Ohio Nurse Practitioner license renewal and CE requirements
Ohio nurse practitioners must complete 48 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Ohio Board of Nursing.
Ohio licenses the nurse practitioner as an advanced practice registered nurse designated as a certified nurse practitioner (APRN-CNP). Both the registered nurse license and the advanced practice registered nurse license renew in odd numbered years: the renewal application is due by September 15 and the license lapses on November 1 if it has not been renewed. A nurse practitioner therefore renews both licenses in the same odd year.
Summary
Ohio nurse practitioners must complete 48 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Ohio Board of Nursing. Ohio licenses the nurse practitioner as an advanced practice registered nurse designated as a certified nurse practitioner (APRN-CNP). Both the registered nurse license and the advanced practice registered nurse license renew in odd numbered years: the renewal application is due by September 15 and the license lapses on November 1 if it has not been renewed. A nurse practitioner therefore renews both licenses in the same odd year. Ohio also mandates specific subjects. Advanced pharmacology: 12 contact hours every renewal cycle (advanced practice registered nurses designated as a clinical nurse specialist, certified nurse-midwife, or certified nurse practitioner). Category A continuing education on Ohio nursing law and rules: 1 contact hour every renewal cycle.
Ohio 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, 09/15 each cycle |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 48 contact hours |
| Self-study or online cap | No cap stated |
| Carryover to next cycle | Not stated |
| First renewal exempt | Not stated |
Ohio is one of the states where the two requirements genuinely stack rather than overlap, and the statute says so. Division (C)(1) of ORC 4723.24 requires 24 contact hours of continuing nursing education in each two year period for the registered nurse license, at least one hour of which must be category A continuing education on Ohio nursing statutes and rules (OAC 4723-14-03). Division (C)(2) requires a further 24 hours for the advanced practice registered nurse license, and for a certified nurse practitioner, certified nurse midwife or clinical nurse specialist at least 12 of those hours must be in advanced pharmacology received from an accredited institution recognized by the board. The statute then states that the continuing education required by division (C)(2) is in addition to the continuing education required by division (C)(1), which is why the total recorded here is 48 contact hours per two year period, not 24. Ohio requires 45 hours of advanced pharmacology coursework within the five years before application as a condition of initial APRN licensure for prescribing (OAC 4723-9-02); that is an entry requirement, not part of the renewal count.
Required CE topics for Ohio nurse practitioners
State-specific subject mandates. Where a mandate applies only to some licensees, the scope is listed.
| Topic | Hours | Frequency | Applies to | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Advanced pharmacologyAt least 12 of the 24 advanced practice hours must be in advanced pharmacology and must be received from an accredited institution recognized by the board. The topic key pharmacology is not canonical; see verification_notes. | 12 contact hours | Every renewal | Advanced practice registered nurses designated as a clinical nurse specialist, certified nurse-midwife, or certified nurse practitioner | ORC 4723.24(C)(2) |
| Category A continuing education on Ohio nursing law and rulesAt least one of the 24 registered nurse hours must be category A continuing education. A nurse reactivating a license after two or more years inactive needs two contact hours of category A addressing scopes of practice instead. | 1 contact hour | Every renewal | All licensees | OAC 4723-14-03 |
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | No, attestation only |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | Not stated |
| Board audits compliance | Not stated |
| Approved providers | Advanced pharmacology hours must come from an accredited institution recognized by the board. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Ohio NP need to renew?
- Ohio nurse practitioners must complete 48 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Ohio Board of Nursing. Ohio is one of the states where the two requirements genuinely stack rather than overlap, and the statute says so. Division (C)(1) of ORC 4723.24 requires 24 contact hours of continuing nursing education in each two year period for the registered nurse license, at least one hour of which must be category A continuing education on Ohio nursing statutes and rules (OAC 4723-14-03). Division (C)(2) requires a further 24 hours for the advanced practice registered nurse license, and for a certified nurse practitioner, certified nurse midwife or clinical nurse specialist at least 12 of those hours must be in advanced pharmacology received from an accredited institution recognized by the board. The statute then states that the continuing education required by division (C)(2) is in addition to the continuing education required by division (C)(1), which is why the total recorded here is 48 contact hours per two year period, not 24. Ohio requires 45 hours of advanced pharmacology coursework within the five years before application as a condition of initial APRN licensure for prescribing (OAC 4723-9-02); that is an entry requirement, not part of the renewal count.
- How often does a Ohio NP license need to be renewed?
- Nurse Practitioner licenses in Ohio renew every two years. Ohio licenses the nurse practitioner as an advanced practice registered nurse designated as a certified nurse practitioner (APRN-CNP). Both the registered nurse license and the advanced practice registered nurse license renew in odd numbered years: the renewal application is due by September 15 and the license lapses on November 1 if it has not been renewed. A nurse practitioner therefore renews both licenses in the same odd year.
- What specific CE topics are required for Ohio nurse practitioners?
- Advanced pharmacology: 12 contact hours every renewal cycle (advanced practice registered nurses designated as a clinical nurse specialist, certified nurse-midwife, or certified nurse practitioner). Category A continuing education on Ohio nursing law and rules: 1 contact hour every renewal cycle. Citations: advanced pharmacology (ORC 4723.24(C)(2)) and Category A continuing education on Ohio nursing law and rules (OAC 4723-14-03).
- Do Ohio nurse practitioners have to submit CE certificates at renewal?
- Licensees attest to completion at renewal rather than submitting certificates. Advanced pharmacology hours must come from an accredited institution recognized by the board.
Sources
Last verified September 8, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.
- ORC 4723.24, Renewal of license; continuing education (registered nurses and advanced practice registered nurses)Statute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- OAC 4723-14-03, Continuing education required for renewal of a nursing licenseStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- Ohio Board of Nursing home pageState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
The 24 hour registered nurse requirement with its one category A hour, the separate 24 hour advanced practice requirement with its 12 advanced pharmacology hours, and the sentence stating that the advanced practice hours are in addition to the registered nurse hours were all read in the official text of ORC 4723.24 and OAC 4723-14-03 on the Ohio Laws site. This is the trap the brief warns about: recording only the 24 advanced practice hours, or only the 24 registered nurse hours, would understate an Ohio nurse practitioner's obligation by half. OAC 4723-14-03 by its terms covers licensed practical nurses and registered nurses and does not address advanced practice, so the advanced practice figures rest on the statute. The renewal dates come from the same statute; the board's own renewal pages were not located as stable URLs, so renewal_url is null. Carryover, audit practice and record retention are not addressed in the sections read. The topic key pharmacology is not canonical and is used per the brief. This record is the certified nurse practitioner role only; the same statutory subsection reaches clinical nurse specialists and certified nurse midwives, so the 12 advanced pharmacology hours are a shared advanced practice rule rather than a nurse practitioner specific one.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Ohio Board of Nursing before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.