Iowa Board of Nursing
Iowa Nursing CE Requirements
Iowa RNs and LPNs need 36 contact hours of continuing education every 3 years (or another option the board accepts). 2 state-mandated topics may apply, depending on the license and practice.
At a glance
Iowa nursing license renewal
| Licenses covered | Registered nurse (RN), Licensed practical nurse (LPN) [1] |
|---|---|
| CE required for renewal | Yes [1] |
| Hours per renewal | 36 contact hours [4] |
| CE period | Every 3 years [5] |
| Renewal deadline | Licenses expire on the 15th day of the licensee's birth month and are renewed on a three-year cycle (the first license is issued for 24 to 36 months). [5] |
| State-mandated topics | Child abuse identification and reporting (mandatory reporter training); Dependent adult abuse identification and reporting (mandatory reporter training) [5] |
| What CE counts | Since June 4, 2025 the Board no longer approves CE providers or CE content. CE must be appropriate subject matter (for example, nursing practice related to health care of patients in any setting) and each offering must be at least one hour. [1] |
State-mandated topics
- Child abuse identification and reporting (mandatory reporter training) [5]
Licensees who regularly examine, attend, counsel or treat children in Iowa must indicate at renewal that they completed the Department of Health and Human Services course in the previous three years. Each course counts as two contact hours of CE.
- Dependent adult abuse identification and reporting (mandatory reporter training) [5]
Licensees who regularly examine, attend, counsel or treat adults in Iowa must indicate at renewal that they completed the Department of Health and Human Services course in the previous three years. Each course counts as two contact hours of CE.
Other ways to meet the requirement
- Current national certification or recertification related to the practice of nursing counts as the full 36 contact hours. [4]
- Completing a nurse residency program counts as 36 contact hours. [4]
Good to know
- Up to 18 contact hours above the minimum may be carried over to the next license period. [4]
- Precepting for at least 60 hours in an organized preceptorship program counts as 6 contact hours; hours in a Board-approved nurse refresher course count as contact hours. [4]
- CPR, basic life support (BLS) and orientation in-service activities do not count as CE. [1]
- Exemptions are available for honorable active military duty, holding an active license in a state with mandatory CE while residing outside Iowa, nursing outside the United States for government, foreign service or missionary work, or (with prior approval) disability or illness. [4]
- CE documentation must be kept for four years; the Board may select licensees for audit. [4]
- Advanced registered nurse practitioners (ARNPs) have separate CE requirements. [1]
Rules change, and your own license record decides your deadline. Confirm with the Iowa Board of Nursing ↗ before you renew.
Free continuing education
Free nursing CE
The Iowa Board of 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
Iowa nursing CE, answered
How many CE hours do Iowa nurses need?
Iowa RNs and LPNs need 36 contact hours of continuing education every 3 years (or another option the board accepts). 2 state-mandated topics may apply, depending on the license and practice. Licenses expire on the 15th day of the licensee's birth month and are renewed on a three-year cycle (the first license is issued for 24 to 36 months).
Does Iowa require specific CE topics for nurses?
Child abuse identification and reporting (mandatory reporter training): Licensees who regularly examine, attend, counsel or treat children in Iowa must indicate at renewal that they completed the Department of Health and Human Services course in the previous three years. Each course counts as two contact hours of CE. Dependent adult abuse identification and reporting (mandatory reporter training): Licensees who regularly examine, attend, counsel or treat adults in Iowa must indicate at renewal that they completed the Department of Health and Human Services course in the previous three years. Each course counts as two contact hours of CE.
Do free online CE courses count in Iowa?
Since June 4, 2025 the Board no longer approves CE providers or CE content. CE must be appropriate subject matter (for example, nursing practice related to health care of patients in any setting) and each offering must be at least one hour. 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.
- Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, & Licensing — Nursing Continuing Education ↗dial.iowa.gov · HTML · Retrieved Oct 12, 2026
Quoted wording (9)
“Renewal or reactivation of all licenses requires 36 contact hours of continuing education.”
“Iowa law mandates CE for nursing licensure renewal.”
“Effective June 4, 2025, the Iowa Board of Nursing updated its administrative rules. The update removed the Board’s requirement to approve continuing education (CE) providers and CE content.”
“CE offerings must be at least one hour.”
“CEs also must be appropriate subject matter to count.”
“CE that does not count”
“Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and basic life support (BLS).”
“Orientation in-service activities.”
“ARNP Continuing Education Requirements”
- Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, & Licensing — Mandatory Reporters of Child and Adult Abuse - Required Course ↗dial.iowa.gov · HTML · Retrieved Oct 12, 2026
Quoted wording (2)
“Completion of each course counts as two contact hours for continuing education.”
“Completion of each course counts as two contact hours for continuing education.”
- Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, & Licensing — License Renewals ↗dial.iowa.gov · HTML · Retrieved Oct 12, 2026
Quoted wording (1)
“Instructions for Registered Nurses/Licensed Practical Nurses”
- Iowa Administrative Code — 481 IAC Chapter 619 Continuing Education ↗www.legis.iowa.gov · PDF · Retrieved Oct 12, 2026
Quoted wording (16)
“License renewal requires the verifiable completion of 36 contact hours or 3.6 CEUs of credit or an exemption within the renewal period.”
“Nursing practice related to health care of patients/clients/families in any setting.”
“Current national certification or recertification related to the practice of nursing. The national certification or recertification is recognized as 36 contact hours of continuing education.”
“Completion of a nurse residency program. A residency program is recognized as 36 contact hours of continuing education.”
“Up to 18 contact hours or 1.8 CEUs of credit may be carried over to a future license period if the licensee has exceeded the minimum required hours for the reporting period.”
“Participation as a preceptor for a nursing student or employee transitioning into a new clinical practice area, for a minimum of 60 hours as a part of an organized preceptorship program.”
“A preceptorship shall be recognized as 6 contact hours of continuing education.”
“Completion of a board-approved nurse refresher course. Hours of participation will be recognized as contact hours of continuing education.”
“A licensee may be exempt from continuing education requirements if the licensee provides proof upon request of the following:”
“Honorable active duty in the United States military during the license period.”
“Possesses a current license to practice in another state that has mandatory continuing education requirements, so long as the license is active and the licensee resides in a state other than Iowa at the time of renewal or reactivation.”
“Worked outside the United States during the renewal period as a registered nurse or licensed practical nurse for the government or foreign service or in missionary work.”
“A licensee shall not claim an extension of time or exemption from continuing education requirements on a license renewal application pursuant to this rule unless and until the licensee has received approval.”
“Had a physical or mental disability or illness during the relevant time period”
“Licensees are required to keep continuing education documentation for a period of four years”
“The board may select licensees for audit following a period of licensure.”
- Iowa Administrative Code — 481 IAC Chapter 617 ↗www.legis.iowa.gov · PDF · Retrieved Oct 12, 2026
Quoted wording (8)
“When the license is renewed, it will be placed on a three-year renewal cycle.”
“The board shall issue licenses by endorsement and examination for a 24- to 36-month period. When the license is renewed, it will be placed on a three-year renewal cycle. License expiration is on the fifteenth day of the licensee’s birth month.”
“A licensee who regularly examines, attends, counsels or treats children in Iowa must indicate on the renewal application completion of training in child abuse identification and reporting”
“in the previous three years”
“The course(s) shall be the curriculum provided by the department of health and human services.”
“A licensee who regularly examines, attends, counsels or treats adults in Iowa shall indicate on the renewal application completion of training in dependent adult abuse identification and reporting”
“in the previous three years”
“The course(s) shall be the curriculum provided by the department of health and human services.”