Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing
Pennsylvania Nursing CE Requirements
Pennsylvania RNs need 30 hours of continuing education every 2 years. 2 state-mandated topics may apply, depending on the license and practice.
At a glance
Pennsylvania nursing license renewal
| Licenses covered | Registered nurse (RN) [1] |
|---|---|
| CE required for renewal | Yes [1] |
| Hours per renewal | 30 hours [1] |
| CE period | Every 2 years [4] |
| Renewal deadline | Licenses renew every two years; the Board assigns each RN one of four expiration dates: April 30 or October 31, in even- or odd-numbered years. [2] |
| State-mandated topics | Child abuse recognition and reporting; Organ and tissue donation and recovery process [1] |
| What CE counts | Board-approved CE relevant to patient care or professional nursing, from sources such as nursing education programs, accredited or state-licensed hospitals and health care facilities, regionally accredited colleges, national nursing, medical and health care professional organizations and their state affiliates, federal and state agencies, or a board in another jurisdiction. Distance learning can cover all 30 hours; ACLS, PALS or ATLS counts once per cycle; BLS does not count. [4] |
State-mandated topics
- Child abuse recognition and reporting — 2 hours [1]
All RNs, every biennial renewal, including the first renewal after initial licensure. Must be Board-approved; the hours count toward the 30.
- Organ and tissue donation and recovery process — 2 hours [1]
All RNs, once, effective May 1, 2026: within 5 years of license renewal for nurses licensed before May 1, 2026, or within 5 years of initial licensure for nurses licensed on or after that date. Must be Board-approved; the hours count toward the 30.
Good to know
- Apart from the child abuse training, newly licensed nurses do not have to meet the CE requirement at the first renewal after initial licensure. [1]
- CE hours cannot be carried over from one biennial renewal period to the next. [1]
- An RN may request a waiver for serious illness, military service or other demonstrated hardship, in writing at least 90 days before the license expires unless the hardship arises within that period. [1]
Rules change, and your own license record decides your deadline. Confirm with the Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing ↗ before you renew.
Free continuing education
Free nursing CE
The Pennsylvania State 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
Pennsylvania nursing CE, answered
How many CE hours do Pennsylvania nurses need?
Pennsylvania RNs need 30 hours of continuing education every 2 years. 2 state-mandated topics may apply, depending on the license and practice. Licenses renew every two years; the Board assigns each RN one of four expiration dates: April 30 or October 31, in even- or odd-numbered years.
Does Pennsylvania require specific CE topics for nurses?
Child abuse recognition and reporting (2 hours): All RNs, every biennial renewal, including the first renewal after initial licensure. Must be Board-approved; the hours count toward the 30. Organ and tissue donation and recovery process (2 hours): All RNs, once, effective May 1, 2026: within 5 years of license renewal for nurses licensed before May 1, 2026, or within 5 years of initial licensure for nurses licensed on or after that date. Must be Board-approved; the hours count toward the 30.
Do free online CE courses count in Pennsylvania?
Board-approved CE relevant to patient care or professional nursing, from sources such as nursing education programs, accredited or state-licensed hospitals and health care facilities, regionally accredited colleges, national nursing, medical and health care professional organizations and their state affiliates, federal and state agencies, or a board in another jurisdiction. Distance learning can cover all 30 hours; ACLS, PALS or ATLS counts once per cycle; BLS does not count. 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.
- Pennsylvania Code — 49 Pa. Code § 21.131, Continuing education ↗www.pacodeandbulletin.gov · HTML · Retrieved Oct 12, 2026
Quoted wording (12)
“A registered nurse seeking licensure renewal shall complete 30 hours of continuing education approved by the Board during the biennial renewal period immediately preceding the application for renewal”
“The Board will not renew a license of a registered nurse who fails to verify compliance with the continuing education requirement.”
“A registered nurse seeking licensure renewal shall complete 30 hours of continuing education approved by the Board during the biennial renewal period immediately preceding the application for renewal”
“At least 2 of the 30 hours shall be completed in approved continuing education in child abuse recognition and reporting requirements”
“An applicant applying for initial licensure in this Commonwealth will not be required to meet the continuing education requirement on the first renewal immediately following licensure, except for the mandatory continuing education in child abuse recognition and reporting”
“Effective May 1, 2026, a registered nurse who obtained a license prior to May 1, 2026, shall verify completion of at least 2 of the 30 hours in Board-approved continuing education in organ and tissue donation and recovery process”
“one time within 5 years of licensure renewal.”
“A registered nurse who obtains a license on or after May 1, 2026, shall verify completion of at least 2 of the 30 hours in Board-approved continuing education in organ and tissue donation and recovery process”
“one time within 5 years of initial licensure.”
“An applicant applying for initial licensure in this Commonwealth will not be required to meet the continuing education requirement on the first renewal immediately following licensure, except for the mandatory continuing education in child abuse recognition and reporting”
“Continuing education hours may not be carried over from one biennial renewal period to the next.”
“A registered nurse may request a waiver of the continuing education requirement because of serious illness, military service or other demonstrated hardship. The registered nurse shall submit the request and any supporting documentation to the Board in writing at least 90 days prior to the registered nurse’s license expiration date unless an emergency or hardship occurs within the 90-day period.”
- Pennsylvania Code — 49 Pa. Code § 21.29, Expiration and renewal of license ↗www.pacodeandbulletin.gov · HTML · Retrieved Oct 12, 2026
Quoted wording (2)
“The Board will assign registered nurses to one of the following license expiration dates: (1) April 30 in the even-numbered years. (2) October 31 in the even-numbered years. (3) April 30 in the odd-numbered years. (4) October 31 in the odd-numbered years.”
“Pay the biennial renewal of licensure fee”
- Pennsylvania Code — 49 Pa. Code § 21.134, Continuing education sources ↗www.pacodeandbulletin.gov · HTML · Retrieved Oct 12, 2026
Quoted wording (8)
“Activities sponsored by a Board-approved practical or professional nursing program or a Nationally accredited graduate nursing program.”
“Activities sponsored by accredited hospitals and health care facilities.”
“Activities sponsored by hospitals and health care facilities licensed by the Department of Health or the Department of Public Welfare.”
“Activities sponsored by regionally-accredited institutions of higher education.”
“Activities sponsored by National nursing, medical, osteopathic and other health care professional organizations and their state and regional affiliates.”
“Activities sponsored by Federal and state agencies.”
“Activities approved by a Board in another jurisdiction.”
“Distance learning continuing education is acceptable for completion of all 30 continuing education hours required for license renewal.”
- Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing — FAQs on Mandatory Continuing Education (CE) for Registered Nurses ↗www.pa.gov · PDF · Retrieved Oct 12, 2026
Quoted wording (5)
“For example: If your license will expire on April 30, 2020 you will need to complete 30 hours of Board approved CE between May 1, 2018 through April 30, 2020.”
“Acceptable CE must be relevant to patient care or professional nursing in a general or specialty area”
“Advanced life support courses such as Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) or Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) may be used towards the 30 hours of CE, but the advanced life support course may be used only ONCE during a 2-year renewal cycle.”
“CE course content not acceptable for license renewal includes, but is not limited to, any nonprofessional course content related to:”
“BLS (Basic Life Support)”