Virginia 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
15 hrs + 640 practice hours, or 30 hrs
Renewal cycle
Every 2 years
Flexible options
Practice, certification, or academic credit count
Issued by
Virginia Board of Nursing
Virginia does not hand you a single number and call it a day. Instead, it asks every RN to show continued competency at each two-year renewal, and it gives you a menu of ways to do it. The most common path is 15 contact hours of continuing education plus 640 hours of active practice as a nurse. If you did not log enough practice hours, you can do 30 contact hours instead.
That flexibility is genuinely nurse-friendly, but it is also where people get tripped up - they assume they owe a flat number of hours and miss the practice-hours half of the equation. Here is the full picture, in plain English.
The two main paths: 15 + 640 or 30 hours
To renew an active RN license, Virginia requires you to complete at least one approved continued-competency activity during the cycle. The two paths most nurses use are: 15 contact hours of workshops, seminars, conferences, or courses relevant to nursing practice combined with 640 hours of active practice as a nurse; or, if you did not work 640 hours, 30 contact hours of relevant continuing education on their own.
Continuing education must come from a provider Virginia recognizes - for example the American Nurses Association, NCSBN, AHEC, a state nurses association, the NLN, or an accredited healthcare organization. Keep that in mind before you pay for a random course online.
Other ways to satisfy the requirement
- Current specialty certification from a national certifying organization.
- Completion of at least three credit hours of post-licensure academic education relevant to nursing from a regionally accredited college or university.
- A Board-approved refresher course.
- Completing a nursing-related evidence-based practice project or research study.
- Being published as an author or co-author in a nursing-related work.
- Teaching or developing a nursing course (at least three semester hours or a 15-week course), or teaching or developing nursing CE for up to 30 contact hours.
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?
Virginia RN licenses renew every two years, with the expiration tied to your birth month. Your exact date is on your license and in the Virginia DHP licensee portal. You complete the competency activity during the cycle and attest to it when you renew - and the Board audits a sample of renewals, so hold on to your certificates and any proof of practice hours.
How CredTally keeps this on autopilot
- Set your path once - '15 hours + 640 practice hours' or '30 hours' - and the progress rings show exactly what is still owed in each bucket so the practice-hours half never slips your mind.
- Snap a photo of each certificate as you finish a course; it is stored privately with the credit it proves, ready if the Board audits you.
- Reminder emails at 90, 60, 30, and 7 days before your birth-month deadline, with your remaining hours in the subject line.
- If you are audited, export a dated PDF packet of your whole cycle - summary plus every certificate - in one click.
Frequently asked questions
How many CE hours does a Virginia RN need to renew?
Either 15 contact hours plus 640 hours of active nursing practice, or 30 contact hours on their own, every two-year cycle. Several other activities like national certification or academic credit can substitute.
Do practice hours really count in Virginia?
Yes. The standard path pairs 15 contact hours with 640 hours of active practice. If you did not work 640 hours, you switch to the 30-contact-hour path instead.
Can national certification replace CE in Virginia?
Yes. Holding current specialty certification from a national certifying organization satisfies the continued-competency requirement for that cycle.
Does the Virginia Board of Nursing audit CE?
Yes. The Board audits a portion of renewals and can ask you to produce proof, so keep your certificates and documentation of practice hours.
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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