Illinois Licensed Practical Nurse license renewal and CE requirements
Illinois licensed practical nurses must complete 20 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Board of Nursing.
All Illinois Licensed Practical Nurse licenses expire on January 31 of every odd-numbered year regardless of the date of issuance. IDFPR opens online renewal about two to three months before expiration; if the window is missed, the license must be restored rather than renewed.
Summary
Illinois licensed practical nurses must complete 20 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Board of Nursing. All Illinois Licensed Practical Nurse licenses expire on January 31 of every odd-numbered year regardless of the date of issuance. IDFPR opens online renewal about two to three months before expiration; if the window is missed, the license must be restored rather than renewed. Illinois also mandates specific subjects. Sexual harassment prevention training: required every renewal cycle. Alzheimer's disease and other dementias training: 1 contact hour every renewal cycle (licensees who have CE requirements and provide health care services to, and have direct patient interactions with, adults age 26 or older). Implicit bias awareness training: 1 contact hour every renewal cycle (licensees who have CE requirements (nurses exempt from CE at their first Illinois renewal are not covered)). The first renewal is exempt.
Illinois Licensed Practical 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 | Same date for every licensee, 01/31 each cycle |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 20 contact hours |
| Self-study or online cap | No cap stated |
| Carryover to next cycle | Not stated |
| First renewal exempt | Yes |
| Other accepted activities | Independent study approved for CE credit (home study, journal articles, other independent study modules); Academic credits consistent with approved content (1 semester hour = 15 contact hours; 1 quarter hour = 12.5; audited or general education courses excluded); Presenting a non-repetitive 60 minute lecture to other health professionals (5 CE hours each; not part of a full-time educator's job duties); Authoring a paper or published article (10 CE hours); authoring a book chapter, dissertation or research project completed in the prerenewal period (20 CE hours); Skills certification courses, up to 5 CE hours (maximum 2 hours for CPR certification and 3 hours for BLS, ACLS or PALS certification or recertification) |
68 Ill. Adm. Code 1300.130(a): all registered nurses and all licensed practical nurses shall complete 20 hours of approved continuing education per 2-year license renewal cycle, completed in the 24 months preceding expiration; 1 contact hour = 60 minutes, and 1 CME, CNE or AMA credit = 1 contact hour. A renewal applicant is not required to comply with CE requirements for the first renewal of an Illinois license (1300.130(a)(4)). Nurses licensed in Illinois but living and practicing elsewhere must still comply. CE earned from a sponsor not approved in Illinois needs an individual program approval request with a $25 fee, filed before the program or within 90 days before expiration (late approval carries $50 per hour up to $300). Waivers for extreme hardship (military service, incapacitating illness, inability to access programs) may be requested before the renewal date. The Illinois rule states the requirement separately for LPNs (1300.130(a)(1)(A)) and RNs (1300.130(a)(1)(B)) at the same 20 hours. The IDFPR restoration instructions also require proof of 20 hours of CE to restore an expired or inactive license.
Required CE topics for Illinois licensed practical nurses
State-specific subject mandates. Where a mandate applies only to some licensees, the scope is listed.
| Topic | Hours | Frequency | Applies to | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sexual harassment prevention trainingEach licensee must complete sexual harassment prevention training provided by the employer, the Department of Human Rights, or an authorized CE provider, at a minimum prior to renewal. The statute does not state an hour count. Non-canonical topic key. | Not stated | Every renewal | All licensees | 20 ILCS 2105/2105-15.5 |
| Alzheimer's disease and other dementias trainingAt least a one hour course per renewal period for renewals on or after January 1, 2023, covering assessment and diagnosis, communication strategies, and management and care planning. Counts toward the 20 hours. | 1 contact hour | Every renewal | Licensees who have CE requirements and provide health care services to, and have direct patient interactions with, adults age 26 or older | 20 ILCS 2105/2105-365 |
| Implicit bias awareness trainingAt least a one hour course per renewal period. On and after July 1, 2026, licensees who report providing maternal health care services must take a version covering maternal health risk factors for marginalized racial or ethnic groups. Counts toward the 20 hours. | 1 contact hour | Every renewal | Licensees who have CE requirements (nurses exempt from CE at their first Illinois renewal are not covered) | 20 ILCS 2105/2105-15.7 |
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | No, attestation only |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | Not stated |
| Board audits compliance | Yes |
| Approved providers | Each renewal applicant certifies full compliance on the renewal application; the Division may require certificates of attendance in its random audit and the licensee must retain or otherwise produce evidence (1300.130(d)). Approved sponsors include ANCC accredited or approved providers, providers approved by another state's board of nursing, ANA-Illinois, the Illinois Nurses Association and affiliates, approved nursing education programs, hospitals and ASTCs licensed in Illinois, accredited schools and government agencies, ACCME-type CME conferences, and sponsors approved by IDFPR on application. Sponsors keep attendance records at least 5 years; no licensee retention period is stated. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Illinois LPN/LVN need to renew?
