Pennsylvania Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist license renewal and CE requirements
Pennsylvania nurse anesthetists must complete 30 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing.
Pennsylvania does not yet issue a separate nurse anesthetist credential, so a nurse anesthetist renews a registered nurse license biennially. Under 49 Pa. Code 21.29(a) the Board assigns each registered nurse one of four expiration dates: April 30 in even-numbered years, October 31 in even-numbered years, April 30 in odd-numbered years, or October 31 in odd-numbered years. Renew in the PALS portal before the expiration date printed on your license. The 30 continuing education hours must be completed within the biennial renewal period that ends on that date. A registered nurse whose license is not renewed by the end of the biennial renewal period may not practice professional nursing until the continuing education requirements are satisfied and the license has been renewed, reinstated or reactivated.
Summary
Requirements are changing. Pennsylvania is mid-transition on how it credentials nurse anesthetists. Act 60 of 2021 amended The Professional Nursing Law to recognize and license CRNAs, but the implementing regulations were still at the proposed stage when this record was verified, published as a proposed rulemaking at 55 Pa.B. 4360 on June 28, 2025 to add a new Subchapter J and delete 49 Pa. Code 21.17. Until the final-form rulemaking publishes, a nurse anesthetist practices on a registered nurse license and the requirements in this record are the registered nurse requirements. Confirm the current position with the board before relying on it.
Pennsylvania nurse anesthetists must complete 30 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing. Pennsylvania does not yet issue a separate nurse anesthetist credential, so a nurse anesthetist renews a registered nurse license biennially. Under 49 Pa. Code 21.29(a) the Board assigns each registered nurse one of four expiration dates: April 30 in even-numbered years, October 31 in even-numbered years, April 30 in odd-numbered years, or October 31 in odd-numbered years. Renew in the PALS portal before the expiration date printed on your license. The 30 continuing education hours must be completed within the biennial renewal period that ends on that date. A registered nurse whose license is not renewed by the end of the biennial renewal period may not practice professional nursing until the continuing education requirements are satisfied and the license has been renewed, reinstated or reactivated. Pennsylvania also mandates specific subjects. Child abuse recognition and reporting: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle. Organ and tissue donation and recovery process: a one-time requirement of 2 contact hours. Hours do not carry over between cycles and the first renewal is exempt.
Pennsylvania Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist 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 | 30 contact hours |
| Self-study or online cap | No cap stated |
| Carryover to next cycle | No |
| First renewal exempt | Yes |
| Other accepted activities | Academic coursework, converted at 12 continuing education hours per trimester course, 10 per quarter course and 15 per semester course (49 Pa. Code 21.132(b)) |
A registered nurse seeking licensure renewal must complete 30 hours of Board-approved continuing education during the biennial renewal period immediately preceding the application, under 49 Pa. Code 21.131(a) and section 12.1 of The Professional Nursing Law. The Board will not renew the license of a nurse who fails to verify compliance. The Board accepts hours as designated by an approved provider so long as each hour is at least 50 minutes of activity and each half hour at least 30 minutes. Hours may not be carried over from one biennial renewal period to the next. A nurse who has not completed the 30 hours must make up the deficiency within six months of receiving notice and faces civil penalties. A waiver may be requested for serious illness, military service or other demonstrated hardship, submitted in writing at least 90 days before the expiration date unless the hardship arises inside that window. Because Pennsylvania has no CRNA certificate in effect, there is no advanced practice hour layer on top of the 30. NBCRNA's own four year Continued Professional Certification credit totals are not adopted by Pennsylvania as a state figure, so no national total is recorded here, but 49 Pa. Code 21.17(2) makes current certification by the Council on Certification or on Recertification of Nurse Anesthetists a condition of administering anesthesia at all.
Required CE topics for Pennsylvania certified registered nurse anesthetists
State-specific subject mandates. Where a mandate applies only to some licensees, the scope is listed.
| Topic | Hours | Frequency | Applies to | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Child abuse recognition and reportingAt least 2 of the 30 hours must be in approved continuing education in child abuse recognition and reporting requirements. This is the one part of the continuing education requirement that a nurse must meet even on the first renewal immediately following initial licensure, which is otherwise exempt under 21.131(b). It also applies on reinstatement of a lapsed or suspended license and on reactivation. | 2 contact hours | Every renewal | All licensees | 49 Pa. Code 21.131(a); 49 Pa. Code 21.508(b) |
| Organ and tissue donation and recovery processEffective May 1, 2026. At least 2 of the 30 hours must be in Board-approved continuing education on the organ and tissue donation and recovery process, once within 5 years. The clock runs from licensure renewal for a nurse licensed before May 1, 2026, from initial licensure for a nurse licensed on or after that date, and from reactivation for a nurse who reactivates an expired or inactive license on or after that date. The curriculum is set by the Board and posted on its website, covering an overview of the organ donation and transplantation system, the tissue donation process and the organ donation process. The topic key is not one of the canonical keys in the schema description. | 2 contact hours | One time | All licensees | 49 Pa. Code 21.131(a.1); 49 Pa. Code 21.133(a.1); 49 Pa. Code 21.134(a)(11) |
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | No, attestation only |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | 5 years |
| Board audits compliance | Yes |
| Approved providers | Continuing education must be approved by the Board and must be relevant to patient care or professional nursing in a general or specialty area and enhance the knowledge and application of the physical, social, biological and behavioral sciences. Acceptable sources are set out at 49 Pa. Code 21.134. For attendance at programs or courses the nurse retains the provider's certificate of attendance; for academic courses, the institution's transcript. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Pennsylvania CRNA need to renew?
