For a compact (multistate) license, whose CE requirements apply?

Your primary state of residence — the compact state that issued your multistate license. You meet that home state’s CE requirements when you renew there, and that single renewal keeps your compact privilege active in other NLC states.

If I practice in several compact states, do I owe each state CE?

Generally no. Practicing under compact privilege does not create a separate license or a separate CE obligation in each state you work. You meet the CE requirements of your home (primary residence) state. Confirm any state-specific practice rules with that state’s board.

Where do I find my state’s exact CE requirements?

On your state board of nursing’s website. Pick your state below to reach its renewal guide, which links straight to the official board. We deliberately do not list hours or topics here to avoid publishing figures that could be out of date.

CompactStates.com — https://www.compactstates.com · Always confirm license status with the issuing board of nursing.

Nursing continuing education (CE) requirements by state

Continuing-education rules are board-set and vary widely — some states require specific hours and topics, others none. Rather than publish numbers that go stale, we point you straight to your state’s official board.

How do nursing CE requirements work by state?

Every state board of nursing sets its own continuing-education (CE) requirements — the number of hours, any mandatory topics (jurisprudence, implicit bias, infection control, and so on), and the renewal cycle. They are not uniform across states, and they change. For a compact (multistate) license, the CE that matters is your primary state of residence’s — you meet that when you renew there. We deliberately do not list hours or topics; verify current CE requirements with your board.

CE works differently for each credential

“Nursing CE” describes four arrangements that are governed by different bodies, and the difference is what people miss until a renewal is refused.

RN and LPN/LVN. The board of nursing that issued your license sets the requirement, and it is satisfied at renewal. Some states require specific hours and mandatory topics; some require none at all.
APRN. Usually three obligations rather than one: continuing education for the underlying RN license, whatever the state requires for advanced practice authority, and — separately from both — recertification through the national certifying body. That last one is not a state requirement and no board tracks it for you, which is why it is the one that lapses.
CNA / nurse aide. Not license CE at all. Registry listing is generally maintained through in-service education and a work requirement — evidence of having worked for pay as an aide within the period — rather than through hours you buy. An aide who has not worked may need to re-test regardless of any courses taken. See CNA lookup and certification.

Holding more than one credential means meeting each separately. An APRN who lets the RN license lapse has no advanced practice authority either, because the advanced practice rests on the license underneath it.

Compact licenses: whose CE counts

One state’s. If you hold a multistate license, you meet the CE requirements of your primary state of residence — the state that issued it — and that single renewal keeps your privilege active everywhere the compact reaches. Practicing in five compact states does not create five CE obligations.

The exception worth knowing: a few states attach requirements to practicingthere rather than to the license, and those can apply to a visiting compact nurse. Confirm with the board of the state you are working in, not just the one that licensed you.

Why we don’t list CE hours here

CE requirements are exactly the kind of figure that goes out of date: boards revise hours, add or drop mandatory topics, and adjust cycles. Publishing a stale number would be worse than publishing none — a nurse could under- or over-comply based on it. So this page does one thing well: it gets you to the authoritative source for your state, fast.

What to check on your board’s site

Total CE hours required for your license type this renewal cycle.
Any mandatory topics your state requires (these vary a lot by state).
Your renewal cycle length and deadline (find your date on Nursys).
Whether any one-time or first-renewal requirements apply to you.

Find your state’s CE source

Each opens that state’s renewal guide, with the official board of nursing one click away — the place to confirm your exact CE requirement.

AlabamaFull compact state AlaskaNon-compact state American SamoaNon-compact state ArizonaFull compact state ArkansasFull compact state CaliforniaNon-compact state ColoradoFull compact state ConnecticutFull compact state DelawareFull compact state District of ColumbiaNon-compact state FloridaFull compact state GeorgiaFull compact state GuamPartial implementation HawaiiNon-compact state IdahoFull compact state IllinoisNon-compact state IndianaFull compact state IowaFull compact state KansasFull compact state KentuckyFull compact state LouisianaFull compact state MaineFull compact state MarylandFull compact state MassachusettsEnacted — awaiting implementation MichiganNon-compact state MinnesotaNon-compact state MississippiFull compact state MissouriFull compact state MontanaFull compact state NebraskaFull compact state NevadaNon-compact state New HampshireFull compact state New JerseyFull compact state New MexicoFull compact state New YorkNon-compact state North CarolinaFull compact state North DakotaFull compact state Northern Mariana IslandsNon-compact state OhioFull compact state OklahomaFull compact state OregonNon-compact state PennsylvaniaFull compact state Puerto RicoNon-compact state Rhode IslandFull compact state South CarolinaFull compact state South DakotaFull compact state TennesseeFull compact state TexasFull compact state U.S. Virgin IslandsEnacted — awaiting implementation UtahFull compact state VermontFull compact state VirginiaFull compact state WashingtonFull compact state West VirginiaFull compact state WisconsinFull compact state WyomingFull compact state

Frequently asked questions

It depends on your state and license type. Continuing-education hours, required topics, and cycles are set by each state board and change over time — some states require specific hours and topics, others require none. Your state board of nursing is the only authoritative source, so verify your current requirement there.