Below is exactly what Ohio Board of Nursing (OHBON) requires: mandatory topics, exemptions, accepted credit types, and documentation rules.
Compiled by Atlas CME from official board sources · Last updated July 2, 2026
For NPs, 48 hours is the total CME requirement. Ohio also requires a set of one-time topics that count toward the 48-hour total.
“twenty-four hours of continuing nursing education;”
“at least one hour of the education must be directly related to the statutes and rules pertaining to the practice of nursing in this state.”
“in addition to the continuing education required by division (C)(1)(a) or (b) of this section.”
“For advanced practice registered nurses designated as a clinical nurse specialist, certified nurse-midwife or certified nurse practitioner, at least twelve hours of the education must be in advanced pharmacology and must have been provided by an accredited institution recognized by the board”
Credit must come from an organization accredited by the ACCME, AMA, Ohio 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 |
|---|---|
ANCC Contact Hour | ANCC contact hours from OHBON-approved programs accepted toward both the RN (24 hr) and APRN (24 hr) CE layers. The 12-hour advanced pharmacology component must be from an accredited institution recognized by OHBON — confirm accreditation status before enrolling.SourceORC § 4723.24 / OAC Chapter 4723-14 |
Board-approved credit | CE from OHBON-approved providers for both RN and APRN layers. The 12-hour advanced pharmacology portion must come from an institution accredited and recognized by the OHBON — not all board-approved providers qualify for the pharmacology component.SourceORC § 4723.24 / OAC Chapter 4723-14 |
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 after licensure by examination: no continuing education contact hours are required for the first renewal of the RN license. (This exception is RN-layer only; the APRN advanced-pharmacology CE under OAC 4723-8-10 is not waived.)
One-period CE waiver: a nurse may use a waiver to satisfy the RN-license continuing education requirement for one renewal period, on written request to the board. Per OAC 4723-14-03(H), the waiver CANNOT be used to satisfy the APRN advanced-pharmacology requirements of OAC 4723-8-10, so it does not waive the APRN CE layer.
Atlas CME tracks your hours, maps them to your state requirements, and reminds you before your a fixed renewal cycle 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.
“twenty-four hours of continuing nursing education;”ORC § 4723.24(C)(1)(a) · Effective 2018-01-01
“at least one hour of the education must be directly related to the statutes and rules pertaining to the practice of nursing in this state.”ORC § 4723.24(C)(1)(c) · Effective 2018-01-01
“in addition to the continuing education required by division (C)(1)(a) or (b) of this section.”ORC § 4723.24(C)(2)(a),(d) · Effective 2018-01-01
“For advanced practice registered nurses designated as a clinical nurse specialist, certified nurse-midwife or certified nurse practitioner, at least twelve hours of the education must be in advanced pharmacology and must have been provided by an accredited institution recognized by the board”OAC 4723-8-10(B)(2) · Effective 2018-01-01