If you hold a Massachusetts Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) license, the Board of Registration in Nursing requires 15 contact hours of continuing education every two-year renewal cycle (only hours earned within the prior 2 years count). All APRNs must also complete 2 hours of domestic and sexual violence training, and prescribers must complete opioid/pain-management CE (no specific hour count is set in statute). Below is the full breakdown.
15 hours / 2 years
Fifteen contact hours each biennial renewal cycle.
Opioid / pain CE
Prescribers complete pain-management and opioid education.
2 violence-training hours
Domestic and sexual violence training (Chapter 260).
Recent hours only
Only CE earned within the prior 2 years counts.
How many CE hours Massachusetts nurse practitioners need
Massachusetts requires 15 contact hours of continuing education every two years for APRNs, with only hours earned in the prior two years counting.
Opioid and violence-training requirements
- Opioid/pain management: required for prescribers; statute does not set a specific hour count.
- Domestic & sexual violence: 2 contact hours within the renewal period.
Renewal cycle and deadlines
Massachusetts APRN licenses renew every two years. Complete and document your 15 hours, including violence training and any opioid CE, before your renewal deadline.
Know exactly what CME you need.
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View pricingMassachusetts Nurse Practitioners (NP/APRN) CME at a glance
- Pain Management & Opioid Education (Prescribers)Required
APRNs with prescriptive authority must complete CE on effective pain management, risks of opioid abuse/addiction, identifying at-risk patients, counseling on side effects and disposal, and overdose prevention/opioid antagonists. State law (M.G.L. c. 94C s.18(e)) does not specify a number of hours.
- Domestic & Sexual Violence2 hrs
2 contact hours of domestic and sexual violence training (Chapter 260) are required within the 2 years before renewal.
Always confirm with your licensing board
Massachusetts APRNs must complete 15 contact hours of continuing education every two years (only hours earned within the 2 years before renewal count). APRNs must also complete 2 contact hours of domestic and sexual violence training within the renewal period. APRNs with prescriptive authority must complete opioid/pain-management-related CE addressing effective pain management, risks of opioid abuse and addiction, and overdose prevention; state law does not specify a number of hours for this opioid requirement.
CE requirements change. Confirm current rules with the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing before relying on these figures.
Source: Massachusetts Board of Registration in 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 Massachusetts 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.comMassachusetts Nurse Practitioner CE Requirements — Frequently Asked Questions
How many CE hours do Massachusetts nurse practitioners need?
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15 contact hours every two years.
Do Massachusetts APRN prescribers need opioid CE?
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Yes — prescribers must complete pain-management and opioid education; statute does not specify a number of hours.
Is violence training required for Massachusetts APRNs?
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Yes — 2 contact hours of domestic and sexual violence training within the renewal period.
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