Florida Board of Nursing · NP

Florida CE Requirements for Nurse Practitioners

24 hours. Every two years. Tied to your license anniversary.

Updated April 2026Sourced from FBN

Compiled by Atlas CME from official board sources · Last updated April 25, 2026

Mandatory topics

For NPs, 24 hours is the total CE requirement. Florida also names specific topics that must be covered, and each one is listed below.

General[1]
2 hrs
Biennial
Prevention of Medical Errors — 2 contact hours per biennium. Must be Florida Board of Nursing-approved.
View sourceVerbatim from source
“[Prevention of Medical Errors](https://courses.cebroker.com/search/fl/advanced-practice-registered-nurse?coursePageIndex=1&subjectArea=4&tab=courses) | 2 | Must be board approved. Approved courses are listed at [cebroker.com](https://www.cebroker.com/).”
Fla. Admin. Code r. 64B9-5.002(2)(a)See source [1] in Primary Sources
Legal & Risk Management[1]
2 hrs
Biennial
Florida Laws and Rules — 2 contact hours per biennium. Must be Florida Board of Nursing-approved.
View sourceVerbatim from source
“[Florida Laws & Rules](https://courses.cebroker.com/search/fl/advanced-practice-registered-nurse?coursePageIndex=1&subjectArea=5&tab=courses) | 2 | Must be board approved. Approved courses are listed at [cebroker.com](https://www.cebroker.com/).”
Fla. Admin. Code r. 64B9-5.002(2)(c)See source [1] in Primary Sources
Human Trafficking[1]
2 hrs
Biennial
Human Trafficking — 2 contact hours every renewal on or after January 1, 2019. Does not need to be Florida Board of Nursing-approved but must meet Fla. Stat. § 464.013(c) criteria.
View sourceVerbatim from source
“[Human Trafficking](https://courses.cebroker.com/search/fl/advanced-practice-registered-nurse?coursePageIndex=1&subjectArea=5&tab=courses) | 2 | This course **does not have to be a Florida Board of Nursing approved course**.”
Fla. Stat. § 464.013(3)(c) / Fla. Admin. Code r. 64B9-5.002(2)(e)See source [1] in Primary Sources
Professional Boundaries & Conduct[1]
2 hrs
Biennial
Recognizing Impairment in the Workplace — 2 contact hours every other renewal (alternating cycles). Counts within the CE total.
View sourceVerbatim from source
“[Recognition of Impairment in the Workplace](https://courses.cebroker.com/search/fl/advanced-practice-registered-nurse?coursePageIndex=1&subjectArea=2921&tab=courses) | 2 |”
Fla. Admin. Code r. 64B9-5.002(2)(d)See source [1] in Primary Sources
Pharmacology[1]
3 hrs
Biennial
Safe and Effective Prescription of Controlled Substances — 3 contact hours per biennium required for all APRNs (not just first renewal). Approved providers include AMA-accredited statewide physician associations, ANCC, AANA, and AANP. Distance learning permitted. This is required EVERY renewal and does NOT count toward an exemption.
View sourceVerbatim from source
“[Safe and Effective Prescription of Controlled Substances](https://courses.cebroker.com/search/fl/advanced-practice-registered-nurse?coursePageIndex=1&subjectArea=3138&tab=courses) | 3 |”
Fla. Stat. § 464.013(3)(b)See source [1] in Primary Sources
Domestic Violence[1]
2 hrs
Custom
Domestic Violence — 2 contact hours required every THIRD biennium (every 6 years), in ADDITION to the base CE total. This requirement does not apply every renewal.
View sourceVerbatim from source
“[Domestic Violence](https://courses.cebroker.com/search/fl/advanced-practice-registered-nurse?coursePageIndex=1&subjectArea=7&tab=courses) | 2 |”
Fla. Admin. Code r. 64B9-5.002(2)(f)See source [1] in Primary Sources
Atlas CME tracks each of these mandatory topics against your Florida cycle automatically. Start tracking free →
Conditional requirements

These rules apply only when the trigger described under each card is met (for example, holding a state-issued controlled substance registration or treating a specific patient population). Each cites the underlying statute or rule directly.

