Mississippi Nurse Practitioner license renewal and CE requirements
Mississippi nurse practitioners must complete 5 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Mississippi Board of Nursing.
Mississippi calls the nurse practitioner credential a State Certification as an APRN, and it is renewed in even-numbered years. The board describes the renewal cycle as running from January 1 of the odd year through December 31 of the even year, so the certification expires December 31 of an even-numbered year. Renewal is filed through the board's Nurse Gateway, and the APRN uploads current national certification and the controlled substance continuing education certificates with it.
Summary
Mississippi nurse practitioners must complete 5 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Mississippi Board of Nursing. Mississippi calls the nurse practitioner credential a State Certification as an APRN, and it is renewed in even-numbered years. The board describes the renewal cycle as running from January 1 of the odd year through December 31 of the even year, so the certification expires December 31 of an even-numbered year. Renewal is filed through the board's Nurse Gateway, and the APRN uploads current national certification and the controlled substance continuing education certificates with it. Mississippi also mandates specific subjects. Continuing education directly related to controlled substances: 5 contact hours every renewal cycle (All APRNs, irrespective of controlled substance prescriptive authority). The first renewal is exempt.
Mississippi 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 | Same date for every licensee, 12/31 each cycle |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 5 contact hours |
| Self-study or online cap | No cap stated |
| Carryover to next cycle | Not stated |
| First renewal exempt | Yes |
| Other accepted activities | Current national certification as an APRN in a designated area of practice by a national certification organization recognized by the board, which is the board's stated way of meeting the general continuing education expectation |
Mississippi does not set a general contact hour total for nurse practitioners, and nothing is layered underneath either: the Mississippi Nursing Practice Law does not require continuing education to renew an RN or LPN license, and the board repealed its continuing education rule, Title 30 Part 2815, in February 2020. What an APRN owes at each renewal is current national certification, uploaded to the board, plus a minimum of 5 contact hours of continuing education directly related to controlled substances per State Certification Period. The board is explicit that those 5 hours apply to all APRNs, whether or not they hold controlled substance prescriptive authority. The rule also says an APRN must engage in continuing education designed to improve knowledge, skill and ability levels or maintain current national certification, without attaching an hour count to the first branch. Separately, an APRN who has been out of practice and is reinstating needs 40 contact hours of continuing education related to advanced clinical practice within the previous two years, at least 5 of them on controlled substances, and an RN or LPN out of practice more than five years needs 20 contact hours; those are reinstatement figures, not renewal figures. An APRN who graduated from an accredited master's or higher APRN program within the last two years is exempt from the controlled substance hours for the first renewal of State Certification only.
Required CE topics for Mississippi nurse practitioners
State-specific subject mandates. Where a mandate applies only to some licensees, the scope is listed.
| Topic | Hours | Frequency | Applies to | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continuing education directly related to controlled substancesA minimum of 5 contact hours per State Certification Period, with the certificates uploaded in PDF as evidence for the renewal cycle running January 1 of the odd year to December 31 of the even year. New APRN graduates within the last two years are exempt at their first renewal. | 5 contact hours | Every renewal | All APRNs, irrespective of controlled substance prescriptive authority | 30 Miss. Admin. Code Pt. 2840, R. 1.2 |
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | Yes |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | Not stated |
| Board audits compliance | Yes |
| Approved providers | The APRN must hold at least a basic CE Broker account to manage continuing education documents, upload the national board certification document, and upload the controlled substance continuing education certificates in PDF. The board may conduct periodic audits; on notice of an audit the APRN has ten business days to submit certificates, transcripts or other documentation of compliance, and failure to comply may bring disciplinary action or other administrative sanction. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Mississippi NP need to renew?
