Virginia Licensed Practical Nurse license renewal and CE requirements
Virginia licensed practical nurses must complete 30 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Virginia Board of Nursing.
Licenses renew every two years by the last day of the licensee's birth month. A nurse born in an even numbered year renews in even numbered years and a nurse born in an odd numbered year renews in odd numbered years. The board mails a renewal notice, but failure to receive it does not excuse a late renewal and the license lapses automatically if it is not renewed by the expiration date.
Summary
Virginia licensed practical nurses must complete 30 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Virginia Board of Nursing. Licenses renew every two years by the last day of the licensee's birth month. A nurse born in an even numbered year renews in even numbered years and a nurse born in an odd numbered year renews in odd numbered years. The board mails a renewal notice, but failure to receive it does not excuse a late renewal and the license lapses automatically if it is not renewed by the expiration date. The first renewal is exempt.
Virginia 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 | Tied to the licensee's birth month |
| 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 | Yes |
| Other accepted activities | Current specialty certification by a national certifying organization; At least three credit hours of post-licensure academic education relevant to nursing practice from a regionally accredited college or university; A board-approved refresher course in nursing; Completion of a nursing-related, evidence-based practice project or research study; Publication as author or co-author during the renewal cycle; Teaching or developing a nursing-related course worth at least three semester hours of college credit, a 15-week course, or specialty certification; Teaching or developing nursing-related continuing education courses for up to 30 contact hours; Fifteen contact hours of workshops, seminars, conferences, or courses relevant to nursing plus 640 hours of active practice as a nurse |
18VAC90-19-160 A lets a licensee renew by completing any one of nine learning activities, and the rule applies to registered nurses and licensed practical nurses alike. Thirty contact hours of workshops, seminars, conferences, or courses relevant to the practice of nursing is the pure continuing education path and is what is recorded here; fifteen contact hours plus 640 hours of active practice is the reduced hours path. A licensee dually licensed by the board as an RN and an LPN meets only one of the requirements. The board may grant an extension of up to one year for good cause on written request 60 days before the renewal date, and may exempt a licensee for circumstances beyond the licensee's control such as temporary disability, mandatory military service, or officially declared disasters. Activities ordered in a disciplinary proceeding do not count.
Required CE topics for Virginia licensed practical nurses
The Virginia Board of Nursing 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 | 2 years |
| Board audits compliance | Yes |
| Approved providers | For the 15 or 30 contact hour paths, the workshops, seminars, conferences, or courses must be offered by a provider recognized or approved by one of the bodies listed in 18VAC90-19-160 B: the American Nurses Credentialing Center or American Nurses Association, the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, an Area Health Education Center that belongs to the National AHEC Organization, any state nurses association, the National League for Nursing, the National Association for Practical Nurse Education and Service, the National Federation of Licensed Practical Nurses, a licensed health care facility, agency, or hospital, a health care provider association, a regionally or nationally accredited college or university, a state or federal government agency, the American Heart Association, the American Health and Safety Institute, or the American Red Cross for advanced resuscitation courses, or the Virginia Board of Nursing or any state board of nursing. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Virginia LPN/LVN need to renew?
- Virginia licensed practical nurses must complete 30 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Virginia Board of Nursing. 18VAC90-19-160 A lets a licensee renew by completing any one of nine learning activities, and the rule applies to registered nurses and licensed practical nurses alike. Thirty contact hours of workshops, seminars, conferences, or courses relevant to the practice of nursing is the pure continuing education path and is what is recorded here; fifteen contact hours plus 640 hours of active practice is the reduced hours path. A licensee dually licensed by the board as an RN and an LPN meets only one of the requirements. The board may grant an extension of up to one year for good cause on written request 60 days before the renewal date, and may exempt a licensee for circumstances beyond the licensee's control such as temporary disability, mandatory military service, or officially declared disasters. Activities ordered in a disciplinary proceeding do not count.
- How often does a Virginia LPN/LVN license need to be renewed?
- Licensed Practical Nurse licenses in Virginia renew every two years. Licenses renew every two years by the last day of the licensee's birth month. A nurse born in an even numbered year renews in even numbered years and a nurse born in an odd numbered year renews in odd numbered years. The board mails a renewal notice, but failure to receive it does not excuse a late renewal and the license lapses automatically if it is not renewed by the expiration date.
- Does Virginia require specific CE topics for licensed practical nurses?
- The Virginia Board of Nursing does not list mandated subject areas for LPN/LVN renewal on the pages we verified; the 30 contact hours may be in any approved subject.
- Do Virginia 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 2 years. For the 15 or 30 contact hour paths, the workshops, seminars, conferences, or courses must be offered by a provider recognized or approved by one of the bodies listed in 18VAC90-19-160 B: the American Nurses Credentialing Center or American Nurses Association, the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, an Area Health Education Center that belongs to the National AHEC Organization, any state nurses association, the National League for Nursing, the National Association for Practical Nurse Education and Service, the National Federation of Licensed Practical Nurses, a licensed health care facility, agency, or hospital, a health care provider association, a regionally or nationally accredited college or university, a state or federal government agency, the American Heart Association, the American Health and Safety Institute, or the American Red Cross for advanced resuscitation courses, or the Virginia Board of Nursing or any state board of nursing.
- Is the first Virginia LPN/LVN renewal exempt from CE?
- Yes. Virginia does not require continuing education for a LPN/LVN's first renewal.
Sources
Last verified September 7, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.
- 18VAC90-19-160, Continued competency requirements for renewal of an active licenseStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 7, 2026
- 18VAC90-19-150, Renewal of licensesStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 7, 2026
- 18VAC90-19-170, Documenting compliance with continued competency requirementsStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 7, 2026
- Continued Competency, RN/LPN, Virginia Board of NursingState board page, accessed September 7, 2026
- Virginia Board of Nursing, Department of Health ProfessionsState board page, accessed September 7, 2026
Hours and cycle were confirmed in 18VAC90-19-160 and 18VAC90-19-150 and on the board's own Continued Competency page for RNs and LPNs, which reproduces 18VAC90-19-160 in full. The board publishes one continued competency page and one rule covering both RNs and LPNs, the list of acceptable providers in 18VAC90-19-160 B names practical nursing bodies (NAPNES and the National Federation of Licensed Practical Nurses), and subsection C addresses dual RN and LPN licensure, so the same sources support both records. 18VAC90-19-170 A requires licensees to keep original documentation for two years following renewal and to produce it within 30 days of a board request, which is why retention_years is 2, audited is true, and proof_at_renewal is false. Chapter 19 sets no mandatory continuing education subjects for nurses, so mandatory_topics is empty. The rule does not address carryover, self study caps, or live hour minimums, so those fields are null. The subdivision on nurse practitioners in 18VAC90-19-160 C 2 applies only to registered nurses and is therefore left out of this record.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Virginia Board of Nursing before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.