North Dakota Nurse Practitioner license renewal and CE requirements
North Dakota nurse practitioners must complete 15 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the North Dakota Board of Nursing.
North Dakota licenses the nurse practitioner as an APRN, and the license is renewed on a two year cycle: the board measures both the continuing education and the practice hour requirements against the expiration date printed on the license. The board pages that were read do not state the calendar expiration date, so check the date on your own license or in the Nurse Portal. Renewal is filed online and the board asks for three to five business days after renewal for the updated expiration date to appear on its verification site.
Summary
North Dakota nurse practitioners must complete 15 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the North Dakota Board of Nursing. North Dakota licenses the nurse practitioner as an APRN, and the license is renewed on a two year cycle: the board measures both the continuing education and the practice hour requirements against the expiration date printed on the license. The board pages that were read do not state the calendar expiration date, so check the date on your own license or in the Nurse Portal. Renewal is filed online and the board asks for three to five business days after renewal for the updated expiration date to appear on its verification site. North Dakota also mandates specific subjects. Pharmacotherapy related to scope of practice: 15 contact hours every renewal cycle (APRNs with prescriptive authority). Hours do not carry over between cycles.
North Dakota 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 | Board-specific schedule |
| 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 | Not stated |
The layering here works by absorption rather than addition. Every North Dakota nurse must complete 12 contact hours of continuing education within the preceding two years for license renewal, and an APRN with prescriptive authority must complete 15 contact hours of education during the previous two years in pharmacotherapy related to scope of practice. The board states that APRN contact hours may fulfill the registered nurse renewal continuing education requirement, so a nurse practitioner with prescriptive authority owes 15 contact hours in total rather than 27, and all 15 must be pharmacotherapy. A nurse practitioner who does not hold prescriptive authority owes the 12 hour base. The board also requires 400 hours of nursing practice within the preceding four years. Certificates must itemize pharmacology continuing education, and the board specifically says UpToDate activity certificates do not satisfy the pharmacology specific requirement. Excess hours cannot be carried forward: a licensee who earns more than the required hours in a reporting period cannot apply the excess to a future period.
Required CE topics for North Dakota nurse practitioners
State-specific subject mandates. Where a mandate applies only to some licensees, the scope is listed.
| Topic | Hours | Frequency | Applies to | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmacotherapy related to scope of practiceFifteen contact hours of pharmacotherapy education during the previous two years. Certificates must itemize the pharmacology content. These hours may also be used to satisfy the 12 hour registered nurse renewal requirement. The topic key pharmacology is not canonical; see verification_notes. | 15 contact hours | Every renewal | APRNs with prescriptive authority | Not stated |
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | No, attestation only |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | 4 years |
| Board audits compliance | Yes |
| Approved providers | Coursework from accredited institutions, publications related to nursing practice, presentations and lectures (maximum 6 contact hours per cycle), and approved provider programs. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a North Dakota NP need to renew?
- North Dakota nurse practitioners must complete 15 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the North Dakota Board of Nursing. The layering here works by absorption rather than addition. Every North Dakota nurse must complete 12 contact hours of continuing education within the preceding two years for license renewal, and an APRN with prescriptive authority must complete 15 contact hours of education during the previous two years in pharmacotherapy related to scope of practice. The board states that APRN contact hours may fulfill the registered nurse renewal continuing education requirement, so a nurse practitioner with prescriptive authority owes 15 contact hours in total rather than 27, and all 15 must be pharmacotherapy. A nurse practitioner who does not hold prescriptive authority owes the 12 hour base. The board also requires 400 hours of nursing practice within the preceding four years. Certificates must itemize pharmacology continuing education, and the board specifically says UpToDate activity certificates do not satisfy the pharmacology specific requirement. Excess hours cannot be carried forward: a licensee who earns more than the required hours in a reporting period cannot apply the excess to a future period.
- How often does a North Dakota NP license need to be renewed?
- Nurse Practitioner licenses in North Dakota renew every two years. North Dakota licenses the nurse practitioner as an APRN, and the license is renewed on a two year cycle: the board measures both the continuing education and the practice hour requirements against the expiration date printed on the license. The board pages that were read do not state the calendar expiration date, so check the date on your own license or in the Nurse Portal. Renewal is filed online and the board asks for three to five business days after renewal for the updated expiration date to appear on its verification site.
- What specific CE topics are required for North Dakota nurse practitioners?
- Pharmacotherapy related to scope of practice: 15 contact hours every renewal cycle (APRNs with prescriptive authority).
- Do North Dakota nurse practitioners 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. Coursework from accredited institutions, publications related to nursing practice, presentations and lectures (maximum 6 contact hours per cycle), and approved provider programs.
Sources
Last verified September 8, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.
- Continuing Education Requirements, North Dakota Board of NursingState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
- Renew or Reactivate Your Nursing License, North Dakota Board of NursingState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
- Nursing Renewal FAQs, North Dakota Board of NursingState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
- North Dakota Board of Nursing home pageState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
The 12 hour base, the 15 pharmacotherapy hours for an APRN with prescriptive authority, the statement that APRN contact hours may fulfill the registered nurse renewal requirement, the two year measurement window, the 400 practice hours in four years, the no carryover rule and the two renewal cycle retention period were all read on the board's own continuing education and renewal pages. retention_years is recorded as 4 because the board requires original completion certificates to be kept for not less than two renewal cycles and a cycle is two years. What could not be confirmed is the calendar expiration date: none of the board pages read states it, and the North Dakota Administrative Code chapter that would (article 54-02, chapter 54-02-05 on relicensure) is published only as a PDF on the legislature's site, which the no download rule keeps out of reach, so renewal basis is recorded as other rather than guessed. The board pages read also do not state whether national certification is required for APRN renewal, so that is not recorded. The topic key pharmacology is not one of the canonical keys and is used per the brief.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the North Dakota Board of Nursing before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.