If you hold a Texas Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) license, the Board of Nursing requires 20 contact hours of continuing education in your role and population focus every two years (or current national certification). Prescribers add at least 5 pharmacotherapeutics hours; those who prescribe controlled substances add 3 hours on controlled-substance prescribing (28 total); and opioid prescribers add 2 hours annually on safe pain management. Below is the full breakdown.
20 hours / 2 years
Twenty contact hours each biennial cycle (or national certification).
5 pharmacotherapeutics hours
Additional hours for prescribers.
3 controlled-substance hours
For APRNs who prescribe controlled substances (28 total).
Annual opioid CE
2 hours/year (4 per cycle) for opioid prescribers.
How many CE hours Texas nurse practitioners need
Texas requires 20 contact hours every two years in the APRN's role and population focus (or current national certification).
Pharmacology, controlled-substance, and opioid requirements
- Pharmacotherapeutics: 5 additional hours for prescribers.
- Controlled substances: 3 additional hours for controlled-substance prescribers (28 total).
- Opioids: 2 hours annually (4 per cycle) on safe pain management.
Renewal cycle and deadlines
Texas APRN licenses renew every two years. Complete and document your 20 hours plus any prescriber pharmacology, controlled-substance, and opioid CE 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 pricingTexas Nurse Practitioners (NP/APRN) CME at a glance
- Pharmacotherapeutics (Prescribers)5 hrs
APRNs with prescriptive authority must complete at least 5 additional contact hours in pharmacotherapeutics within the preceding two years.
- Controlled Substance Prescribing3 hrs
APRNs who prescribe controlled substances must complete at least 3 additional contact hours on controlled-substance prescribing (bringing the total to 28 hours).
- Opioid / Pain Management4 hrs
APRNs authorized to prescribe opioids must complete 2 contact hours annually (4 per licensing period) on safe and effective pain management, identifying drug-seeking behavior, and patient communication.
Always confirm with your licensing board
Texas APRNs must complete 20 contact hours of continuing education in their advanced practice role and population focus area every two years (or hold current national certification). APRNs with prescriptive authority must complete at least 5 additional contact hours in pharmacotherapeutics within the preceding two years. APRNs who prescribe controlled substances add at least 3 contact hours on controlled-substance prescribing (28 hours total for these prescribers). APRNs authorized to prescribe opioids must complete 2 contact hours annually (4 per cycle) on safe and effective opioid/controlled-substance pain management.
CE requirements change. Confirm current rules with the Texas Board of Nursing before relying on these figures.
Source: Texas 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 Texas 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.comTexas Nurse Practitioner CE Requirements — Frequently Asked Questions
How many CE hours do Texas nurse practitioners need?
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20 contact hours every two years in the APRN's role and population focus (or current national certification).
How many pharmacology hours do Texas APRN prescribers need?
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At least 5 additional pharmacotherapeutics hours, plus 3 controlled-substance hours for controlled-substance prescribers (28 total).
Do Texas opioid prescribers need extra CE?
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Yes — 2 contact hours annually (4 per cycle) on safe and effective opioid/controlled-substance pain management.
Related
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