Arkansas Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist license renewal and CE requirements
Arkansas nurse anesthetists must complete 15 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Arkansas State Board of Nursing (Arkansas Department of Health).
Arkansas does not issue a standalone nurse anesthetist credential. A nurse anesthetist holds an advanced practice registered nurse license in the certified registered nurse anesthetist role, one of the four APRN roles the board recognizes, and the board renews licenses on a staggered biennial birth date system, so the license expires every two years on a date tied to the licensee's birth date. A first license may run anywhere from three to twenty seven months depending on birth date. The APRN license renews separately from, and only after, the underlying RN license: the RN license must be renewed before the APRN renewal link becomes available. The renewal link opens 60 days before expiration, and a late fee applies once the expiration date passes.
Summary
Arkansas nurse anesthetists must complete 15 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Arkansas State Board of Nursing (Arkansas Department of Health). Arkansas does not issue a standalone nurse anesthetist credential. A nurse anesthetist holds an advanced practice registered nurse license in the certified registered nurse anesthetist role, one of the four APRN roles the board recognizes, and the board renews licenses on a staggered biennial birth date system, so the license expires every two years on a date tied to the licensee's birth date. A first license may run anywhere from three to twenty seven months depending on birth date. The APRN license renews separately from, and only after, the underlying RN license: the RN license must be renewed before the APRN renewal link becomes available. The renewal link opens 60 days before expiration, and a late fee applies once the expiration date passes. Arkansas also mandates specific subjects. Pharmacotherapeutics continuing education in the APRN's area of certification: 5 contact hours every renewal cycle (APRNs with prescriptive authority). Professional boundaries, substance abuse and misuse, and the prescribing rules, regulations and laws that apply to APRNs in Arkansas: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle (APRNs with prescriptive authority).
Arkansas Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist 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 | Two-year (24 months) |
|---|---|
| Renewal deadline | Tied to the licensee's birth dateFirst renewal is prorated. |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 15 contact hours |
| Self-study or online cap | No cap stated |
| Carryover to next cycle | Not stated |
| First renewal exempt | Not stated |
| Other accepted activities | Holding a current nationally recognized certification or recertification recognized by the ASBN, in place of the 15 contact hours; One college credit hour course in nursing completed with a grade of C or better during the licensure period, in place of the 15 contact hours |
Arkansas applies one shared continuing education rule to every nurse. The board states that active LPNs, RNs and APRNs all satisfy the requirement before each biennial renewal by one of three methods: 15 contact hours of appropriately accredited practice focused activity, a current nationally recognized certification or recertification, or one college credit hour nursing course passed with a grade of C or better. Because the board also requires every APRN to keep current national certification on file to hold an active license, a nurse anesthetist who maintains NBCRNA certification already satisfies the continuing education requirement by the certification method; Arkansas accepts the recertification in place of state hours rather than adopting the NBCRNA credit totals as its own figure. The one add on is prescriber scoped: an APRN with prescriptive authority completes an additional five contact hours of pharmacotherapeutics related to the specialty certification, two of which are designated mandatory courses. That reaches a nurse anesthetist only if the nurse holds an Arkansas certificate of prescriptive authority. Arkansas prescriptive authority under A.C.A. 17-87-310 requires a board approved advanced pharmacology course with preceptorial experience plus either a certificate of full independent practice authority or a collaborative practice agreement with a physician, and the board states that the full independent practice pathway created by Act 412 of 2021 is open only to certified nurse practitioners and clinical nurse specialists, not to nurse anesthetists. A reinstatement from inactive status or a late renewal of less than five years requires 20 contact hours rather than 15.
Required CE topics for Arkansas certified registered nurse anesthetists
State-specific subject mandates. Where a mandate applies only to some licensees, the scope is listed.
| Topic | Hours | Frequency | Applies to | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmacotherapeutics continuing education in the APRN's area of certificationFive contact hours each two year period, completed within the two years before renewal, in the nurse's area of APRN certification. These are additional to the 15 hour base requirement. A nurse anesthetist who holds no Arkansas certificate of prescriptive authority does not owe them. | 5 contact hours | Every renewal | APRNs with prescriptive authority | 17 CAR 123-207(h) |
| Professional boundaries, substance abuse and misuse, and the prescribing rules, regulations and laws that apply to APRNs in ArkansasTwo of the five pharmacotherapeutics hours must carry this content, so it does not add to the total. The board designates specific mandatory courses and links them through CE Broker. | 2 contact hours | Every renewal | APRNs with prescriptive authority | 17 CAR 123-207(h) |
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | No, attestation only |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | Not stated |
| Board audits compliance | Yes |
| Approved providers | Contact hours must come from an appropriately accredited, practice focused activity recognized by a nationally recognized or state continuing education approval body accepted by the ASBN. The two mandatory prescribing hours are specific courses the board links through CE Broker. Licensees using the contact hour method affirm completion rather than listing courses, and upload certificates only if selected for audit. National certification documentation must be updated and submitted with each renewal. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Arkansas CRNA need to renew?
