Hawaii Board of Nursing (HIBON) · NP

30 hours. Every two years. On a fixed renewal cycle.

Below is exactly what Hawaii Board of Nursing (HIBON) requires: mandatory topics, exemptions, accepted credit types, and documentation rules.

Updated April 2026Sourced from HBN(~9 min read

Reviewed by Doug Doehrman, MD · Last reviewed April 24, 2026

Mandatory topics

For NPs, 30 hours is the total CME requirement. Hawaii also requires a set of one-time topics that count toward the 30-hour total.

Pharmacology[1]
8 hrs
Biennial
Required for APRNs renewing prescriptive authority (HAR § 16-89-123). Counts within the 30-hour total, not in addition to it. Pharmacology hours must be from board-recognized national certifying bodies, the American Nurses Association, the American Medical Association, or accredited colleges or universities. Includes pharmacotherapeutics.
View sourceVerbatim from source
“Thirty contact hours of appropriate continuing education taken within the two-year period preceding the renewal date, eight contact hours of which shall be in pharmacology, including pharmacotherapeutics, approved by board-recognized national certifying bodies, the American Nurses Association, the American Medical Association, or accredited colleges or universities.”
HAR § 16-89-123(a)(2)(A)See source [1] in Primary Sources
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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.

ConditionalGeneral CME[2]
22 hrs
Biennial

APRNs renewing prescriptive authority — the 30-contact-hour biennial requirement (22 specialty + 8 pharmacology) attaches specifically to prescriptive authority renewal under HAR § 16-89-123. This is a separate credential from APRN licensure itself.

View sourceVerbatim from source
“the licensee has completed the thirty hours of continuing education, of which twenty-two hours shall be in the APRN's practice specialty and eight hours in pharmacology, within the last two years preceding the APRN renewal and has a current national certification in their practice specialty”
HAR § 16-89-123(a)(1)See source [2] in Primary Sources
ConditionalGeneral CME[1]
Hrs vary
Biennial

APRNs who completed their national certifying body's recertification CE within the current renewal biennium may substitute that CE in lieu of the 30 hours under HAR § 16-89-123.

View sourceVerbatim from source
“Documentation of successful completion of continuing education required for recertification by a recognized national certifying body, earned within the current renewal biennium, may be accepted in lieu of the thirty hours.”
HAR § 16-89-123(a)(2)(A)See source [1] in Primary Sources
Accepted credit

Credit must come from an organization accredited by the ACCME, AMA, Hawaii Medical Association, or AAFP. ACGME residency or fellowship time accrues toward the requirement. Teaching or presenting accredited CME can satisfy a portion of required hours.

Credit systemNotes
ANCC Contact Hour
ANCC contact hours from board-recognized national certifying bodies count toward the 30-hour HAR § 16-89-123 prescriptive authority renewal requirement. Pharmacology hours specifically must come from board-recognized national certifying bodies, ANA, AMA, or accredited colleges/universities.SourceHAR § 16-89-123(a)(2)(A)
Board-approved credit
Continuing education approved by the American Nurses Association (ANA), the American Medical Association (AMA), or accredited colleges or universities is accepted for the prescriptive authority renewal CE (HAR § 16-89-123). Activities accredited by the board for the underlying RN-layer continuing competency requirement under HRS § 457-9.3 are also accepted.SourceHAR § 16-89-123 / HRS § 457-9.3
National certification recertification CE (in lieu)
National certification recertification CE earned within the current biennium may be substituted in lieu of the 30 hours required for prescriptive authority renewal (HAR § 16-89-123(a)(2)(A) in-lieu clause). Accepted national certifying bodies include ANCC, AANPCB, NCC, PNCB, AACN, ONCC, and similar board-recognized bodies.SourceHAR § 16-89-123(a)(2)(A)
Documentation & audit

The Hawaii Board of Nursing may conduct random audits to verify both RN-layer continuing competency (HRS § 457-9.2(f)) and APRN prescriptive authority CE (HAR § 16-89-123(b)). NPs should retain documentation of CE activities and current national certification for at least four years or two previous bienniums, whichever is longer.

