Navigating CE Requirements for RNs in Pennsylvania

What are the PA nursing license renewal requirements for registered nurses? 

To renew your RN license in Pennsylvania, you generally need to: 

• Renew every two years (biennial renewal). 
• Renew by your assigned expiration date (the Board assigns expiration dates). 
• Finish 30 hours of Board-approved CE in the biennial period before renewal (with a first-renewal exception, explained below). 
• Complete two hours of approved education on child abuse recognition/reporting (Act 31) as part of renewal requirements. 
• Pay the biennial renewal fee ($122). 
• Keep your address updated: update within 14 days of any change.  

Think of it like a “four-part check”: date, CE, Act 31, payment, plus making sure your contact info is current. 

When does my PA RN license renewal happen and what year do I renew? 

Pennsylvania doesn’t use one single renewal date for every RN. Instead, the Board assigns each RN to an expiration date, and the regulation lists four potential assigned expiration dates: 

• April 30 in even-numbered years
• October 31 in even-numbered years
• April 30 in odd-numbered years
• October 31 in odd-numbered years  

If you’re searching “PA RN license renewal requirements” because you’re trying to figure out your renewal year, the best answer is check your expiration date in the Pennsylvania Licensing System (PALS) or on your license and renew before that date.  

Also, Pennsylvania says it will send a renewal notice before your license expires, but not receiving it doesn’t remove your responsibility to renew on time.  

How do I renew my RN license in PA step by step? 

Here’s a simple, nurse-friendly process for how to renew an RN license in PA: 

1. Find your expiration date (PALS and/or your license). 
2. Finish your requirements early:
   1. CE (if required for your renewal cycle) 
   2. Act 31 child abuse training (required for renewal) 
3. Log in to PALS and start the renewal application (Pennsylvania uses PALS for renewals). 
4. Answer the application questions (including disclosures and CE verification). 
5. Pay the renewal fee ($122 for biennial renewal). 
6. Save confirmation (screenshot or PDF).
7. Verify your status later in PALS if you need proof for your employer/credentialing.  

Pennsylvania regulations also allow renewal by mail, but online renewal is the norm, and the state directs licensees to use PALS.  

What should I have ready before I start my Pennsylvania RN renewal in PALS? 

Before you click “renew,” it helps to have these ready (especially if you’re doing it between shifts): 

• Your PALS login (and access to the email/phone tied to your account) 
• Your license number
• Your renewal deadline (your assigned expiration date) 
• Proof you completed Act 31 child abuse training (and enough time for provider reporting) 
• A simple CE tracker (dates, titles, contact hours, provider) in case you’re audited 
• A payment method for the $122 fee 
• Any information needed for required disclosures (for example: other licenses, discipline, certain criminal/legal events)  

How much is the renewal fee for a Pennsylvania RN license? 

The Pennsylvania RN biennial renewal fee is $122. 

That fee is set in the nursing fee regulation (49 Pa. Code § 21.5).  

How many CE hours do I need for PA RN license renewal? 

For most Pennsylvania RNs, the requirement is: 

• 30 hours of Board-approved CE during the biennial period immediately before renewal. 
• At least two of the 30 hours must be approved child abuse recognition/reporting CE (Act 31) within the applicable renewal cycle.  

Pennsylvania can audit you, so don’t treat CE like a checkbox you do on renewal night. Build a simple habit of saving certificates as you go.  

Do I need 30 CE hours for my first PA RN renewal after I get licensed? 

Usually, no, Pennsylvania has a specific exception: 

• On the first renewal immediately following initial licensure in Pennsylvania, you’re not required to meet the full 30-hour CE requirement. 
• However, you still must complete the mandatory child abuse CE required for renewal.  

So, if you’re a newer RN and you’re searching “how to renew RN license in PA” and panicking about 30 hours, check where you are in your renewal timeline. You may only need to make sure the Act 31 renewal training is done and reported. 

Do I need Act 31 child abuse training to renew my Pennsylvania RN license? 

Yes. For renewal, Pennsylvania requires: 

• At least two hours of approved education on child abuse recognition and reporting as a condition of biennial renewal.  

Here’s the part that can trip some people up. The Board won’t renew a license unless the Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs (BPOA) has received an electronic report from an approved course provider showing you completed the requirement (unless you qualify for an exemption).  

Pennsylvania also notes that electronic submission from the provider can take up to seven days, so don’t take this course the day before your expiration date and expect everything to update instantly.  

