Utah Registered Nurse license renewal and CE requirements
Utah registered nurses must complete 30 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Utah Division of Professional Licensing, Board of Nursing.
Registered nurse licenses run on a two year cycle and expire January 31 of odd numbered years. DOPL mails a renewal notice at least 60 days before expiration, and renewal is filed online or on the RN renewal form with an attestation that the competency and suicide prevention requirements were met.
Summary
Utah registered nurses must complete 30 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Utah Division of Professional Licensing, Board of Nursing. Registered nurse licenses run on a two year cycle and expire January 31 of odd numbered years. DOPL mails a renewal notice at least 60 days before expiration, and renewal is filed online or on the RN renewal form with an attestation that the competency and suicide prevention requirements were met. Utah also mandates specific subjects. Approved online suicide prevention training: 0.5 contact hours every renewal cycle.
Utah 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 | Same date for every licensee, 01/31 each cycle |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 30 contact hours |
| Self-study or online cap | No cap stated |
| Carryover to next cycle | Not stated |
| First renewal exempt | Not stated |
| Other accepted activities | Licensed practice of at least 400 hours in the two years before renewal (R156-31b-303(3)(a)(i)); Licensed practice of at least 200 hours plus 15 contact hours of approved continuing education (R156-31b-303(3)(a)(ii)) |
R156-31b-303(3)(a) gives an RN three ways to meet the continuing competency requirement in the two years before renewal: 400 hours of licensed practice, 200 hours of licensed practice plus 15 contact hours of approved continuing education, or 30 contact hours of approved continuing education. The 30 contact hours recorded here is the pure continuing education path. Separately, every renewing nurse must complete at least one approved online suicide prevention training regardless of which competency path is used.
Required CE topics for Utah registered nurses
State-specific subject mandates. Where a mandate applies only to some licensees, the scope is listed.
| Topic | Hours | Frequency | Applies to | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Approved online suicide prevention trainingThe DOPL renewal page lists three approved trainings, each worth 0.5 credit, and requires at least one: Suicide Safety Planning with Patients, Talking to Patients About Suicide, and Counseling on Access to Lethal Means. The board's RN renewal form says no certificate of completion is issued and the licensee attests to completion. The trainings qualify for continuing education credit. The board's LPN renewal form cites Utah Code 58-31b-305 as the authority for the same requirement; the RN form does not give a citation, so this field is left null. | 0.5 contact hours | Every renewal | All licensees | Not stated |
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | No, attestation only |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | Not stated |
| Board audits compliance | Yes |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Utah RN need to renew?
- Utah registered nurses must complete 30 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Utah Division of Professional Licensing, Board of Nursing. R156-31b-303(3)(a) gives an RN three ways to meet the continuing competency requirement in the two years before renewal: 400 hours of licensed practice, 200 hours of licensed practice plus 15 contact hours of approved continuing education, or 30 contact hours of approved continuing education. The 30 contact hours recorded here is the pure continuing education path. Separately, every renewing nurse must complete at least one approved online suicide prevention training regardless of which competency path is used.
- How often does a Utah RN license need to be renewed?
- Registered Nurse licenses in Utah renew every two years. Registered nurse licenses run on a two year cycle and expire January 31 of odd numbered years. DOPL mails a renewal notice at least 60 days before expiration, and renewal is filed online or on the RN renewal form with an attestation that the competency and suicide prevention requirements were met.
- What specific CE topics are required for Utah registered nurses?
- Approved online suicide prevention training: 0.5 contact hours every renewal cycle.
- Do Utah registered nurses have to submit CE certificates at renewal?
- Licensees attest to completion at renewal rather than submitting certificates and the board audits a sample of renewals and asks for documentation.
Sources
Last verified September 7, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.
- Registered Nurse or Licensed Practice Nurse renewal, Utah Division of Professional LicensingState board page, accessed September 7, 2026
- Registered Nurse Renewal/Reinstatement Form, Utah DOPL (v.20241022)State board page, accessed September 7, 2026
- Utah Admin. Code R156-31b-303, LPN, RN, and APRN License Renewal, Continuing Education (Cornell LII mirror)Third-party summary, accessed September 7, 2026
- Utah Admin. Code R156-1-308a, Renewal Dates (Cornell LII mirror)Third-party summary, accessed September 7, 2026
- Nursing, Utah Division of Professional LicensingState board page, accessed September 7, 2026
Hours, the three competency paths, and the two year cycle were confirmed on the DOPL renewal page, on the board's own RN renewal form (which cites R156-31b-303(3)(a)), and in the rule text. adminrules.utah.gov returned 404 for the R156-31b rule page, so the rule text was read on the Cornell LII mirror and is cited as third_party_summary; the board's renewal form quotes the same subsection. R156-1-308a sets the RN renewal date at January 31 of odd years and the LPN date at January 31 of even years. The renewal form says not to submit documentation of hours unless audited, so proof_at_renewal is false and audited is true. Neither the rule nor the board page read here names the bodies that approve continuing education, so approved_provider_requirement is null. Record retention was not stated, so retention_years is null.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Utah Division of Professional Licensing, Board of Nursing before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.