Connecticut Department of Public Health — Board of Examiners for Nursing
Connecticut Nursing CE Requirements
Connecticut RNs and LPNs need 2 contact hours of continuing education every 6 years. 2 state-mandated topics may apply, depending on the license and practice.
At a glance
Connecticut nursing license renewal
| Licenses covered | Registered nurse (RN), Licensed practical nurse (LPN) [1] |
|---|---|
| CE required for renewal | Yes [1] |
| Hours per renewal | 2 contact hours [3] |
| CE period | Every 6 years [3] |
| Renewal deadline | Licenses are renewed every year (a one-year registration period), expiring in the nurse's birth month; the 2-hour CE requirement applies in the first registration period beginning on or after January 1, 2022 and at least once every six years thereafter. [3] |
| State-mandated topics | Screening for conditions such as PTSD, risk of suicide, depression and grief; Suicide prevention training [3] |
| What CE counts | In-person and online courses offered or approved by the American Nurses Association, Connecticut Hospital Association, Connecticut Nurses Association, the Connecticut Center for Nursing Workforce, a specialty nursing society or an equivalent organization in another jurisdiction; educational offerings sponsored by a hospital or other health care institution; or courses from a regionally accredited academic institution or a state or local health department. [1] |
State-mandated topics
- Screening for conditions such as PTSD, risk of suicide, depression and grief [3]
RNs and LPNs actively practising in Connecticut, in the first renewal period from 2022 and at least once every six years thereafter. Together with suicide prevention training, it makes up the required two contact hours.
- Suicide prevention training [3]
RNs and LPNs actively practising in Connecticut, in the first renewal period from 2022 and at least once every six years thereafter. Together with mental health condition screening, it makes up the required two contact hours.
Good to know
- The requirement applies to nurses actively practising in Connecticut; nurses attest to completing it when renewing online. [1]
- Keep attendance records or certificates for at least three years after the year the CE was completed, and submit them within 45 days if the department asks. [1]
Rules change, and your own license record decides your deadline. Confirm with the Connecticut Department of Public Health — Board of Examiners for Nursing ↗ before you renew.
Free continuing education
Free nursing CE
The Connecticut Department of Public Health — Board of Examiners for Nursing pages we checked do not name an accreditor we track, so we do not mark individual courses as accepted here. Check a course's approval against the board's rule before relying on it.
Questions
Connecticut nursing CE, answered
How many CE hours do Connecticut nurses need?
Connecticut RNs and LPNs need 2 contact hours of continuing education every 6 years. 2 state-mandated topics may apply, depending on the license and practice. Licenses are renewed every year (a one-year registration period), expiring in the nurse's birth month; the 2-hour CE requirement applies in the first registration period beginning on or after January 1, 2022 and at least once every six years thereafter.
Does Connecticut require specific CE topics for nurses?
Screening for conditions such as PTSD, risk of suicide, depression and grief: RNs and LPNs actively practising in Connecticut, in the first renewal period from 2022 and at least once every six years thereafter. Together with suicide prevention training, it makes up the required two contact hours. Suicide prevention training: RNs and LPNs actively practising in Connecticut, in the first renewal period from 2022 and at least once every six years thereafter. Together with mental health condition screening, it makes up the required two contact hours.
Do free online CE courses count in Connecticut?
In-person and online courses offered or approved by the American Nurses Association, Connecticut Hospital Association, Connecticut Nurses Association, the Connecticut Center for Nursing Workforce, a specialty nursing society or an equivalent organization in another jurisdiction; educational offerings sponsored by a hospital or other health care institution; or courses from a regionally accredited academic institution or a state or local health department. Check that a free course meets this rule before relying on it.
Sources & verification
Every fact above links to the official page it comes from. We fetched each page on the date shown and confirmed the exact wording below appears on it.
- Connecticut Department of Public Health — Registered Nurse Continuing Education ↗portal.ct.gov · HTML · Retrieved Oct 12, 2026
Quoted wording (6)
“Registered nurses and licensed practical nurses actively practicing in Connecticut and applying for license renewal after January 1, 2022, and once every six years thereafter, are required to complete two contact hours of training or education”
“Each registered nurse and licensed practical nurse applying for license renewal shall attest that he or she has satisfied the continuing education requirements when renewing the license online.”
“Qualifying continuing education activities include, but are not limited to, in-person and online courses offered or approved by the American Nurses Association, Connecticut Hospital Association, Connecticut Nurses Association, The Connecticut Center for Nursing Workforce (CCNW), a specialty nursing society or an equivalent organization in another jurisdiction, an educational offering sponsored by a hospital or other health care institution or a course offered by a regionally accredited academic institution or a state or local health department.”
“Registered nurses and licensed practical nurses actively practicing in Connecticut and applying for license renewal”
“shall attest that he or she has satisfied the continuing education requirements when renewing the license online.”
“Each licensee shall retain records of attendance or certificates of completion that demonstrate compliance with the continuing education requirements for a minimum of three years following the year in which the continuing education was completed and shall submit such records or certificates to the department for inspection not later than forty-five days after a request by the department for such records or certificates.”
- Connecticut Department of Public Health — Health Care Practitioner Renewal Information ↗portal.ct.gov · HTML · Retrieved Oct 12, 2026
Quoted wording (1)
“Most licenses expire in the first birth month following issuance and are renewable annually thereafter.”
- Connecticut General Statutes — Chapter 378, Nursing ↗www.cga.ct.gov · HTML · Retrieved Oct 12, 2026
Quoted wording (5)
“applying for license renewal shall, during the first renewal period and not less than once every six years thereafter, earn not less than two contact hours of training or education on (1) screening for conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder, risk of suicide, depression and grief, and (2) suicide prevention training.”
“during the first renewal period and not less than once every six years thereafter, earn not less than two contact hours of training or education”
““Registration period” means the one-year period for which a license has been renewed in accordance with section 19a-88 and is current and valid. (b) For registration periods beginning on and after January 1, 2022, a registered nurse licensed pursuant to this chapter who is actively practicing in this state”
“applying for license renewal shall, during the first renewal period and not less than once every six years thereafter, earn not less than two contact hours of training or education on (1) screening for conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder, risk of suicide, depression and grief, and (2) suicide prevention training.”
“applying for license renewal shall, during the first renewal period and not less than once every six years thereafter, earn not less than two contact hours of training or education on (1) screening for conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder, risk of suicide, depression and grief, and (2) suicide prevention training.”