Hawaii Board of Nursing (HIBON) · RN

Hawaii CE Requirements for Registered Nurses

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

Updated April 2026Sourced from HIBON

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

Mandatory topics

For RNs, 30 hours is the total CE requirement. No topic requirement applies to all RNs in Hawaii. The conditional requirements below apply when the trigger described on each card is met.

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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[1]
15 hrs
Biennial

RNs who graduated or completed pre-licensure requirements more than 12 months but less than 2 years before their first renewal date

View sourceVerbatim from source
“shall be required to obtain fifteen contact hours of continuing education, one semester credit of post-licensure academic education related to nursing practice from an accredited nursing program, completion of a board-recognized nurse residency program, or other learning activity options from an approved provider recognized by the board prior to the first renewal period.”
HRS § 457-9.2(b) final paragraph. Also confirmed by the BON Continuing Competency Booklet, Students/Recent Graduates section: 'Fifteen contact hours of continuing education.'See source [1] in Primary Sources
Accepted credit

Hawaii Board of Nursing (HIBON) accepts ANCC Contact Hour toward the CE requirement for RNs, along with other credit it approves.

Credit systemNotes
ANCC Contact Hour
30 contact hours of continuing education activities (HRS § 457-9.3(2)) is one of ten qualifying learning activity options — not the only pathway. National certification, academic credit, preceptoring, research, publication, presenting, and nurse residency programs are equally valid alternatives under HRS § 457-9.3.SourceHRS § 457-9.3
Board-approved credit
CE activities from board-recognized providers accepted. The Board also recognizes the non-CE learning activities listed in HRS § 457-9.3 as alternatives to CE contact hours.SourceHRS § 457-9.3
Documentation & audit

RNs are responsible for retaining CE documentation and producing it on request. Requirements include course title, dates, hours, sponsoring organization, and accrediting body.

Waivers & exemptions

RNs who maintain current national certification approved by the Board in their practice role are fully exempt from the continuing competency requirement

RNs who also hold an active Hawaii APRN license AND maintain current national certification approved by the Board are fully exempt from the continuing competency requirement

New graduates are exempt at first renewal if they graduated within 12 months of the renewal date

FAQ
What are Hawaii's CE requirements for RN license renewal?
Hawaii requires registered nurses to complete one of ten qualifying learning activities within the two-year period preceding their renewal date, under HRS §§ 457-9.2 and 457-9.3. Completing thirty contact hours of continuing education is the most commonly cited option, but it is only one of ten. Alternative pathways include national certification or recertification related to the nurse's practice role, a board-approved refresher course, a minimum of two semester credits of post-licensure academic nursing education, a 120-hour organized preceptorship, completion of a principal or co-principal investigator role on an IRB-approved nursing research or evidence-based practice project, authoring a peer-reviewed nursing or health-related publication, developing and conducting nursing education presentations totaling at least five contact hours, or completing a board-recognized nurse residency program. Any one of these activities satisfies the continuing competency requirement for the biennial renewal period. The requirement has been in effect since July 1, 2017.
Do Hawaii RNs who hold national certification need to complete CE?
No, not as a standalone state requirement. HRS § 457-9.2(b)(2) exempts registered nurses and practical nurses who maintain current national certification approved by the Hawaii Board of Nursing in their practice role from the continuing competency requirement. If your national certification is active and board-approved, you satisfy the continuing competency requirement by virtue of holding that certification — you do not separately need to accumulate thirty CE contact hours or complete any other learning activity for state licensure renewal purposes. However, you will still need to comply with your certifying body's own renewal requirements (for example, ANCC requires RN-BC holders to recertify every five years), and Hawaii's renewal attestation process requires you to indicate how you satisfied continuing competency, which in this case would be through active national certification.
Is Hawaii in the NLC nursing compact?
No. Hawaii is not a member of the Nursing Licensure Compact as of 2026. All nurses who wish to practice as registered nurses in Hawaii must hold a Hawaii RN license issued by the Hawaii Board of Nursing. A multistate NLC license issued by a mainland compact state does not authorize RN practice in Hawaii. Conversely, a Hawaii RN who wants to practice in compact member states must obtain an additional license in those states or, if relocating, update their home state designation through the NLC process. Hawaii's non-membership means that the home-state CE rule — which governs CE obligations for multistate license holders in the compact — does not apply here.
When do Hawaii RN licenses expire?
Hawaii RN licenses expire on June 30 of each odd-numbered year. The renewal cycle is biennial, meaning licenses are renewed every two years on that fixed June 30 date. A licensee who fails to renew by the expiration date risks automatic lapse of the license. The two-year continuing competency lookback period runs from the prior renewal date through the June 30 expiration of the current cycle. Renewal notices are distributed in advance; nurses should ensure their contact information on file with the Hawaii DCCA is current. The board's license verification portal is available through the Hawaii DCCA Professional and Vocational Licensing portal at pvl.ehawaii.gov.

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Other roles in Hawaii

CE requirements for Registered Nurses 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. https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent/Vol10_Ch0436-0474/HRS0457/HRS_0457-0009_0002.htm
    Source
    Show verbatim text
    “shall be required to obtain fifteen contact hours of continuing education, one semester credit of post-licensure academic education related to nursing practice from an accredited nursing program, completion of a board-recognized nurse residency program, or other learning activity options from an approved provider recognized by the board prior to the first renewal period.”HRS § 457-9.2(b) final paragraph. Also confirmed by the BON Continuing Competency Booklet, Students/Recent Graduates section: 'Fifteen contact hours of continuing education.' · Effective 2017-07-01

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 Hawaii Board of Nursing (HIBON), or any other state licensing board, licensing authority, or professional organization. Registered nurses 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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