Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) — Nursing · CRNA

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

Below is exactly what Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) — Nursing requires: mandatory topics, exemptions, accepted credit types, and documentation rules.

Updated April 2026Sourced from IDFPR(—N~5 min read

Reviewed by Doug Doehrman, MD · Last reviewed April 30, 2026

Mandatory topics

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.

Pharmacology[1]
20 hrs
Biennial
20 hours pharmacotherapeutics required within the 50-hour formal-CE subset (which itself is part of the 80-hour APRN total). Of these, 10 hours must be opioid prescribing or substance abuse education.
View sourceVerbatim from source
“A minimum of 50 hours of the continuing education shall be obtained in continuing education programs that shall 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)See source [1] in Primary Sources
Opioid / controlled substances[1]
10 hrs
Biennial
10 hours opioid prescribing or substance abuse education within the 20-hour pharmacotherapeutics subset.
View sourceVerbatim from source
“20 hours of pharmacotherapeutics, including 10 hours of opioid prescribing or substance abuse education”
Ill. Admin. Code § 1300.130(a)(1)(C)(i)See source [1] in Primary Sources
Professional Boundaries[2]
1 hr
Biennial
Sexual harassment prevention — 1 of the 80 APRN CE hours must be this topic. Counts within total, not on top.
View sourceVerbatim from source
“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(d)See source [2] in Primary Sources
Cultural competency[2]
1 hr
Biennial
Implicit bias awareness — 1 of the 80 APRN CE hours must be this topic. Counts within total.
View sourceVerbatim from source
“1 of the 80 hours of CE required for APRN and FPA-APRN license renewal must be an implicit bias awareness training course.”
IDFPR APRN CE FAQ Q.0(c); Public Act 102-004See source [2] in Primary Sources
Alzheimer’s & dementia[2]
1 hr
Biennial
1 hour Alzheimer's/dementia diagnosis, treatment, care — REQUIRED for APRNs treating adults 26+. Counts toward 80-hour total.
View sourceVerbatim from source
“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(b); Public Act 102-0399See source [2] in Primary Sources
Atlas CME tracks each of these mandatory topics against your Illinois 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.

ConditionalGeneral CME[1]
80 hrs
Biennial

Illinois APRNs (including CRNAs) must complete 80 contact hours of CE per biennium per Ill. Admin. Code § 1300.130(a)(1)(C). Active NBCRNA certification is required. Successful NBCRNA recertification exam during the prerenewal period earns 60 of the 80 CE hours.

View sourceVerbatim from source
“All advanced practice registered nurses shall complete 80 hours of approved continuing education in the advanced practice registered nurse's specialty per 2-year license renewal cycle.”
Ill. Admin. Code § 1300.130(a)(1)(C)See source [1] in Primary Sources
ConditionalOpioid Substance Cs Prescriber[3]
1 hr
Triennial

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.

View sourceVerbatim from source
“Every prescriber who is licensed to prescribe controlled substances shall, during the pre-renewal period, complete one hour of continuing education on safe opioid prescribing practices”
720 ILCS 570/315.5 (as amended by P.A. 103-531, eff. 1-1-25)See source [3] in Primary Sources
Accepted credit

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 systemNotes
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.
Documentation & audit

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

Waivers & exemptions

No formal waivers or exemptions are published for Illinois.

FAQ
How many state-level CE hours do Illinois CRNAs need?
80 contact hours per biennium under Ill. Admin. Code § 1300.130(a)(1)(C). At least 50 hours must be formal CE, including 20 hours of pharmacotherapeutics, of which 10 must be on opioid prescribing or substance abuse. Embedded within the 80 are 1 hour each of sexual harassment prevention, implicit bias awareness, and (for APRNs treating adults 26+) Alzheimer's/dementia. Successful NBCRNA recertification during the prerenewal period earns 60 of the 80 hours.
Does Illinois require NBCRNA certification for CRNA licensure?
Yes. NBCRNA initial certification is required for APRN/CRNA licensure, and active NBCRNA certification must be maintained for renewal.
Is Illinois part of the APRN Compact?
No. Illinois is not a member of the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) and has not enacted the APRN Compact. CRNAs practicing in Illinois must hold Illinois-issued credentials.
Where can I check my Illinois CRNA license renewal date?
License status and verification are available through the IDFPR online lookup at online-dfpr.micropact.com/Lookup/LicenseLookup.aspx.

Never miss a Illinois CME deadline.

Atlas CME tracks your hours, maps them to your state requirements, and reminds you before your your license anniversary renewal.

Start tracking freeSee how it works

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. Ill. Admin. Code § 1300.130 — Continuing Education
    Primary sourceAccessed 2026-04-30
    Show verbatim text
    “A minimum of 50 hours of the continuing education shall be obtained in continuing education programs that shall 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)
    “20 hours of pharmacotherapeutics, including 10 hours of opioid prescribing or substance abuse education”Ill. Admin. Code § 1300.130(a)(1)(C)(i)
    “All advanced practice registered nurses shall complete 80 hours of approved continuing education in the advanced practice registered nurse's specialty per 2-year license renewal cycle.”Ill. Admin. Code § 1300.130(a)(1)(C)
  2. IDFPR — APRN and FPA-APRN Continuing Education FAQs
    Primary sourceAccessed 2026-04-30
    Show verbatim text
    “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(d) · Effective 2020-01-01
    “1 of the 80 hours of CE required for APRN and FPA-APRN license renewal must be an implicit bias awareness training course.”IDFPR APRN CE FAQ Q.0(c); Public Act 102-004 · Effective 2024-01-01
    “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(b); Public Act 102-0399 · Effective 2024-01-01
  3. https://ilga.gov/documents/legislation/ilcs/documents/072005700K315.5.htm
    Source
    Show verbatim text
    “Every prescriber who is licensed to prescribe controlled substances shall, during the pre-renewal period, complete one hour of continuing education on safe opioid prescribing practices”720 ILCS 570/315.5 (as amended by P.A. 103-531, eff. 1-1-25) · Effective 2025-01-01

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 Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) — Nursing, 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 medical board before relying on any information presented here.

Privacy policyTerms of serviceContact