Rhode Island Licensed Practical Nurse license renewal and CE requirements
Rhode Island licensed practical nurses must complete 10 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Rhode Island Board of Nurse Registration and Nursing Education (Department of Health).
Licenses expire on March 1 of every other year following the date of issuance of the original license; the Department sends renewal notices by January 1 to licensees scheduled that year on an odd/even basis by license number, and the renewal application and fee are due before February 15 of that year (216-RICR-40-05-3 § 3.4). The renewed license runs from March 2 to March 1 two years later. Renewal is online at healthri.mylicense.com with an attestation of CE completion.
Summary
Rhode Island licensed practical nurses must complete 10 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Rhode Island Board of Nurse Registration and Nursing Education (Department of Health). Licenses expire on March 1 of every other year following the date of issuance of the original license; the Department sends renewal notices by January 1 to licensees scheduled that year on an odd/even basis by license number, and the renewal application and fee are due before February 15 of that year (216-RICR-40-05-3 § 3.4). The renewed license runs from March 2 to March 1 two years later. Renewal is online at healthri.mylicense.com with an attestation of CE completion. Rhode Island also mandates specific subjects. Substance abuse: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle. Alzheimer's disease training: a one-time requirement of 1 contact hour (every nurse, one hour per career).
Rhode Island 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 | Same date for every licensee, 03/01 each cycle |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 10 contact hours |
| Self-study or online cap | No cap stated |
| Carryover to next cycle | Not stated |
| First renewal exempt | Not stated |
The Department of Health nurses page and 216-RICR-40-05-3 § 3.5 state one requirement for every person renewing a nursing license, covering APRNs, practical nurses and the other nursing license, so they are the source for both the RN and LPN records: ten continuing education hours in the preceding two years, one CE hour equal to one contact hour (one CEU equals ten hours), with two of the ten hours about substance abuse. Separately, every nurse must complete one hour of Alzheimer's disease training once per career (effective August 1, 2019). The licensee signs an attestation at renewal and keeps documentation for four years subject to random audit. The Department may grant one six-month extension for documented hardship. Reinstatement from inactive status requires five hours per year of inactivity or a Board-approved re-entry program. Neither source addresses carryover, a self-study cap, or a first-renewal exemption. The eight-hour opioid use disorder training on the page is a federal DEA registrant requirement for prescribers and does not apply to the practical nurses license.
Required CE topics for Rhode Island 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Substance abuseBoard page: two of the ten hours in every two-year cycle must be about substance abuse. The regulation text (§ 3.5) states the ten hours but does not itself name the substance abuse topic; the requirement is stated on the Department of Health nurses page. | 2 contact hours | Every renewal | All licensees | Not stated |
| Alzheimer's disease trainingEffective August 1, 2019, every nurse must complete one hour of CEU training on Alzheimer's disease once per career; the Department links a list of qualifying courses. The board page cites Rhode Island law without a section number. | 1 contact hour | One time | Every nurse, one hour per career | Not stated |
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | No, attestation only |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | 4 years |
| Board audits compliance | Yes |
| Approved providers | Courses presented, accepted or approved by the ANCC or its local chapter, other recognized professional nursing organizations, a board-approved department or school of nursing, or another professional, labor or accrediting organization approved by the Board (§ 3.5(B)) |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Rhode Island LPN/LVN need to renew?
- Rhode Island licensed practical nurses must complete 10 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Rhode Island Board of Nurse Registration and Nursing Education (Department of Health). The Department of Health nurses page and 216-RICR-40-05-3 § 3.5 state one requirement for every person renewing a nursing license, covering APRNs, practical nurses and the other nursing license, so they are the source for both the RN and LPN records: ten continuing education hours in the preceding two years, one CE hour equal to one contact hour (one CEU equals ten hours), with two of the ten hours about substance abuse. Separately, every nurse must complete one hour of Alzheimer's disease training once per career (effective August 1, 2019). The licensee signs an attestation at renewal and keeps documentation for four years subject to random audit. The Department may grant one six-month extension for documented hardship. Reinstatement from inactive status requires five hours per year of inactivity or a Board-approved re-entry program. Neither source addresses carryover, a self-study cap, or a first-renewal exemption. The eight-hour opioid use disorder training on the page is a federal DEA registrant requirement for prescribers and does not apply to the practical nurses license.
- How often does a Rhode Island LPN/LVN license need to be renewed?
- Licensed Practical Nurse licenses in Rhode Island renew every two years. Licenses expire on March 1 of every other year following the date of issuance of the original license; the Department sends renewal notices by January 1 to licensees scheduled that year on an odd/even basis by license number, and the renewal application and fee are due before February 15 of that year (216-RICR-40-05-3 § 3.4). The renewed license runs from March 2 to March 1 two years later. Renewal is online at healthri.mylicense.com with an attestation of CE completion.
- What specific CE topics are required for Rhode Island licensed practical nurses?
- Substance abuse: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle. Alzheimer's disease training: a one-time requirement of 1 contact hour (every nurse, one hour per career).
- Do Rhode Island licensed practical nurses 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. Courses presented, accepted or approved by the ANCC or its local chapter, other recognized professional nursing organizations, a board-approved department or school of nursing, or another professional, labor or accrediting organization approved by the Board (§ 3.5(B))
Sources
Last verified September 7, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.
- Nurses, Rhode Island Department of Health (Initial Licensing and Renewal Information, Continuing Education/Training)State board page, accessed September 7, 2026
- 216-RICR-40-05-3 Licensing of Nurses and Standards for the Approval of Basic Nursing Education Programs, §§ 3.4 and 3.5Statute or administrative rule, accessed September 7, 2026
- License detail page, Rhode Island Department of Health (renewal processing and registration code)State board page, accessed September 7, 2026
Hours, one-hour-equals-one-contact-hour, attestation, four-year retention, random audit, and the March 1 biennial expiration with a February 15 filing deadline confirmed in the regulation on the Secretary of State site; the ten hours, two substance abuse hours, and the Alzheimer's training confirmed on the Department of Health nurses page. The regulation assigns renewal years on an odd/even basis by license number and does not split RN and LPN into different years; no board page stating a different pattern was found. substance_abuse is a non-canonical topic key because none of the canonical keys fits; dementia is used for the Alzheimer's requirement. Statutory citations for the substance abuse and Alzheimer's mandates were not read (the page links a bill PDF without a section number), so those fields are null.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Rhode Island Board of Nurse Registration and Nursing Education (Department of Health) before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.