Tennessee Registered Nurse license renewal and CE requirements
Tennessee does not require continuing education for RN license renewal, which happens every two years.
The due date for renewal is the last day of the month in which the licensee's birth date falls, under the Division of Health Related Boards' biennial birth date renewal system, so nurses renew every two years in their birth month. Renewal notices go out 45 days before expiration and the license can be renewed online up to 60 days before expiration through the LARS portal.
Summary
Tennessee does not require continuing education for RN license renewal, which happens every two years. The due date for renewal is the last day of the month in which the licensee's birth date falls, under the Division of Health Related Boards' biennial birth date renewal system, so nurses renew every two years in their birth month. Renewal notices go out 45 days before expiration and the license can be renewed online up to 60 days before expiration through the LARS portal. The first renewal is exempt.
Tennessee Registered 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 licensee's birth month |
| Continuing education required | No |
Tennessee does not set a flat continuing education hour requirement for registered nurses. Rule 1000-01-.18 instead requires every nurse holding an active license to document evidence of competence in the current practice role, and a nurse who attests to keeping a personal file must have at least two items from a list of fourteen for the renewal period. Continuing education is item 9 on that list: successful completion of 10 contact hours per renewal period of continuing education or in-service education applicable to nursing practice. A nurse can therefore renew with no continuing education at all by documenting two of the other items. Nurses who have not practiced for more than five years and do not intend to practice in the future are not required to comply with the rule. For initial licensees, completing the requirements for licensure counts as proof of competence for that period. CE Broker is the state's official tracking system and the board encourages but does not require its use.
Required CE topics for Tennessee registered nurses
The Tennessee Board of Nursing (Tennessee Department of Health) pages and rules we read do not mandate specific subject areas for this license type. Hours may be in any approved subject.
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | No, attestation only |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | 4 years |
| Board audits compliance | Yes |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Tennessee RN need to renew?
- Tennessee does not require continuing education for RN license renewal, which happens every two years. Tennessee does not set a flat continuing education hour requirement for registered nurses. Rule 1000-01-.18 instead requires every nurse holding an active license to document evidence of competence in the current practice role, and a nurse who attests to keeping a personal file must have at least two items from a list of fourteen for the renewal period. Continuing education is item 9 on that list: successful completion of 10 contact hours per renewal period of continuing education or in-service education applicable to nursing practice. A nurse can therefore renew with no continuing education at all by documenting two of the other items. Nurses who have not practiced for more than five years and do not intend to practice in the future are not required to comply with the rule. For initial licensees, completing the requirements for licensure counts as proof of competence for that period. CE Broker is the state's official tracking system and the board encourages but does not require its use.
- How often does a Tennessee RN license need to be renewed?
- Registered Nurse licenses in Tennessee renew every two years. The due date for renewal is the last day of the month in which the licensee's birth date falls, under the Division of Health Related Boards' biennial birth date renewal system, so nurses renew every two years in their birth month. Renewal notices go out 45 days before expiration and the license can be renewed online up to 60 days before expiration through the LARS portal.
- Do Tennessee registered 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.
- Is the first Tennessee RN renewal exempt from CE?
- Yes. Tennessee does not require continuing education for a RN's first renewal.
Sources
Last verified September 7, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.
- Rules of the Tennessee Board of Nursing, Chapter 1000-01, General Rules and Regulations Governing Nursing (April 2026 revision)Statute or administrative rule, accessed September 7, 2026
- Rules of the Tennessee Board of Nursing, Chapter 1000-02, Rules and Regulations of Licensed Practical Nurses (October 2024)Statute or administrative rule, accessed September 7, 2026
- Tennessee Department of Health Board of NursingState board page, accessed September 7, 2026
- Tennessee Board of Nursing Continuing Competence Requirements handout (dated 8/2017)State board page, accessed September 7, 2026
Renewal cycle and basis come from rule 1000-01-.05(1) and the board's own page, which says nurses renew every two years. Continued competence comes from rule 1000-01-.18, which lists registered nurses and licensed practical nurses together under the same subparagraph (2)(a), so the same rule is the source for both the RN and the LPN record and the requirement is identical for the two license types. Chapter 1000-02, the LPN chapter, no longer contains any renewal or competence rule: parts 1000-02-.03 through 1000-02-.18 are repealed and the general chapter 1000-01 governs both. Two board sources give different continuing education hour figures for the optional CE item. The board's Continuing Competence Requirements handout, dated 8/2017 and still posted on the board's site, says five contact hours (ten for nurses who are not practicing) and cites the pre-2024 rule numbers 1000-01-.14, 1000-02-.14, and 1000-04-.05. The current rule text, filed as a repeal and new rules on July 10, 2024 with a stated effective date of October 8, 2024 and revised April 2026, says ten contact hours per renewal period with no practicing versus non-practicing split, and renumbers the requirement to 1000-01-.18. The rule states its effective date, so this record follows the rule and flags the stale handout rather than recording a conflict. Either way hours_per_cycle is null because continuing education is one optional item among fourteen, not a requirement. mandatory_topics is empty: the only subject-specific continuing education in the chapter is two contact hours on controlled substance prescribing practices and the Tennessee treatment guidelines, which reaches only advanced practice registered nurses holding a Certificate of Fitness. The board publishes no dedicated renewal page, so renewal_url points at the board page that carries the Applications and Renewals and Continuing Education sections. exempt_first_renewal is true in the sense that rule 1000-01-.18(1) treats completing the requirements for initial licensure as proof of competence for that period.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Tennessee Board of Nursing (Tennessee Department of Health) before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.