ConditionalInfectious Disease[1]
1 hr
One-time

APRNs completing their first renewal after initial Florida APRN licensure

View sourceVerbatim from source
“HIV/AIDS is a one-time requirement prior to the first renewal.”
Fla. Admin. Code r. 64B9-5.002(2)(b)See source [1] in Primary Sources
ConditionalGeneral[1]
10 hrs
Biennial

APRNs practicing with autonomous (independent) practice authority

View sourceVerbatim from source
“requires that registered Autonomous APRNs complete 10 additional hours of approved courses at the graduate level (Nurse Practitioner or continuing medical education).”
Fla. Stat. § 464.0123(5)(b) / Fla. Admin. Code r. 64B9-4.020(4)See source [1] in Primary Sources
Accepted credit

Florida Board of Nursing accepts ANCC Contact Hour toward the CE requirement for NPs, along with other credit it approves.

Credit systemNotes
ANCC Contact Hour
16 general contact hours must be from state or nationally accredited nursing CE providers. ANCC-accredited providers qualify. Up to 50% of general CE may be CME for APRNs (per Fla. Admin. Code r. 64B9-5.002(4)).SourceFla. Admin. Code r. 64B9-5.002[1]
Board-approved credit
10 NP-level CE hours must be from specialty boards listed in 64B9-4.002(2), FAC. The 3-hour controlled substances CE must come from AMA-accredited statewide physician associations, ANCC, AANA, or AANP. All completions reported to CEBroker.com.SourceFla. Stat. § 464.013(b) / Fla. Admin. Code r. 64B9-5.002[1]
Documentation & audit

The standard (non-autonomous) APRN CE base is 24 hours per biennium — the same 1-contact-hour-per-calendar-month formula as the RN license (Fla. Admin. Code r. 64B9-5.002(1)). Autonomous APRNs owe an additional 10 graduate-level hours (modeled as the autonomous_aprn conditionalRequirement), reaching 34 base hours. Plus 3 hours controlled substances CE required of all APRNs every renewal = 27 hours total for standard APRNs when impairment course is not due (29 when it is); 37/39 for autonomous APRNs.

Waivers & exemptions

APRNs holding current specialty certification accredited by NCCA or ABSNC are exempt from general CE requirements. The exemption does NOT apply to the 3-hour Controlled Substances course or the 2-hour Human Trafficking course.

For APRNs licensed for only part of a biennium, the CE requirement is prorated to 1 contact hour per calendar month the license is held.

FAQ
Do Florida NPs need separate CE from RNs?
The standard (non-autonomous) APRN CE base is 24 hours per biennium — the same calendar-month formula as the RN license, but with a different mix of mandatory topics — plus a three-hour controlled substances course required every renewal. APRNs registered for autonomous (independent) practice owe an additional 10 hours of NP-specialty CE on top of the 24-hour base, per Fla. Stat. § 464.0123(5)(b). Florida APRNs are not required to maintain an active Florida RN license — the APRN credential can stand alone — so NPs who have not renewed their RN license face only the APRN CE obligation.
Does Florida require controlled substances or pharmacology CE for NPs?
Yes. Under Fla. Stat. § 464.013(b), all Florida APRNs must complete three contact hours of CE on the safe and effective prescription of controlled substances at every biennial renewal. This requirement is not satisfied by any certification exemption and applies regardless of a nurse's specialty certification status. Approved providers include AMA-accredited statewide physician associations, ANCC, AANA, and AANP. Distance learning formats are permitted. This is among the most specific prescriptive CE requirements of any state.
Is Florida in the APRN Compact?
No. Florida is a member of the Nursing Licensure Compact (NLC) — which governs the underlying RN license — but is not a member of the APRN Compact. The APRN Compact is a separate compact with a smaller membership. Florida NPs who wish to practice as APRNs in other states must obtain APRN licensure or certification in each state individually. Conversely, NPs licensed in APRN Compact member states who wish to practice as APRNs in Florida must hold a Florida APRN credential.
Does Florida require national certification for APRN licensure renewal?
Yes. Florida requires NPs to hold current national certification from a recognized certifying body as a condition of APRN licensure. The certification must correspond to the NP's practice population and specialty. Recognized certifying organizations include ANCC, AANPCB (AANP), NCC, and PNCB, among others approved by the Board. Certification status is verified at each biennial renewal.
Where can I check my Florida APRN license renewal date and report CE?
Florida APRN license status and renewal information are available through the Florida Department of Health's MQA Online Services portal at https://mqa.doh.state.fl.us/MQAOnlineServices/. All CE completions, including the controlled substances CE, must be reported to CEBroker.com. The Florida Board of Nursing accesses CEBroker records directly at renewal and does not accept certificates submitted separately. NPs should verify all course completions are correctly attributed to their APRN credential on CEBroker before the renewal deadline.

