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State Cert Guide

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What continuing education does a nurse need to renew a license in Alaska?

Except at some new licenses' first renewal, an Alaska RN or LPN documents two of three methods or an alternative, like a board-approved refresher course. The methods are 30 contact hours of CE, 30 hours of unpaid professional activities, and 320 hours of nursing practice. If your first license came in the second year of the renewal period, this starts before your second renewal.

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The rule, fact by fact

Course hours
30 contact hours of CE in the two years before the licensing periodAt least 20 of those hours must come from a program under a listed accrediting body's standards or from a board-approved sponsor.
Verified. www.commerce.alaska.gov (opens state website) · checked Nov 13, 2026
Methods
Two of three methods, or an alternative, before the license is renewedOne method is CE. The other two are professional activities and nursing employment.
Same source and date as above
Professional activities
30 hours of uncompensated professional activitiesNursing care for an immediate family member does not qualify.
Same source and date as above
Employment hours
320 hours of practice in the two years before the licensing periodThe hours go on a board form that names the employer.
Same source and date as above

How to get it done

  1. Step 1. Find your deadline and pick a route. An LPN license renews on or before September 30 of even-numbered years, and the department sets the date for an RN license. Before renewal you document two of the three methods, or an alternative.

  2. Step 2. If you hold a new license, count from the year of issue. One from the first year of the renewal period must meet the rules before the first renewal, and one from the second year before the second renewal.

  3. Step 3. Choose programs that meet the sponsor rule. At least 20 of the 30 hours must come from a program under the accreditation standards of ANCC, ACCME, ACPE (courses with a P designation), a nurse practitioner certifying body or a nurse anesthetist certifying body, or from a sponsor the board approves.

  4. Step 4. Complete the two methods you chose. For CE, a contact hour is at least 50 minutes of organized instruction, and one semester academic credit equals 15 contact hours. Professional activities need 30 hours without pay. Nursing employment needs 320 hours of practice.

  5. Step 5. Keep proof of what you claim. Employment hours in nursing go on a form the board provides, with your employer's name. If the department audits your continuing competency, you must send every proof it asks for.

Before you pay

Before you pay for a course, check whether its provider meets the sponsor rule, since at least 20 of your hours must. We haven't confirmed course prices or which providers hold board approval.

Questions

Which subjects count, and can an employer's in-service training count?

The hours must fall in at least one of five areas. Practice in nursing and special health care problems count. So do the biological, physical or behavioral sciences, legal or ethical aspects of health care, management of health care personnel and patient care, and board-approved subjects more advanced than original licensure. No more than 10 hours may come from in-service training at a licensed health care facility that does not meet the sponsor rule.

Does a CPR course count?

No. The board does not accept CE or in-service hours for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) or basic life support (BLS) courses. It does accept CE for renewals of advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) and pediatric advanced life support (PALS) licenses, and other advanced courses for registered nurses.

Can I take nursing CE online in Alaska?

It can count. The board accepts contact hours from mediated learning, like the Internet. It also accepts independent study. Either way, the system or program needs the accreditation of an agency that a national certifying body approves.

Which activities count as professional activities?

At least one of five kinds. One is work with a professional nursing or health-related organization. Another is writing or contributing to a health care publication. The rest are giving a paper on nursing theory, technique or philosophy, a nursing or health care research study you carry out, or an activity on the board's list. All of it must be unpaid.

How will I know when to renew, and what if I miss it?

The department mails a renewal reminder to each nurse with a current license at least 60 days before the renewal date. A license not renewed on or before the last day of the biennial licensing period lapses on the first day of the new period.

What can replace the two methods?

After the last renewal date, a nurse can instead document one of three things. One is a nursing refresher course the board approves. Another is at least six academic credits toward a nursing degree or certificate, beyond the original license's education requirements. The third is passing the National Council Licensing Examination.

What to do next

Start with the Division's nursing statutes and regulations. Read the continuing competency rules again before you renew.

www.commerce.alaska.gov

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