Authored by Dr. Pam Vollmer, DNP, RN, AMB-BC, NPD-BC, CEO and Director of Content at CE Ready

What Nurses Need to Know

Virginia nursing CEUs are one of nine continued competency options, not a single fixed requirement. To renew an active RN or LPN license, you complete at least one approved option from the Virginia Board of Nursing list. Continuing education offers two popular paths: 30 contact hours, or 15 contact hours paired with 640 hours of active practice. Other options include national certification, academic study, a refresher course, or a nursing publication. You cannot combine parts of different options, so you choose one and complete it fully. Nurse practitioners maintain current national certification, and those with prescriptive authority add eight hours of pharmacology continuing education each renewal cycle. Virginia licenses renew every two years by the last day of your birth month. The state does not use a central tracking service, so you keep your own records in case of audit. Knowing which option fits your situation tells you exactly what you need.

How Virginia’s Continued Competency Model Works

Virginia takes a flexible approach, offering many ways to demonstrate ongoing competence rather than one fixed mandate.

Under rule 18VAC90-19-160, the Board asks each RN and LPN to complete at least one of nine learning activities to renew an active license. Continuing education is one route, but certification, academic study, and professional contributions also qualify. This range lets nurses match renewal to how they already grow professionally.

One rule shapes how you use the options. You cannot combine parts of more than one option, so you select a single path and complete it in full. A nurse who finishes 20 contact hours, for example, has not met the 30-hour option.

Some nurses receive an exemption worth knowing. The first renewal following your initial licensure by examination or endorsement is exempt from the continued competency requirement. A good-cause extension of up to one year is also available on written request to the Board. CE Ready offers Virginia nursing courses that satisfy the continuing education options while strengthening your everyday practice.

The Nine Continued Competency Options

Virginia gives RNs and LPNs nine distinct paths, and you only need to satisfy one.

Two options center on continuing education. You can complete 30 contact hours of workshops, seminars, conferences, or courses relevant to nursing practice. Alternatively, you can pair 15 contact hours with 640 hours of active practice as a nurse. Both CE paths require an approved provider, which the next section explains.

Several options reward professional contributions. You can hold current national specialty certification, complete at least three credit hours of post-licensure academic education, or finish a board-approved refresher course. Completing a nursing-related evidence-based practice project or research study counts, as does publishing as an author or co-author during the cycle.

The remaining options recognize teaching. One path is developing a nursing course resulting in at least three semester hours of college credit, a 15-week course, or specialty certification. Another is teaching or developing nursing continuing education courses for up to 30 contact hours. This breadth means most nurses can find a path that fits their work.

Virginia RN/LPN Continued Competency Option	What It Requires
Continuing education	30 contact hours relevant to nursing practice
CE plus practice	15 contact hours plus 640 hours of active practice
National certification	Current specialty certification by a national body
Academic education	At least 3 credit hours of post-licensure nursing coursework
Refresher course	A board-approved nursing refresher course
Research or project	A nursing-related evidence-based practice project or research study
Publication	Authoring or co-authoring a nursing publication
Teaching a course	Developing a course for 3 semester hours, a 15-week course, or certification
Teaching CE	Developing nursing CE courses for up to 30 contact hours

What Counts as Qualifying CE in Virginia

Nurses who choose a continuing education path need to know which providers Virginia accepts.

For the 30-hour and the 15-plus-practice options, the education must come from an approved provider. Virginia recognizes a broad list. Approved bodies include the American Nurses Credentialing Center, the American Nurses Association, the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Area Health Education Centers, state nurses associations, and the National League for Nursing. Choosing an ANCC-accredited provider removes any doubt about whether your hours will count.

The approved list extends further. It also covers licensed health care facilities, agencies, and hospitals. Health care provider associations, accredited colleges and universities, and state and federal government agencies qualify too, as does the Virginia Board or any state board of nursing. Advanced resuscitation courses from the American Heart Association, the American Health and Safety Institute, or the American Red Cross count as well.

