If you hold a Tennessee Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) license, you must maintain national certification and complete 5 hours of continuing education each renewal cycle to keep an active license. APRNs with a Certificate of Fitness (prescriptive authority) must document at least 2 contact hours on controlled-substance prescribing, including Tennessee treatment guidelines for opioids and other controlled substances. Below is the full breakdown.
5 hours / 2 years
Five contact hours each renewal cycle, plus national certification.
2 controlled-substance hours
For Certificate of Fitness holders.
TN treatment guidelines
Controlled-substance CE must cover Tennessee guidelines.
National certification
APRNs must maintain national certification.
How Tennessee nurse practitioners renew
Tennessee APRNs maintain national certification and complete 5 hours of CE each renewal cycle.
Controlled-substance requirement for prescribers
- Certificate of Fitness: at least 2 contact hours on controlled-substance prescribing, including Tennessee treatment guidelines.
- DEA registrants: one-time 8-hour federal SUD course.
Renewal cycle and deadlines
Tennessee APRN licenses renew every two years. Complete and document your 5 hours, plus controlled-substance CE for prescribers, before your renewal deadline.
Know exactly what CME you need.
Tell us your license type, state, and renewal date. We map your required hours, the state-mandated topics, and your deadline — a clear, personalized plan for a flat $99.
View pricingTennessee Nurse Practitioners (NP/APRN) CME at a glance
- Controlled Substance Prescribing (Certificate of Fitness)2 hrs
APRNs with a Certificate of Fitness must document at least 2 contact hours on controlled-substance prescribing practices, including Tennessee treatment guidelines for opioids, benzodiazepines, barbiturates, and carisoprodol.
- Substance Use Disorder (DEA registrants)8 hrs · one time
DEA-registered practitioners must complete a one-time 8-hour federal course on treating patients with substance use disorders.
Always confirm with your licensing board
Tennessee APRNs must maintain national certification and complete 5 hours of continuing education to maintain an active license each renewal cycle. APRNs who hold a Certificate of Fitness (prescriptive authority) must document at least 2 contact hours specifically on controlled-substance prescribing practices, including the Tennessee Department of Health's treatment guidelines on opioids, benzodiazepines, barbiturates, and carisoprodol. DEA-registered practitioners also have a one-time 8-hour federal substance-use-disorder requirement.
CE requirements change. Confirm current rules with the Tennessee Board of Nursing before relying on these figures.
Source: Tennessee Board of 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 Tennessee 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.comTennessee Nurse Practitioner CE Requirements — Frequently Asked Questions
How many CE hours do Tennessee nurse practitioners need?
+
5 hours per cycle, plus maintaining national certification.
Do Tennessee Certificate of Fitness holders need controlled-substance CE?
+
Yes — at least 2 contact hours on controlled-substance prescribing, including Tennessee treatment guidelines.
Does Tennessee require national certification?
+
Yes — APRNs must maintain national certification.
Related
Need help meeting your Tennessee NP CE before renewal?
Tell us your license type and renewal month and we'll map the fastest compliant path — required hours and controlled-substance CE — for a flat $99.
- Flat $99 per plan
- Every license type
- All 50 states
Get my CME plan
Tell us your license type, state, and renewal — we'll map exactly what you need.