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Renewal requirements by state › Washington
Washington license renewal
Washington nursing CE renewal requirements
Washington RNs renew every year and need 8 contact hours of continuing education each renewal, and some of those hours may need to be on the required topics below.
Washington APRNs renew every two years and need 30 contact hours of continuing education each renewal, including 15 contact hours of pharmacology, plus 15 more contact hours on required topics.
✓ Verified October 8, 2026 against Washington’s board of nursing, state rules and the Nurse Licensure Compact. Sources are listed below.
At a glance
- Renewal cycle
- Every year
- RN continuing education
- 8 contact hours
- APRN continuing education
- 30 contact hours
- Nurse Licensure Compact
- Yes, a member state
- Reports to CE Broker
- No
Required topics
“Part of the total” hours count toward the overall requirement; “on top of the total” hours are extra.
RNs
| Topic | Hours | How often | Counts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health equityAll RNs - phase-in complete by 2026 | 2 | Every renewal | Part of the total |
| Suicide prevention: assessment, treatment and managementAll RNs | 6 | Once | On top of the total |
APRNs (in addition to RN requirements)
| Topic | Hours | How often | Counts |
|---|---|---|---|
| PharmacologyARNPs with prescriptive authority | 15 | Every renewal | On top of the total |
| Best practices in the prescribing of opioidsARNPs licensed to prescribe opioids - by end of first full CE reporting period after initial licensure (or after 1 Jan 2019) | 4 | Once | On top of the total |
RN renewal in detail
- 8 contact hours per ANNUAL renewal, plus 96 practice hours per year.
- Practice hours: 96 within 12 months.
- When it expires: ANNUAL, on the licensee's birthday.
APRN renewal in detail
- 30 CE contact hours per 2-year ARNP renewal period (per designation), plus 15 additional pharmacology hours if prescriptive authority; current national certification; RN license requirements (8 CE/96 practice hours annually) apply separately.
- APRNs must hold a current national certification.
- When it expires: Every other year (biennial), on the licensee's birthday; the RN license still renews annually.
Using HIVE Nurse for your hours
HIVE Nurse is approved as a provider of continuing nursing education by the Florida Board of Nursing (CE Provider #50-57054). Boards differ on whether they accept CE from a provider approved by another state’s board, so check Washington’s rules before you count a course.
The renewal checker builds your own list from these rules and can remind you before your license expires.
Sources
Rules change. Your board’s website is the final word.