Iowa nursing CE requirements
RN license renewal · checked against the board on 2026-10-29
- Contact hours
- 36or another route
- Renewal cycle
- 3 years
- Required topics
- 1
CE is one way to renew in Iowa: 36 contact hours every 3 years. The other routes are listed below.
Other ways to renew
- Current national certification or recertification counts as the full 36 h
- A nurse residency program counts as the full 36 h
Required topics
- Mandatory reporter training (HHS curriculum), within the previous 3 years: child abuse if you treat children, dependent adult abuse if you treat adults
Good to know
Up to 18 extra hours carry over to the next period. Exemptions include active military duty, an active license in another mandatory-CE state while living outside Iowa, work abroad, and approved illness or disability.
Track your Iowa hours
The free CEU tracker loads this rule, then shows the hours and required topics you still need. It stays in your browser: no account.
Open the CEU trackerFree courses for these topicsOfficial source
Other states
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
RN rules only; advanced-practice, LPN and first-renewal rules can differ. Boards change their rules, so confirm with the Iowa Board of Nursing before you renew. General information, not legal advice. RN PocketPal does not award CE credit.