Waivers & exemptions

RN-layer continuing competency exemption: NPs who hold an active Hawaii APRN license AND current board-approved national certification are fully exempt from the RN-layer continuing competency requirement under HRS § 457-9.2(b)(1). This exemption covers the underlying RN license renewal; it does NOT cover prescriptive authority renewal CE under HAR § 16-89-123.

APRN-license-only exemption from prescriptive authority CE: An APRN who does not hold prescriptive authority (i.e., has only an APRN license, not the separate prescriptive authority credential) is not subject to the HAR § 16-89-123 30/8 rule. Their renewal requirement is limited to current national certification under HAR § 16-89-87, with no independent CE hour count.

FAQ
Does Hawaii require pharmacology CE for NPs with prescriptive authority?
Yes. HAR § 16-89-123(a)(1) explicitly requires 8 of the 30 contact hours to be in pharmacology, including pharmacotherapeutics, for APRNs renewing prescriptive authority. The pharmacology hours have a restricted approved-provider list: they must come from board-recognized national certifying bodies, the American Nurses Association, the American Medical Association, or accredited colleges or universities. The 8 pharmacology hours count within the 30-hour total, not in addition to it. If an NP relies on the in-lieu clause and substitutes national certifying body recertification CE for the 30 hours, the pharmacology breakdown is satisfied through the certifying body's own pharmacology requirements (most NP certifying bodies require pharmacology CE for recertification).
Is Hawaii in the APRN Compact?
No. Hawaii is not a member of the APRN Compact, which is a separate agreement from the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) and covers nurse practitioners, CRNAs, CNSs, and CNMs. Hawaii is also not a member of the NLC. Hawaii NPs must hold Hawaii-specific RN and APRN licenses to practice in the state, and there is no multistate license mechanism — for either the underlying RN license or the APRN license — that covers Hawaii.
Does Hawaii require NPs to maintain national certification (e.g., FNP-BC, AGACNP-BC) for APRN licensure renewal?
Yes. HAR § 16-89-87 requires APRN licensees at renewal to submit current evidence of national certification by a board-recognized national certifying body in the licensee's APRN role and population focus, or evidence of a qualifying graduate-level program in the APRN role and population focus. The Hawaii Board of Nursing recognizes national certifications from accredited bodies including ANCC, AANPCB, NCC, PNCB, AACN, and similar bodies. National certification is also an explicit renewal requirement at HAR § 16-89-123(a)(1) for prescriptive authority renewal.
Where can I check my Hawaii NP/APRN license renewal date?
Hawaii nursing licenses expire biennially on June 30 of odd-numbered years. License status and renewal information are accessible through the Hawaii DCCA Professional & Vocational Licensing online portal at cca.hawaii.gov/pvl/, with the Board of Nursing-specific page at cca.hawaii.gov/pvl/boards/nursing/. NPs can verify their license expiration date and current renewal cycle through the DCCA's MyPVL portal or by contacting HIBON directly at (808) 586-3000.

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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. HAR § 16-89-123(a)(2)(A)
    Source
    Show verbatim text
    “Thirty contact hours of appropriate continuing education taken within the two-year period preceding the renewal date, eight contact hours of which shall be in pharmacology, including pharmacotherapeutics, approved by board-recognized national certifying bodies, the American Nurses Association, the American Medical Association, or accredited colleges or universities.”HAR § 16-89-123(a)(2)(A) · Effective 2018-10-27
    “Documentation of successful completion of continuing education required for recertification by a recognized national certifying body, earned within the current renewal biennium, may be accepted in lieu of the thirty hours.”HAR § 16-89-123(a)(2)(A) · Effective 2018-10-27
  2. HAR § 16-89-123(a)(1)
    Source
    Show verbatim text
    “the licensee has completed the thirty hours of continuing education, of which twenty-two hours shall be in the APRN's practice specialty and eight hours in pharmacology, within the last two years preceding the APRN renewal and has a current national certification in their practice specialty”HAR § 16-89-123(a)(1) · Effective 2018-10-27

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

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