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Other roles in Florida

CE requirements for Nurse Practitioners in other states

Sources & Citations

Every mandatory topic and conditional requirement above cites the underlying statute or rule. Numbered references below correspond to the bracketed citations next to each requirement.

  1. Florida Board of Nursing — APRN Continuing Education Requirements
    Primary sourceAccessed 2026-04-23
    Show verbatim text
    “[Prevention of Medical Errors](https://courses.cebroker.com/search/fl/advanced-practice-registered-nurse?coursePageIndex=1&subjectArea=4&tab=courses) | 2 | Must be board approved. Approved courses are listed at [cebroker.com](https://www.cebroker.com/).”Fla. Admin. Code r. 64B9-5.002(2)(a)
    “[Florida Laws & Rules](https://courses.cebroker.com/search/fl/advanced-practice-registered-nurse?coursePageIndex=1&subjectArea=5&tab=courses) | 2 | Must be board approved. Approved courses are listed at [cebroker.com](https://www.cebroker.com/).”Fla. Admin. Code r. 64B9-5.002(2)(c)
    “[Human Trafficking](https://courses.cebroker.com/search/fl/advanced-practice-registered-nurse?coursePageIndex=1&subjectArea=5&tab=courses) | 2 | This course **does not have to be a Florida Board of Nursing approved course**.”Fla. Stat. § 464.013(3)(c) / Fla. Admin. Code r. 64B9-5.002(2)(e) · Effective 2019-01-01
    “[Recognition of Impairment in the Workplace](https://courses.cebroker.com/search/fl/advanced-practice-registered-nurse?coursePageIndex=1&subjectArea=2921&tab=courses) | 2 |”Fla. Admin. Code r. 64B9-5.002(2)(d)
    “[Safe and Effective Prescription of Controlled Substances](https://courses.cebroker.com/search/fl/advanced-practice-registered-nurse?coursePageIndex=1&subjectArea=3138&tab=courses) | 3 |”Fla. Stat. § 464.013(3)(b)
    “[Domestic Violence](https://courses.cebroker.com/search/fl/advanced-practice-registered-nurse?coursePageIndex=1&subjectArea=7&tab=courses) | 2 |”Fla. Admin. Code r. 64B9-5.002(2)(f)
    “HIV/AIDS is a one-time requirement prior to the first renewal.”Fla. Admin. Code r. 64B9-5.002(2)(b)
    “requires that registered Autonomous APRNs complete 10 additional hours of approved courses at the graduate level (Nurse Practitioner or continuing medical education).”Fla. Stat. § 464.0123(5)(b) / Fla. Admin. Code r. 64B9-4.020(4)

This page is provided for general educational purposes and reflects the best available information as of the last reviewed date above. CE requirements change. Atlas CME is not affiliated with the Florida Board of Nursing, or any other state licensing board, licensing authority, or professional organization. Nurse practitioners are solely responsible for verifying their own current CE requirements directly with their state licensing board before relying on any information presented here.

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