Free CE for Nurses / Arizona
Arizona requires no CE contact hours for RN renewal, but you must show continued competency every 4 years — 960 practice hours in the past 5 years, a recent qualifying nursing degree, or a Board-approved refresher program.
✓ Verified against the Arizona State Board of Nursing on July 30, 2026
Arizona RN and LPN licenses renew every 4 years on or before April 1. There is no contact-hour CE mandate, but under A.A.C. R4-19-312 the Board may not renew a license unless you meet the Practice Requirement, which is satisfied by any one of: at least 960 hours of nursing practice in the 5 years before your application (note the lookback is longer than the 4-year license cycle); completing a nursing education program and earning a degree or advanced practice certificate within the past 5 years (LPN-to-RN, RN-to-BSN, master's and doctoral programs all count); or completing an Arizona Board-approved refresher program. Practice counts broadly — paid or volunteer work as a licensed nurse, any position whose job description requires or recommends that level of licensure, and clinical hours completed inside a qualifying degree program. CE contact hours are not an accepted substitute for the practice requirement, so accredited CE will not cure an hours shortfall; a Board-approved refresher program is the path, and the Board can issue a temporary license so you can practice during its clinical portion. Arizona mandates no CE topics for RNs — the 3-hour opioid, substance use disorder or addiction CE under A.R.S. § 32-3248.02 applies only to prescribers holding a DEA registration, which in nursing means APRNs. Late fees apply after May 1 and the license expires August 1; practicing on an expired license violates the Nurse Practice Act. Confirm your own renewal date at Nursys.com or through the Arizona Nurse Portal.
Arizona doesn't require CE contact hours for renewal, so there's no state hour total for an accredited course to count toward. Accredited CE is still what national certification boards and employers ask for.
One caveat: Arizona accepts accredited CE, but no amount of CE satisfies renewal on its own. If you are short of the 960 practice hours, only a Board-approved refresher program — not CE contact hours — restores your eligibility to renew.
Arizona State Board of Nursing
https://azbn.gov/licenses-and-certifications/renew-your-license
Requirements change. Confirm all figures on the board site above before relying on them.
Even without a state mandate, free accredited CE helps with national certifications, compact-state moves, and professional growth. On Pulse, local healthcare organizations cover the cost — you pay nothing.
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