have 24 contact hours every two years (full Florida nursing CEU requirements)

• Georgia – RNs and LPNs are required to have 30 contact hours every two years (full Georgia nursing CEU requirements)

• Hawaii – RNs and LPNs are required to have 30 contact hours every two years

• Idaho – No CEU requirements

• Illinois – RNs and LPNs are required to have 20 contact hours every two years (full Illinois nursing CEU requirements)

• Indiana – No CEU requirements

• Iowa – RNs and LPNs are required to have 36 contact hours every three years (full Iowa nursing CEU requirements)

• Kansas – RNs and LPNs are required to have 30 contact hours every two years (full Kansas nursing CEU requirements)

• Kentucky – RNs and LPNs are required to have 14 contact hours every year (full Kentucky nursing CEU requirements)

• Louisiana – RNs and LPNs are required to have five contact hours every year (full Louisiana nursing CEU requirements)

• Maine – No CEU requirements

• Maryland – No CEU requirements

• Massachusetts – RNs and LPNs are required to have 15 contact hours every two years (full Massachusetts nursing CEU requirements)

• Michigan – RNs and LPNs are required to have 25 contact hours every two years (full Michigan nursing CEU requirements)

• Minnesota – RNs and LPNs are required to have 24 contact hours every two years (full Minnesota nursing CEU requirements)

• Mississippi – No CEU requirements

• Missouri – No CEU requirements

• Montana – RNs and LPNs are required to have 24 contact hours every two years

• Nebraska – RNs and LPNs are required to have 20 contact hours every two years

• Nevada – RNs and LPNs are required to have 30 contact hours every two years (full Nevada nursing CEU requirements)

• New Hampshire – RNs and LPNs are required to have 30 contact hours every two years

• New Jersey – RNs and LPNs are required to have 30 contact hours every two years (full New Jersey nursing CEU requirements)

• New Mexico – RNs and LPNs are required to have 30 contact hours every two years (full New Mexico nursing CEU requirements)

• New York – RNs and LPNs are required to have three contact hours of infection control every 4-years with an additional mandatory two contact hours for child and sexual abuse (full New York nursing CEU requirements)

• North Carolina – RNs and LPNs are required to have 15 contact hours every two years (full North Carolina nursing CEU requirements)

• North Dakota – RNs and LPNs are required to have 12 contact hours every two years (full North Dakota nursing CEU requirements)

• Ohio – RNs and LPNs are required to have 24 contact hours every two years (full Ohio nursing CEU requirements)

• Oklahoma – RNs and LPNs are required to have 24 contact hours every two years

• Oregon – RNs and LPNs are required to meet a one-time collection of seven hours of pain management (full Oregon nursing CEU requirements)

• Pennsylvania – RNs and LPNs are required to have 30 contact hours every two years (full Pennsylvania nursing CEU requirements)

• Rhode Island – RNs and LPNs are required to have 10 contact hours every two years

• South Carolina – RNs and LPNs are required to have 30 contact hours every two years (full South Carolina nursing CEU requirements)

• South Dakota – No CEU requirements

• Tennessee – RNs and LPNs are required to have at least five contact hours every two years (full Tennessee nursing CEU requirements)

• Texas – RNs and LPNs are required to have 20 contact hours every two years (full Texas nursing CEU requirements)

• Utah – RNs and LPNs are required to have 30 contact hours or 15 contact hours and 400 practice hours every two years (full Utah nursing CEU requirements)

• Vermont – No CEU requirements

• Virginia – RNs and LPNs are required to have 15 contact hours every two years (full Virginia nursing CEU requirements)

• Washington – RNs and LPNs are required to have 12 contact hours every three years

• West Virginia – RNs and LPNs are required to have 12 contact hours every year (full West Virginia nursing CEU requirements)

• Wisconsin – No CEU requirements

• Wyoming – RNs and LPNs are required to have 20 contact hours every two years

Other CEU requirements to consider

The main purpose of continuing education is to augment an RN’s knowledge and skills, so nurses must take CEU courses relevant to their practice. Courses from an accredited college or university also may count toward CEU requirements for RNs who are pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree.

Some of the most popular continuing education areas for RNs include:

• Laws and guidelines for nursing
• Patient advocacy
• Conflict management
• Pharmacology

Most states clearly define courses that are not acceptable as CEUs for RNs. For example, general education courses such as English Literature, Government, and Mathematics typically do not meet CEU requirements in most states.

Where to find CEUs for RN license renewal

Some CEUs are free while others are part of a subscription or pay-per-course platform. To count toward total contact hours earned, CEUs must be available through an accredited agency or CEU program. All instructors and course materials are thoroughly vetted for relevancy to the nursing profession.

Most courses are offered online today. Incredible Health offers access to free and online nursing CEUs.