As nurses across the country battle against staffing shortages, burnout, and an all-time high of demands and strains on the overall healthcare system, little time is left for sifting through new rules and requirements for license renewal!
For California nurses whose licenses expire during the chaotic past two years, a lapse in licensure not only means a potentially big headache dealing with the California Board of Registered Nursing, but also the inability to continue working.
That’s why our Nursing CE Central team has a full breakdown of top questions, deadlines, requirements, and consequences of missing your renewal deadline for the California nursing license renewal period.
If a nurse misses both the continuing education AND payment requirements for renewal, their license will be placed on a DELINQUENT status.
Nurses will need to renew their license online through the BreEZe Online Services licensing portal, after completing 30 contact hours of continuing education courses from a California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN) approved provider (such as Nursing CE Central) before their expiration date.
A licensee still within the first 2 years of holding their license, immediately following their initial licensure, must complete one hour of direct participation in an implicit bias course offered by a continuing education provider (such as Nursing CE Central). This can count towards your 30 CE requirements.
(Nursing CE Central’s California Renewal Bundle includes all required courses.These nursing CEUs are approved by the ANCC. ) Â
Newly licensed nurses are exempt from the 30 CE state requirement but they must complete the one contact hour on Implicit Bias during their first two years of licensure.
 Nurses may begin their renewal application through the BreEZe Online Services licensing portal; however, continuing education requirements must be met for the renewal to be fully processed. The California BRN explains that “payment may be processed, but your renewal will be considered incomplete.”
After submitting all renewal requirements, including payment, log-off or exit your BreEZe browser window. Then, visit www.breeze.ca.gov and select the ‘License Search‘ button. Click ‘Search by License Number,’ and enter your information. A new expiration date will be listed for licenses that have been successfully renewed. 
According to the California BRN, any nurse who has paid their renewal fee and submitted all renewal requirements on time (such as completed, continuing education), may continue working through a pending renewal if their employer allows.
According to the California Board of Registered Nursing, a nurse who pays their renewal fee, but does not complete the required 30 hours of continuing education, will have their license placed on an INACTIVE status. Nurses with an INACTIVE license can not practice in California.
If a nurse misses both the continuing education AND payment requirements for renewal, their license will be placed on a DELINQUENT status. DELINQUENT licensees may not practice in California, and are subject to an additional delinquent renewal fee.
The California BRN requires that all licensees keep proof of nursing continuing education completion for each renewal period, for a minimum of four years. This documentation is needed in case a nurse is selected for an audit by the California BRN within that time frame.
All nurses who miss their renewal deadline must submit proof of 30 hours of continuing education completed within the past two years, certify compliance with the fingerprint requirement, and report any license discipline/convictions. You can do this by logging into your BreEZe account and selecting the “Inactive to Active” option.Â
If you did not renew your license or complete your CE requirements, you now have a delinquent license. The cost to renew a delinquent license is $280 instead of the normal $190 renewal fee.Â
Visit our California nursing license renewal page for more information or to begin CE courses.
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