Nurse Practitioner State CE Requirements and Suggested Courses

CMEList May 6, 2025

Similar to physicians, physician assistants, and other clinicians, most Nurse Practitioners (NPs) are required to complete a specific number of CME/CE hours to maintain their license to practice as well as avoiding additional consequences such as fines. The number of hours you are required to complete as an NP can vary drastically depending on what state you practice in. Find your state below to find out exactly how many CME/CE hours you need to complete to continue practicing as an NP in your state. Also, take a look at the suggested CME/CE course to start earning your credits as soon as possible.

 State

State Nurse Practitioner CE Requirements  

Suggested Course  

 Alabama
  • 24 CE hours every 2 Years, 6 must be in Pharmacology specific to your specialty if you have prescriptive authority

BoardVitals Pharmacology CE Question Bank for Nurse Practitioners and APRNs 

 Alaska
  • Complete 30+ contact hours of continuing education, with 15 hours focused on advanced pharmacology and drug therapy management. DEA registration holders must include 2 hours of pain management and opioid use/addiction education within the two-year renewal period.

Zauron Labs – Guardian Lite CME Annual Subscription

 Arizona
  • Maintain a national certification
  • Complete one of the following 2 requirements:
    • 1. APRNs with an active DEA license must complete a minimum of 3 hours of continuing education focused on opioids, substance use disorders, or addiction.
    • 2. Practiced over 960 hours in the past 5 years

BoardVitals CME Pro Plus with up to a free $2,000 gift card 

 Arkansas
  • 15 contact hours are required biennially.
  • Prescribing APRNs must complete an additional 5 contact hours in specialty-specific pharmacotherapeutics.

BoardVitals CME Pro Plus with up to a free $2,000 gift card 

 California
  • 30 CE hours every 2 years

Cleveland Clinic Hospital Medicine

 Colorado
  • APRNs with opioid prescriptive authority must complete 2 hours of substance use prevention training each renewal period (effective October 1, 2022).

The Ultimate Master Clinicians CME Conference Bundle

 Connecticut
  • Complete 50 practice-related CE hours biennially
  • 2 hours on veteran/family mental health conditions in the first renewal and every 6 years thereafter

BoardVitals CME Pro Plus with up to a free $2,000 gift card 

 District of Columbia
  • Maintain a national certification
  • 24 CE hours every 2 years
  • 15 hours must be in pharmacology
  • 2 CEs in LGBTQ topics and 3 CEs in public health

BoardVitals Pharmacology CE Question Bank for Nurse Practitioners and APRNs

 Delaware
  • Complete 2 hours in controlled substances prescribing, chronic pain treatment, or related topics as required by the Uniform Controlled Substances Act.

Cleveland Clinic Primary Care +

 Florida
  • Complete 16 hours plus state requirements: 2 hours each in medical error prevention, nursing laws, human trafficking, and workplace impairment, plus 1 hour in HIV/AIDS.
  • Complete 3 hours in Safe and Effective Prescription of Controlled Substances each renewal period.

AudioDigest CME Professional Development Topical Collection

 Georgia
  • Complete 30 contact hours biennially and maintain current specialty certification.

ClinicalPulse for Nurse Practitioners

 Hawaii
  • Complete 30 contact hours biennially, with 22 hours in the specialty area and 10 in pharmacology.

BoardVitals CME Pro Plus with up to a free $2,000 gift card 

 Idaho
  • 30 CE hours every 2 years, 10 must be in pharmacology

Lactation Consultant Bridge Course

 Illinois
  • Complete 80 contact hours biennially, including 20 hours in pharmacotherapeutics (10 in safe opioid prescribing). CSR renewal requires an additional 3 pharmacology hours biennially.

BoardVitals CME Pro Plus with up to a free $2,000 gift card

 Indiana
  • Complete 30 contact hours biennially, including 8 hours in pharmacology and 2 hours in opioid prescribing/abuse.

BoardVitals CME Pro Plus with up to a free $2,000 gift card

 Kansas
  • 30 CNE hours in the NP’s specialty area every 2 years 

BoardVitals Family Nurse Practitioner AANP Questions and Exam Preparation

 Kentucky
  • 14 Contact house every year, including 5 CEs in pharmacology

Cleveland Clinic Hospital Medicine

 Louisiana
  • Complete either: 300 APRN practice hours and 2 specialty-related college credits annually, OR 30 contact hours annually.

BoardVitals Pharmacology CE Question Bank for Nurse Practitioners and APRNs 

 Maine
  • Complete 50 contact hours biennially (30 Category I, 20 Category II). Prescribing APRNs require an additional 3 hours in opioid medication prescribing.

Lactation Consultant Bridge Course

 Maryland
  • No CE requirements, but must maintain a national certification

The Ultimate Master Clinicians CME Conference Bundle

 Massachusetts
  • Complete 15 contact hours biennially and maintain national certification.

BoardVitals CME Pro Plus with up to a free $2,000 gift card 

 Michigan
  • Complete 25 contact hours biennially, including 2 hours in pain/symptom management and 1 hour annual implicit bias training, plus specialty-specific requirements.

StatPearls Unlimited Nurse Practitioner CE

 Minnesota
  • 24 CE contact hours every 2 years
  • Maintain a national certification
  • Maintain a current RN license

The Ultimate Master Clinicians CME Conference Bundle

 Mississippi
  • Complete 5 hours in controlled substances prescribing biennially and maintain national certification.

Zauron Labs – Guardian Lite CME Annual Subscription

 Missouri
  • No CE required.

BoardVitals CME Pro Plus with up to a free $2,000 gift card

 Montana
  • No CE required.

