California nurse practitioners renew through their underlying Registered Nurse license, and the Board of Registered Nursing requires 30 approved contact hours of continuing education every two-year cycle. NPs who hold a furnishing number (prescriptive authority) must include at least 3 contact hours of controlled-substances CE each cycle. And as of January 1, 2025, NPs whose primary-care patients are more than 25% age 65 or older must complete at least 6 hours in gerontology. Below is the full breakdown of what you need, what counts, and when it is due.
30 hours / 2 years
Thirty BRN-approved contact hours each biennial renewal cycle.
3 controlled-substances hours
Furnishing-number holders need 3 controlled-substances CE hours per cycle.
6 gerontology hours (2025+)
Required if more than 25% of your primary-care patients are 65+.
First cycle exemption
New RNs are generally exempt from CE for their first renewal.
How many CE hours California nurse practitioners need
California requires 30 BRN-approved contact hours every two years, satisfied through your underlying RN license renewal. Hours must come from BRN-authorized providers.
Controlled substances and gerontology requirements
- Controlled substances: NPs with a furnishing number must complete at least 3 contact hours of controlled-substances CE every 2 years.
- Gerontology (2025+): NPs whose primary-care population is more than 25% age 65+ must include at least 6 hours in gerontology, dementia care, or care of older patients.
Renewal cycle and deadlines
California RN/NP licenses renew every two years; the license expires on the last day of the month it was issued. Complete and document your 30 hours, including any controlled-substances and gerontology CE, before that date.
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View pricingCalifornia Nurse Practitioners (NP/APRN) CME at a glance
- Controlled Substances (Furnishing Number)3 hrs
NPs with a furnishing number must complete at least 3 contact hours of CE in controlled substances every 2 years. These hours count within the 30-hour total.
- Gerontology / Care of Older Patients6 hrs · per cycle if applicable
Effective January 1, 2025, NPs whose primary-care population is more than 25% age 65+ must complete at least 6 of the 30 hours in gerontology, dementia care, or care of older patients.
Always confirm with your licensing board
California nurse practitioners renew through their underlying RN license with the Board of Registered Nursing, which requires 30 BRN-approved contact hours every two years. NPs who hold a furnishing number (prescriptive authority) must complete at least 3 contact hours of controlled-substances CE each two-year cycle. Beginning January 1, 2025, NPs who provide primary care to a population in which more than 25% of patients are 65 or older must include at least 6 of the 30 hours in gerontology, dementia care, or care of older patients.
CE requirements change. Confirm current rules with the California Board of Registered Nursing before relying on these figures.
Source: California Board of Registered Nursing. Board website · Researched as of 2026-06-01 · CME rules change; this is administrative guidance, not legal or CME-accreditation advice.
Licensed in more than one state?
APRN Compact: enacted but not yet active. Enacted by several states but NOT yet operational — no multistate APRN license is being issued. APRNs/NPs license state-by-state today (an APRN who is also an RN may hold an NLC multistate RN license).
Each state license carries its own CME requirement and renewal date — if you hold more than one, you need a plan for each.
Also licensing in California or beyond?
Our sister teams handle the licensing side with the same concierge service.
White Glove APRN
Advanced practice (NP, CRNA, CNS, CNM) state-by-state licensing, DEA, and CSR. The APRN Compact is not yet active, so we handle single-state licensing.
whitegloveaprn.comWhite Glove NLC
RN and LPN/LVN licensing — Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) multistate and single-state.
whiteglovenlc.comCalifornia Nurse Practitioner CE Requirements — Frequently Asked Questions
How many CE hours do California nurse practitioners need?
+
30 BRN-approved contact hours every two years.
Do California NP furnishers need controlled-substances CE?
+
Yes — at least 3 contact hours of controlled-substances CE every 2 years.
Is gerontology CE required for California NPs?
+
As of January 1, 2025, NPs whose primary-care population is more than 25% age 65+ must complete at least 6 hours in gerontology, dementia care, or care of older patients.
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