Of the over 3 million registered nurses working in the United States, more than 104,000 work in North Carolina. If you’re looking to renew your North Carolina nursing license, here’s a quick summary of what you need.
Explore CE courses for North Carolina nurses.
How do I renew my nursing license in North Carolina?
The North Carolina Board of Nursing requires all licensed nurses in the state to complete 30 hours of continuing education every two years or meet one of the other options for continuing competence. Licenses expire on the last day of the license holder’s birth month and must be renewed before you can continue practicing in North Carolina. There is no limit to the number of hours you can complete online.
To complete your license renewal, visit the Nurse Gateway portal on the North Carolina Board of Nursing’s site to fill out the renewal application. Once signed in to your account, you must:
- Select your license. Your license includes your license type (RN Permanent License or LPN Permanent License), license number, expiration date, and license status.
- Select ‘Renewal/Reinstatement’ under license options.
- Complete application in full.
- Submit the $100.00 renewal fee.
Please note, the Board will NOT issue an active North Carolina license when the nurse claims another Compact State as their primary state of residence.
Submitting an online application does not equal an automatic renewal of your license. The North Carolina Board of Nursing must verify that you have met all the conditions for renewal before your license is renewed.
Licenses are valid for two years. Licensees do not need to submit evidence of continuing competence unless the Board specifically requests it.
Save time with the complete 30-hour CE package for North Carolina RNs.
Continuing education and alternatives
North Carolina LVN-LPNs and RNs must meet one of the following requirements as a prerequisite to license renewal:
- 30 Contact Hours of continued education;
- 15 Contact Hours of continued education and 640 hours of active practice within previous 2 years;
- National Certification or Re-certification by a National Credentialing Body recognized by the Board;
- Completion of a Board-Approved Refresher Course;
- Completion of a minimum of two (2) semester hours of post-licensure academic education related to nursing practice;
- 15 Contact Hours of continued education and completion of a nursing project as Principal Investigator or Co-Investigator to include statement of problem, project objectives, methods, date of completion and summary of findings;
- 15 Contact Hours of continued education and Authoring or Co-Authoring a nursing-related article, paper, book or book chapter;
- 15 Contact Hours of continued education and developing and conducting a nursing continuing education presentation or presentations totaling a minimum of five contact hours, including program brochure or course syllabi, objectives, date and location of presentation, and approximate number of attendees
Where can I complete my CE hours?
Browse dozens of nursing CE courses, all accessible 24/7 in Elite’s online library. Click here to learn more about your North Carolina nursing continuing education requirements.
Colibri Healthcare, LLC is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation, ANCC Provider # P0456. Nursing boards in most states requiring continuing education (CE) accept courses offered by ANCC accredited providers.
