District of Columbia Registered Nurse license renewal and CE requirements
District of Columbia registered nurses must complete 24 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the District of Columbia Board of Nursing (DC Health).
17 DCMR 5401.1: an RN license expires at midnight June 30 of each even-numbered year; the 2026 RN/APRN renewal ran April 1 through June 30, 2026. 17 DCMR 5401.2 lets the Director move to birth-month expiration, and the Board of Nursing page states that all credentials issued on or after June 16, 2024 expire on the last day of the holder's birth month, so the deadline depends on when the license was issued.
Summary
Requirements are changing. The District is part way through moving professional credentials from a dated renewal cycle to a birth month cycle. 17 DCMR 5401.1 still states that a nursing license expires at midnight on June 30 of each even-numbered year, while the Board of Nursing states that all credentials issued on or after June 16, 2024 expire on the last day of the holder's birth month, with renewing licensees moving onto that cycle from September 2024. Both statements are in force depending on when your credential was issued. Check the expiration date printed on your own credential and contact the Board of Nursing if it does not match the birth month cycle.
District of Columbia registered nurses must complete 24 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the District of Columbia Board of Nursing (DC Health). 17 DCMR 5401.1: an RN license expires at midnight June 30 of each even-numbered year; the 2026 RN/APRN renewal ran April 1 through June 30, 2026. 17 DCMR 5401.2 lets the Director move to birth-month expiration, and the Board of Nursing page states that all credentials issued on or after June 16, 2024 expire on the last day of the holder's birth month, so the deadline depends on when the license was issued. District of Columbia also mandates specific subjects. Cultural competency or specialized clinical training focusing on patients who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle. Subjects determined by the Director of DC Health as public health priorities of the District: 2.4 contact hours every renewal cycle. The first renewal is exempt.
District of Columbia 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 | Two-year (24 months) |
|---|---|
| Renewal deadline | Tied to the licensee's birth month |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 24 contact hours |
| Self-study or online cap | No cap stated |
| Carryover to next cycle | Not stated |
| First renewal exempt | Yes |
| Other accepted activities | Undergraduate or graduate course at an accredited college or university (15 credits per semester hour); Serving as a speaker at an approved CE program (preparation credit up to twice presentation time); Developing a Board-approved course or educational offering; Author or editor of a peer-reviewed published periodical; Obtaining a national nursing certification not previously held; Completion of or participation in a completed research project; Volunteer leadership position within a regulatory board or national professional association (maximum 6 credits) |
17 DCMR 5406.1: an applicant for renewal shall have completed, during the two years before expiration, twenty-four (24) hours of continuing education meeting 5410, of which two hours shall be in cultural competency or specialized clinical training focusing on LGBTQ patients and ten percent of the total shall be in subjects the Director designates as public health priorities. 5406.2 waives the three-credit HIV/AIDS requirement of D.C. Code 3-1205.10(b)(4) for RNs. 5406.4: an applicant renewing for the first time after the initial grant of the license is not required to complete CE. One credit is 50 minutes; a semester hour equals 15 credits and a quarter hour 10. Per the Board of Nursing page, all credentials issued on or after June 16, 2024 expire on the last day of the holder's birth month, and during the transition licensees with less than two years on their term owe 50% of the CE (fees are not prorated); the mandated LGBTQ and public health priority hours still apply.
Required CE topics for District of Columbia registered nurses
State-specific subject mandates. Where a mandate applies only to some licensees, the scope is listed.
| Topic | Hours | Frequency | Applies to | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cultural competency or specialized clinical training focusing on patients who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queerCounts toward the 24 hours. | 2 contact hours | Every renewal | All licensees | D.C. Code 3-1205.10(b)(5); 17 DCMR 5406.1(a) |
| Subjects determined by the Director of DC Health as public health priorities of the DistrictTen percent of the 24 required hours. Public health priority domains published February 13, 2025: sexual and reproductive health; chronic disease management; One Health; health care professional retention and capacity building (including suicide prevention, burnout, substance use, implicit bias and cultural humility); community and patient safety. | 2.4 contact hours | Every renewal | All licensees | 17 DCMR 5406.1(b) |
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | Yes |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | Not stated |
| Board audits compliance | Yes |
| Approved providers | Programs approved by the Board, or approved by a state board of nursing, ANCC, ACCME, or another national accrediting body recognized by the Board (17 DCMR 5410.3) |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a District of Columbia RN need to renew?