- Mississippi nurse practitioners must complete 5 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Mississippi Board of Nursing. Mississippi does not set a general contact hour total for nurse practitioners, and nothing is layered underneath either: the Mississippi Nursing Practice Law does not require continuing education to renew an RN or LPN license, and the board repealed its continuing education rule, Title 30 Part 2815, in February 2020. What an APRN owes at each renewal is current national certification, uploaded to the board, plus a minimum of 5 contact hours of continuing education directly related to controlled substances per State Certification Period. The board is explicit that those 5 hours apply to all APRNs, whether or not they hold controlled substance prescriptive authority. The rule also says an APRN must engage in continuing education designed to improve knowledge, skill and ability levels or maintain current national certification, without attaching an hour count to the first branch. Separately, an APRN who has been out of practice and is reinstating needs 40 contact hours of continuing education related to advanced clinical practice within the previous two years, at least 5 of them on controlled substances, and an RN or LPN out of practice more than five years needs 20 contact hours; those are reinstatement figures, not renewal figures. An APRN who graduated from an accredited master's or higher APRN program within the last two years is exempt from the controlled substance hours for the first renewal of State Certification only.
- How often does a Mississippi NP license need to be renewed?
- Nurse Practitioner licenses in Mississippi renew every two years. Mississippi calls the nurse practitioner credential a State Certification as an APRN, and it is renewed in even-numbered years. The board describes the renewal cycle as running from January 1 of the odd year through December 31 of the even year, so the certification expires December 31 of an even-numbered year. Renewal is filed through the board's Nurse Gateway, and the APRN uploads current national certification and the controlled substance continuing education certificates with it.
- What specific CE topics are required for Mississippi nurse practitioners?
- Continuing education directly related to controlled substances: 5 contact hours every renewal cycle (All APRNs, irrespective of controlled substance prescriptive authority). Citations: continuing education directly related to controlled substances (30 Miss. Admin. Code Pt. 2840, R. 1.2).
- Do Mississippi nurse practitioners have to submit CE certificates at renewal?
- Proof of completion must be submitted with the renewal and the board audits a sample of renewals and asks for documentation. The APRN must hold at least a basic CE Broker account to manage continuing education documents, upload the national board certification document, and upload the controlled substance continuing education certificates in PDF. The board may conduct periodic audits; on notice of an audit the APRN has ten business days to submit certificates, transcripts or other documentation of compliance, and failure to comply may bring disciplinary action or other administrative sanction.
- Is the first Mississippi NP renewal exempt from CE?
- Yes. Mississippi does not require continuing education for a NP's first renewal.
Sources
Last verified September 8, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.
- Are CEUs required in order to maintain a nursing license?, Mississippi Board of Nursing (current CE requirements for LPNs, RNs and APRNs)State board page, accessed September 8, 2026
- Are continuing education units (CEUs) required to maintain or renew a RN and/or LPN license?, Mississippi Board of NursingState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
- Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN), Mississippi Board of Nursing (renewal in even-numbered years, national certification evidence)State board page, accessed September 8, 2026
- 30 Miss. Code R. 2840-1.2 Certification, Renewal, Reinstatement, and Changes in Status, APRNs (Cornell LII mirror)Third-party summary, accessed September 8, 2026
- 30 Miss. Code R. 2840-1.5 Prescribing Controlled Substances and Medications by APRNs (Cornell LII mirror)Third-party summary, accessed September 8, 2026
- Mississippi Board of NursingState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
Mississippi issues the nurse practitioner a State Certification as an APRN on top of the RN license, and 30 Miss. Admin. Code Part 2840 Chapter 1 covers the certified nurse practitioner, certified nurse midwife and certified registered nurse anesthetist together, so this is the shared APRN rule; clinical nurse specialists sit in Chapter 3. The 5 controlled substance hours, the January 1 odd year to December 31 even year cycle, the CE Broker requirement, the audit and the ten business day response window were read on the board's own pages, and the rule text on the Cornell LII mirror because the Mississippi Administrative Code is published as documents rather than browsable HTML on the board site. hours_per_cycle is 5 because that is the only hour count Mississippi attaches to a nurse practitioner renewal; the board states no general contact hour total and no pharmacology hour count, and the RN license underneath carries no continuing education requirement at all, which is why nothing is layered. The 40 hour figure that appears in the rule is a reinstatement requirement for an APRN returning to practice, not a renewal requirement, and is described in the notes rather than recorded as the cycle total. The prescribing rule in 2840-1.5 sets practice limits (DEA registration, prescription monitoring program checks, opioid and benzodiazepine supply limits, drug testing) but attaches no continuing education of its own.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Mississippi Board of Nursing before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.