West Virginia Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist license renewal and CE requirements
West Virginia nurse anesthetists must complete 24 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the West Virginia Board of Examiners for Registered Professional Nurses (West Virginia RN Board).
The advanced practice registered nurse license renews every two years in odd numbered years, with the renewal window open May 1 through June 30 and the license lapsing immediately if it is not renewed by June 30. The underlying registered nurse license renews on the same May 1 to June 30 window but in even numbered years, so the two renewals alternate. The advanced practice license depends on the registered nurse license: if the registered nurse license lapses, the advanced practice license and prescriptive authority lapse automatically. Once the window closes on a lapsed license, a reinstatement application must be filed in the Nurse Portal. Nurses who subscribe receive automated reminders 30, 60 and 90 days before the deadline.
Summary
West Virginia nurse anesthetists must complete 24 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the West Virginia Board of Examiners for Registered Professional Nurses (West Virginia RN Board). The advanced practice registered nurse license renews every two years in odd numbered years, with the renewal window open May 1 through June 30 and the license lapsing immediately if it is not renewed by June 30. The underlying registered nurse license renews on the same May 1 to June 30 window but in even numbered years, so the two renewals alternate. The advanced practice license depends on the registered nurse license: if the registered nurse license lapses, the advanced practice license and prescriptive authority lapse automatically. Once the window closes on a lapsed license, a reinstatement application must be filed in the Nurse Portal. Nurses who subscribe receive automated reminders 30, 60 and 90 days before the deadline. West Virginia also mandates specific subjects. Pharmacotherapeutics, meaning advanced pharmacology: 12 contact hours every renewal cycle (all advanced practice registered nurses, including nurse anesthetists, whether or not they prescribe). Drug diversion, best practice prescribing, and opioid antagonist training: a one-time requirement of 3 contact hours (licensees who prescribe, administer or dispense a controlled substance).
West Virginia Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist 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, 06/30 each cycle |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 24 contact hours |
| Self-study or online cap | No cap stated |
| Carryover to next cycle | Not stated |
| First renewal exempt | Not stated |
West Virginia licenses four advanced practice roles and names them: the board's licensing requirements page lists Nurse Practitioners, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists, Clinical Nurse Specialists and Certified Nurse-Midwives. The continuing education requirement is the shared advanced practice one and it is unusually prescriptive about subject matter. Each advanced practice registered nurse must complete 24 contact hours of continuing education every two years, split 12 hours in pharmacotherapeutics, meaning advanced pharmacology, and 12 hours in clinical management, meaning assessment, diagnosis, planning and evaluation. The 24 hours are not a menu and there is no national certification substitute stated on the board's continuing education page, though verification of active national certification from a board recognized certifying body in the role and population focus is a separate licensure condition. The 12 pharmacotherapeutics hours are the reason a nurse anesthetist in West Virginia carries a pharmacology obligation even without prescriptive authority: the board attaches them to the advanced practice license rather than to the prescribing credential. Prescriptive authority, where a nurse anesthetist holds it, is applied for separately and takes not less than 45 contact hours of advanced pharmacology coursework, 15 of which must be completed no more than two years before the application date, plus a collaborative pharmacy agreement where applicable. The underlying registered nurse license carries its own 12 contact hours per renewal cycle from a board approved provider, on the even year cycle, so a nurse anesthetist meets two separate obligations on two alternating clocks.
Required CE topics for West Virginia certified registered nurse anesthetists
State-specific subject mandates. Where a mandate applies only to some licensees, the scope is listed.
| Topic | Hours | Frequency | Applies to | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmacotherapeutics, meaning advanced pharmacologyHalf of the 24 hour advanced practice requirement. The board's continuing education page splits the 24 hours into 12 in pharmacotherapeutics and 12 in clinical management, and attaches the split to the advanced practice license rather than to prescriptive authority, so this is a subset of the 24 and not an addition to them. | 12 contact hours | Every renewal | All advanced practice registered nurses, including nurse anesthetists, whether or not they prescribe | Not stated |
| Drug diversion, best practice prescribing, and opioid antagonist trainingThe board's continuing education page states that all licensees prescribing controlled substances must complete 3 hours in drug diversion, best practice prescribing and opioid antagonist training within one year of initial licensure. W. Va. Code 30-1-7a requires drug diversion training, best practice prescribing of controlled substances training, and training on prescribing and administering an opioid antagonist from a list of licensees that includes registered professional nurses and advanced nurse practitioners if the person prescribes, administers or dispenses a controlled substance, to be completed within one year of receiving the initial license. The statute names no hour figure and does not name nurse anesthetists specifically; the 3 hour figure comes from the board page. A nurse anesthetist who administers controlled substances should read the statutory trigger, which is prescribing, administering or dispensing, rather than prescribing alone. | 3 contact hours | One time | Licensees who prescribe, administer or dispense a controlled substance | W. Va. Code 30-1-7a |
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | No, attestation only |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | Not stated |
| Board audits compliance | Yes |
| Approved providers | Continuing education must come from a board approved provider. The board's page names national advanced practice organizations such as NPCB, AMCB, ANCC, NCC and PNCB, national and state nursing associations such as the ANA, the West Virginia Nurses Association and the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists, and any state board of nursing in the United States. CE Broker is the board's official tracking partner, and the board tells licensees to keep all completion certificates uploaded to the account because licensees are audited periodically. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a West Virginia CRNA need to renew?
