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State Cert Guide

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

Texas nurses who want an active license have to show continuing competency when they renew, but a timely first renewal is mostly exempt. They can take 20 contact hours of nursing courses in their area of practice. A national certification the Board accepts can replace the hours. A licensing period lasts 2 years after the first one. Some topics are required.

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The rule, fact by fact

Course hours
20 contact hours of CNE in your area of practice within the licensing periodCNE stands for Continuing Nursing Education.
Verified. Texas Board of Nursing · Continuing Competency (opens state website) · checked Nov 13, 2026
Agency
Texas Board of NursingContinuing competency fits the Board’s job of making sure each nurse is competent to practice safely.
Same source and date as above
Valid for
Licensing periods after the first one are 2 years longThe first one can run from 6 to 29 months.
Same source and date as above
Who needs it
All nurses who want an active Texas licenseEvery nurse with an active license has to show continuing competency at renewal.
Same source and date as above
Online accepted
The Board says many CNE offerings may be located on the internetLocal colleges and large hospitals may keep a schedule of offerings, and many nursing journals and associations list them.
Same source and date as above

How to get it done

  1. Step 1. Check which rule applies to you. Every Texas nurse who wants an active license has to show continuing competency when renewing. If this is your first renewal and you are on time, most of it does not apply.

  2. Step 2. Pick a course that counts. An offering counts when it is in your area of practice and a credentialing agency or provider the Board recognizes has signed off on it. The Board says many offerings are on the internet.

  3. Step 3. Take 20 contact hours, or earn a national certification the Board accepts. Some topics are required. Every nurse needs at least 2 hours on jurisprudence and ethics before the end of every third licensing period. Those hours count toward the 20. If your practice includes older adults, you need at least 2 hours on their care each licensing period. If you give direct patient care, you need a human trafficking prevention course that the Texas Health and Human Services Commission has approved, each licensing period.

  4. Step 4. Plan for your next licensing period. After the first one, each licensing period is 2 years long.

Before you pay

We haven’t confirmed a course price or a fee. Before you pay a provider, ask which credentialing agency signed off on the course. Then look for that agency on the Board’s page.

Questions

Can I use a national certification instead of CE hours?

Yes. Texas lets a nurse use a Board-approved national nursing certification in the nurse’s area of practice instead of the 20 contact hours. It has to be achieved, maintained or renewed within the licensing period.

Do I need CE hours for my first renewal?

Mostly not. Nurses are exempt from most continuing competency rules for the first renewal after initial licensure, as long as that renewal is on time. The one exception is the forensic evidence collection course, if it applies to your practice.

What do ER nurses have to take?

A nurse who works in or may float to an emergency room needs at least 2 hours on forensic evidence collection. It is a one-time requirement within two years of starting work in an ER. Those hours count toward the 20.

What to do next

Start with the Texas Board of Nursing page on continuing education and read the requirements in full.

www.bon.texas.gov

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