- Arkansas nurse anesthetists must complete 15 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Arkansas State Board of Nursing (Arkansas Department of Health). Arkansas applies one shared continuing education rule to every nurse. The board states that active LPNs, RNs and APRNs all satisfy the requirement before each biennial renewal by one of three methods: 15 contact hours of appropriately accredited practice focused activity, a current nationally recognized certification or recertification, or one college credit hour nursing course passed with a grade of C or better. Because the board also requires every APRN to keep current national certification on file to hold an active license, a nurse anesthetist who maintains NBCRNA certification already satisfies the continuing education requirement by the certification method; Arkansas accepts the recertification in place of state hours rather than adopting the NBCRNA credit totals as its own figure. The one add on is prescriber scoped: an APRN with prescriptive authority completes an additional five contact hours of pharmacotherapeutics related to the specialty certification, two of which are designated mandatory courses. That reaches a nurse anesthetist only if the nurse holds an Arkansas certificate of prescriptive authority. Arkansas prescriptive authority under A.C.A. 17-87-310 requires a board approved advanced pharmacology course with preceptorial experience plus either a certificate of full independent practice authority or a collaborative practice agreement with a physician, and the board states that the full independent practice pathway created by Act 412 of 2021 is open only to certified nurse practitioners and clinical nurse specialists, not to nurse anesthetists. A reinstatement from inactive status or a late renewal of less than five years requires 20 contact hours rather than 15.
- How often does a Arkansas CRNA license need to be renewed?
- Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist licenses in Arkansas renew every two years. Arkansas does not issue a standalone nurse anesthetist credential. A nurse anesthetist holds an advanced practice registered nurse license in the certified registered nurse anesthetist role, one of the four APRN roles the board recognizes, and the board renews licenses on a staggered biennial birth date system, so the license expires every two years on a date tied to the licensee's birth date. A first license may run anywhere from three to twenty seven months depending on birth date. The APRN license renews separately from, and only after, the underlying RN license: the RN license must be renewed before the APRN renewal link becomes available. The renewal link opens 60 days before expiration, and a late fee applies once the expiration date passes.
- What specific CE topics are required for Arkansas nurse anesthetists?
- Pharmacotherapeutics continuing education in the APRN's area of certification: 5 contact hours every renewal cycle (APRNs with prescriptive authority). Professional boundaries, substance abuse and misuse, and the prescribing rules, regulations and laws that apply to APRNs in Arkansas: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle (APRNs with prescriptive authority). Citations: pharmacotherapeutics continuing education in the APRN's area of certification (17 CAR 123-207(h)) and professional boundaries, substance abuse and misuse, and the prescribing rules, regulations and laws that apply to APRNs in Arkansas (17 CAR 123-207(h)).
- Do Arkansas nurse anesthetists have to submit CE certificates at renewal?
- Licensees attest to completion at renewal rather than submitting certificates and the board audits a sample of renewals and asks for documentation. Contact hours must come from an appropriately accredited, practice focused activity recognized by a nationally recognized or state continuing education approval body accepted by the ASBN. The two mandatory prescribing hours are specific courses the board links through CE Broker. Licensees using the contact hour method affirm completion rather than listing courses, and upload certificates only if selected for audit. National certification documentation must be updated and submitted with each renewal.
Sources
Last verified September 8, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.
- ASBN Continuing Education, Arkansas State Board of NursingState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
- ASBN APRN Renewal Application InformationState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
- ASBN Renewal of Arkansas LicenseState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
- ASBN Advanced Practice InformationState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
- 17 CAR 123-207, Renewals (Advanced Practice Registered Nurse)Statute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- 17 CAR 121-801, Renewals generallyStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
The healthy.arkansas.gov pages cited here return 403 to every automated client, so they were read in a rendered browser rather than fetched; the repository's link exceptions file already covers the board homepage, the continuing education page, the APRN renewal page and the renewal index, but not the Advanced Practice information page, which will need an entry before the online link check passes. The APRN renewal and general renewal rules were read on the state's own Code of Arkansas Rules site. Arkansas does not issue a distinct CRNA credential: the board's Advanced Practice page states that an APRN is a registered nurse educated in one of the four roles, Certified Nurse Practitioner, Clinical Nurse Specialist, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist and Certified Nurse Midwife, so this record covers the APRN license held in the nurse anesthetist role. Compared with the Arkansas nurse practitioner record, the 15 hour base and the three compliance methods are identical because they are the shared rule for all nurses, and the five hour pharmacotherapeutics add on carries the same conditional scope. Two differences are worth knowing. The certificate of full independent practice authority, which renews on a separate three year clock, is open only to CNPs and CNSs under Act 412 of 2021, so a nurse anesthetist has no such certificate to renew. Nothing read states that a nurse anesthetist may or may not hold an Arkansas certificate of prescriptive authority: A.C.A. 17-87-310 is written for an advanced practice registered nurse generally, and the board's renewal page phrases the five hour requirement conditionally as if you have Prescriptive Authority, so the requirement is recorded with that conditional scope rather than asserted or denied for the role. Topic key pharmacology is not in the canonical list; the two mandatory prescribing hours are filed under jurisprudence because their stated content is the Arkansas prescribing rules, regulations and laws. Record retention length was not stated on the pages read.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Arkansas State Board of Nursing (Arkansas Department of Health) before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.