How do I know if my Act 31 child abuse training was reported correctly? 

Consider this approach: 

1. Finish the course early (at least one to two weeks before your deadline if you can).
2. If your license is close to expiration, confirm with the approved provider when they’ll submit results. Pennsylvania specifically recommends checking with your provider when you’re near expiration. 
3. If you’re still not seeing it reflected when you renew, contact the provider first (Pennsylvania suggests contacting the provider before contacting the Board for submission questions).  

If you’re trying to avoid a renewal delay, Act 31 reporting is one of the biggest “hidden” timing issues. 

Do I have to upload CE certificates when I renew my nursing license in PA? 

In general, no. Pennsylvania’s RN CE FAQ guidance tells nurses: 

• At renewal time, you typically answer the renewal question about completing the required CE hours.
• Don’t submit CE certificates at the time of renewal. (You submit proof only if you’re selected for audit.)  

Pennsylvania can audit RNs for CE compliance, and if that happens, you’ll need to produce documentation. That’s why recordkeeping matters even if you never upload anything during renewal.  

What counts as acceptable CE for PA RN renewal (and what does not count)? 

Pennsylvania keeps the definition of acceptable CE pretty practical: 

CE that counts 

CE must be related to patient care or professional nursing and should improve your knowledge base.  

The regulations also give examples of acceptable areas, including topics like patient rights, pharmacology, interpersonal skills, and other subjects tied to nursing practice (including administration/management/education and coding topics that impact nursing practice).  

Research can count too. Group or individual research (as a principal/co-principal investigator, with IRB approval) is acceptable and is credited as 15 hours in the year completed.  

CE that doesn’t count 

Pennsylvania specifically notes that some types of training aren’t acceptable for meeting renewal CE, such as: 

• Nonprofessional “self-improvement” type courses not tied to patient care
• Basic life support (BLS)/CPR
• Some facility-specific mandatory annual trainings that are unrelated to professional nursing practice
• Employment orientation programs  

A good rule of thumb: If it’s mainly HR, onboarding, or “facility policy housekeeping,” it usually won’t help your renewal CE total. 

Where can I find Board-approved CE to meet PA RN license renewal requirements? 

If you’re building your plan for PA RN license renewal requirements, focus on CE from sources Pennsylvania recognizes. 

Approved CE sources include activities sponsored by things like: 

• Board-approved nursing programs and nationally accredited graduate nursing programs
• Accredited nursing education programs (RN/advanced practice education programs)
• Accredited hospitals and healthcare facilities
• Facilities licensed by Pennsylvania health-related departments
• Regionally accredited colleges/universities
• National nursing/medical/health professional organizations and their state/regional affiliates
• Federal and state agencies
• Activities approved by a nursing board in another jurisdiction  

Real-world ways nurses usually meet this: 

• Employer education departments (many hospitals qualify and already track certificates for you)
• Professional associations (local/state/national)
• Academic courses (especially if you’re in a BSN, MSN, or DNP program — see conversion in the next question) 
• Online CE from approved sources (fully allowed — see next question)  

For Act 31 child abuse training, use an approved provider, and plan ahead so the provider has time to submit your completion electronically.  

Can online CE count for all 30 hours in Pennsylvania? 

Yes. Pennsylvania regulations say: 

• Distance learning CE is acceptable for completion of all 30 hours required for renewal.  

That’s helpful for shift workers. It means you can meet your CE needs without having to attend in-person conferences (unless you want to). 

Can I use college courses for Pennsylvania RN renewal CE? 

Yes, academic coursework can count, and Pennsylvania provides a conversion: 

• One trimester course = 12 CE hours
• One quarter course = 10 CE hours
• One semester course = 15 CE hours 

If you use college coursework, keep your transcript as your proof. Pennsylvania’s CE regulation lists transcripts as the documentation to retain for academic courses.  

Can I carry over extra CE hours into the next PA renewal cycle? 

No. Pennsylvania doesn’t allow CE hours to carry over from one biennial renewal period to the next.  

If you did “extra” CE (which happens a lot when your unit rolls out new education), it’s still valuable for your practice, but it generally won’t reduce what you need next cycle. 

How long should I keep my CE documentation for Pennsylvania RN renewal? 

Pennsylvania requires RNs to retain CE documentation for at least 5 years.  

