Virginia Nurse Practitioner license renewal and CE requirements
Virginia nurse practitioners must complete 8 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Virginia Board of Nursing and Virginia Board of Medicine (jointly, Department of Health Professions).
The nurse practitioner license renews every two years at the same time the Virginia registered nurse license is renewed. A nurse practitioner practicing on a multistate registered nurse licensure privilege instead renews by the last day of the birth month, in even numbered years if born in an even numbered year and in odd numbered years if born in an odd numbered year. The license lapses automatically if it is not renewed by the expiration date.
Summary
Virginia nurse practitioners must complete 8 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Virginia Board of Nursing and Virginia Board of Medicine (jointly, Department of Health Professions). The nurse practitioner license renews every two years at the same time the Virginia registered nurse license is renewed. A nurse practitioner practicing on a multistate registered nurse licensure privilege instead renews by the last day of the birth month, in even numbered years if born in an even numbered year and in odd numbered years if born in an odd numbered year. The license lapses automatically if it is not renewed by the expiration date. Virginia also mandates specific subjects. Pharmacology or pharmacotherapeutics: 8 contact hours every renewal cycle (nurse practitioners with prescriptive authority).
Virginia Nurse Practitioner 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 | 8 contact hours |
| Self-study or online cap | No cap stated |
| Carryover to next cycle | Not stated |
| First renewal exempt | Not stated |
| Other accepted activities | Current professional certification in the area of specialty practice from a certifying agency the boards recognize, which is how the base continued competency requirement is met and is mandatory for anyone initially licensed after May 8, 2002; For a nurse practitioner licensed before May 8, 2002, or whose certification has been retired: at least 40 hours of continuing education in the area of specialty practice, approved by a recognized certifying agency or as ACCME Category I CME |
Virginia's layering runs the opposite way from most states: the nurse practitioner requirement replaces the registered nurse requirement rather than sitting on top of it. Rule 18VAC90-19-160(C)(2) says in terms that registered nurses who also hold an active license as a nurse practitioner shall only meet the requirements of 18VAC90-30-105 and, for those with prescriptive authority, 18VAC90-40-55. So a Virginia nurse practitioner does not owe the registered nurse continued competency options. Under 18VAC90-30-105 the base obligation for anyone initially licensed after May 8, 2002 is to hold current professional certification in the area of specialty practice, with no hour count attached; only a nurse practitioner licensed before that date, or one whose certification has been retired, may instead complete at least 40 hours of continuing education in the specialty. Under 18VAC90-40-55 a nurse practitioner with prescriptive authority must complete a total of eight hours of continuing education in pharmacology or pharmacotherapeutics each biennium, in addition to the base requirement, and the continued competency content must address ethical practice, an appropriate standard of care, patient safety, and appropriate communication with patients. Eight hours is therefore the practical hour figure for a currently certified prescribing nurse practitioner, which is nearly all of them; a nurse practitioner on the pre 2002 continuing education route who also prescribes would owe 48. The boards may grant an extension or an exemption for all or part of the requirement for circumstances beyond the licensee's control.
Required CE topics for Virginia nurse practitioners
State-specific subject mandates. Where a mandate applies only to some licensees, the scope is listed.
| Topic | Hours | Frequency | Applies to | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmacology or pharmacotherapeuticsA total of eight hours of continuing education in pharmacology or pharmacotherapeutics for each biennium, on top of the base continued competency requirement in 18VAC90-30-105. Prescriptive authority in Virginia is a separate authorization, so a nurse practitioner without it does not owe these hours. | 8 contact hours | Every renewal | Nurse practitioners with prescriptive authority | 18VAC90-40-55 |
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | No, attestation only |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | 4 years |
| Board audits compliance | Yes |
| Approved providers | Continuing education taken under the 40 hour route must be approved by a certifying agency the boards recognize or be an ACCME Category I CME course. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Virginia NP need to renew?
- Virginia nurse practitioners must complete 8 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Virginia Board of Nursing and Virginia Board of Medicine (jointly, Department of Health Professions). Virginia's layering runs the opposite way from most states: the nurse practitioner requirement replaces the registered nurse requirement rather than sitting on top of it. Rule 18VAC90-19-160(C)(2) says in terms that registered nurses who also hold an active license as a nurse practitioner shall only meet the requirements of 18VAC90-30-105 and, for those with prescriptive authority, 18VAC90-40-55. So a Virginia nurse practitioner does not owe the registered nurse continued competency options. Under 18VAC90-30-105 the base obligation for anyone initially licensed after May 8, 2002 is to hold current professional certification in the area of specialty practice, with no hour count attached; only a nurse practitioner licensed before that date, or one whose certification has been retired, may instead complete at least 40 hours of continuing education in the specialty. Under 18VAC90-40-55 a nurse practitioner with prescriptive authority must complete a total of eight hours of continuing education in pharmacology or pharmacotherapeutics each biennium, in addition to the base requirement, and the continued competency content must address ethical practice, an appropriate standard of care, patient safety, and appropriate communication with patients. Eight hours is therefore the practical hour figure for a currently certified prescribing nurse practitioner, which is nearly all of them; a nurse practitioner on the pre 2002 continuing education route who also prescribes would owe 48. The boards may grant an extension or an exemption for all or part of the requirement for circumstances beyond the licensee's control.
- How often does a Virginia NP license need to be renewed?
- Nurse Practitioner licenses in Virginia renew every two years. The nurse practitioner license renews every two years at the same time the Virginia registered nurse license is renewed. A nurse practitioner practicing on a multistate registered nurse licensure privilege instead renews by the last day of the birth month, in even numbered years if born in an even numbered year and in odd numbered years if born in an odd numbered year. The license lapses automatically if it is not renewed by the expiration date.
- What specific CE topics are required for Virginia nurse practitioners?
- Pharmacology or pharmacotherapeutics: 8 contact hours every renewal cycle (nurse practitioners with prescriptive authority). Citations: pharmacology or pharmacotherapeutics (18VAC90-40-55).
- Do Virginia nurse practitioners 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. Continuing education taken under the 40 hour route must be approved by a certifying agency the boards recognize or be an ACCME Category I CME course.
Sources
Last verified September 8, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.
- 18VAC90-30-105, Continued competency requirements for renewal of a license (nurse practitioners)Statute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- 18VAC90-40-55, Continuing education requirements (nurse practitioners with prescriptive authority)Statute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- 18VAC90-30-100, Renewal of licensure (nurse practitioners)Statute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- 18VAC90-19-160, Continued competency requirements for renewal of an active license (registered nurses)Statute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- Virginia Board of Nursing, Department of Health ProfessionsState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
Virginia licenses nurse practitioners jointly through the Board of Nursing and the Board of Medicine, which is why the board name field names both; the nurse practitioner regulations sit in the Board of Nursing's title as 18VAC90-30 and 18VAC90-40, and the audit language in 18VAC90-30-105 refers to the boards in the plural. The topic key pharmacology is not on the canonical list and is used for the pharmacotherapeutics hours as the brief directs. No opioid, pain management or controlled substance hour requirement was found inside 18VAC90-40-55; the eight hours are described as pharmacology or pharmacotherapeutics without a narrower subject carve out. The four year retention and the random audit with a 30 day response window were read in 18VAC90-30-105. The record covers the nurse practitioner role only, and Virginia treats nurse practitioner licensure as its own license under 18VAC90-30 rather than as a shared advanced practice registered nurse authorization, so no cross role sharing needed to be untangled here.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Virginia Board of Nursing and Virginia Board of Medicine (jointly, Department of Health Professions) before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.