Louisiana Registered Nurse license renewal and CE requirements
Louisiana registered nurses must complete 30 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Louisiana State Board of Nursing.
RN licenses renew every two years on a fixed calendar: the online renewal season runs October 1 through December 31, renewals submitted after December 31 pay a $50 late fee, and the license expires at midnight (Central) January 31 if not renewed. The renewed license runs February 1 through January 31.
Summary
Louisiana registered nurses must complete 30 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Louisiana State Board of Nursing. RN licenses renew every two years on a fixed calendar: the online renewal season runs October 1 through December 31, renewals submitted after December 31 pay a $50 late fee, and the license expires at midnight (Central) January 31 if not renewed. The renewed license runs February 1 through January 31. The first renewal is exempt.
Louisiana 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 | Same date for every licensee, 01/31 each cycle |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 30 contact hours |
| Self-study or online cap | No cap stated |
| Carryover to next cycle | Not stated |
| First renewal exempt | Yes |
| Other accepted activities | A minimum of 900 nursing practice hours during the two-year licensure period, verified by the employer on a board form; Current national certification in a nursing specialty from a certifying body approved by the board; Post-secondary academic nursing courses (one semester hour = 15 contact hours); BSN coursework may be used for a maximum of four consecutive years; Initial RN licensure by examination or endorsement during the previous calendar year |
LAC 46:XLVII.3335.C.1 requires one of the following for RN renewal: a minimum of 30 board-approved contact hours of continuing education during the two-year licensure period, a minimum of 900 practice hours in the two-year period verified by the employer, initial licensure during the previous calendar year, or current board-recognized specialty certification. The board's CE FAQ and CE brochure state the same options. A contact hour is 60 minutes; the board notes a contact hour is not a CEU (1 CEU = 10 contact hours). Acceptable CE is approved by the board, by any US board of nursing, or accredited by ANCC. The rule does not address carryover or online limits. The rule also lists exceptions (active military duty of six months or more, disability, enrollment in a refresher course, emergencies) that may be requested on the renewal application.
Required CE topics for Louisiana registered nurses
The Louisiana 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 | 5 years |
| Board audits compliance | Yes |
| Approved providers | Contact hours approved by the Louisiana State Board of Nursing, approved by any US board of nursing, or accredited by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), per LAC 46:XLVII.3335 and the board's CE brochure |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Louisiana RN need to renew?
- Louisiana registered nurses must complete 30 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Louisiana State Board of Nursing. LAC 46:XLVII.3335.C.1 requires one of the following for RN renewal: a minimum of 30 board-approved contact hours of continuing education during the two-year licensure period, a minimum of 900 practice hours in the two-year period verified by the employer, initial licensure during the previous calendar year, or current board-recognized specialty certification. The board's CE FAQ and CE brochure state the same options. A contact hour is 60 minutes; the board notes a contact hour is not a CEU (1 CEU = 10 contact hours). Acceptable CE is approved by the board, by any US board of nursing, or accredited by ANCC. The rule does not address carryover or online limits. The rule also lists exceptions (active military duty of six months or more, disability, enrollment in a refresher course, emergencies) that may be requested on the renewal application.
- How often does a Louisiana RN license need to be renewed?
- Registered Nurse licenses in Louisiana renew every two years. RN licenses renew every two years on a fixed calendar: the online renewal season runs October 1 through December 31, renewals submitted after December 31 pay a $50 late fee, and the license expires at midnight (Central) January 31 if not renewed. The renewed license runs February 1 through January 31.
- Does Louisiana require specific CE topics for registered nurses?
- The Louisiana State Board of Nursing does not list mandated subject areas for RN renewal on the pages we verified; the 30 contact hours may be in any approved subject.
- Do Louisiana registered nurses have to submit CE certificates at renewal?
- Licensees attest to completion at renewal rather than submitting certificates, the board audits a sample of renewals and asks for documentation, and records must be kept for 5 years. Contact hours approved by the Louisiana State Board of Nursing, approved by any US board of nursing, or accredited by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), per LAC 46:XLVII.3335 and the board's CE brochure
- Is the first Louisiana RN renewal exempt from CE?
- Yes. Louisiana 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.
- Renewal FAQs, Louisiana State Board of NursingState board page, accessed September 7, 2026
- Continuing Education FAQs, Louisiana State Board of NursingState board page, accessed September 7, 2026
- CE and Nursing Practice Requirements for RN and APRN Relicensure/Renewal (brochure)State board page, accessed September 7, 2026
- LAC Title 46, Part XLVII, Nurses: Practical Nurses and Registered Nurses (Sections 3333 and 3335)Statute or administrative rule, accessed September 7, 2026
- Continuing Education, Louisiana State Board of NursingState board page, accessed September 7, 2026
- Louisiana State Board of NursingState board page, accessed September 7, 2026
Hours (30 contact hours or 900 practice hours per two-year period) and the biennial cycle confirmed in LAC 46:XLVII.3333 and 3335 (Division of Administration Word file of Part XLVII) and on the board's renewal and CE FAQ pages. The board mandates no specific CE subjects for RNs; the pharmacotherapeutics and controlled-substance CE in Sections 4513 and 4516 apply only to APRNs with prescriptive authority and are omitted. Renewal is by attestation; the board audits at least 3 percent of licensees each year beginning in March and licensees must keep documentation at least five years. The rule does not address carryover or online caps, so those are null. Third-party sites still describing an annual Louisiana RN renewal predate the move to a two-year licensure period. The board's renewal landing page (lsbn.state.la.us/licensure/renewal/) returned an image rather than text and is not cited. Renewal deadline corrected 2026-09-10 from 12-31 to 01-31. December 31 ends the renewal season and is the date after which a $50 late fee applies; the board FAQ states that all Louisiana nursing licenses automatically expire at midnight Central on January 31 if not successfully renewed. The deadline description already carried both dates, but the structured field held the late-fee date, which is what the comparison tables render. The other four Louisiana nursing records all store 01-31.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Louisiana State Board of Nursing before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.