Washington Nurse Practitioner license renewal and CE requirements
Washington nurse practitioners must complete 45 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Washington State Board of Nursing (Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission).
The advanced registered nurse practitioner license renews every other year on the licensee's birthday. The underlying registered nurse license renews every year on the same birthday, so a Washington nurse practitioner files a registered nurse renewal in the off years and both renewals in the on years. Prescriptive authority is renewed at the same time as the nurse practitioner license.
Summary
Washington nurse practitioners must complete 45 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Washington State Board of Nursing (Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission). The advanced registered nurse practitioner license renews every other year on the licensee's birthday. The underlying registered nurse license renews every year on the same birthday, so a Washington nurse practitioner files a registered nurse renewal in the off years and both renewals in the on years. Prescriptive authority is renewed at the same time as the nurse practitioner license. Washington also mandates specific subjects. Pharmacotherapeutics: 15 contact hours every renewal cycle (nurse practitioners who hold prescriptive authority). Best practices in the prescribing of opioids: a one-time requirement of 4 contact hours (nurse practitioners licensed to prescribe opioids). Health equity continuing education, including implicit bias training: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle (all nurses, at each annual registered nurse license renewal). Training in suicide assessment, treatment, and management: a one-time requirement of 6 contact hours (registered nurses, which includes nurse practitioners through the underlying registered nurse license).
Washington 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 date |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 45 contact hours |
| Self-study or online cap | No cap stated |
| Carryover to next cycle | Not stated |
| First renewal exempt | Not stated |
Washington stacks three separate obligations on a nurse practitioner and keeps them deliberately separate. First, WAC 246-840-360 requires 30 contact hours of continuing education during the two year renewal period in each nurse practitioner designation, plus an active unrestricted Washington registered nurse license and current certification from a commission approved certifying body. A nurse practitioner certified in more than one area may count the same hours toward more than one certification when they apply to each area. WAC 246-840-361 adds that those 30 hours must be acceptable to the certifying body, must come from courses where a contact hour is at least 50 minutes, may not include the prescriptive authority hours, and may not include the same course taken twice in a cycle. Second, WAC 246-840-450(1)(b) requires 15 contact hours of continuing education in pharmacotherapeutics related to the licensee's scope of practice for renewal of prescriptive authority, and says in terms that these are in addition to the 30. That is why 45 is recorded as the total for the usual case of a prescribing nurse practitioner; one without prescriptive authority owes 30. Third, and separately from the nurse practitioner license, the underlying registered nurse license renews every year and carries its own requirement under WAC 246-840-220: a minimum of 96 hours of active nursing practice and a minimum of 8 hours of continuing nursing education in the 12 months before each renewal, of which at least 2 hours must be health equity training. Across a two year nurse practitioner cycle that is another 16 hours of registered nurse continuing education. The rules do not say whether hours can count toward both the registered nurse total and the nurse practitioner total, so the safe reading is that they are separate and the 45 recorded here is the nurse practitioner side only. A nurse enrolled in, or holding prerequisite classes for, an advanced nursing education program is exempt from the registered nurse continuing competency requirement during the current review period.
Required CE topics for Washington nurse practitioners
State-specific subject mandates. Where a mandate applies only to some licensees, the scope is listed.
| Topic | Hours | Frequency | Applies to | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PharmacotherapeuticsFifteen contact hours during the renewal period in pharmacotherapeutics related to the licensee's scope of certification and scope of practice, in addition to the 30 hours required for the nurse practitioner license. Courses must run at least 50 minutes per contact hour, and the same course counted more than once in a reporting cycle counts only once. | 15 contact hours | Every renewal | Nurse practitioners who hold prescriptive authority | WAC 246-840-450(1)(b); WAC 246-840-451 |
| Best practices in the prescribing of opioidsA one time requirement of at least four hours, due by the end of the first full continuing education reporting period after January 1, 2019 or after initial licensure, whichever is later. The four hour course may count toward other commission required continuing education. A chronic pain management specialist has additional requirements under WAC 246-840-493. | 4 contact hours | One time | Nurse practitioners licensed to prescribe opioids | WAC 246-840-4655 |
| Health equity continuing education, including implicit bias trainingA minimum of two hours every year on renewal, which counts toward the eight hour annual registered nurse continuing nursing education requirement rather than adding to it. The training must include implicit bias training to identify strategies to reduce bias during assessment and diagnosis, trainers with demonstrated health equity knowledge, and an assessment or attendance attestation. It must be completed by the second full reporting period after initial licensure or the 2026 renewal, whichever is later, and after the first required period must be completed in the 12 months before renewal with no rollover. Recorded as every_cycle because it recurs, but the cycle here is the annual registered nurse renewal, not the two year nurse practitioner renewal. | 2 contact hours | Every renewal | All nurses, at each annual registered nurse license renewal | WAC 246-840-222 |
| Training in suicide assessment, treatment, and managementA one time six hour training from a qualified program on the Department of Health model list required under RCW 43.70.442, to be completed by the end of the first full year of licensure. The hours count toward the annual registered nurse continuing nursing education requirement. Registered nurses who hold an active certified registered nurse anesthetist license are excepted. | 6 contact hours | One time | Registered nurses, which includes nurse practitioners through the underlying registered nurse license | WAC 246-840-220(3) |
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | No, attestation only |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | Not stated |
| Board audits compliance | Yes |
| Approved providers | The 30 nurse practitioner hours must be acceptable to the certifying body identified in WAC 246-840-302(3), and a contact hour must be at least 50 minutes. Suicide prevention training must be on the Department of Health model list. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Washington NP need to renew?
