Arkansas Nurse Practitioner license renewal and CE requirements
Arkansas nurse practitioners 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).
The Arkansas State Board of Nursing renews licenses on a staggered biennial birth date system, so an APRN 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 practitioners 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). The Arkansas State Board of Nursing renews licenses on a staggered biennial birth date system, so an APRN 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 Nurse Practitioner 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 |
The obligation is layered but the base layer is identical to the RN layer. The board states that active LPNs, RNs and APRNs all satisfy continuing education 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 C or better. On top of that, an APRN with prescriptive authority must complete an additional five contact hours of pharmacotherapeutics related to the specialty certification, so a prescribing nurse practitioner who uses the contact hour method owes 20 hours in total. Two of the five pharmacotherapeutics hours are designated mandatory courses. Renewal also requires current national certification in the area of certification and an active unencumbered Arkansas or compact RN license. 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 nurse practitioners
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 practitioner's area of APRN certification. These are additional to the 15 hour base requirement. | 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. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Arkansas NP need to renew?
- Arkansas nurse practitioners 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). The obligation is layered but the base layer is identical to the RN layer. The board states that active LPNs, RNs and APRNs all satisfy continuing education 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 C or better. On top of that, an APRN with prescriptive authority must complete an additional five contact hours of pharmacotherapeutics related to the specialty certification, so a prescribing nurse practitioner who uses the contact hour method owes 20 hours in total. Two of the five pharmacotherapeutics hours are designated mandatory courses. Renewal also requires current national certification in the area of certification and an active unencumbered Arkansas or compact RN license. 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 NP license need to be renewed?
- Nurse Practitioner licenses in Arkansas renew every two years. The Arkansas State Board of Nursing renews licenses on a staggered biennial birth date system, so an APRN 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 practitioners?
- 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 practitioners 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.
Sources
Last verified September 8, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.
- 17 CAR 123-207, Renewals (APRN), Code of Arkansas RulesStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- Continuing Education, Arkansas State Board of NursingState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
- APRN Renewal Application Information, Arkansas State Board of NursingState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
- Renewal of Arkansas License, Arkansas State Board of NursingState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
- 17 CAR 121-801, Renewals generally, Code of Arkansas RulesStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
The three 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 and the continuing education page but not the two renewal pages, which will need entries before the online link check passes. The APRN rule text was read on the state's own Code of Arkansas Rules site. 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, though they also cover professional boundaries and substance misuse. Two Arkansas quirks are worth knowing. First, 17 CAR 123-207 states that an APRN granted full practice authority renews that authority certificate every three years, on a different clock from the two year APRN license. Second, the board still lists a separate Registered Nurse Practitioner (RNP) renewal application alongside the APRN one, a legacy Arkansas designation; this record covers the APRN license held in the nurse practitioner role. The 15 hour base and the three compliance methods are the same for LPNs, RNs and APRNs, so that layer is not nurse practitioner specific. 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.