Oklahoma Board of Nursing
Oklahoma Nursing CE Requirements
Oklahoma RNs and LPNs need 24 contact hours of continuing education every 2 years (or another option the board accepts).
At a glance
Oklahoma nursing license renewal
| Licenses covered | Registered nurse (RN), Licensed practical nurse (LPN) [1] |
|---|---|
| CE required for renewal | Yes [1] |
| Hours per renewal | 24 contact hours [1] |
| CE period | Every 2 years [2] |
| Renewal deadline | Licenses renew every two years by the end of the nurse's birth month: RN licenses in even-numbered years and LPN licenses in odd-numbered years. [2] |
| State-mandated topics | None stated by the board |
| What CE counts | Contact hours applicable to nursing practice obtained through an accredited approver of continuing education or an approved nursing education program in Oklahoma (one contact hour = 50 minutes), or through academic credit (one semester credit hour = 16 contact hours). [1] |
Other ways to meet the requirement
- Employment in a position that requires a nursing license, with verification of at least 520 work hours within the two years before the license expires (volunteer hours do not count). [1]
- Current certification in a nursing specialty area, issued by an accredited nursing certification program. [1]
- Completion of a Board-approved refresher course. [1]
- Completion of at least six academic semester credit hours of nursing coursework at the nurse's current level of licensure or higher. [1]
Good to know
- The continuing-qualification options cannot be combined within the same two-year period (for example, 260 work hours plus 12 contact hours does not qualify). [1]
Rules change, and your own license record decides your deadline. Confirm with the Oklahoma Board of Nursing ↗ before you renew.
Free continuing education
Free nursing CE
The Oklahoma 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
Oklahoma nursing CE, answered
How many CE hours do Oklahoma nurses need?
Oklahoma RNs and LPNs need 24 contact hours of continuing education every 2 years (or another option the board accepts). Licenses renew every two years by the end of the nurse's birth month: RN licenses in even-numbered years and LPN licenses in odd-numbered years.
Does Oklahoma require specific CE topics for nurses?
The Oklahoma Board of Nursing pages we checked do not list a state-mandated topic for this renewal.
Do free online CE courses count in Oklahoma?
Contact hours applicable to nursing practice obtained through an accredited approver of continuing education or an approved nursing education program in Oklahoma (one contact hour = 50 minutes), or through academic credit (one semester credit hour = 16 contact hours). 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.
- Oklahoma Board of Nursing — Meeting Requirements for Continuing Qualifications for Practice for License Renewal Guidelines (P-23) ↗oklahoma.gov · PDF · Retrieved Oct 12, 2026
Quoted wording (16)
“Registered Nurses and Licensed Practical Nurses licensed in the State of Oklahoma must meet continuing qualifications for practice”
“Registered Nurses and Licensed Practical Nurses licensed in the State of Oklahoma must meet continuing qualifications for practice, by completing one or more of the following requirements within the past two years prior to the expiration date of the license:”
“Completion of at least twenty-four (24) contact hours of continuing education applicable to nursing practice; or”
“within the past two years prior to the expiration date of the license:”
“Contact hours obtained through an accredited approver of continuing education or an approved nursing education program in the State of Oklahoma.”
“one (1) contact hour is defined as 50 minutes.”
“one (1) academic semester credit hour = 16 contact hours.”
“Contact hours selected by the licensee must be applicable to nursing practice.”
“Employment in a position that requires a registered nurse/practical nurse license with verification of at least 520 work hours; or”
“Volunteer hours cannot be used to meet the requirement.”
“by completing one or more of the following requirements within the past two years prior to the expiration date of the license:”
“Current certification in a nursing specialty area; or”
“The nursing certification must be issued by an accredited nursing certification program.”
“Completion of a Board-approved refresher course; or”
“Completion of at least six (6) academic semester credit hours of nursing coursework at the licensee’s current level of licensure or higher.”
“The options for continuing qualifications may not be combined in the same two year period to meet requirements (e.g., a licensee may not submit verification of 260 employment hours and twelve (12) contact hours as proof of eligibility).”
- Oklahoma Board of Nursing — Primary Source Verification: Documents Received in Board Office ↗oklahoma.gov · PDF · Retrieved Oct 12, 2026
Quoted wording (2)
“must be renewed every two years by the end of the licensee’s birth month.”
“must be renewed every two years by the end of the licensee’s birth month. RN and APRN licenses and prescriptive authority recognitions are renewed on even years; LPN licenses and Advanced Unlicensed Assistant certifications are renewed on odd years.”