Your education must be relevant to nursing practice. A general course unrelated to nursing does not count, though a course tailored to health care often does. Choosing topics that match your role turns the requirement into genuine professional growth. CE Ready offers options such as care of the older adult that count toward your hours.

The Active Practice Option Explained

The active practice option deserves a closer look, since it pairs naturally with continuing education.

Virginia defines active practice as activities that require a nursing license, whether paid or volunteer. Many nurses meet the 640-hour threshold through ordinary full-time or part-time work across the two-year cycle. Faculty roles and other positions that draw on nursing knowledge can also count, as long as they fit the definition.

This option appeals to nurses who want to reduce their continuing education load. Pairing 15 contact hours with 640 practice hours satisfies the requirement, rather than completing the full 30 hours. A nurse who works steadily often finds this the easiest combination to document.

Keep your hours worked and any employer or supervisor verification with your records. Self-employed and volunteer nurses can document their hours too, following the approach the regulation describes. Choosing this path early in the cycle lets you track your practice hours as you go.

Virginia Nurse Practitioner CEU Requirements

Nurse practitioners and other advanced practice nurses follow requirements tied to their advanced role rather than the nine-option menu.

The rule depends on when you were first licensed. Rule 18VAC90-30-105 sets the standard here. An advanced practice registered nurse initially licensed on or after May 8, 2002, maintains current professional certification in the specialty area. This certification carries its own continuing education through the certifying body, which keeps advanced practice knowledge current.

A different path applies to earlier licensure. An APRN licensed before May 8, 2002, has two choices. Such a nurse either maintains current specialty certification or completes at least 40 hours of CE in the specialty. That education must be approved by a certifying agency or carry ACCME Category I credit. This grandfathered option recognizes nurses who entered advanced practice before the certification rule took effect.

Recordkeeping matters for advanced practice nurses. An APRN keeps evidence of compliance for four years, longer than the two years required of RNs and LPNs. CE Ready offers a Virginia APRN renewal bundle built to support advanced practice renewal.

The 8-Hour Pharmacology Requirement for Prescribers

Advanced practice nurses with prescriptive authority carry an additional, specific continuing education requirement.

Rule 18VAC90-40-55 sets it out, and an APRN with prescriptive authority completes a total of eight hours of CE in pharmacology or pharmacotherapeutics each biennium. These eight hours come in addition to the standard nurse practitioner continued competency requirement, not instead of it. A prescribing APRN therefore meets both the certification rule and the pharmacology hours.

The requirement reflects the responsibility of prescribing. Continuing competency for prescribers should address ethical practice, an appropriate standard of care, patient safety, and clear communication. Pharmacology education supports safe, current prescribing across the conditions a prescriber treats.

CE Ready offers pharmacology courses suited to this requirement, including an opioid prescribing course and the pharmacology hours bundled into the Virginia APRN package. A prescriber who plans these eight hours early in the cycle avoids any year-end scramble. Tracking the pharmacology hours separately from the certification requirement keeps both clearly satisfied.

Virginia Renewal and Recordkeeping

Virginia ties renewal to your birth month and places recordkeeping responsibility on you.

Nurses renew their Virginia licenses every two years, by the last day of the birth month. Nurses born in even-numbered years renew in even years, while those born in odd-numbered years renew in odd years. The Department of Health Professions sends a renewal notice with a personal identification number about 60 days before expiration, though you remain responsible for renewing on time.

Documentation is your responsibility throughout the cycle. Virginia uses a self-attestation model with random audits rather than a central tracking service. You attest to meeting your chosen option at renewal, then keep your supporting records in case the Board selects you. An RN or LPN keeps records for two years, while an APRN keeps them for four.

If audited, you provide documentation within 30 days. Acceptable records include CE certificates, transcripts, certification cards, project abstracts, course syllabi, or copies of published articles. CE Ready keeps your completed course certificates in your account, so your continuing education documentation stays accessible whenever the Board requests it.