- Washington nurse practitioners must complete 45 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Washington State Board of Nursing (Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission). Washington stacks three separate obligations on a nurse practitioner and keeps them deliberately separate. First, WAC 246-840-360 requires 30 contact hours of continuing education during the two year renewal period in each nurse practitioner designation, plus an active unrestricted Washington registered nurse license and current certification from a commission approved certifying body. A nurse practitioner certified in more than one area may count the same hours toward more than one certification when they apply to each area. WAC 246-840-361 adds that those 30 hours must be acceptable to the certifying body, must come from courses where a contact hour is at least 50 minutes, may not include the prescriptive authority hours, and may not include the same course taken twice in a cycle. Second, WAC 246-840-450(1)(b) requires 15 contact hours of continuing education in pharmacotherapeutics related to the licensee's scope of practice for renewal of prescriptive authority, and says in terms that these are in addition to the 30. That is why 45 is recorded as the total for the usual case of a prescribing nurse practitioner; one without prescriptive authority owes 30. Third, and separately from the nurse practitioner license, the underlying registered nurse license renews every year and carries its own requirement under WAC 246-840-220: a minimum of 96 hours of active nursing practice and a minimum of 8 hours of continuing nursing education in the 12 months before each renewal, of which at least 2 hours must be health equity training. Across a two year nurse practitioner cycle that is another 16 hours of registered nurse continuing education. The rules do not say whether hours can count toward both the registered nurse total and the nurse practitioner total, so the safe reading is that they are separate and the 45 recorded here is the nurse practitioner side only. A nurse enrolled in, or holding prerequisite classes for, an advanced nursing education program is exempt from the registered nurse continuing competency requirement during the current review period.
- How often does a Washington NP license need to be renewed?
- Nurse Practitioner licenses in Washington renew every two years. The advanced registered nurse practitioner license renews every other year on the licensee's birthday. The underlying registered nurse license renews every year on the same birthday, so a Washington nurse practitioner files a registered nurse renewal in the off years and both renewals in the on years. Prescriptive authority is renewed at the same time as the nurse practitioner license.
- What specific CE topics are required for Washington nurse practitioners?
- Pharmacotherapeutics: 15 contact hours every renewal cycle (nurse practitioners who hold prescriptive authority). Best practices in the prescribing of opioids: a one-time requirement of 4 contact hours (nurse practitioners licensed to prescribe opioids). Health equity continuing education, including implicit bias training: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle (all nurses, at each annual registered nurse license renewal). Training in suicide assessment, treatment, and management: a one-time requirement of 6 contact hours (registered nurses, which includes nurse practitioners through the underlying registered nurse license). Citations: pharmacotherapeutics (WAC 246-840-450(1)(b); WAC 246-840-451), best practices in the prescribing of opioids (WAC 246-840-4655), health equity continuing education, including implicit bias training (WAC 246-840-222), and training in suicide assessment, treatment, and management (WAC 246-840-220(3)).
- Do Washington nurse practitioners 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. The 30 nurse practitioner hours must be acceptable to the certifying body identified in WAC 246-840-302(3), and a contact hour must be at least 50 minutes. Suicide prevention training must be on the Department of Health model list.
Sources
Last verified September 8, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.
- WAC 246-840-360, Renewal of ARNP licensureStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- WAC 246-840-361, Continuing education for ARNP license renewalStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- WAC 246-840-450, Renewal of ARNP prescriptive authorityStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- WAC 246-840-451, Continuing education requirements for ARNP prescriptive authorityStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- WAC 246-840-220, Continuing competency requirements, Active statusStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- WAC 246-840-222, Continuing competency requirements, Health equity continuing educationStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- WAC 246-840-4655, Continuing education requirements for opioid prescribingStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- License renewal, Washington State Board of NursingState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
Washington calls the credential an advanced registered nurse practitioner, ARNP, in rule. The regulator is the body the rules call the commission, the Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission, which now presents itself publicly as the Washington State Board of Nursing at nursing.wa.gov; both names are given in the board name field so a reader recognizes either. The board's renewal page and the rules agree on every figure: the page states that ARNPs renew every other year by their birthday, that 30 contact hours are due during the renewal period, and that an additional 15 hours in pharmacology are required with prescriptive authority. The topic keys pharmacology and health_equity are used as the brief and the canonical list allow, and health_equity is on the canonical list. The most useful thing to notice about Washington is the mismatch of cycles: the nurse practitioner license is biennial but the registered nurse license underneath it is annual, and the annual registered nurse requirement of 96 practice hours plus 8 continuing education hours including 2 health equity hours keeps running in the off years. The rules do not address whether registered nurse hours may also satisfy the nurse practitioner hours, so no combined total was invented. This record covers the nurse practitioner role only; WAC 246-840-302 recognizes several ARNP designations and the same renewal rules reach them, with certified registered nurse anesthetists carved out of the suicide prevention requirement.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Washington State Board of Nursing (Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission) before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.