Pennsylvania Nursing License Renewal Requirements 2026: CE, Fees & Deadlines
Looking for the PA nursing license renewal cost? Start with the credential: the published renewal fee is $122 for an RN and $76 for an LPN. Education requirements and expiration dates also differ.
How much does Pennsylvania nursing license renewal cost?
Published biennial RN renewal fee.
Published biennial LPN renewal fee.
Training-provider charges are separate.
| Transaction | Published fee | Budget note |
|---|---|---|
| RN renewal | $122 | Routine renewal; see RN fee rule. |
| LPN renewal | $76 | Routine renewal; see LPN fee rule. |
| CRNP certification renewal | $81 | Separate from any Pennsylvania RN renewal. |
| CRNP prescriptive-authority renewal | $41 | Separate approval, if held. |
| RN/LPN reactivation: inactive or lapsed 5 years or longer | $130 | A separate published reactivation fee; additional requirements may apply. |
| CE, examination or reactivation-program expenses | Varies | Depends on provider and your application route. |
Budget for your actual transaction. A routine RN or LPN renewal fee is not a quote for reactivation, compact conversion or advanced-practice credentials. Confirm the itemized amount in PALS before payment.
Advanced-practice amounts are listed in the official CRNP snapshot.
Pennsylvania nursing renewal deadlines in 2026
Use the expiration on your own license. RN renewal is assigned to one of four April/October cycles; an article year alone does not determine when you renew.
| Credential / cycle | 2026 date | Status on October 13, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| RN assigned to April, even-year cycle | April 30, 2026 | Deadline has passed. |
| RN assigned to October, even-year cycle | October 31, 2026 | Upcoming deadline for that assigned group. |
| RN assigned to an odd-year cycle | April 30 or October 31 in its assigned odd year | Check your license; do not assume a 2026 renewal. |
| LPN biennial cycle | June 30, 2026 | Deadline has passed. |
Sources: RN expiration rule and LPN renewal rule.
Already expired? The Board’s August 2026 renewal tips direct nurses who miss renewal requirements by the deadline to submit a reactivation application. Confirm valid practice authority before taking a shift.
RN and LPN continuing education requirements
| Credential | Routine education | How to count it |
|---|---|---|
| RN | 30 approved hours in the biennial period | Includes at least 2 approved hours of child-abuse recognition and reporting. |
| LPN | 2 approved hours of child-abuse recognition and reporting | The published LPN requirement is not the RN 30-hour requirement. |
| CRNP | 30 approved hours relevant to the specialty | Includes child-abuse training; prescriptive authority requires at least 16 pharmacology hours. |
Compare the RN snapshot, LPN snapshot and CRNP snapshot.
Choose eligible courses and keep evidence
Nursing and patient-care content must meet the Board’s standards. Basic life support/CPR, ordinary employment orientation and unrelated facility-policy training do not satisfy RN CE content rules.
Keep RN completion records for at least five years. Excess hours cannot move to the next biennial cycle. Complete education before attesting that it is finished.
First RN renewal: the general CE exception for the first renewal after initial Pennsylvania licensure does not remove mandatory child-abuse training. Review your organ-donation window separately.
Read RN CE and exceptions and approved CE content.
For CRNP prescriptive-authority renewal, the current rule also requires two hours of specified opioid/pain/addiction education when the practitioner holds or uses a DEA registration. Review the CRNP renewal rule for the complete conditions.
New in 2026: organ and tissue donation education
Effective May 1, 2026, Pennsylvania’s RN rule requires two approved hours once within the applicable five-year window. These hours are part of the 30-hour total, rather than an automatic increase to 32 hours.
| RN situation | Applicable window |
|---|---|
| Licensed before May 1, 2026 | Once within five years of licensure renewal under the new rule. |
| Initially licensed on or after May 1, 2026 | Once within five years of initial licensure. |
| Reactivating on or after May 1, 2026 | Once within five years of reactivation. |
Use the Board’s organ-donation notice and §21.131(a.1) to identify your window and an approved course. Save the certificate. The Board notice names CORE/Gift of Life and other Board-approved providers.
This is not an every-renewal requirement. Do not assign every nurse the same 2026 completion deadline; the applicable licensing, renewal or reactivation event matters.
How to renew a Pennsylvania nursing license in PALS
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Check the credential and expiration
Find your assigned expiration in PALS. Confirm whether you need renewal or reactivation.
Open official resource -
Complete the required education
Complete applicable RN CE and approved child-abuse training. Plan for the organ-donation requirement.
Open official resource -
Confirm provider reporting
Check that the child-abuse provider has sent your matching completion record to Pennsylvania.
Open official resource -
Recover your existing PALS account
Use account recovery if needed and open the renewal for the correct credential. A computer or laptop is recommended.