- West Virginia nurse anesthetists must complete 24 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the West Virginia Board of Examiners for Registered Professional Nurses (West Virginia RN Board). West Virginia licenses four advanced practice roles and names them: the board's licensing requirements page lists Nurse Practitioners, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists, Clinical Nurse Specialists and Certified Nurse-Midwives. The continuing education requirement is the shared advanced practice one and it is unusually prescriptive about subject matter. Each advanced practice registered nurse must complete 24 contact hours of continuing education every two years, split 12 hours in pharmacotherapeutics, meaning advanced pharmacology, and 12 hours in clinical management, meaning assessment, diagnosis, planning and evaluation. The 24 hours are not a menu and there is no national certification substitute stated on the board's continuing education page, though verification of active national certification from a board recognized certifying body in the role and population focus is a separate licensure condition. The 12 pharmacotherapeutics hours are the reason a nurse anesthetist in West Virginia carries a pharmacology obligation even without prescriptive authority: the board attaches them to the advanced practice license rather than to the prescribing credential. Prescriptive authority, where a nurse anesthetist holds it, is applied for separately and takes not less than 45 contact hours of advanced pharmacology coursework, 15 of which must be completed no more than two years before the application date, plus a collaborative pharmacy agreement where applicable. The underlying registered nurse license carries its own 12 contact hours per renewal cycle from a board approved provider, on the even year cycle, so a nurse anesthetist meets two separate obligations on two alternating clocks.
- How often does a West Virginia CRNA license need to be renewed?
- Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist licenses in West Virginia renew every two years. The advanced practice registered nurse license renews every two years in odd numbered years, with the renewal window open May 1 through June 30 and the license lapsing immediately if it is not renewed by June 30. The underlying registered nurse license renews on the same May 1 to June 30 window but in even numbered years, so the two renewals alternate. The advanced practice license depends on the registered nurse license: if the registered nurse license lapses, the advanced practice license and prescriptive authority lapse automatically. Once the window closes on a lapsed license, a reinstatement application must be filed in the Nurse Portal. Nurses who subscribe receive automated reminders 30, 60 and 90 days before the deadline.
- What specific CE topics are required for West Virginia nurse anesthetists?
- Pharmacotherapeutics, meaning advanced pharmacology: 12 contact hours every renewal cycle (all advanced practice registered nurses, including nurse anesthetists, whether or not they prescribe). Drug diversion, best practice prescribing, and opioid antagonist training: a one-time requirement of 3 contact hours (licensees who prescribe, administer or dispense a controlled substance). Citations: drug diversion, best practice prescribing, and opioid antagonist training (W. Va. Code 30-1-7a).
- Do West Virginia nurse anesthetists 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. Continuing education must come from a board approved provider. The board's page names national advanced practice organizations such as NPCB, AMCB, ANCC, NCC and PNCB, national and state nursing associations such as the ANA, the West Virginia Nurses Association and the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists, and any state board of nursing in the United States. CE Broker is the board's official tracking partner, and the board tells licensees to keep all completion certificates uploaded to the account because licensees are audited periodically.
Sources
Last verified September 8, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.
- Continuing Education, West Virginia Board of Registered NursesState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
- Renewals, West Virginia Board of Registered NursesState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
- RN, APRN and Telehealth Requirements, West Virginia Board of Registered NursesState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
- W. Va. Code 30-1-7a, Continuing education requirementsStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
Both core values, the 24 contact hours split 12 and 12 and the odd year May 1 to June 30 advanced practice renewal window, were read on the board's own pages at wvrnboard.wv.gov, and the board's licensing requirements page names Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists as one of the four advanced practice roles West Virginia licenses, so the record is anchored on official hosts throughout. This is the shared advanced practice rule rather than a nurse anesthetist specific one, and the figures match wv-np. What makes West Virginia notable for a nurse anesthetist is that the 12 pharmacotherapeutics hours ride on the advanced practice license itself rather than on prescriptive authority, so a nurse anesthetist who does not prescribe still owes advanced pharmacology hours, which is the reverse of the pattern in most states. The legislative rules 19 CSR 7 for advanced practice and 19 CSR 8 for limited prescriptive authority were not read: the Secretary of State's administrative law system serves them only as Word and PDF downloads at apps.sos.wv.gov, which the no download rule excludes, so no value here rests on the rule text and the citations that would have come from it are left null. The board's 2025 Guidelines and Criteria for Nurse Continuing Education for Advanced Practice Registered Nurses is likewise a PDF and was not opened. The board's licensing requirements page mentions that mandatory contact hours are required for active renewal including Drug Diversion and Veteran Mental Health topics, but neither the continuing education page nor W. Va. Code 30-1-7a mentions veteran mental health, so no veteran mental health entry was created and the discrepancy is recorded here rather than resolved by guessing. No retention period was stated on the pages read.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the West Virginia Board of Examiners for Registered Professional Nurses (West Virginia RN Board) before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.