- Illinois licensed practical nurses must complete 20 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Board of Nursing. 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1300.130(a): all registered nurses and all licensed practical nurses shall complete 20 hours of approved continuing education per 2-year license renewal cycle, completed in the 24 months preceding expiration; 1 contact hour = 60 minutes, and 1 CME, CNE or AMA credit = 1 contact hour. A renewal applicant is not required to comply with CE requirements for the first renewal of an Illinois license (1300.130(a)(4)). Nurses licensed in Illinois but living and practicing elsewhere must still comply. CE earned from a sponsor not approved in Illinois needs an individual program approval request with a $25 fee, filed before the program or within 90 days before expiration (late approval carries $50 per hour up to $300). Waivers for extreme hardship (military service, incapacitating illness, inability to access programs) may be requested before the renewal date. The Illinois rule states the requirement separately for LPNs (1300.130(a)(1)(A)) and RNs (1300.130(a)(1)(B)) at the same 20 hours. The IDFPR restoration instructions also require proof of 20 hours of CE to restore an expired or inactive license.
- How often does a Illinois LPN/LVN license need to be renewed?
- Licensed Practical Nurse licenses in Illinois renew every two years. All Illinois Licensed Practical Nurse licenses expire on January 31 of every odd-numbered year regardless of the date of issuance. IDFPR opens online renewal about two to three months before expiration; if the window is missed, the license must be restored rather than renewed.
- What specific CE topics are required for Illinois licensed practical nurses?
- Sexual harassment prevention training: required every renewal cycle. Alzheimer's disease and other dementias training: 1 contact hour every renewal cycle (licensees who have CE requirements and provide health care services to, and have direct patient interactions with, adults age 26 or older). Implicit bias awareness training: 1 contact hour every renewal cycle (licensees who have CE requirements (nurses exempt from CE at their first Illinois renewal are not covered)). Citations: sexual harassment prevention training (20 ILCS 2105/2105-15.5), Alzheimer's disease and other dementias training (20 ILCS 2105/2105-365), and implicit bias awareness training (20 ILCS 2105/2105-15.7).
- Do Illinois licensed practical nurses 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. Each renewal applicant certifies full compliance on the renewal application; the Division may require certificates of attendance in its random audit and the licensee must retain or otherwise produce evidence (1300.130(d)). Approved sponsors include ANCC accredited or approved providers, providers approved by another state's board of nursing, ANA-Illinois, the Illinois Nurses Association and affiliates, approved nursing education programs, hospitals and ASTCs licensed in Illinois, accredited schools and government agencies, ACCME-type CME conferences, and sponsors approved by IDFPR on application. Sponsors keep attendance records at least 5 years; no licensee retention period is stated.
- Is the first Illinois LPN/LVN renewal exempt from CE?
- Yes. Illinois does not require continuing education for a LPN/LVN's first renewal.
Sources
Last verified September 7, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.
- 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1300.130 Continuing Education (Nurse Practice Act rules)Statute or administrative rule, accessed September 7, 2026
- Nursing, Illinois Department of Financial and Professional RegulationState board page, accessed September 7, 2026
- Online License Renewal, Illinois Department of Financial and Professional RegulationState board page, accessed September 7, 2026
- Instruction Sheet, Registered Nurse Examination, Endorsement, Restoration (IDFPR): License Renewal, all RN licenses expire on May 31 of every even-number yearState board page, accessed September 7, 2026
- Instruction Sheet, Licensed Practical Nurse Examination, Endorsement, Restoration (IDFPR): License Renewal, all LPN licenses expire on January 31 of every odd-number yearState board page, accessed September 7, 2026
- 20 ILCS 2105/2105-15.5 Continuing education; sexual harassment prevention trainingStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 7, 2026
- 20 ILCS 2105/2105-365 Continuing education; Alzheimer's disease and other dementiasStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 7, 2026
- 20 ILCS 2105/2105-15.7 Implicit bias awareness trainingStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 7, 2026
- 225 ILCS 65/60-20 Expiration of RN license; renewalStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 7, 2026
- 225 ILCS 65/55-15 LPN license expiration; renewalStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 7, 2026
Hours (20 per two-year cycle) and first-renewal exemption confirmed in 68 Ill. Adm. Code 1300.130; the fixed expiration dates are stated in IDFPR's own RN and LPN application instruction sheets (the Nurse Practice Act leaves the dates to rule, 225 ILCS 65/60-20 and 55-15, and the IDFPR online renewal page shows only professions currently in renewal). The three subject mandates come from the Civil Administrative Code (20 ILCS 2105) rather than the nursing rule; the sexual harassment statute states no hour count so hours is null, and the dementia and implicit bias courses are conditional as recorded in applies_to. IDFPR's safe opioid prescribing CE applies to controlled substance prescribers only and is not recorded. The nursing rule was reached only after several ilga.gov URL patterns returned 404; the final URL is the JCAR admin code page that loaded. Licensee record retention is not stated.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, Board of Nursing before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.