Open official resource -
Review, submit and pay
Answer each disclosure accurately, review all fields, submit the renewal and pay the amount shown. Save the receipt.
Open official resource -
Verify the renewed license
Use the official PALS license search to confirm status and the new expiration before relying on renewed authority.
Open official resource
Before submitting, compare your answers with the Board’s current renewal tips. Do not assume a saved draft or payment receipt confirms completion.
Child-abuse training: provider reporting matters
Use a Pennsylvania-approved Act 31 course for professional-license renewal. Give the provider the name and license details that match the Board’s record.
The provider must send completion data electronically. Pennsylvania says this can take up to seven days. If the course remains “Not Received” after more than a week, ask the provider to check the matching information and submission.
Uploading your own certificate is not the reporting route. The current renewal tips say the Board cannot accept an applicant-uploaded certificate as a substitute for the provider’s completion record.
Your personal renewal checklist
This checklist does not submit information to the Board. Selections are not saved by this page; browser restoration behavior can vary.
Resolve delays or use the correct reactivation route
| Problem | Next action |
|---|---|
| Cannot sign in | Use the existing PALS account-recovery options. Check the renewal email and spam folder. |
| Child-abuse record missing | Contact the course provider to correct identity details and electronic reporting. |
| Application needs review | Read the PALS request and supply the specific requested records. |
| Deadline missed | Request the reactivation route; the ordinary renewal price may not apply. |
| License inactive/lapsed for 5 years or longer | Review the RN or LPN continued-competency rule before choosing a program or exam. |
For a lapse or inactive period of five years or longer, the rules offer routes involving an approved examination, an approved reactivation program, or evidence of a current license plus at least 3,600 practice hours in another jurisdiction during the preceding five years. Suspended credentials have different conditions.
Renewal and a compact nursing license
Pennsylvania participates in the Nurse Licensure Compact. If you lawfully practice under another compact state’s multistate RN or LPN license, the Board says you do not need a Pennsylvania single-state license and cannot renew the former PA single-state license while maintaining and practicing under that multistate license.
Converting a Pennsylvania single-state RN license to multistate status does not change its expiration date. Follow the assigned renewal date.
Check official Pennsylvania NLC guidance · Check Board renewal instructionsPennsylvania State Board of Nursing: contact and map
Official support
- BPOA support phone
- 833-367-2762
- Published phone hours
- Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–2:30 p.m.
- Mailing address
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State Board of Nursing
P.O. Box 2649
Harrisburg, PA 17105-2649 - Physical address listed by the Board
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2525 N 7th Street
Harrisburg, PA 17110 - Courier address
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PA Department of State, BPOA
Attn: State Board of Nursing
2 Technology Park
Harrisburg, PA 17110-2919
Confirm the destination before visiting or sending a courier; mailing, physical and courier addresses differ.
For general renewal, application or technical questions, use the PALS support-ticket option. The Board reserves st-nurse@pa.gov for specified documents and outside-agency communications.
Pennsylvania nursing license renewal FAQ
How much does PA nursing license renewal cost?
The published biennial fee is $122 for an RN and $76 for an LPN. CE courses and separate credentials can add costs.
How many CE hours does a Pennsylvania RN need?
Generally 30 hours per biennial cycle, including 2 hours of approved child-abuse training. Check applicable exceptions and the organ-donation requirement.
Does a Pennsylvania LPN need 30 CE hours?
No. The published LPN renewal requirement is 2 hours of approved child-abuse recognition and reporting training.
What is the Pennsylvania nursing renewal deadline in 2026?
RN deadlines depend on the assigned April 30 or October 31 cycle and year. The LPN deadline was June 30, 2026. Verify your own PALS record.
Is organ-donation CE required every renewal?
No. Effective May 1, 2026, the RN rule requires 2 approved hours once within the applicable five-year window.
What if child-abuse CE says Not Received?
Contact the training provider to check your matching name and license details and its electronic submission. An applicant-uploaded certificate does not replace provider reporting.
Does converting to a PA multistate license reset renewal?
No. The Board states that converting a Pennsylvania single-state RN license to multistate status does not change its expiration date.
What happens if I miss renewal?
The Board’s current renewal tips direct nurses who miss the requirements deadline to submit a reactivation application. Confirm active practice authority before working.
Official sources reviewed
- Board renewal information
- Current renewal tips
- RN requirements and fees
- LPN requirements and fees
- CRNP requirements and fees
- RN deadlines: §21.29
- LPN deadlines: §21.156
- RN CE: §21.131
- CE content: §21.133
- Organ-donation notice
- Approved Act 31 providers
- Official PALS portal
- Official Board contact details
- Pennsylvania NLC information
Reviewed October 13, 2026. Requirements, fees and portal procedures can change; follow current Board instructions and the requirements shown for your credential.