A Note for Nurses Who Practice Across State Lines

Virginia is a member of the Nurse Licensure Compact, which matters for nurses who work in more than one state.

According to the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Virginia participates in the enhanced compact. Under the compact, a nurse whose primary residence is in a member state may practice in other member states on one multistate license. So a nurse holding a multistate license from another compact state can practice in Virginia without a separate Virginia license.

Your primary state of residence drives your renewal. Virginia asks licensees to declare their primary residence at renewal. Those whose primary residence is another compact state renew there rather than in Virginia. A nurse whose primary residence is Virginia meets Virginia’s continued competency requirements, even when practicing in another compact state.

One point deserves attention for advanced practice nurses. The compact covers RN and LPN licenses, not APRN authority. So an APRN practicing in Virginia must hold Virginia APRN authorization and meet the state’s APRN requirements. Knowing which rules apply to your role and residence prevents compliance surprises.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How many CEUs do Virginia nurses need?

Virginia does not require a single fixed number of CE hours. Instead, RNs and LPNs complete one of nine continued competency options. The two continuing education paths are 30 contact hours, or 15 contact hours paired with 640 hours of active practice. Other options include national certification, academic study, a refresher course, research, publication, or teaching.

Q: Can I combine continued competency options in Virginia?

No. Virginia does not allow you to combine parts of more than one option. You select a single option and complete it fully. For example, completing 20 contact hours does not satisfy the 30-hour option, and you cannot add a partial activity to reach the total. Choosing your path early helps you complete it cleanly.

Q: What are the Virginia nurse practitioner CE requirements?

Virginia nurse practitioners licensed on or after May 8, 2002, maintain current national specialty certification. Those licensed before that date either maintain certification or complete 40 hours of continuing education in their specialty. Nurse practitioners with prescriptive authority also complete eight hours of pharmacology or pharmacotherapeutics continuing education each biennium.

Q: When do Virginia nursing licenses expire?

Virginia nursing licenses renew every two years, by the last day of your birth month. Nurses born in even-numbered years renew in even years, while those born in odd-numbered years renew in odd years. The Department of Health Professions sends a renewal notice with a PIN about 60 days before expiration, but you remain responsible for renewing on time.

Q: Does Virginia use CE Broker?

No. Virginia does not use CE Broker for nursing continuing education. Instead, nurses renew through the Department of Health Professions online portal and keep their own records. Virginia uses a random-audit model, so you attest to meeting your option at renewal and provide documentation within 30 days only if the Board selects you.

Q: How long must Virginia nurses keep CE records?

Virginia RNs and LPNs keep their continued competency documentation for two years following renewal. Advanced practice nurses, including those with prescriptive authority, keep their records for four years. If the Board audits you, you must provide your documentation within 30 days. Saving certificates as you complete courses keeps this simple.

Call to Action

Virginia CEUs come down to choosing the continued competency option that fits you, and continuing education is one of the most flexible. CE Ready makes that path simple. As an ANCC-accredited provider, provider number P0986, and a Virginia Board of Nursing approved provider, CE Ready offers a 30-hour RN and LPN renewal bundle and a 40-hour APRN package with the pharmacology hours prescribers need. Explore CE Ready’s Virginia courses and renew with confidence.

References

National Council of State Boards of Nursing. (n.d.). Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC). https://www.ncsbn.org/compacts.page

Virginia Administrative Code. (n.d.). 18VAC90-30-105: Continuing competency requirements. https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincode/title18/agency90/chapter30/section105/

Virginia Administrative Code. (n.d.). 18VAC90-40-55: Continuing competency requirements. https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincode/title18/agency90/chapter40/section55/

Virginia Board of Nursing. (n.d.). Continued competency, RN/LPN (18VAC90-19-160). https://www.dhp.virginia.gov/Boards/Nursing/PractitionerResources/ContinuedCompetency/RNLPN/