May 2021
Licensees of the Florida Board of Nursing are required to renew their licenses biennially in order to maintain the right to practice.
Florida RN & LPN License Renewal Dates
When do I renew my RN license in Florida? Did the renewal date change for 2021?
As per the Florida Board of Nursing, registered nurse (RN) licenses are renewed by the department in three groups:
- Group 1: Current licenses expire at midnight, Eastern Standard Time, April 30, 2022
- Group 2: Current licenses expire at midnight, Eastern Standard Time, July 31, 2022
- Group 3: Current licenses expire at midnight, Eastern Standard Time, June 30, 2021 (extended from April 30, see below)
When do I renew my Advanced Practice RN license in Florida?
Advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) licenses are renewed by the department in the same three groups described above.
Does COVID-19/coronavirus affect my RN or APRN nursing license renewal date in Florida?
As part of the response to the novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID- 19), State Surgeon General Dr. Scott A. Rivkees issued Emergency Order 21-001 extending the licensure renewal expiration date until June 30, 2021, for any professional license issued by the Department with upcoming April 30 licensure renewal deadlines. The April 30, 2021, license expiration date for registered nurses (RNs) and advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) is extended to June 30, 2021.
When do I renew my Florida LPN nursing license?
Licensed practical nurse (LPN) licenses expire at midnight, Eastern Standard Time, on July 31 in odd-numbered years. There is no change for 2021 due to COVID-19.
Reactivating a License
How do I reactivate a license?
Licensees requesting to reactivate their license from Inactive or Retired status are required to pay additional fees and comply with specific continuing education requirements. Licensees who fail to meet these requirements must reapply for licensure and comply with current laws and rules.
Licensees who have become Null and Void or elected to Voluntarily Relinquish their LPN license must reapply for licensure and meet current requirements.
Licensees of the Florida Board of Nursing are required to renew their licenses biennially in order to maintain the right to practice.
CEU Requirements
How many CE hours are required to renew my Florida nursing license?
The required number of nursing CEU hours is described in the table below.
Wild Iris Medical Education is an ANCC accredited provider for nursing continuing education (CNE), approved by the Florida Board of Nursing, Provider #NCE3403 and CE Broker provider #50-2174. Courses completed with Wild Iris Medical Education by existing Florida license holders are reported electronically to CE Broker within 24 hours.
| Required Subject Area | Required No. of Hours | Important Information |
| General Hours | 16 | – |
| Prevention of Medical Errors | 2 | – |
| Florida Laws and Rules | 2 | – |
| Recognizing Impairment in the Workplace | 2 | Required upon initial licensure and every other renewal afterwards. |
| Human Trafficking | 2 | After January 1, 2019, required every renewal/biennium. |
| Domestic Violence | 2 | Required every third biennium; hours are in addition to the 24 hours of continuing education required for renewal. |
| HIV/AIDS | 1 | One-time requirement prior to the first renewal. |
What are the CE requirements for APRNs?
In addition to the CEU requirements listed in the table above, Florida APRNs are required to complete 3 hours of continuing education in Safe and Effective Prescription of Controlled Substances.
What are the CE requirements for the first biennium renewal?
LPNs and RNs initially licensed by examination during the current biennium are exempt from the general CEU requirements for the first renewal. However, those licensees must still complete 2 hours in Medical Errors, 2 hours in Florida Laws and Rules, 2 hours in Recognizing Impairment in the Workplace, 2 hours in Human Trafficking, and 1 hour in HIV/AIDS.
LPNs and RNs initially licensed by endorsement during the current biennium and who took the exam in another state within the biennium are exempt from general CEU hours. However, those licensees must still complete 2 hours in Medical Errors, 2 hours in Florida Laws and Rules, 2 hours in Recognizing Impairment in the Workplace, 2 hours in Human Trafficking, and 1 hour in HIV/AIDS.
First licenses are not generally valid for a full two years. Initial licenses that were issued for less than 24 months are required to complete 1 hour for each month that the license was valid; these hours must include the same required course hours listed above.
How do I report my completed continuing education to CE Broker?
Wild Iris Medical Education reports any course completion automatically and electronically from its system to the CE Broker system in Florida within 24 hours. In order to ensure successful reporting, the license number must be entered into the Wild Iris registration with the license prefix, i.e., RN12345, LPN56789.
How can I stay up to date on any new continuing education requirements?
The Florida Board of Nursing offers a free email subscription service to receive any updates to their site. By subscribing, you will be among the first to learn of any new CEU requirements.
Multistate Nursing License
Is Florida a Nursing Licensure Compact (NLC) State?
Yes, since March 2016, Florida has been a Compact State for the multistate nursing license.
In order to receive a new multistate license, a nurse who lives in a Compact State must meet the following 11 Uniform Licensure Requirements (ULRs):
- Meet the requirements for licensure in their home state (state of residency)
- Have graduated from a board-approved education program or have graduated from an international education program (approved by the authorized accrediting body in the applicable country and verified by an independent credentials review agency)
- Have passed an English proficiency examination (applies to graduates of an international education program not taught in English or if English is not the individual’s native language)
- Have passed an NCLEX-RN® or NCLEX-PN® examination or predecessor exam
- Be eligible for or hold an active, unencumbered license (i.e., without active discipline)
- Have submitted to state and federal fingerprint-based criminal background checks
- Have no state or federal felony convictions
- Have no misdemeanor convictions related to the practice of nursing (determined on a case-by-case basis)
- Not be a current participant in an alternative program
- Self-disclose current participation in an alternative program
- Have a valid United States Social Security number
Source: Florida Board of Nursing
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Wild Iris Medical Education, Inc., is a privately held, woman-owned company providing online healthcare continuing education. In 1998, we began offering online ANCC-accredited nursing continuing education courses and since then have expanded to provide CEUs for occupational therapists, physical therapists, paramedics, EMTs, and other healthcare professionals.
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