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Expired Nursing License: What Do I Do?

  • With many state’s nursing license renewal periods coming up, it’s important to know what to do if you let your license expire!
  • Whether it’s catching up on CEs or providing active licensure from another state, there are a few things you can do to quickly reinstate your nursing license.
  • Nursing CE Central has the scoop, be sure to check it out!
Morgan Curry, RN/BSN

Morgan Curry, BSN / RN

Intensive Care, Outpatient Surgery, Aesthetics, Education, and Nursing Leadership

June 24, 2021
Simmons University

With several state’s nursing license renewal periods coming up, I think it’s important that we cover what happens if your nursing license has expired. 

No, it’s not the end of the world.  

However, you may be subject to paying late fees and jumping through hoops with your state’s board of nursing, including mandatory refresher courses or some form of a nursing renewal program. 

Let’s start from the beginning; you have just realized that your license is inactive, what now? 

Nursing CE Central offers various state-based bundles that can meet your needs in one stop!

Step 1: Contact Your State Board of Nursing

Of course, this will vary from state-to-state, but oftentimes, you will just need to provide the following to validate your identity and expired nursing license: 

  • Your license number 
  • Last four digits of your social security number 
  • Date of birth 

Depending on your situation and if you have met the CE requirements, your state board of nursing may  allow you to proceed with submitting your renewal application and late fee payment (Step 4). 

However, that may not be the case for everyone in every state.  

 

Step 2: Provide Active Licensure from Additional States

Online RN resource center, RNPrograms.org, highlights that if you are an active license holder in another state, you might have the chance to reinstate your expired license at no extra charge if you are up to date on your CEs.  

However, please note that this is not always the case, and to check with your state’s board of nursing first.  

 

 

Step 3: Check Your CE Requirements for Your State and If You’ve Met Them

All state’s requirements vary, so you will have to be sure to do your research on the number of contact hours and required courses you need to complete in order to renew your expired nursing license.

For a quick review of a few states with upcoming renewals, here are some examples of the requirements for RNs: 

StateRequired CE Contact Hours + RenewalSpecifics
California
  • 30 contact hours
  • Every two years
N/A
Florida
  • 24 contact hours
  • Every two years
  • 16 of the 24 contact hours are to be general hours on any nursing topic 
  • 2 of the 24 contact hours must be on Prevention of Medical Errors 
  • 2 of the 24 contact hours must be on Florida Laws & Regulations 
  • 2 of the 24 contact hours must be on Recognizing Impairment in the Workplace – required every 4 years (2 renewals) 
  • 2 of the 24 contact hours must be on Human Trafficking 
  • 2 additional contact hours must be on Domestic Violence every 6 years (3 renewals) 
  • 1 additional contact hour must be on HIV/AIDS before first renewal (one-time requirement) 
Kentucky
  • 14 contact hours
  • Every year
  • 1.5 of the 14 contact hours must be on Domestic Violence (one-time requirement) 
  • 3 of the 14 contact hours must be on Pediatric Abusive Head Trauma (one-time requirement) 
  • 5 of the 14 contact hours must be on Sexual Assault, Forensic Medicine, or Domestic Violence if you are a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE)
New York
  • 4 contact hours
  • Every 4 years
  • These 4 contact hours must be on Infection Control and Barrier Precautions, and the course must be NYSED approved. 
  • RNs are required to complete 2 contact hours on the Identification and Reporting of Child Abuse. (one-time requirement)
Texas
  • 20 contact hours
  • Every 2 years
  • 2 of the 20 contact hours must be on Geriatric Care for those working with the geriatric population 
  • 2 of the 20 contact hours must be on Medical Forensics for those working in the ER setting (one-time requirement) 
  • 2 of the 20 contact hours must be on Nursing Jurisprudence and Ethics – required every 6 years (3 renewals) 
  • RNs are required to complete a course on Human Trafficking Prevention every 2 years. No specific contact hour requirement and this course must be approved by The Health and Human Services Commission

For more information or to see your state’s CE requirements, check out our CE Requirements page! 

Nursing CE Central offers various state-based bundles that can meet your needs in one stop! 

Step 4: Complete Renewal Application

Once all your state’s nursing license reinstatement requirements have been met and the late fees have been paid, you will be able to fill out the renewal application; oftentimes, this process can be done online and is a quick process.  

As you can see, the rules to renew an expired nursing license are state-specific, so make sure that you do your research regarding your state’s board of nursing.  

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