Massachusetts Registered Nurse license renewal and CE requirements
Massachusetts registered nurses must complete 15 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing.
An RN license expires at 11:59 PM on the licensee's birthday in even numbered years. Renewal opens 90 days before expiration and is filed online in the Health Professions Licensing System, with an attestation under penalty of perjury that the 15 contact hours of continuing education for the registration period were completed.
Summary
Massachusetts registered nurses must complete 15 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing. An RN license expires at 11:59 PM on the licensee's birthday in even numbered years. Renewal opens 90 days before expiration and is filed online in the Health Professions Licensing System, with an attestation under penalty of perjury that the 15 contact hours of continuing education for the registration period were completed. Massachusetts also mandates specific subjects. Diagnosis, treatment, and care of patients with cognitive impairments, including Alzheimer's disease and dementia: a one-time requirement (all nurses; applicants for initial licensure on or after November 7, 2018, and licensees renewing, who had to complete it by November 7, 2022). Domestic and sexual violence training (Chapter 260): required (nurses licensed by the Board of Registration in Nursing, among other health professions); the board does not state how often. Hours do not carry over between cycles and the first renewal is exempt.
Massachusetts 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 date |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 15 contact hours |
| Self-study or online cap | No cap stated |
| Carryover to next cycle | No |
| First renewal exempt | Yes |
| Other accepted activities | Academic or college courses that are part of a curriculum relevant to nursing or leading to a nursing degree (1 semester credit = 15 contact hours); Planned, supervised clinical experiences (100 minutes of clinical instruction = 1 contact hour); Refresher programs and programs offering CME, AMA, or other professionally recognized credit, if they meet the board's criteria |
The board requires all licensed nurses in Massachusetts to complete 15 contact hours for each two-year renewal. One contact hour is 60 minutes of attendance and participation. One CEU equals 10 contact hours. Only hours earned in the two years before the renewal date count, and no continuing education is required for the first renewal. The board publishes no list of approved programs; the licensee must confirm the program meets 244 CMR 5.00 and may use the board's checklist. CPR courses do not count, initial ACLS and PALS certification may be applied but recertification may not, and required workplace in-services are not accepted.
Required CE topics for Massachusetts registered nurses
State-specific subject mandates. Where a mandate applies only to some licensees, the scope is listed.
| Topic | Hours | Frequency | Applies to | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diagnosis, treatment, and care of patients with cognitive impairments, including Alzheimer's disease and dementiaThe board states there is no prescribed course and no prescribed number of education hours. Training received in an academic nursing program, professional staff development, conferences, seminars, or continuing education at any time satisfies it. | Not stated | One time | All nurses; applicants for initial licensure on or after November 7, 2018, and licensees renewing, who had to complete it by November 7, 2022 | Chapter 220 of the Acts of 2018 |
| Domestic and sexual violence training (Chapter 260)The board's continuing education page carries a Domestic and Sexual Violence Training (Chapter 260) section that links licensees to the state training site. The training site says all providers must comply with the Chapter 260 training requirement in order to renew a license, that the Board of Registration in Nursing deadline was June 30, 2018, and that the training does not award continuing education credit. Neither source states an hour count, and neither states clearly whether it repeats each renewal, so frequency is recorded as unknown. | Not stated | Frequency not stated | Nurses licensed by the Board of Registration in Nursing, among other health professions | Chapter 260 of the Acts of 2014, An Act Relative to Domestic Violence |
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | No, attestation only |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | 4 years |
| Board audits compliance | Yes |
| Approved providers | The board maintains no list of approved providers or programs. The licensee is responsible for confirming that a program meets the requirements of 244 CMR 5.00. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Massachusetts RN need to renew?
- Massachusetts registered nurses must complete 15 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing. The board requires all licensed nurses in Massachusetts to complete 15 contact hours for each two-year renewal. One contact hour is 60 minutes of attendance and participation. One CEU equals 10 contact hours. Only hours earned in the two years before the renewal date count, and no continuing education is required for the first renewal. The board publishes no list of approved programs; the licensee must confirm the program meets 244 CMR 5.00 and may use the board's checklist. CPR courses do not count, initial ACLS and PALS certification may be applied but recertification may not, and required workplace in-services are not accepted.
- How often does a Massachusetts RN license need to be renewed?
- Registered Nurse licenses in Massachusetts renew every two years. An RN license expires at 11:59 PM on the licensee's birthday in even numbered years. Renewal opens 90 days before expiration and is filed online in the Health Professions Licensing System, with an attestation under penalty of perjury that the 15 contact hours of continuing education for the registration period were completed.
- What specific CE topics are required for Massachusetts registered nurses?
- Diagnosis, treatment, and care of patients with cognitive impairments, including Alzheimer's disease and dementia: a one-time requirement (all nurses; applicants for initial licensure on or after November 7, 2018, and licensees renewing, who had to complete it by November 7, 2022). Domestic and sexual violence training (Chapter 260): required (nurses licensed by the Board of Registration in Nursing, among other health professions); the board does not state how often. Citations: diagnosis, treatment, and care of patients with cognitive impairments, including Alzheimer's disease and dementia (Chapter 220 of the Acts of 2018) and domestic and sexual violence training (Chapter 260) (Chapter 260 of the Acts of 2014, An Act Relative to Domestic Violence).
- Do Massachusetts 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 4 years. The board maintains no list of approved providers or programs. The licensee is responsible for confirming that a program meets the requirements of 244 CMR 5.00.
- Is the first Massachusetts RN renewal exempt from CE?
- Yes. Massachusetts 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.
- Mandatory Continuing Education for nurses, Board of Registration in NursingState board page, accessed September 7, 2026
- Renew your nursing license, Board of Registration in NursingState board page, accessed September 7, 2026
- 244 CMR 5.00: Continuing educationStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 7, 2026
- About Chapter 260, Massachusetts domestic and sexual violence training for licensed professionalsThird-party summary, accessed September 7, 2026
Hours and cycle were read on the board's own Mandatory Continuing Education for nurses page and its Renew your nursing license page, which state the 15 contact hour requirement for all licensed nurses in Massachusetts, RNs and LPNs alike, so the same source supports both the RN and the LPN record. The only difference between them is the renewal year: RNs renew on their birthday in even numbered years, LPNs in odd numbered years. mass.gov returns HTTP 403 to WebFetch and to curl, so these pages were read through a browser; the link checker will likely need a browser-verified exception for the mass.gov URLs. The text of 244 CMR 5.00 is served only as a PDF behind that same wall, so the regulation is cited by its board landing page and its content was not read directly; carryover_allowed is recorded as false on the strength of the board page's statement that only hours earned within the two years before the renewal date satisfy the requirement. The renewal attestation also references prescriber training under MGL c. 94C section 18(e), which reaches prescribers rather than RNs generally, so it is not recorded as an RN mandatory topic.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.