They can audit, and if you’re selected, you’ll need to provide proof. Documents include things like certificates of attendance, transcripts, copies of published work, and research documentation, depending on how you earned the CE.  

What happens if I miss my PA RN license renewal deadline or my license expires? 

If your license isn’t renewed by the end of the biennial period, Pennsylvania’s regulation is clear: 

• You can’t practice professionally as a nurse until the CE requirements are satisfied, and the license is renewed, reinstated, or reactivated.  

Even if you’re scheduled and your manager has knowledge of your renewal, you don’t want to be the RN working with a lapsed license. Handle renewal early to protect your job and your license. 

How do I reactivate an inactive or lapsed Pennsylvania RN license? 

The details depend on how long the license has been inactive/lapsed. 

If you’re reinstating/reactivating 

Pennsylvania’s CE regulation states that a nurse seeking to either reinstate a lapsed license or reactivate an inactive license must apply and show 30 hours of CE (including at least two hours of child abuse CE) within the biennial period immediately preceding the application.  

If your license has been inactive for more than five years 

Pennsylvania’s inactive status notice explains that if the license remains inactive for more than five years, you must submit proof of continued competence, such as: 

• Current practice in another state, or
• Completion of a board-approved reactivation course that includes a board-approved nursing achievement exam, or
• Passing the national licensure exam (NCLEX)  

Fees can also change based on the situation. For example, the RN fee regulation lists a fee for reactivation of an inactive or lapsed license (5 years or longer).  

Because reactivation can get detailed fast, the safest nurse move is: don’t guess, use your exact status in PALS, and follow the Board’s instructions. 

Can I request a waiver of the PA RN CE requirement? 

Yes. Pennsylvania allows an RN to request a waiver of the CE requirement due to: 

• Serious illness
• Military service
• Other demonstrated hardship 

The request must be presented in writing a minimum of 90 days before the license expiration date (unless the hardship happens within that 90-day window).  

Is Pennsylvania a Nurse Licensure Compact state and does it change renewal? 

Yes, Pennsylvania completely implemented the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) on July 7, 2025.  

A few renewal-relevant points for Pennsylvania nurses: 

• When the NLC was implemented, existing PA RN licenses were marked “single state,” and your expiration date did not change. 
• You don’t automatically get a multistate license; you must apply for one through the Board. 
• You can keep working in Pennsylvania on a single-state license, but if PA is your primary state of residence and you want to practice in other NLC states, applying for multistate privileges may matter.  

Compact status doesn’t eliminate renewal. You still have to renew your PA license on time. 

How do I verify my Pennsylvania RN license status after renewal? 

Pennsylvania provides license verification through PALS. The state says you can search for a professional’s license number and status at any time through the PALS database.  

If you need verification for endorsement into another state, Pennsylvania also points RNs/LPNs to Nursys for license verification requests.  

What should I do if I moved before renewing my Pennsylvania RN license? 

Update it right away. Pennsylvania’s renewal information states: 

• You must update your address with the Board within 14 days of any change.
• The license will be mailed to the address on record and won’t be forwarded by the post office.  

If you want to avoid missing renewal mail or having your renewed license sent to an old address, treat address updates like a time-sensitive task, just as updating your BLS card in employee health. 

Who do I contact if I have renewal questions or PALS problems? 

The Board lists: 

• Phone: 833-DOS-BPOA (833-367-2762) (Available weekdays during posted hours.)
• Email: [email protected] (with notes about what that mailbox is used for)
• Technical help: a PALS support ticket option  

If you’re stuck in PALS (login issues, application won’t submit, etc.), using the Board’s listed support route is usually faster than trying to fix it alone at 1 a.m. after a shift. 

What are common mistakes nurses make with PA RN license renewal (and how can you avoid them)? 

These are the issues that commonly cause stress and delays: 

• Waiting until the last week (especially with Act 31 reporting delays) 
• Assuming BLS/CPR will count toward CE (Pennsylvania says it doesn’t) 
• Forgetting that the first renewal still needs child abuse training, even if 30 hours are waived 
• Not saving CE proof and then getting audited (Keep records for five years.) 
• Not updating your address within 14 days and missing mailed items  

A simple system that works for busy RNs: 

• Put your expiration date in your phone calendar with reminders at 90 / 60 / 30 days.
• Keep a single CE folder (email or cloud) for certificates.
• Do Act 31 early enough that you’re not waiting on provider reporting.