South Dakota RN Continuing Education Requirements, Explained
Last reviewed June 2026 against the official sources linked below. Requirements change — always confirm with your board before relying on them.
Total hours
None - practice hours instead
Renewal cycle
Every 2 years
Practice option
140 hrs in 12 mo, or 480 hrs in 6 yrs
Issued by
South Dakota Board of Nursing
Here is the good news up front: South Dakota does not require continuing education contact hours to renew an RN license. There is no annual or biennial CE total to chase and nothing to upload proving hours. What the Board does require is evidence that you have actually been practicing nursing.
You verify that through employment hours, and the bar is low for anyone working even part-time. The nurses who need to pay attention are those who have stepped away from the bedside - because if you cannot show the hours, the alternative is a substantial refresher course. Here is what actually matters.
No CE hours - but you must show practice
South Dakota does not require continuing education for RN or LPN renewal. Instead, you confirm continued practice by providing verification of employment showing at least 140 hours of nursing practice in any 12-month period, or an accumulated total of at least 480 hours within the preceding six years.
Most working RNs clear the 140-hour bar comfortably - it is roughly four full-time weeks of work across an entire year. The practice-hours requirement is really aimed at making sure licensees have stayed current, not at creating a hurdle for anyone actively employed.
The refresher option if you fall short
- If you cannot verify the required practice hours, South Dakota requires a Board-approved RN refresher course before renewal.
- The refresher is substantial: an 80-hour self-study theoretical portion plus 80 hours of supervised clinical practice.
- Because the refresher takes real time to complete, nurses returning from a long break should plan well ahead rather than discovering the gap at the deadline.
- Keep your own records - employment verification, or your refresher completion - in case the Board requests documentation.
Stop tracking this in a spreadsheet
Progress rings per requirement, private certificate storage, deadline reminders, and a one-click audit packet. Set up in two minutes — free for your first license.
Start tracking — freeWhen is your deadline?
South Dakota RN licenses renew every two years, and you complete the process online through the South Dakota Nursing Portal. Your exact expiration date is shown in your portal account. Because there is no CE to gather, the renewal itself - and the employment verification behind it - is the thing people forget, so set a reminder well ahead of time.
How CredTally keeps this on autopilot
- No CE to chase here, so CredTally guards the thing that actually lapses - your two-year renewal deadline - with reminder emails at 90, 60, 30, and 7 days.
- Log your practice hours or store your employment verification and any refresher-course certificate so your proof is ready if the Board ever asks.
- Hold a license in more than one state? Track South Dakota alongside your CE-heavy states so a quiet practice-hours cycle never gets buried under a busier deadline.
- Keep a private, dated record of each renewal and your verification - exportable as a PDF in one click.
Frequently asked questions
Does South Dakota require CE hours for RN renewal?
No. South Dakota does not require continuing education contact hours for RN or LPN renewal. You instead verify nursing practice hours.
How many practice hours does a South Dakota RN need?
At least 140 hours of nursing practice in any 12-month period, or an accumulated total of at least 480 hours within the preceding six years, verified through employment.
What if I cannot meet the South Dakota practice-hour requirement?
You must complete a Board-approved RN refresher course - an 80-hour self-study theoretical portion plus 80 hours of supervised clinical practice - before you can renew.
How often do South Dakota RN licenses renew?
Every two years, completed online through the South Dakota Nursing Portal. Your exact expiration date is shown in your portal account.
Official sources
CredTally is a record-keeping tool and is not affiliated with any licensing board. This guide is general information, not legal or compliance advice.
CredTally tracks all of this for you
Progress rings per requirement, private certificate storage, deadline reminders, and a one-click audit packet. Set up in two minutes — free for your first license.
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