CE rules for Registered Nurse renewal vary widely — some states require a fixed number of hours, some use a competency or practice-hours model, and several require no CE at all. Here's how the states we cover compare. Click a state for the full details and a free on-track check.
Figures hand-verified against each board (as of 2026-06) — always confirm with your board, as rules change.
| State | Requirement | Cycle | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 30 hrs / 2 yr | 2 years | 30 CE contact hours every 2 years from a BRN-approved provider. |
| Texas | 20 hrs / 2 yr | 2 years | 20 contact hours every 2 years, OR current national certification. |
| Florida | 24 hrs / 2 yr | 2 years | 24 contact hours every 2 years, including several mandated topics. |
| New York | Competency model | 3 years | New York does NOT use a fixed CE-hours model for RNs — it requires specific mandated coursework instead. |
| Illinois | 20 hrs / 2 yr | 2 years | 20 contact hours every 2 years, including three mandated 1-hour topics. |
| Ohio | 24 hrs / 2 yr | 2 years | 24 contact hours every 2 years, including 1 hour on the Ohio Nurse Practice Act. |
| Pennsylvania | 30 hrs / 2 yr | 2 years | 30 contact hours every 2 years, including mandated child-abuse and (new) organ-donation training. |
| Georgia | 30 hrs / 2 yr | 2 years | 30 CE hours every 2 years — or one of four alternative competency pathways. |
| North Carolina | Competency model | 2 years | North Carolina uses a choose-one competency model (eight options), not a single CE-hours number. |
| Michigan | 25 hrs / 2 yr | 2 years | 25 contact hours every 2 years, plus separate implicit-bias and one-time human-trafficking training. |
| Washington | 8 hrs / 1 yr | Annual | 8 CE hours per YEAR (annual renewal), including 2 health-equity hours, plus 96 practice hours. |
| New Jersey | 30 hrs / 2 yr | 2 years | 30 contact hours every 2 years, with up to 15 hours carrying over. |
| Virginia | Competency model | 2 years | Virginia uses a continued-competency model (nine options), not a fixed CE-hours number. |
| Massachusetts | 15 hrs / 2 yr | 2 years | 15 contact hours every 2 years (50-minute hours). |
| Connecticut | No CE required | Annual | No general CE; only a 2-hour mental-health module every 6 years. Annual renewal. |
| Arizona | Competency model | 4 years | Arizona uses a practice-competency model (no CE hours); RN licenses renew every 4 years. |
| Tennessee | Competency model | 2 years | Tennessee uses a continuing-competency model — meet two of a list of options (the CE option is 5 hours). |
| Missouri | No CE required | 2 years | Missouri requires no continuing education for RN renewal. |
| Indiana | No CE required | 2 years | Indiana requires no CE for standard, on-time RN renewal. |
| Wisconsin | No CE required | 2 years | Wisconsin requires no continuing education for RN renewal. |
| Maryland | Competency model | 2 years | Maryland uses a three-option competency model (1,000 practice hours, a recent degree, or 30 CEUs). |
| Colorado | No CE required | 2 years | Colorado requires no mandated CE hours for RN renewal. |
| Minnesota | 24 hrs / 2 yr | 2 years | 24 contact hours every 2 years (or a specialty certification / qualifying professional activities). |
| Oregon | Competency model | 2 years | Oregon currently requires only specific topic CE — no general CE hours until Jan 2028. |
| Nevada | 30 hrs / 2 yr | 2 years | 30 contact hours every 2 years, including a one-time bioterrorism course. |
| South Carolina | Competency model | 2 years | South Carolina uses a four-pathway competency model (30 CE hours is one option). |
| Kentucky | 14 hrs / 1 yr | Annual | 14 contact hours per YEAR (or 7 plus an employer evaluation); annual renewal. |
Don't see your state? The free checker works for any license — enter your own required hours.