Nursing (RN) Continuing Education Requirements by State
CE rules for registered nurses differ sharply from state to state: 10 of the 50 states set no state-mandated CE hours, requirements run from 0 to 36 per cycle, and 2 years is the most common renewal period. Pick your state below for the full breakdown, or compare the whole table.
Full comparison — all 50 states
| State | CE hours | Cycle | Per year | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 24 hours | 2 yr | 12.0 h/yr | Yes |
| Alaska | 30 hours | 2 yr | 15.0 h/yr | Yes |
| Arizona | None | 4 yr | — | — |
| Arkansas | 15 hours | 2 yr | 7.5 h/yr | Yes |
| California | 30 hours | 2 yr | 15.0 h/yr | Yes |
| Colorado | None | 2 yr | — | — |
| Connecticut | 2 hours | 6 yr | 0.3 h/yr | Yes |
| Delaware | 30 hours | 2 yr | 15.0 h/yr | Yes |
| Florida | 24 hours | 2 yr | 12.0 h/yr | Yes |
| Georgia | 30 hours | 2 yr | 15.0 h/yr | Yes |
| Hawaii | 30 hours | 2 yr | 15.0 h/yr | Yes |
| Idaho | 15 hours | 2 yr | 7.5 h/yr | Yes |
| Illinois | 20 hours | 2 yr | 10.0 h/yr | Yes |
| Indiana | None | 2 yr | — | — |
| Iowa | 36 hours | 3 yr | 12.0 h/yr | Yes |
| Kansas | 30 hours | 2 yr | 15.0 h/yr | Yes |
| Kentucky | 14 hours | 1 yr | 14.0 h/yr | Yes |
| Louisiana | 30 hours | 2 yr | 15.0 h/yr | Yes |
| Maine | None | 2 yr | — | — |
| Maryland | 30 hours | 2 yr | 15.0 h/yr | Yes |
| Massachusetts | 15 hours | 2 yr | 7.5 h/yr | Yes |
| Michigan | 25 hours | 2 yr | 12.5 h/yr | Yes |
| Minnesota | 24 hours | 2 yr | 12.0 h/yr | Yes |
| Mississippi | None | 2 yr | — | — |
| Missouri | None | 2 yr | — | — |
| Montana | None | 2 yr | — | — |
| Nebraska | 20 hours | 2 yr | 10.0 h/yr | Yes |
| Nevada | 30 hours | 2 yr | 15.0 h/yr | Yes |
| New Hampshire | 30 hours | 2 yr | 15.0 h/yr | Yes |
| New Jersey | 30 hours | 2 yr | 15.0 h/yr | Yes |
| New Mexico | 30 hours | 2 yr | 15.0 h/yr | Yes |
| New York | None | 3 yr | — | — |
| North Carolina | 30 hours | 2 yr | 15.0 h/yr | Yes |
| North Dakota | 12 hours | 2 yr | 6.0 h/yr | Yes |
| Ohio | 24 hours | 2 yr | 12.0 h/yr | Yes |
| Oklahoma | 24 hours | 2 yr | 12.0 h/yr | Yes |
| Oregon | 3 hours | 2 yr | 1.5 h/yr | Yes |
| Pennsylvania | 30 hours | 2 yr | 15.0 h/yr | Yes |
| Rhode Island | 10 hours | 2 yr | 5.0 h/yr | Yes |
| South Carolina | 30 hours | 2 yr | 15.0 h/yr | Yes |
| South Dakota | None | 2 yr | — | — |
| Tennessee | 10 hours | 2 yr | 5.0 h/yr | Yes |
| Texas | 20 hours | 2 yr | 10.0 h/yr | Yes |
| Utah | 30 hours | 2 yr | 15.0 h/yr | Yes |
| Vermont | 20 hours | 2 yr | 10.0 h/yr | Yes |
| Virginia | 30 hours | 2 yr | 15.0 h/yr | Yes |
| Washington | 8 hours | 1 yr | 8.0 h/yr | Yes |
| West Virginia | 12 hours | 2 yr | 6.0 h/yr | Yes |
| Wisconsin | None | 2 yr | — | — |
| Wyoming | 30 hours | 2 yr | 15.0 h/yr | Yes |
Where a range is shown, it spans licence tiers; hours shown are the CE option where a state also allows practice-hour or competency alternatives.
Every state, every deadline, one dashboard
CE Pilot tracks your CE hours against your own state's requirement, stores certificates, and emails you before anything lapses. Multi-state licensees can track each licence separately.
See plans — from $19/monthJump to your state
24 hoursAlaska
30 hoursArizona
NoneArkansas
15 hoursCalifornia
30 hoursColorado
NoneConnecticut
2 hoursDelaware
30 hoursFlorida
24 hoursGeorgia
30 hoursHawaii
30 hoursIdaho
15 hoursIllinois
20 hoursIndiana
NoneIowa
36 hoursKansas
30 hoursKentucky
14 hoursLouisiana
30 hoursMaine
NoneMaryland
30 hoursMassachusetts
15 hoursMichigan
25 hoursMinnesota
24 hoursMississippi
NoneMissouri
NoneMontana
NoneNebraska
20 hoursNevada
30 hoursNew Hampshire
30 hoursNew Jersey
30 hoursNew Mexico
30 hoursNew York
NoneNorth Carolina
30 hoursNorth Dakota
12 hoursOhio
24 hoursOklahoma
24 hoursOregon
3 hoursPennsylvania
30 hoursRhode Island
10 hoursSouth Carolina
30 hoursSouth Dakota
NoneTennessee
10 hoursTexas
20 hoursUtah
30 hoursVermont
20 hoursVirginia
30 hoursWashington
8 hoursWest Virginia
12 hoursWisconsin
NoneWyoming
30 hours
How to use this table
Three numbers matter when you plan CE: the total hours, the cycle length, and the annualised average. A 45-hour requirement over four years is a lighter annual commitment than a 12-hour requirement over one year — the headline figure alone is misleading.
The second thing to check is mandatory topics. Several states require specific named courses that cannot be replaced by electives, and completing the hour total without those courses will not let you renew. Your state page lists them.
Finally, check whether your state caps self-study hours. Online CE is accepted everywhere, but some boards limit how much of your total may be independent study rather than live instruction.
Sources: State requirements compiled from individual state boards of nursing. State boards of nursing official websites (.gov), state statutes, and administrative rules, cross-checked against board continuing-education and continuing-competency policies.