Arizona Registered Nurse license renewal and CE requirements
Arizona does not require continuing education for RN license renewal, which happens every four years.
RNs and LPNs renew every four years by April 1 (Arizona State Board of Nursing renewal page; A.R.S. 32-1642). A license not renewed on or before August 1 of the renewal year expires, and a late fee applies to applications submitted after May 1. This record covers the registered nurse license.
Summary
Arizona does not require continuing education for RN license renewal, which happens every four years. RNs and LPNs renew every four years by April 1 (Arizona State Board of Nursing renewal page; A.R.S. 32-1642). A license not renewed on or before August 1 of the renewal year expires, and a late fee applies to applications submitted after May 1. This record covers the registered nurse license.
Arizona Registered Nurse renewal and continuing education rules
"Not stated" means the board's pages and rules we read do not address it. We do not fill in typical values.
| Renewal cycle | 48-month (48 months) |
|---|---|
| Renewal deadline | Same date for every licensee, 04/01 each cycle |
| Continuing education required | No |
The Arizona State Board of Nursing does not require continuing education hours for RN or LPN renewal. The board's renewal page states that an applicant must meet one of four practice requirements instead: 960 or more hours of nursing practice in the past five years, graduation from a nursing program with a degree in the past five years, an Arizona Board approved refresher course in the past five years, or an advanced nursing degree in the past five years. A.A.C. R4-19-312 states the same 960-hour or post-licensure program test and applies it at the registered nurse level for RN renewal. Care of family members generally does not count toward the hours. Arizona's three-hour opioid and substance use disorder CE requirement (A.R.S. 32-3248.02) applies to advanced practice nurses who hold a DEA registration, not to RN or LPN renewal.
Required CE topics for Arizona registered nurses
The Arizona State Board of Nursing pages and rules we read do not mandate specific subject areas for this license type. Hours may be in any approved subject.
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | Not stated |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | Not stated |
| Board audits compliance | Not stated |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Arizona RN need to renew?
- Arizona does not require continuing education for RN license renewal, which happens every four years. The Arizona State Board of Nursing does not require continuing education hours for RN or LPN renewal. The board's renewal page states that an applicant must meet one of four practice requirements instead: 960 or more hours of nursing practice in the past five years, graduation from a nursing program with a degree in the past five years, an Arizona Board approved refresher course in the past five years, or an advanced nursing degree in the past five years. A.A.C. R4-19-312 states the same 960-hour or post-licensure program test and applies it at the registered nurse level for RN renewal. Care of family members generally does not count toward the hours. Arizona's three-hour opioid and substance use disorder CE requirement (A.R.S. 32-3248.02) applies to advanced practice nurses who hold a DEA registration, not to RN or LPN renewal.
- How often does a Arizona RN license need to be renewed?
- Registered Nurse licenses in Arizona renew every four years. RNs and LPNs renew every four years by April 1 (Arizona State Board of Nursing renewal page; A.R.S. 32-1642). A license not renewed on or before August 1 of the renewal year expires, and a late fee applies to applications submitted after May 1. This record covers the registered nurse license.
Sources
Last verified September 7, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.
- Renew your License, Arizona State Board of NursingState board page, accessed September 7, 2026
- Arizona Administrative Code Title 4, Chapter 19, Board of Nursing (Supp. 24-4, December 31, 2024): R4-19-305 License Renewal, R4-19-312 Practice RequirementStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 7, 2026
- A.R.S. 32-1642 Renewal of licenseStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 7, 2026
- Arizona State Board of NursingState board page, accessed September 7, 2026
The four-year cycle, the April 1 deadline, and the four alternative practice requirements were read on the Arizona State Board of Nursing's own Renew your License page; the 960 hours in five years test and the renewal application contents were read in the official Arizona Administrative Code Title 4 Chapter 19 published by the Secretary of State (Supp. 24-4), sections R4-19-312 and R4-19-305. Neither the statute, the rule, nor the board page imposes continuing education hours on RN renewal, which is why required is false. Both azbn.gov and the Secretary of State code host return 403 to automated clients, so they were opened and read in a browser and are recorded in data/licensure/link-verified-exceptions.json. Documentation and audit fields are null because the board publishes no CE documentation rules, there being no CE requirement to document.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Arizona State Board of Nursing before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.