Understanding Your 2025 Illinois Nursing License Renewal Requirements

1. What are the CE requirements for the 2025 Illinois nursing license renewal period?

LPNs and RNs must complete 20 contact hours of continuing education to renew a nurse license, wit the following training required:

• One contact hour on sexual harassment
• One contact hour on evidence-based implicit bias in healthcare training
• One contact hour on diagnosis, treatment, and care of Alzheimer’s disease, along with other dementia types (for RNs that care for patients aged 26 or older)
• One contact hour on cultural competency (starting with renewals on or after Jan. 1, 2025).

Additionally, nurses who work with children must complete mandated reporter training every six years.

Nursing CE Central’s Illinois Renewal Bundle includes LPN license renewal CE and RN license renewal CE.

APRNs are required to complete 80 contact hours of continuing education every two years, including:

• One hour on sexual harassment
• One hour on evidence-based implicit bias in healthcare training
• Three hours on safe opioid prescribing practices if renewing controlled substances registration
• One hour on diagnosis, treatment and care of Alzheimer’s disease, along with other dementia types (for APRNs that care for patients aged 26 or older).

Additionally, one hour must cover cultural competency (starting with renewals on or after Jan. 1 2025) and 20 hours must cover pharmacotherapeutics (with 10 hours dedicated to opioid prescribing or substance abuse).

APRNs working with children must complete mandated reporter training every six years.

Nursing CE Central’s Illinois APRN Bundle includes APRN license renewal CE.

2. Which nurses are required to complete CE to renew their licenses?

LPNs must complete nursing continuing education requirements for the license renewal period.

3. Do I need to take a test to complete the CE requirements for renewal?

No.

4. Do I need to submit my CE through CE Broker?

No. However, you have to attest to the board that you completed CE when renewing your license.

5. Should I keep documentation the proves I completed my CEs?

Yes. Most who renew their licenses on or before the deadline won’t need to submit proof of their completed nursing CE courses. Those who miss the Illinois nursing license renewal deadline must submit copies of their completed CE during the license reinstatement process.

Nurses are responsible for keeping records of continuing education unit completion in the event of a request from the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. It’s recommended to keep all completed CE certificates for at least six years.  Nursing CE Central records all completed certificates, which can be easily accessed by logging into the website.

6. When is the 2025 Illinois nursing license renewal deadline?

The Illinois nursing license renewal deadline is Jan. 31, 2025, and the renewal open date is Dec. 1, 2024.

7. How do I renew my nurse license?

Complete the required continuing education courses, attest to their completion to the board, and complete the license renewal application through Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation’s Portal. A valid payment method will be needed for renewal fees.

9. What happens if I miss the Illinois nursing license renewal deadline?

Your license would be considered expired, and you would need to get it reinstated to continue working in Illinois. You must pay additional renewal fees and submit proof of CE completion to complete the license reinstatement process.

10. How do I verify the status of my license?

You can verify the status of your nurse license by visiting the online services portal of the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. It can take two to four business days for the updated status of a license to be reflected. This site can also be used for a nursing license lookup.

Still have questions?

The board can be contacted at (800) 560-6420, online, or via email and traditional mail:

320 West Washington Street, 3rd Floor
Springfield, IL 62786

Visit our Illinois nursing license renewal page for more information or to enroll for an Illinois nursing license renewal bundle today!

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