BoardVitals Pharmacology CE Question Bank for Nurse Practitioners and APRNs 

 Nebraska
  • Complete 20 contact hours biennially for RN licensure. Prescribing APRNs must include 3 hours in opiate prescribing.

BoardVitals Pharmacology CE Question Bank for Nurse Practitioners and APRNs 

 Nevada
  • Complete 45 contact hours biennially, including 15 hours in APRN specialty and 2 hours in substance abuse, plus 4 hours in suicide prevention every 4 years.

ClinicalPulse for Nurse Practitioners

 New Hampshire
  • Complete 60 contact hours biennially (20 in APRN specialty, 5 in pharmacology) and 400 specialty practice hours within previous 4 years.

BoardVitals Pharmacology CE Question Bank for Nurse Practitioners and APRNs 

 New Jersey 
  • Complete 30 contact hours biennially, plus 1 hour in opioid prescribing, pain management alternatives, and opioid abuse/addiction risk identification.

StatPearls Unlimited Nurse Practitioner CE

 New Mexico
  • Non-DEA licensed: Complete 30 contact hours biennially (10 in pharmacology, 10 in specialty).
  • DEA-licensed: Complete 30 contact hours biennially (10 in pharmacology, 5 in specialty, 5 in non-cancer pain management).

BoardVitals Pharmacology CE Question Bank for Nurse Practitioners and APRNs 

 New York
  • Complete infection control training every 4 years, maintain national certification, and one-time completion of 2-hour Child Abuse Identification and Reporting course.

BoardVitals CME Pro Plus with up to a free $2,000 gift card 

 North Carolina
  • 50 CE hours every 2 years
    • 20 hours must be related to specialty with 1 CE of controlled substance annually.

BoardVitals CME Pro Plus with up to a free $2,000 gift card 

 North Dakota 
  • 12 CE hours every 2 years by December 31st

BoardVitals CME Pro Plus with up to a free $2,000 gift card

 Ohio
  • Complete 48 contact hours biennially per APRN license (24 count toward RN license). CNPs, CNSs, and CNMs require 12 hours in advanced pharmacology.

BoardVitals Pharmacology CE Question Bank for Nurse Practitioners and APRNs

 Oklahoma
  • For prescribing NPs: Maintain RN license biennially and complete 15 contact hours or 1 academic credit in pharmacology, plus 2 hours in pain management or opioid use/addiction.

BoardVitals Pharmacology CE Question Bank for Nurse Practitioners and APRNs

 Oregon
  • In a 2-year renewal period: Complete 400 APRN practice hours OR be within 2 years of graduation OR reactivate via re-entry. Also maintain national certification and complete specific CEs: 1 hour pain management, 2 hours cultural competence, 3 hours suicide prevention.

ClinicalPulse for Nurse Practitioners

 Pennsylvania
  • Complete 30 contact hours biennially, including 2 hours in child abuse recognition/reporting. Prescribing APRNs require an additional 2 hours in pain management, addiction identification, or opioid prescribing/dispensing.

StatPearls Unlimited Nurse Practitioner CE

 Rhode Island
  • 10 CE hours every 2 years, including 2 hours in substance abuse.
  • 30 pharmacology CE hours every 6 years if the NP has prescriptive authority

BoardVitals Pharmacology CE Question Bank for Nurse Practitioners and APRNs 

 South Carolina
  • Complete 30 contact hours biennially, with 20 hours in specialty pharmacotherapeutics. If authorized for controlled substances, include 2 hours in controlled substance prescribing.

Zauron Labs – Guardian Lite CME Annual Subscription

 South Dakota
  • No CE requirements, but must maintain national certification.

BoardVitals CME Pro Plus with up to a free $2,000 gift card

 Tennessee
  • Renew every 2 years
  • Maintain a national certification
  • 2 contact hours designed to address the prescribing of controlled substances if the NP has a Certificate of Fitness

Cleveland Clinic Hospital Medicine

 Texas
  • 20 CE hours relevant to the NP’s focus area every 2 years
  • Maintain a national certification
  • 5 pharmacology CE hours if the NP has prescriptive authority

BoardVitals Pharmacology CE Question Bank for Nurse Practitioners and APRNs 

 Utah
  • Maintain national certification and specialty certification every 2 years  OR (if licensed before 7/1/92) complete 30 CE hours and 400 practice hours annually.

StatPearls Unlimited Nurse Practitioner CE

 Vermont
  • Maintain national certification. Prescribing APRNs must complete 2 hours in controlled substances biennially.

BoardVitals CME Pro Plus with up to a free $2,000 gift card 

 Virginia
  • 40 CE hours in the NP’s specialty area every 2 years
  • Maintain a national certification

ClinicalPulse for Nurse Practitioners

 Washington
  • 30 CE hours every 2 years in speciality area
  • 15 hours in pharmacotherapeutics related to their scope and practice if the NP has prescriptive authority

BoardVitals Pharmacology CE Question Bank for Nurse Practitioners and APRNs 

 West Virginia
  • 24 contact hours every 2 years
    • 12 hours must be on pharmacotherapeutics
    • 12 hours must be on the clinical management of patients
    • 12 of these hours may count toward CE requirement for RN license.

BoardVitals Pharmacology CE Question Bank for Nurse Practitioners and APRNs 

 Wisconsin
  • 16 contact hours every 2 years on clinical pharmacology/therapeutics relevant to the NP’s specialty.

BoardVitals Pharmacology CE Question Bank for Nurse Practitioners and APRNs 

 Wyoming
  • Complete either:

    • Maintain national certification OR

    • 60 contact hours biennially AND 400 APRN specialty practice hours

    Prescribing APRNs: Additional 5 hours biennially in pharmacology/drug therapy.

BoardVitals CME Pro Plus with up to a free $2,000 gift card