Nursing CE by state · California
California nursing CE: what the board asks for
California RNs complete 30 hours of continuing education every two years from a provider that the California Board of Registered Nursing has approved. California LVNs renew with a separate board.
Who may approve your CE
Where to read California’s rule
16 CCR §§ 1450, 1451, 1456(a)(4) (RN, BRN); 16 CCR §§ 2540.1, 2540.2(b) (LVN, BVNPT) · Read the rules at the source
The requirement
RNs: 30 hours
LPNs: 30 hours (LVN)
Cycle: Every 2 years
Board of Registered Nursing (RN); Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians (LVN)
Read this before you count our hours
What to know in California
- The Board of Registered Nursing approves continuing-education providers directly. Each of our RN & LPN course pages states the approval that course carries.
- LVNs renew with the Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians, which accepts courses approved by the nursing boards of California or other states. LVNs are exempt at their first renewal.
- An hour is at least 50 minutes.
Before you buy anything
What we will not tell you
We will not tell you that a course satisfies your California requirement. Your board decides that, and an audit lands on your license, not on us.
What we can do is show you the rule, quoted or cited, and linked, and tell you plainly where our courses stand. Each of our RN & LPN course pages states the continuing-education approval that course carries, and that statement applies only to the course it appears on.
If anything here is unclear for your situation, ask your board before you enroll. Keep every certificate and the course description; the description is what shows an auditor what the course covered.
Read the rule yourself
16 CCR §§ 1450, 1451, 1456(a)(4) (RN, BRN)
Board of Registered Nursing (RN); Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians (LVN)
When we read it
We read the rule on 29 September 2026. Rules change; the board’s current text governs.
Ready to look at courses?
Read each course page against what your board asks for, then choose.