Kansas Nurse Practitioner license renewal and CE requirements
Kansas nurse practitioners must complete 30 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Kansas State Board of Nursing.
The advanced practice registered nurse license renews on the same biennial cycle as the registered nurse license. A Kansas nursing license expires on the last day of the month in which the licensee's birthday falls, in odd-numbered years for a licensee born in an odd-numbered year and in even-numbered years for one born in an even-numbered year. The renewal window opens 90 days before the expiration date. Because Kansas issues the RN license and the APRN license separately, an APRN who also holds a Kansas RN license files a renewal application for each of them.
Summary
Kansas nurse practitioners must complete 30 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Kansas State Board of Nursing. The advanced practice registered nurse license renews on the same biennial cycle as the registered nurse license. A Kansas nursing license expires on the last day of the month in which the licensee's birthday falls, in odd-numbered years for a licensee born in an odd-numbered year and in even-numbered years for one born in an even-numbered year. The renewal window opens 90 days before the expiration date. Because Kansas issues the RN license and the APRN license separately, an APRN who also holds a Kansas RN license files a renewal application for each of them. Hours do not carry over between cycles.
Kansas 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 monthFirst renewal is prorated. |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 30 contact hours |
| Self-study or online cap | No cap stated |
| Carryover to next cycle | No |
| First renewal exempt | Not stated |
The advanced practice figure is 30 contact hours of approved continuing nursing education related to the advanced practice registered nurse role, completed during the most recent prior license period (K.A.R. 60-11-113). The general nursing rule, K.A.R. 60-9-106, sets the same 30 contact hours for renewal of a registered nurse or practical nurse license without a subject restriction. Kansas licenses the two credentials separately and renews them separately, so a nurse practitioner files two renewals; the board's pages state the two requirements side by side and do not say whether one set of advanced practice hours can be used for both, which is the open question in this state. What is stated is that the APRN's 30 hours must be role related, which general registered nurse continuing education does not satisfy. One contact hour is 50 minutes of learning. Contact hours above 30 do not carry over to the next renewal period. The board does not require continuing education if the license expires within 30 months following the initial licensure examination, or for a renewal of a license that expires within the first 9 months following reinstatement or endorsement; that exception is written for RN and LPN licensees on the board's continuing education page.
Required CE topics for Kansas nurse practitioners
The Kansas 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 | No, attestation only |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | Not stated |
| Board audits compliance | Yes |
| Approved providers | The board accepts continuing nursing education from any provider approved by another state board of nursing, any provider approved by a national nursing credentialing association, any provider approved by the Kansas State Board of Nursing (single offering providers carry an SP number, long term providers an LT number), and individually approved offerings through the board's Individual Offering Approval process. Continuing medical education is not acceptable for a Kansas nursing licensure requirement unless approved through that process. Renewal is by attestation with the hours produced if audited: proof of completion of 30 contact hours in the advanced practice nurse role may be requested by the board, and the board's checklist tells renewing licensees to have 30 hours ready to submit if audited. An advanced practice nurse's certificates must show the education was approved for advanced practice nurses, or be accompanied by learning objectives. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Kansas NP need to renew?
- Kansas nurse practitioners must complete 30 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Kansas State Board of Nursing. The advanced practice figure is 30 contact hours of approved continuing nursing education related to the advanced practice registered nurse role, completed during the most recent prior license period (K.A.R. 60-11-113). The general nursing rule, K.A.R. 60-9-106, sets the same 30 contact hours for renewal of a registered nurse or practical nurse license without a subject restriction. Kansas licenses the two credentials separately and renews them separately, so a nurse practitioner files two renewals; the board's pages state the two requirements side by side and do not say whether one set of advanced practice hours can be used for both, which is the open question in this state. What is stated is that the APRN's 30 hours must be role related, which general registered nurse continuing education does not satisfy. One contact hour is 50 minutes of learning. Contact hours above 30 do not carry over to the next renewal period. The board does not require continuing education if the license expires within 30 months following the initial licensure examination, or for a renewal of a license that expires within the first 9 months following reinstatement or endorsement; that exception is written for RN and LPN licensees on the board's continuing education page.
