West Virginia Nurse Practitioner license renewal and CE requirements
West Virginia nurse practitioners 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 (WV RN Board).
The advanced practice registered nurse license renews 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 regardless of where the advanced practice cycle stands.
Summary
West Virginia nurse practitioners 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 (WV RN Board). The advanced practice registered nurse license renews 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 regardless of where the advanced practice cycle stands. West Virginia also mandates specific subjects. Pharmacotherapeutics (advanced pharmacology): 12 contact hours every renewal cycle. Clinical management of patients: assessment, diagnosis, planning and evaluation: 12 contact hours every renewal cycle. Drug diversion training, best practice prescribing of controlled substances, and prescribing and administering an opioid antagonist: a one-time requirement of 3 contact hours (nurse practitioners who prescribe, administer or dispense a controlled substance).
West 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 | 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 |
Each advanced practice registered nurse must complete 24 contact hours of continuing education every two years from a board approved provider, split 12 hours in pharmacotherapeutics, meaning advanced pharmacology, and 12 hours in clinical management, meaning assessment, diagnosis, planning and evaluation. The requirement sits in the board's advanced practice rules at 19 CSR 7, and 8 of the 12 pharmacotherapeutics hours may also be used for renewal and reinstatement of limited prescriptive authority under 19 CSR 8. Two things about the layering deserve care. First, West Virginia runs two licenses on two different clocks: the advanced practice license renews in odd years and the registered nurse license renews in even years, and the registered nurse renewal carries its own requirement of 12 continuing education credits from an approved source under 19 CSR 11. Second, the sources read do not say whether the advanced practice 24 hours also satisfy the registered nurse 12, so a nurse practitioner who wants certainty should either confirm that with the board or plan on meeting the registered nurse requirement in its own renewal year. The 3 hour training on drug diversion, best practice prescribing of controlled substances, and prescribing and administering an opioid antagonist is a one time obligation, not a recurring one: W. Va. Code 30-1-7a requires it within one year of the initial license for anyone who prescribes, administers or dispenses a controlled substance.
Required CE topics for West 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmacotherapeutics (advanced pharmacology)Half of the 24 hour advanced practice requirement. Eight of these 12 hours may also count toward renewal and reinstatement of limited prescriptive authority under 19 CSR 8, so a prescribing nurse practitioner does not owe a separate prescriptive authority hour block on top of the 24. | 12 contact hours | Every renewal | All licensees | 19 CSR 7 |
| Clinical management of patients: assessment, diagnosis, planning and evaluationThe other half of the 24 hour requirement. This is a required content split rather than a subject mandate in the usual sense, recorded here so the 12 and 12 breakdown is visible. | 12 contact hours | Every renewal | All licensees | 19 CSR 7 |
| Drug diversion training, best practice prescribing of controlled substances, and prescribing and administering an opioid antagonistDue within one year of receiving the initial license. The statute imposes the same one time training across the health licensing boards, including physicians, physician assistants, dentists, optometrists, pharmacists and nurses. The board's continuing education page states the three hour figure for advanced practice registered nurses and frames it as an initial licensure obligation rather than a recurring one, which matches the statute. | 3 contact hours | One time | Nurse practitioners who prescribe, administer or dispense a controlled substance | W. Va. Code 30-1-7a(b) |
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | Not stated |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | Not stated |
| Board audits compliance | Not stated |
| Approved providers | Continuing education must come from a provider approved or recognized by the Board. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a West Virginia NP need to renew?
- West Virginia nurse practitioners 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 (WV RN Board). Each advanced practice registered nurse must complete 24 contact hours of continuing education every two years from a board approved provider, split 12 hours in pharmacotherapeutics, meaning advanced pharmacology, and 12 hours in clinical management, meaning assessment, diagnosis, planning and evaluation. The requirement sits in the board's advanced practice rules at 19 CSR 7, and 8 of the 12 pharmacotherapeutics hours may also be used for renewal and reinstatement of limited prescriptive authority under 19 CSR 8. Two things about the layering deserve care. First, West Virginia runs two licenses on two different clocks: the advanced practice license renews in odd years and the registered nurse license renews in even years, and the registered nurse renewal carries its own requirement of 12 continuing education credits from an approved source under 19 CSR 11. Second, the sources read do not say whether the advanced practice 24 hours also satisfy the registered nurse 12, so a nurse practitioner who wants certainty should either confirm that with the board or plan on meeting the registered nurse requirement in its own renewal year. The 3 hour training on drug diversion, best practice prescribing of controlled substances, and prescribing and administering an opioid antagonist is a one time obligation, not a recurring one: W. Va. Code 30-1-7a requires it within one year of the initial license for anyone who prescribes, administers or dispenses a controlled substance.
- How often does a West Virginia NP license need to be renewed?
- Nurse Practitioner licenses in West Virginia renew every two years. The advanced practice registered nurse license renews 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 regardless of where the advanced practice cycle stands.
- What specific CE topics are required for West Virginia nurse practitioners?
- Pharmacotherapeutics (advanced pharmacology): 12 contact hours every renewal cycle. Clinical management of patients: assessment, diagnosis, planning and evaluation: 12 contact hours every renewal cycle. Drug diversion training, best practice prescribing of controlled substances, and prescribing and administering an opioid antagonist: a one-time requirement of 3 contact hours (nurse practitioners who prescribe, administer or dispense a controlled substance). Citations: Pharmacotherapeutics (advanced pharmacology) (19 CSR 7), clinical management of patients: assessment, diagnosis, planning and evaluation (19 CSR 7), and drug diversion training, best practice prescribing of controlled substances, and prescribing and administering an opioid antagonist (W. Va. Code 30-1-7a(b)).
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
- W. Va. Code 30-1-7a, Continuing education (general provisions applicable to all licensing boards)Statute or administrative rule, accessed September 8, 2026
- W. Va. C.S.R. 19-11-4, continuing education credits for nurse licensees (Cornell LII mirror)Third-party summary, accessed September 8, 2026
The board name given here is the statutory one used in W. Va. Code 30-1-7a, the West Virginia Board of Examiners for Registered Professional Nurses; the board's website brands itself the WV RN Board, and both are the same body. Two topic keys are not on the canonical list and are flagged: clinical_management, used for the required half of the advanced practice hours, and controlled_substances, used because the one time training covers diversion, prescribing practice and opioid antagonists rather than opioid prescribing alone. The 24 hour figure and its 12 and 12 split were read on the board's own continuing education page; the underlying rule is the board's advanced practice series, 19 CSR 7, whose full text was not read directly because the board publishes its advanced practice continuing education guidance as a PDF that the no download rule keeps out of scope, and the Cornell mirror section reached here, 19-11-4, is the general nursing continuing education rule that sets 12 credits for licensees without splitting by credential. The one time nature of the three hour controlled substance training was confirmed against the statute rather than taken from the board page alone. The unresolved question in this record, stated plainly in the continuing education notes, is whether the advanced practice 24 hours also discharge the registered nurse 12 hours at the alternating registered nurse renewal; no source read answers it.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the West Virginia Board of Examiners for Registered Professional Nurses (WV RN Board) before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.