Michigan Licensed Practical Nurse license renewal and CE requirements
Michigan licensed practical nurses must complete 25 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Michigan Board of Nursing (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing).
Nursing licenses expire biennially on the license issue date and must be renewed every two years on or before that date, online in MiPLUS. LARA mails and emails a renewal notice about 90 business days before expiration. There is a 60 day grace period after expiration in which the license can still be renewed for a $20 late fee instead of going through relicensure.
Summary
Michigan licensed practical nurses must complete 25 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Michigan Board of Nursing (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing). Nursing licenses expire biennially on the license issue date and must be renewed every two years on or before that date, online in MiPLUS. LARA mails and emails a renewal notice about 90 business days before expiration. There is a 60 day grace period after expiration in which the license can still be renewed for a $20 late fee instead of going through relicensure. Michigan also mandates specific subjects. Pain and pain symptom management: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle (all nurses renewing a license, LPNs included). Implicit bias training: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle (all licensees and registrants under article 15 of the Public Health Code). Training in identifying victims of human trafficking: a one-time requirement (all nurses licensed or seeking licensure, LPNs included). Hours do not carry over between cycles.
Michigan 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 | Tied to the original issue date |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 25 contact hours |
| Self-study or online cap | No cap stated |
| Carryover to next cycle | No |
| First renewal exempt | No |
| Other accepted activities | Academic courses in nursing practice (5 hours per semester credit hour, 3 hours per quarter credit hour); Passing a national nursing specialty examination (10 hours per exam, maximum 20 hours per cycle); Initial publication of a chapter or article in a nursing or health care textbook or peer-reviewed journal (10 hours per publication, maximum 10 hours per cycle); Independent reading of articles or viewing or listening to nursing media (1 hour per 50 to 60 minutes, maximum 4 hours per cycle); Serving on a health care organization quality of care or utilization review committee (1 hour per 60 minutes, maximum 4 hours per cycle); Presenting an academic or continuing education program outside the licensee's job description (3 hours per 60 minutes of presentation, maximum 6 hours per cycle); Serving as a preceptor for a nursing student or new employee (24 preceptor hours = 1 hour, maximum 5 hours per cycle); Participating in nursing orientation, a nurse residency program, or new nurse educator orientation (24 hours = 1 hour, maximum 5 hours per cycle) |
R 338.10601 requires not less than 25 hours of board-approved continuing education during the two years before the license expires, of which not less than 2 hours must be in pain and pain symptom management. The rule and the board's FAQ state this for Michigan nurses generally, LPNs and RNs alike. No more than 12 credit hours may be earned in any 24 hour period. A contact hour is 50 to 60 minutes and equals one continuing education credit; one CEU equals 10 contact hours, so 25 credits is 2.5 CEUs. Nurses whose initial Michigan LPN license was issued on or after May 8, 2024 must complete continuing education for their first renewal. Human trafficking training may not be counted as continuing education credit, but implicit bias training may count toward both requirements. LARA has partnered with CE Broker for optional CE tracking.
Required CE topics for Michigan 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pain and pain symptom managementNot less than 2 of the 25 required hours in each renewal period. May include behavior management, psychology of pain, pharmacology, behavior modification, stress management, clinical applications, and drug interventions as they relate to professional practice. | 2 contact hours | Every renewal | All nurses renewing a license, LPNs included | R 338.10601(2); MCL 333.16204(2) |
| Implicit bias trainingOne hour of implicit bias training for each year of the license cycle, so 2 hours for a two-year nursing cycle. This is not a one-time training and must be completed for each renewal cycle. The hours may also be used to satisfy the 25 hour continuing education requirement. Hours may not be carried forward to the next cycle. Documentation must be retained 6 years. Initial licensure requires 2 hours within the 5 years immediately preceding issuance. | 2 contact hours | Every renewal | All licensees and registrants under article 15 of the Public Health Code | R 338.7004 |
| Training in identifying victims of human traffickingA one-time training certified on the renewal application. The rule sets content standards (types and venues of trafficking, identifying victims and warning signs in health care settings for adults and minors, and reporting resources) but no hour count. Reading a qualifying peer-reviewed or professional journal article is an accepted method. Continuing education credit may not be earned for this requirement. | Not stated | One time | All nurses licensed or seeking licensure, LPNs included | R 338.10105; MCL 333.16148 |
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | No, attestation only |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | 4 years |
| Board audits compliance | Yes |
| Approved providers | Programs approved or offered for CE credit by AANA, AANP, ACCME, ACNM, AMA, ANCC, AOA, the National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists, NAPNES, NLN, another state or provincial board of nursing, or a board-approved Michigan nursing education program under R 338.10303a. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Michigan LPN/LVN need to renew?
