Vermont Registered Nurse license renewal and CE requirements
Vermont registered nurses must complete 20 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Vermont Board of Nursing, Office of Professional Regulation.
Licenses are valid for fixed two year periods and the expiration date is printed on the license and shown on the Find a Professional lookup. The renewal application opens six weeks before the expiration date and is filed in the Office of Professional Regulation online services system. Late renewals are subject to penalty fees.
Summary
Vermont registered nurses must complete 20 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Vermont Board of Nursing, Office of Professional Regulation. Licenses are valid for fixed two year periods and the expiration date is printed on the license and shown on the Find a Professional lookup. The renewal application opens six weeks before the expiration date and is filed in the Office of Professional Regulation online services system. Late renewals are subject to penalty fees.
Vermont 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 | Board-specific schedule |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 20 contact hours |
| Self-study or online cap | No cap stated |
| Carryover to next cycle | Not stated |
| First renewal exempt | Not stated |
| Other accepted activities | Practice of at least 50 days (400 hours) in the two years before the application; Practice of at least 120 days (960 hours) in the five years before the application; A current nationally recognized nursing certification; Completion of an original or re-entry nursing program within the last 5 years (board renewal instructions) |
Rule 4-8(a) lets an RN or an LPN satisfy renewal with any one of the listed options, so the 20 hours is the continuing education path rather than a flat requirement. The rule uses the phrase hours of qualifying continuing education. Qualifying continuing education means education approved and assigned a credit value by an organization approved by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation, by another verifying authority approved by the board, or directly by the board. The board's renewal instructions add completion of an original or re-entry nursing program within the last 5 years as a fourth way to meet the requirement.
Required CE topics for Vermont registered nurses
The Vermont Board of Nursing, Office of Professional Regulation 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 | Yes |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | Not stated |
| Board audits compliance | Yes |
| Approved providers | Qualifying continuing education must be approved and assigned a credit value by an organization approved by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation, by another verifying authority approved by the Board, or directly by the Board. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Vermont RN need to renew?
- Vermont registered nurses must complete 20 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Vermont Board of Nursing, Office of Professional Regulation. Rule 4-8(a) lets an RN or an LPN satisfy renewal with any one of the listed options, so the 20 hours is the continuing education path rather than a flat requirement. The rule uses the phrase hours of qualifying continuing education. Qualifying continuing education means education approved and assigned a credit value by an organization approved by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation, by another verifying authority approved by the board, or directly by the board. The board's renewal instructions add completion of an original or re-entry nursing program within the last 5 years as a fourth way to meet the requirement.
- How often does a Vermont RN license need to be renewed?
- Registered Nurse licenses in Vermont renew every two years. Licenses are valid for fixed two year periods and the expiration date is printed on the license and shown on the Find a Professional lookup. The renewal application opens six weeks before the expiration date and is filed in the Office of Professional Regulation online services system. Late renewals are subject to penalty fees.
- Does Vermont require specific CE topics for registered nurses?
- The Vermont Board of Nursing, Office of Professional Regulation does not list mandated subject areas for RN renewal on the pages we verified; the 20 contact hours may be in any approved subject.
- Do Vermont registered nurses have to submit CE certificates at renewal?
- Proof of completion must be submitted with the renewal and the board audits a sample of renewals and asks for documentation. Qualifying continuing education must be approved and assigned a credit value by an organization approved by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation, by another verifying authority approved by the Board, or directly by the Board.
Sources
Last verified September 7, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.
- LPN and RN Renewal Instructions, Vermont Office of Professional Regulation, April 2026State board page, accessed September 7, 2026
- Administrative Rules of the Vermont Board of Nursing, effective May 11, 2023 (Rules 4-3, 4-7, 4-8; definition of Current Practice Competence and Qualifying continuing education)Statute or administrative rule, accessed September 7, 2026
- Nursing Applications and Renewals, Vermont Secretary of StateState board page, accessed September 7, 2026
- Frequently Asked Questions, Nursing, Vermont Secretary of StateState board page, accessed September 7, 2026
- 26 V.S.A. chapter 28, Nursing (sections 1624 and 1628, license renewal; section 1577, biennial renewal fees)Statute or administrative rule, accessed September 7, 2026
- Nursing, Vermont Secretary of State, Office of Professional RegulationState board page, accessed September 7, 2026
The 20 hour figure and the two year cycle were confirmed in Rule 4-8(a) and Rule 4-3 of the board's administrative rules and in the board's own LPN and RN renewal instructions. Rule 4-8(a) writes the requirement as one rule for RNs and LPNs together, so the same source supports both records. Basis is recorded as other because neither the rules, 26 V.S.A. chapter 28, nor the board pages read here state a single statewide expiration date; Rule 4-3 says only that expiration dates are printed on licenses. Third party sites give conflicting dates (March 31 of odd years for RNs, January 31 of even years for LPNs) and none of them were confirmed by the board, so no fixed date is recorded. The board's renewal instructions say certificates of completion must be uploaded within the renewal application when the continuing education path is used, so proof_at_renewal is true; the board's FAQ says practice hours may be subject to random audit after renewal periods end, so audited is true. The rules do not state a record retention period. The rules set no mandatory continuing education subjects for nurses. Rule 4-4 provides that a license issued within 90 days of the end of a licensing period runs through the next full period without a renewal fee, which is an extension rather than a prorated first renewal, so first_renewal_prorated is null.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Vermont Board of Nursing, Office of Professional Regulation before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.