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State Cert Guide

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How many CE hours does a nurse need to renew in Arkansas?

To renew an active Arkansas RN or LPN license, you affirm one of these for the past 24 months: 15 practice-focused contact hours, a national certification, or an academic course in nursing or a related field. A first license can be valid for 3 to 27 months, and the Board's renewal page does not say how the 24 months apply then. Contact-hour filers upload no certificates unless audited.

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The rule, fact by fact

Course hours
15 contact hours, a national certification, or an academic courseThe hours must be practice focused, and the certification must come from a national body the ASBN recognizes.
Verified. healthy.arkansas.gov (opens state website) · checked Nov 13, 2026
Valid for
You affirm CE for the 24 months before renewalThe renewal application asks one question that covers your current renewal cycle.
Same source and date as above
First license term
A first license may be valid for 3 to 27 monthsThe Board says the term depends on your birth date.
Verified. healthy.arkansas.gov (opens state website) · checked Nov 13, 2026
Agency
Arkansas State Board of NursingIts renewal page says all renewal fees are non-refundable.
Same source and date as above
Uploads
No course list or certificates unless you are selected for auditThe note applies to the contact hour option only.
Same source and date as above

How to get it done

  1. Step 1. Choose how you will meet the rule: contact hours, a certification or an academic course in nursing or a related field.

  2. Step 2. If you take contact hours, choose a course from a nationally recognized or state CE approval body that the ASBN recognizes. The hours must be practice focused.

  3. Step 3. Finish 15 practice-focused contact hours, or your certification or academic course, within the 24 months before your renewal date.

  4. Step 4. At renewal, affirm that you met the requirement. If you used contact hours, upload certificates only if the Board notifies you that you were selected for audit.

Before you pay

Ask the provider whether a CE approval body the ASBN recognizes approves the course, and whether it is practice focused, before you pay.

Questions

How early can I renew in Arkansas?

The renewal link is available 60 days before your license expires. You begin the renewal once you have created an Arkansas Nurse Portal account.

What happens if I renew late?

The Board assesses a late fee if you do not renew before the expiration date. It also says a person practicing nursing on an expired or lapsed license is considered an illegal practitioner and is subject to penalties under the Nurse Practice Act.

Do I renew my RN and LPN licenses together?

No. Each license type is renewed separately. An advanced practice nurse needs a valid, active RN license, in Arkansas or a compact multistate, and must renew it before the APRN renewal link is available.

What to do next

Start with the Arkansas State Board of Nursing renewal page. Check the Board's CE rules before you pay for a course.

healthy.arkansas.gov

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