New Hampshire Licensed Practical Nurse license renewal and CE requirements
New Hampshire licensed practical nurses must complete 30 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the New Hampshire Board of Nursing, Office of Professional Licensure and Certification.
Renew by midnight on your date of birth in the renewal year; each renewal is valid for the two-year biennium beginning the day after the prior license expired. Failure to receive a renewal notice does not extend the deadline.
Summary
Requirements are changing. New Hampshire consolidated licensing under the Office of Professional Licensure and Certification, and RSA 310:8, II states that a license issued by the office is valid for two years from the date of issuance and that those terms supersede conflicting terms in a statute administered by a board under RSA 310:2. The board rules behind this record still describe a different renewal date, and OPLC's own renewal pages state no basis and send licensees to their individual board. Check the expiration date on your own license in the OPLC portal and contact the board if the two do not agree.
New Hampshire licensed practical nurses must complete 30 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the New Hampshire Board of Nursing, Office of Professional Licensure and Certification. Renew by midnight on your date of birth in the renewal year; each renewal is valid for the two-year biennium beginning the day after the prior license expired. Failure to receive a renewal notice does not extend the deadline.
New Hampshire 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 licensee's birth date |
| 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 | Not stated |
| Other accepted activities | Current national certification; Authorship of a published professional nursing article or book; Preparation and initial delivery of a professional nursing paper; Preparation and initial participation on a professional nursing panel; Participation in quality assessment or risk management studies; Nursing or nursing-related grant-writing or research; Completion of 2 or more academic credits that enhance nursing knowledge, judgment and skills (one credit equals 15 contact hours per Nur 403.04) |
RSA 326-B:31, II: 'An LPN or an RN shall complete 30 hours of continuing education every 2 years.' Nur 403.01(a) requires each applicant for renewal of an RN or LPN license to complete at least 30 contact hours of workshops, conferences, lectures or in-service educational offerings designed to enhance nursing knowledge, judgment and skills, and lists acceptable content areas (nursing art and science, research, sciences, management, teaching, ethical or legal aspects of health care, health care trends). The rule states a single requirement for the LPN together with the other nurse license type. Nur 403.05(f) allows a licensee to request inactive status instead of meeting CE. No specific subject is mandated for RNs or LPNs in the rule or statute.
Required CE topics for New Hampshire licensed practical nurses
The New Hampshire Board of Nursing, Office of Professional Licensure and Certification 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 |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a New Hampshire LPN/LVN need to renew?
- New Hampshire licensed practical nurses must complete 30 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the New Hampshire Board of Nursing, Office of Professional Licensure and Certification. RSA 326-B:31, II: 'An LPN or an RN shall complete 30 hours of continuing education every 2 years.' Nur 403.01(a) requires each applicant for renewal of an RN or LPN license to complete at least 30 contact hours of workshops, conferences, lectures or in-service educational offerings designed to enhance nursing knowledge, judgment and skills, and lists acceptable content areas (nursing art and science, research, sciences, management, teaching, ethical or legal aspects of health care, health care trends). The rule states a single requirement for the LPN together with the other nurse license type. Nur 403.05(f) allows a licensee to request inactive status instead of meeting CE. No specific subject is mandated for RNs or LPNs in the rule or statute.
- How often does a New Hampshire LPN/LVN license need to be renewed?
- Licensed Practical Nurse licenses in New Hampshire renew every two years. Renew by midnight on your date of birth in the renewal year; each renewal is valid for the two-year biennium beginning the day after the prior license expired. Failure to receive a renewal notice does not extend the deadline.
- Does New Hampshire require specific CE topics for licensed practical nurses?
- The New Hampshire Board of Nursing, Office of Professional Licensure and Certification does not list mandated subject areas for LPN/LVN renewal on the pages we verified; the 30 contact hours may be in any approved subject.
- Do New Hampshire licensed practical nurses 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.
Sources
Last verified September 7, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.
- N.H. Code of Administrative Rules, Chapter Nur 100-800 (Nur 401.01 Licensure Renewal; Nur 403.01 Continuing Education Requirements for LPN, RN, and APRN; Nur 403.05 Continuing Education Validation)Statute or administrative rule, accessed September 7, 2026
- RSA 326-B:31 Continuing EducationStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 7, 2026
Hours confirmed in RSA 326-B:31 (as amended effective 2024) and Nur 403.01; cycle confirmed in Nur 401.01 (renewal by midnight on the licensee's date of birth in the renewal year, each renewal valid for a biennium). The board's own pages at oplc.nh.gov returned HTTP 403 to every fetch attempt, so the board_url is listed but was not readable and no board renewal page is cited; details such as CE Broker reporting could not be confirmed. Nur 403.05(d) says every 100th renewal application is selected for a CE audit at least 45 days before the renewal date, and licensees must keep records and submit documentation on request; a retention period is not stated. Some CE vendor sites list 24 hours for New Hampshire LPNs; the statute and rule read here both say 30 for LPNs and RNs. New Hampshire is a Nurse Licensure Compact state. Cross-checked 2026-09-09 against the other New Hampshire records: this one records renewal basis birth_date, while nh-pt, nh-pta and the physician records record issue_date on the authority of RSA 310:8, II. RSA 310:8, II was read in full at gc.nh.gov and does say two years from issuance with a supersession clause, but it speaks to conflicting statutes and the basis here comes from the board's own rules, which still describe a different date. OPLC's apply and renew pages state no basis. The disagreement is recorded as an advisory rather than resolved, because nothing readable establishes which governs in practice.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the New Hampshire Board of Nursing, Office of Professional Licensure and Certification before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.