- District of Columbia registered nurses must complete 24 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the District of Columbia Board of Nursing (DC Health). 17 DCMR 5406.1: an applicant for renewal shall have completed, during the two years before expiration, twenty-four (24) hours of continuing education meeting 5410, of which two hours shall be in cultural competency or specialized clinical training focusing on LGBTQ patients and ten percent of the total shall be in subjects the Director designates as public health priorities. 5406.2 waives the three-credit HIV/AIDS requirement of D.C. Code 3-1205.10(b)(4) for RNs. 5406.4: an applicant renewing for the first time after the initial grant of the license is not required to complete CE. One credit is 50 minutes; a semester hour equals 15 credits and a quarter hour 10. Per the Board of Nursing page, all credentials issued on or after June 16, 2024 expire on the last day of the holder's birth month, and during the transition licensees with less than two years on their term owe 50% of the CE (fees are not prorated); the mandated LGBTQ and public health priority hours still apply.
- How often does a District of Columbia RN license need to be renewed?
- Registered Nurse licenses in District of Columbia renew every two years. 17 DCMR 5401.1: an RN license expires at midnight June 30 of each even-numbered year; the 2026 RN/APRN renewal ran April 1 through June 30, 2026. 17 DCMR 5401.2 lets the Director move to birth-month expiration, and the Board of Nursing page states that all credentials issued on or after June 16, 2024 expire on the last day of the holder's birth month, so the deadline depends on when the license was issued.
- What specific CE topics are required for District of Columbia registered nurses?
- Cultural competency or specialized clinical training focusing on patients who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle. Subjects determined by the Director of DC Health as public health priorities of the District: 2.4 contact hours every renewal cycle. Citations: cultural competency or specialized clinical training focusing on patients who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (D.C. Code 3-1205.10(b)(5); 17 DCMR 5406.1(a)) and subjects determined by the Director of DC Health as public health priorities of the District (17 DCMR 5406.1(b)).
- Do District of Columbia registered nurses have to submit CE certificates at renewal?
- Proof of completion must be submitted with the renewal and the board audits a sample of renewals and asks for documentation. Programs approved by the Board, or approved by a state board of nursing, ANCC, ACCME, or another national accrediting body recognized by the Board (17 DCMR 5410.3)
- Is the first District of Columbia RN renewal exempt from CE?
- Yes. District of Columbia does not require continuing education for a RN's first renewal.
Sources
Last verified September 7, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.
- Board of Nursing, DC HealthState board page, accessed September 7, 2026
- 17 DCMR Chapter 54 Registered Nursing (September 2, 2022)Statute or administrative rule, accessed September 7, 2026
- D.C. Code 3-1205.10 Term and renewal of licenses (continuing education)Statute or administrative rule, accessed September 7, 2026
- Public Notice: Identifying Public Health Issues for Continuing Education (February 13, 2025)State board page, accessed September 7, 2026
- Continuing Education Requirements for 2022 (RN and APRN) and 2023 (LPN) Renewal, Board of NursingState board page, accessed September 7, 2026
Hours, topics, first-renewal exemption, and cycle confirmed in 17 DCMR Chapter 54 (5401, 5406, 5410) and on the Board of Nursing page. proof_at_renewal is true because 5410.8 requires documentation for each program on a Board form and the board's CE compliance sheet says to upload evidence of completion with the renewal application; audits under 5406.3 give 30 days to respond. The 2022 compliance sheet listed three hours in HIV/AIDS or Director's topics and a COVID vaccination requirement; the September 2022 rule (5406.2) waives HIV/AIDS for RNs, and the current requirement is the 2 LGBTQ hours plus 10% public health priorities. Retention period is not stated in the sources read. The 2026 RN/APRN Renewal Notice PDF was downloaded but contained no extractable text and is not cited. Custom topic key public_health_priorities is used because no canonical key fits. No em dashes used. Renewal basis corrected 2026-09-10 from other to birth_month, and an advisory added. DC Health's nursing licensing page states that all credentials issued on or after June 16, 2024 expire on the last day of the holder's birth month and that this is the standard going forward, replacing the previous fixed renewal windows, with renewing licensees moving over from September 2024. On a two year cycle that covers current licensees. The legacy 17 DCMR 5401.1 June 30 even-year text has not been repealed, which is why this is recorded as an advisory rather than a silent switch. Previously this record and dc-crna said other while dc-np and dc-cnm said birth_month, on the same board and the same transition.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the District of Columbia Board of Nursing (DC Health) before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.