- Pennsylvania nurse anesthetists must complete 30 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing. A registered nurse seeking licensure renewal must complete 30 hours of Board-approved continuing education during the biennial renewal period immediately preceding the application, under 49 Pa. Code 21.131(a) and section 12.1 of The Professional Nursing Law. The Board will not renew the license of a nurse who fails to verify compliance. The Board accepts hours as designated by an approved provider so long as each hour is at least 50 minutes of activity and each half hour at least 30 minutes. Hours may not be carried over from one biennial renewal period to the next. A nurse who has not completed the 30 hours must make up the deficiency within six months of receiving notice and faces civil penalties. A waiver may be requested for serious illness, military service or other demonstrated hardship, submitted in writing at least 90 days before the expiration date unless the hardship arises inside that window. Because Pennsylvania has no CRNA certificate in effect, there is no advanced practice hour layer on top of the 30. NBCRNA's own four year Continued Professional Certification credit totals are not adopted by Pennsylvania as a state figure, so no national total is recorded here, but 49 Pa. Code 21.17(2) makes current certification by the Council on Certification or on Recertification of Nurse Anesthetists a condition of administering anesthesia at all.
- How often does a Pennsylvania CRNA license need to be renewed?
- Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist licenses in Pennsylvania renew every two years. Pennsylvania does not yet issue a separate nurse anesthetist credential, so a nurse anesthetist renews a registered nurse license biennially. Under 49 Pa. Code 21.29(a) the Board assigns each registered nurse one of four expiration dates: April 30 in even-numbered years, October 31 in even-numbered years, April 30 in odd-numbered years, or October 31 in odd-numbered years. Renew in the PALS portal before the expiration date printed on your license. The 30 continuing education hours must be completed within the biennial renewal period that ends on that date. A registered nurse whose license is not renewed by the end of the biennial renewal period may not practice professional nursing until the continuing education requirements are satisfied and the license has been renewed, reinstated or reactivated.
- What specific CE topics are required for Pennsylvania nurse anesthetists?
- Child abuse recognition and reporting: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle. Organ and tissue donation and recovery process: a one-time requirement of 2 contact hours. Citations: child abuse recognition and reporting (49 Pa. Code 21.131(a); 49 Pa. Code 21.508(b)) and organ and tissue donation and recovery process (49 Pa. Code 21.131(a.1); 49 Pa. Code 21.133(a.1); 49 Pa. Code 21.134(a)(11)).
- Do Pennsylvania nurse anesthetists 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 5 years. Continuing education must be approved by the Board and must be relevant to patient care or professional nursing in a general or specialty area and enhance the knowledge and application of the physical, social, biological and behavioral sciences. Acceptable sources are set out at 49 Pa. Code 21.134. For attendance at programs or courses the nurse retains the provider's certificate of attendance; for academic courses, the institution's transcript.
- Is the first Pennsylvania CRNA renewal exempt from CE?
- Yes. Pennsylvania does not require continuing education for a CRNA's first renewal.
Sources
Last verified September 8, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.
- 49 Pa. Code 21.131, Continuing educationStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- 49 Pa. Code 21.132, Continuing education hoursStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- 49 Pa. Code 21.133, Continuing education contentStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- 49 Pa. Code 21.29, Expiration and renewal of licenseStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- 49 Pa. Code Chapter 21, State Board of Nursing, including 21.17 AnesthesiaStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- 55 Pa.B. 4360, Proposed Rulemaking, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists and FeesStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- Renewal Information, Pennsylvania State Board of NursingState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
Pennsylvania does not currently issue a nurse anesthetist credential, and that is the central finding for this state. The only provision in the board's regulations that addresses nurse anesthesia is 49 Pa. Code 21.17, which treats the administration of anesthesia as a function of a registered nurse rather than as a separate license class, permitted only where the nurse has completed a program accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Education Programs of Nurse Anesthesia, is certified by the Council on Certification or on Recertification of Nurse Anesthetists, and administers anesthesia in cooperation with a surgeon or dentist under the overall direction of the chief or director of anesthesia services. Section 21.17 remains in the Pennsylvania Code as published through 56 Pa.B. 4026, July 4, 2026. Act 60 of 2021 amended The Professional Nursing Law at 63 P.S. 218.8 and 218.9 to recognize and license CRNAs, and the board's proposed rulemaking at 55 Pa.B. 4360 would add Subchapter J and delete 21.17 six months after final-form publication; no final-form rulemaking was found. The board's own proposed rulemaking preamble states in present tense that nurses who administer anesthesia in this Commonwealth are licensed as RNs, which is the basis for recording the registered nurse requirements here. The requirements are therefore the same as Pennsylvania's registered nurse record and differ from the certified registered nurse practitioner record, which has its own certification, its own renewal under 49 Pa. Code 21.331 and its own hour rule under 21.332. When Subchapter J takes effect, the proposal indicates the CRNA certificate would renew biennially alongside the RN license under a proposed 21.1030, with a separate application and renewal fee and with continuing education reported once and applied to both credentials; those figures are proposed and are not recorded as current values. No opioid or pain management continuing education mandate for registered nurses appears in 21.131 or 21.133, so none is recorded. Audit practice and retention are from 21.131(c): the Board may audit, and a registered nurse retains documentation for at least 5 years.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.