- How often does a Kansas NP license need to be renewed?
- Nurse Practitioner licenses in Kansas renew every two years. The advanced practice registered nurse license renews on the same biennial cycle as the registered nurse license. A Kansas nursing license expires on the last day of the month in which the licensee's birthday falls, in odd-numbered years for a licensee born in an odd-numbered year and in even-numbered years for one born in an even-numbered year. The renewal window opens 90 days before the expiration date. Because Kansas issues the RN license and the APRN license separately, an APRN who also holds a Kansas RN license files a renewal application for each of them.
- Does Kansas require specific CE topics for nurse practitioners?
- The Kansas State Board of Nursing does not list mandated subject areas for NP renewal on the pages we verified; the 30 contact hours may be in any approved subject.
- Do Kansas 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. The board accepts continuing nursing education from any provider approved by another state board of nursing, any provider approved by a national nursing credentialing association, any provider approved by the Kansas State Board of Nursing (single offering providers carry an SP number, long term providers an LT number), and individually approved offerings through the board's Individual Offering Approval process. Continuing medical education is not acceptable for a Kansas nursing licensure requirement unless approved through that process. Renewal is by attestation with the hours produced if audited: proof of completion of 30 contact hours in the advanced practice nurse role may be requested by the board, and the board's checklist tells renewing licensees to have 30 hours ready to submit if audited. An advanced practice nurse's certificates must show the education was approved for advanced practice nurses, or be accompanied by learning objectives.
Sources
Last verified September 8, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.
- CNEs, Kansas State Board of Nursing (continuing nursing education requirements for renewal, including the advanced practice requirement)State board page, accessed September 8, 2026
- Renewal Application, Kansas State Board of NursingState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
- Kansas State Board of NursingState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
- K.A.R. 60-11-113 License renewal, advanced practice registered nurse (Cornell LII mirror)Third-party summary, accessed September 8, 2026
- K.A.R. 60-9-106 Continuing nursing education for license renewal (Cornell LII mirror)Third-party summary, accessed September 8, 2026
- K.A.R. 60-3-108 Expiration dates of licenses (Cornell LII mirror)Third-party summary, accessed September 8, 2026
- K.S.A. 65-1130 Advanced practice registered nurse; standards and requirements for licensureStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
Kansas licenses the nurse practitioner as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse in the nurse practitioner role, and the renewal rule K.A.R. 60-11-113 is the shared APRN rule covering the nurse practitioner, nurse-midwife, clinical nurse specialist and nurse anesthetist roles alike. The 30 role related contact hours were read on the board's own CNE page and in K.A.R. 60-11-113; the biennial cycle and birth month expiration were read in K.A.R. 60-3-108 and on the board's renewal page. Rule text came from the Cornell LII mirror because the Kansas administrative regulations the board publishes are PDF files, which were not downloaded. The structural gap worth knowing: Kansas states a 30 hour requirement for the RN license and a 30 hour role related requirement for the APRN license and does not say on any page read whether the same hours satisfy both, so the total obligation for a nurse practitioner holding both Kansas licenses may be 30 or 60 depending on how the board applies it. No mandatory subject is recorded. No pharmacology hour count appears in K.A.R. 60-11-113, in the board's continuing education page, or in K.S.A. 65-1130, which sets prescribing authority without attaching continuing education to it; third party continuing education vendors state a 6 hour pharmacology requirement for prescriptive authority, but nothing primary was found to support it and it is not recorded. Kansas has required national certification in the specific role and population focus for initial APRN licensure since July 1, 2023, and an APRN licensed before that date may submit evidence of certification at renewal; certification is not stated as a continuing education substitute. Malpractice insurance proof is a renewal condition under K.S.A. 65-1130(d)(5) but it is not continuing education.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Kansas State Board of Nursing before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.