Below is exactly what Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) — Nursing requires: mandatory topics, exemptions, accepted credit types, and documentation rules.
Compiled by Atlas CME from official board sources · Last updated April 30, 2026
For CRNAs, 80 hours is the total CME requirement. Illinois also requires a set of one-time topics that count toward the 80-hour total.
“include no less than 20 hours of pharmacotherapeutics, including 10 hours of opioid prescribing or substance abuse education.”
“including 10 hours of opioid prescribing or substance abuse education.”
“1 of the 80 hours of CE required for APRN and FPA-APRN license renewal must be a sexual harassment prevention training course.”
“Section shall complete a one-hour course in implicit bias awareness training.”
“Beginning with the 2024 APRN and FPA-APRN renewal, Illinois APRNs and FPA-APRNs who provide health care services to and have direct patient interaction with adults 26 years of age and older will be required to complete a one-hour course in diagnosis, treatment and care of Alzheimer's disease, along with other dementia types.”
“Section shall complete a one-hour course in cultural competency.”
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.
Prescribers with Illinois Controlled Substances Registrations must complete 1 hour of safe opioid prescribing CE to renew the CSR (reduced from 3 hours by P.A. 103-531, eff. 1-1-25). May count within the 80-hour APRN CE total. CRNAs with their own CSR are subject.
“every prescriber who is licensed to prescribe controlled<br>substances shall, during the pre-renewal period, complete one hour of continuing education on safe opioid<br>prescribing practices”
Credit must come from an organization accredited by the ACCME, AMA, Illinois 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 system | Notes |
|---|---|
NBCRNA Class A | NBCRNA Class A / MAC Ed credits qualify toward Illinois APRN CE. |
ANCC Contact Hour | ANCC contact hours from accredited providers qualify. |
AANA_APPROVED | AANA-approved CE qualifies. |
Physicians are responsible for retaining CME documentation and producing it on request. Requirements include course title, dates, hours, sponsoring organization, and accrediting body.
First-renewal exemption: an APRN/CRNA renewing an Illinois license for the first time is not required to complete the CE (80-hour) requirements for that first renewal.
Extreme-hardship CE waiver: the Division may waive enforcement of CE requirements for a renewal period upon a showing of extreme hardship (e.g., full-time Armed Forces service during a substantial part of the prerenewal period, an incapacitating illness, or a physical inability to access approved programs).
Atlas CME tracks your hours, maps them to your state requirements, and reminds you before your your license anniversary renewal.
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.
“include no less than 20 hours of pharmacotherapeutics, including 10 hours of opioid prescribing or substance abuse education.”Ill. Admin. Code § 1300.130(a)(1)(C)(i)
“including 10 hours of opioid prescribing or substance abuse education.”Ill. Admin. Code § 1300.130(a)(1)(C)(i)
“1 of the 80 hours of CE required for APRN and FPA-APRN license renewal must be a sexual harassment prevention training course.”IDFPR APRN CE FAQ Q.0(b) · Effective 2020-01-01
“Beginning with the 2024 APRN and FPA-APRN renewal, Illinois APRNs and FPA-APRNs who provide health care services to and have direct patient interaction with adults 26 years of age and older will be required to complete a one-hour course in diagnosis, treatment and care of Alzheimer's disease, along with other dementia types.”IDFPR APRN CE FAQ Q.0(c) · Effective 2024-01-01
“Section shall complete a one-hour course in implicit bias awareness training.”68 Ill. Adm. Code 1130.500(a), (b)(4) ('Advanced practice registered nurse' enumerated), (i) · Effective 2024-01-01
“Section shall complete a one-hour course in cultural competency.”68 Ill. Adm. Code 1130.525(a), (b)(4) ('Advanced practice registered nurse' enumerated), (g) (first applicable renewal on/after 1-1-2025; 'The course<br>shall be repeated once every six years.') · Effective 2025-01-01
“every prescriber who is licensed to prescribe controlled<br>substances shall, during the pre-renewal period, complete one hour of continuing education on safe opioid<br>prescribing practices”720 ILCS 570/315.5 · Effective 2025-01-01