48 hours. Every two years. On a fixed renewal cycle.
Compiled by Atlas CME from official board sources · Last updated July 2, 2026
For NPs, 48 hours is the total CE requirement. Ohio also names specific topics that must be covered, and each one is listed below.
“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”
Ohio Board of Nursing (OHBON) accepts ANCC Contact Hour toward the CE requirement for NPs, along with other credit it approves.
| 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 |
NPs are responsible for retaining CE 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 is the RN-layer first-renewal waiver under OAC 4723-14-03; it does not by itself reach the APRN layer, but the APRN layer carries its own separate first-renewal waiver under OAC 4723-8-10(B)(3), below.)
First renewal after initial APRN license issuance: no APRN continuing education is required for the APRN CE layer (the 24 APRN hours and the 12-hour advanced-pharmacology component) at the first renewal period immediately following the Board's initial issuance of the APRN license, under OAC 4723-8-10(B)(3). This is the APRN-layer counterpart to the RN-layer first-renewal waiver above (OAC 4723-14-03), a separate rule.
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 renewal date.
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