- Michigan licensed practical nurses must complete 25 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Michigan Board of Nursing (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing). R 338.10601 requires not less than 25 hours of board-approved continuing education during the two years before the license expires, of which not less than 2 hours must be in pain and pain symptom management. The rule and the board's FAQ state this for Michigan nurses generally, LPNs and RNs alike. No more than 12 credit hours may be earned in any 24 hour period. A contact hour is 50 to 60 minutes and equals one continuing education credit; one CEU equals 10 contact hours, so 25 credits is 2.5 CEUs. Nurses whose initial Michigan LPN license was issued on or after May 8, 2024 must complete continuing education for their first renewal. Human trafficking training may not be counted as continuing education credit, but implicit bias training may count toward both requirements. LARA has partnered with CE Broker for optional CE tracking.
- How often does a Michigan LPN/LVN license need to be renewed?
- Licensed Practical Nurse licenses in Michigan renew every two years. Nursing licenses expire biennially on the license issue date and must be renewed every two years on or before that date, online in MiPLUS. LARA mails and emails a renewal notice about 90 business days before expiration. There is a 60 day grace period after expiration in which the license can still be renewed for a $20 late fee instead of going through relicensure.
- What specific CE topics are required for Michigan licensed practical nurses?
- Pain and pain symptom management: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle (all nurses renewing a license, LPNs included). Implicit bias training: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle (all licensees and registrants under article 15 of the Public Health Code). Training in identifying victims of human trafficking: a one-time requirement (all nurses licensed or seeking licensure, LPNs included). Citations: pain and pain symptom management (R 338.10601(2); MCL 333.16204(2)), implicit bias training (R 338.7004), and training in identifying victims of human trafficking (R 338.10105; MCL 333.16148).
- Do Michigan licensed practical 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. Programs approved or offered for CE credit by AANA, AANP, ACCME, ACNM, AMA, ANCC, AOA, the National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists, NAPNES, NLN, another state or provincial board of nursing, or a board-approved Michigan nursing education program under R 338.10303a.
- Is the first Michigan LPN/LVN renewal exempt from CE?
- No. Michigan applies the continuing education requirement to the first renewal as well.
Sources
Last verified September 7, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.
- Nursing Licensing Guide and FAQs, Michigan LARA Bureau of Professional LicensingState board page, accessed September 7, 2026
- Nursing, Michigan LARA Bureau of Professional LicensingState board page, accessed September 7, 2026
- Board of Nursing General Rules, R 338.10101 to R 338.10705Statute or administrative rule, accessed September 7, 2026
- Public Health Code General Rules, R 338.7001 to R 338.7005 (renewal cycles and implicit bias training standards)Statute or administrative rule, accessed September 7, 2026
Hours and cycle were confirmed in R 338.10601 and on LARA's Nursing Licensing Guide and FAQs page. The rule and the board page state the 25 hour requirement for Michigan nurses generally, LPNs and RNs alike, so the same sources support both records. Renewal basis is recorded as issue_date because R 338.7001a lists nursing among the licenses that expire biennially on the issue date; several third-party sites still say Michigan nursing licenses expire March 31, which the current rule does not support. carryover_allowed is recorded as false because R 338.10601(1) requires the hours to be accumulated during the two years before expiration and R 338.7004(3) expressly forbids carrying implicit bias hours forward. Retention is 4 years for nursing continuing education under R 338.10601(4) but 6 years for implicit bias documentation under R 338.7004(6). The advanced practice certification substitution in R 338.10602(2)(c) is limited to clinical nurse specialists, nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives, and nurse practitioners, so it is not available to LPNs and is not listed here. The opioids and controlled substances awareness training reaches only controlled substance licensees and those licensed to prescribe or dispense, so it is not recorded as an LPN mandatory topic. Deeper relicensure requirements for lapsed licenses are not renewal requirements and are not recorded here; the board notes that the 3 hour delegation component of those relicensure requirements does not apply to LPN applicants.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Michigan Board of Nursing (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Professional Licensing) before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.