Oregon Licensed Practical Nurse license renewal and CE requirements
Oregon licensed practical nurses must complete continuing education to renew every two years, but the Oregon State Board of Nursing does not publish a fixed hour count.
A nursing license is valid for two years from the date it is issued, and the renewal application must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. on the expiration date to be timely (OAR 851-031-0048). Renewal is completed in the OSBN online portal after finishing the Oregon Health Authority workforce survey; the licensee attests to the pain management and cultural competency education on the application. A license expired more than 90 days requires reinstatement.
Summary
Requirements are changing. Oregon's continuing education rule changes on January 1, 2028. Today the requirement is the two topic courses below and there is no general hour count. Starting January 1, 2028, OAR 851-031-0008(3)(a) adds 20 hours within the prior two years for RN and LPN renewal, and the pain management and cultural competency hours may be counted toward it. Confirm with the Oregon State Board of Nursing which requirement applies to your renewal date.
Oregon licensed practical nurses must complete continuing education to renew every two years, but the Oregon State Board of Nursing does not publish a fixed hour count. A nursing license is valid for two years from the date it is issued, and the renewal application must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. on the expiration date to be timely (OAR 851-031-0048). Renewal is completed in the OSBN online portal after finishing the Oregon Health Authority workforce survey; the licensee attests to the pain management and cultural competency education on the application. A license expired more than 90 days requires reinstatement. Oregon also mandates specific subjects. Pain management education (Oregon Pain Management Commission module): 1 contact hour on a periodic schedule set by the board (All LPN, RN, and APRN renewal applicants; at initial or endorsement licensure and every 36 months thereafter). Cultural competency continuing education: 2 contact hours on a periodic schedule set by the board (All LPN, RN, and APRN renewal applicants; every other renewal cycle (the Board describes it as every 48 months)).
Oregon 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 | Not stated |
| Self-study or online cap | No cap stated |
| Carryover to next cycle | Not stated |
| First renewal exempt | Not stated |
Read the date before the number. As of today an Oregon RN or LPN must show the one hour Oregon Pain Management Commission course every 36 months and two hours of cultural competency every other renewal cycle, and the board sets no general continuing education hour total, which is why hours_per_cycle is null. OAR 851-031-0008(3)(a) introduces 20 hours within the prior two years, but only for renewal applications submitted on or after January 1, 2028. Under subsection (5) the pain management and cultural competency hours count toward that future total. Separate, larger totals apply to reinstatement after a lapse, scaling from 20 hours for a license expired more than 90 days to 60 hours for one expired more than five years.
Required CE topics for Oregon 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 management education (Oregon Pain Management Commission module)One-hour module developed by the Oregon Pain Management Commission, or completed through a Board-approved nursing education program. Counts toward the 20 CE hours once that requirement begins in 2028 (OAR 851-031-0008(5)). | 1 contact hour | Periodic | All LPN, RN, and APRN renewal applicants; at initial or endorsement licensure and every 36 months thereafter | OAR 851-031-0008(1) |
| Cultural competency continuing educationTwo hours from a provider of the licensee's choice; the Oregon Health Authority Cultural Competence Continuing Education program maintains a list of courses. Counts toward the 20 CE hours once that requirement begins in 2028. | 2 contact hours | Periodic | All LPN, RN, and APRN renewal applicants; every other renewal cycle (the Board describes it as every 48 months) | OAR 851-031-0008(2) |
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | No, attestation only |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | Not stated |
| Board audits compliance | Not stated |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Oregon LPN/LVN need to renew?
- Oregon licensed practical nurses must complete continuing education to renew every two years, but the Oregon State Board of Nursing does not publish a fixed hour count. Read the date before the number. As of today an Oregon RN or LPN must show the one hour Oregon Pain Management Commission course every 36 months and two hours of cultural competency every other renewal cycle, and the board sets no general continuing education hour total, which is why hours_per_cycle is null. OAR 851-031-0008(3)(a) introduces 20 hours within the prior two years, but only for renewal applications submitted on or after January 1, 2028. Under subsection (5) the pain management and cultural competency hours count toward that future total. Separate, larger totals apply to reinstatement after a lapse, scaling from 20 hours for a license expired more than 90 days to 60 hours for one expired more than five years.
- How often does a Oregon LPN/LVN license need to be renewed?
- Licensed Practical Nurse licenses in Oregon renew every two years. A nursing license is valid for two years from the date it is issued, and the renewal application must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. on the expiration date to be timely (OAR 851-031-0048). Renewal is completed in the OSBN online portal after finishing the Oregon Health Authority workforce survey; the licensee attests to the pain management and cultural competency education on the application. A license expired more than 90 days requires reinstatement.
- What specific CE topics are required for Oregon licensed practical nurses?
- Pain management education (Oregon Pain Management Commission module): 1 contact hour on a periodic schedule set by the board (All LPN, RN, and APRN renewal applicants; at initial or endorsement licensure and every 36 months thereafter). Cultural competency continuing education: 2 contact hours on a periodic schedule set by the board (All LPN, RN, and APRN renewal applicants; every other renewal cycle (the Board describes it as every 48 months)). Citations: pain management education (Oregon Pain Management Commission module) (OAR 851-031-0008(1)) and cultural competency continuing education (OAR 851-031-0008(2)).
- Do Oregon licensed practical nurses have to submit CE certificates at renewal?
- Licensees attest to completion at renewal rather than submitting certificates.
Sources
Last verified September 7, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.
- OAR 851-031-0008 Competency Requirements, Oregon Secretary of State Administrative Rules (BN 4-2026, effective 09/01/2026)Statute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- Competency Requirements, Oregon State Board of NursingState board page, accessed September 7, 2026
- Continuing Education Requirements for Renewal fact sheet (as of 12-31-25), Oregon State Board of NursingState board page, accessed September 7, 2026
- All License Type Renewal Application Guide (as of 12-31-25), Oregon State Board of NursingState board page, accessed September 7, 2026
- Pain Management Continuing Education, Oregon State Board of NursingState board page, accessed September 7, 2026
- Cultural Competency, Oregon State Board of NursingState board page, accessed September 7, 2026
- OAR Chapter 851 Division 31 License Requirements for Nurses, including 851-031-0008 Competency RequirementsStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 7, 2026
- OAR 851-031-0048 Renewal of LicenseStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 7, 2026
Cycle confirmed in OAR 851-031-0048 (two years from issuance); CE requirements and effective dates confirmed in OAR 851-031-0008 (amended effective 09/01/2026) and on the Board's Competency Requirements page and fact sheet. hours_per_cycle reflects the 20-hour requirement that begins January 1, 2028; until then only the pain management and cultural competency topics are required, and this record should be re-verified before 2028. Third-party summaries describe Oregon renewal as falling on the licensee's birthday every two years; the current rule text read here says only that a license is valid for two years from issuance, so basis is recorded as issue_date and no board page stating a birthday basis was found. The Board's pain-management and cultural-competency pages list health professions generally; the fact sheet and rule apply both to LPN and RN. Documentation retention and audit practice were not stated on the pages read. The Board's dedicated renewal pages (renewal.aspx, nurse-renewal.aspx) return Page not found; the Competency Requirements page is used as renewal_url. Correction 2026-09-08: this record previously published 20 hours as the headline requirement. The full text of OAR 851-031-0008 was read on the Oregon Secretary of State rules site, and every hour figure in subsection (3) takes effect January 1, 2028, so publishing one as the current obligation stated a requirement that is not in force. hours_per_cycle is now null with the change carried in the advisory.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Oregon State Board of Nursing before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.