California Nursing CE Courses
Last updated Jun 30, 2026
California Nursing Continuing Education Requirements
RN Requirements
- 30 hours of continuing education every 2 years
- Implicit Bias (one-time for newer licensees): one-time
- Courses must be from a CE provider recognized by the Board (provider number appears on your certificate).
- Retain course certificates for at least four years in case of audit.
LPN Requirements
- 30 hours of CE within the two years immediately preceding the date of renewal of continuing education each renewal period
- RN/LVN: Generally every 2 years.
- Implicit Bias requirement; NP with >25% patients age 65+ must complete 6 of the 30 hrs in gerontology/dementia/older-patient care
APRN Requirements
- 30 hours of continuing education every 2 years
- 6 of those hours must be pharmacology
- Pharmacology (furnishing): 6 contact hours
Show me the course list for my licence

California RN required courses
32 contact hours in this list, included with your yearly pass. Always confirm with your board before you renew.
2 contact hoursBuild practical skills to recognize and interrupt implicit bias in clinical decisions, communication, staffing, and systems of care.
Elective courses
Pick from these to finish your hours. Every one is included with the yearly pass.
5 contact hoursBuild practical nursing skills to assess, stabilize, educate, and coordinate care for adults with acute or chronic heart failure across care settings.
6 contact hoursBuild practical nursing skills to recognize acute respiratory failure, support noninvasive and invasive ventilation, prevent complications, and promote safe liberation.
2 contact hoursBuild nursing competence in recognizing, assessing, triaging, and supporting evidence-based treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder across care settings.
4 contact hoursThe role of infection control is to reduce and prevent the risk for hospital-acquired infections. To practice effective infection control practices, the healthcare professional must be knowledgeable of methods to prevent infection transmission. This training provides an overview on infection control and barrier precautions and covers the most current and scientifically accepted practices in infection control as recommended by the Center for Disease Control (CDC).
5 contact hoursBuild rapid assessment and nursing management skills for distributive, cardiogenic, hypovolemic, and obstructive shock in adults and children.
3 contact hoursBuild practical skills to deliver respectful, equitable, legally compliant nursing care across cultural, linguistic, religious, disability, military, age, racial, and identity differences.
2 contact hoursBuild skill in recognizing, assessing, documenting, reporting, and responding to suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation of older adults.
3 contact hoursCurrent nursing care for adults with kidney failure, including assessment, urgent complications, kidney replacement therapy, and person-centered care planning.
California nursing CE questions
Straight from the California board
- Renewal period
- RN/LVN: Generally every 2 years.
- RN requirement
- 30/2 yrs
- LPN / LVN requirement
- 30/2 yrs
- Mandatory topics
- Implicit Bias requirement; NP with >25% patients age 65+ must complete 6 of the 30 hrs in gerontology/dementia/older-patient care
- Required courses
- RN: 30 contact hours every 2 years, plus 1 hour implicit-bias training within the first 2 years of licensure. (California Board of Registered Nursing) LPN/LVN: Do not automatically copy the RN wording; LVN requirements should be sourced from the BVNPT. Source: California Board of Registered Nursing / BVNPT.
- Good to know
- RN: 30 contact hours of CE are required for active renewal through a Board-recognized provider. There is a first-two-years exemption from the general CE requirement, but the 1-hour implicit-bias requirement still applies. (California Board of Registered Nursing) LPN/LVN: Verify against the California Board of Vocational Nursing & Psychiatric Technicians for the LVN-specific renewal rules before final publication. Source: California Board of Registered Nursing for RN requirements.
- Advanced practice CE
- 30 hours through RN renewal
- Renewal period
- 2 years
- Pharmacology
- 6 gerontology hours for qualifying NPs
- Who it applies to
- NPs with Schedule II furnishing privileges
- Controlled substances / opioids
- Yes, for Schedule II authority
- Pain and opioid content
- Yes — addiction risks associated with Schedule II drugs
- Prescriptive authority
- Yes
- Who approves the course
- California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN)
- Accepted providers
- BRN-approved CEPs; qualifying state/regional/national professional associations; ANCC-approved regional accrediting bodies for out-of-state courses
Placeholder citation: 16 CCR §1451 et seq. (admin-managed field). Reviewed Jun 30, 2026. User self-report at renewal; retain certificates 4 years
Still have a question?
Ask about requirements, a course, pricing or your license. Answers come from our own course list and state notes.
Answers come from Fast CE For Less's own course list and our notes on state requirements. Always check your board's own rules before you count hours.
