Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) — Board of Nursing
Utah Nursing CE Requirements
Utah RNs and LPNs need 30 contact hours of continuing education every 2 years (or another option the board accepts). 1 state-mandated topic may apply, depending on the license and practice.
At a glance
Utah nursing license renewal
| Licenses covered | Registered nurse (RN), Licensed practical nurse (LPN) [2] |
|---|---|
| CE required for renewal | Yes [2] |
| Hours per renewal | 30 contact hours [2] |
| CE period | Every 2 years [2] |
| Renewal deadline | RN licenses expire on January 31 of odd-numbered years and LPN licenses on January 31 of even-numbered years; DOPL mails a renewal notice at least 60 days before expiry. [1] |
| State-mandated topics | Suicide prevention [1] |
| What CE counts | Approved continuing education: CE approved by a nationally or internationally recognized approver of health-related professional CE, nursing courses from an approved nursing education program, health-related coursework from an accredited institution, CE approved by any state board of nursing, or training offered by the Division. [2] |
State-mandated topics
- Suicide prevention [1]
RNs and LPNs, before each renewal: complete at least one of the online suicide prevention trainings listed by DOPL. The trainings qualify for CE credit.
Other ways to meet the requirement
- At least 400 hours of licensed practice in the two years before renewal. [2]
- At least 200 hours of licensed practice plus 15 contact hours of approved continuing education in the two years before renewal. [2]
Good to know
- APRNs have separate renewal requirements, such as being currently certified or recertified in their specialty area. [2]
Rules change, and your own license record decides your deadline. Confirm with the Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) — Board of Nursing ↗ before you renew.
Free continuing education
Free nursing CE
The Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL) — 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
Utah nursing CE, answered
How many CE hours do Utah nurses need?
Utah RNs and LPNs need 30 contact hours of continuing education every 2 years (or another option the board accepts). 1 state-mandated topic may apply, depending on the license and practice. RN licenses expire on January 31 of odd-numbered years and LPN licenses on January 31 of even-numbered years; DOPL mails a renewal notice at least 60 days before expiry.
Does Utah require specific CE topics for nurses?
Suicide prevention: RNs and LPNs, before each renewal: complete at least one of the online suicide prevention trainings listed by DOPL. The trainings qualify for CE credit.
Do free online CE courses count in Utah?
Approved continuing education: CE approved by a nationally or internationally recognized approver of health-related professional CE, nursing courses from an approved nursing education program, health-related coursework from an accredited institution, CE approved by any state board of nursing, or training offered by the Division. 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.
- Utah Division of Professional Licensing — Renew a RN or LPN License ↗commerce.utah.gov · HTML · Retrieved Oct 12, 2026
Quoted wording (6)
“During the past 2 years, I have completed licensed practice of at least 400 hours OR at least 200 hours with 15 hours of approved continuing education OR completed 30 hours of approved continuing education.”
“RN Licenses expire on January 31 of odd years.”
“LPN licenses expire on January 31 of even years.”
“At least 60 days prior to the expiration date of a license, DOPL mails a renewal notice to the licensee's address of record.”
“completed at least ONE of the following online suicide prevention trainings (these qualify for CE credit):”
“Before proceeding with renewal, the following requirements must be met:”
- Utah Administrative Code — R156-31b, Nurse Practice Act Rule ↗adminrules.utah.gov · HTML · Retrieved Oct 12, 2026
Quoted wording (14)
“An LPN or RN shall complete one of the following during the two-year period immediately preceding the date of application for renewal:”
“Each applicant for renewal shall comply with the following continuing competency requirements:”
“completion of 30 contact hours of approved continuing education hours.”
“the renewal date for the two-year renewal cycle for licensees under Title 58, Chapter 31b, Nurse Practice Act”
“"Approved continuing education" means:”
“continuing education that has been approved by a nationally or internationally recognized approver of professional continuing education for health-related industries;”
“nursing education courses offered by an approved education program as defined in Subsection (6);”
“health-related coursework taken from an educational institution accredited by a regional or national institutional accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education;”
“continuing education approved by any state board of nursing; or”
“training or educational presentations offered by the Division.”
“licensed practice for not less than 400 hours;”
“licensed practice for not less than 200 hours and completion of 15 contact hours of approved continuing education; or”
“An APRN shall comply with the following:”
“be currently certified or recertified in the licensee's specialty area of practice; or”