State of Alabama
Alabama.
Updated 2026
Contact hours
For RN renewal, every 2 years
24
Mandatory topics
For RN renewal, topic
1
Online CE
For RN renewal, fully accepted
Yes
¶ Alabama requires registered nurses to complete 24 contact hours of continuing education every 2 years to maintain an active license. Newly licensed nurses are exempt from CE requirements for their first renewal period.
Nursing in Alabama.
Alabama has approximately 85,000 licensed registered nurses serving a population of 5.1 million. The state faces nursing shortages in rural areas, particularly in the Black Belt region where healthcare access remains limited. Major employers include UAB Hospital in Birmingham, which is one of the largest academic medical centers in the Southeast, along with regional health systems like Huntsville Hospital and Mobile Infirmary.
The Alabama Board of Nursing requires 24 contact hours every two years to ensure nurses stay current with evolving healthcare practices. The state emphasizes jurisprudence education, requiring a one-time 4-hour course on the Alabama Nurse Practice Act. This requirement helps nurses understand their legal scope of practice and the regulations governing nursing in the state.
Common practice settings
Rural Health Clinics
Alabama has over 200 rural health clinics where nurses often work with expanded responsibilities due to physician shortages.
Academic Medical Centers
UAB Hospital and other teaching facilities offer opportunities for nurses to earn CE through clinical precepting and research participation.
Long-term Care
With an aging population, Alabama nursing homes and assisted living facilities employ thousands of nurses requiring ongoing education in geriatric care.
Renewal tips
01
Keep certificates of completion for at least 5 years in case of audit.
02
Complete your jurisprudence requirement early if you are a new licensee.
03
Self-study courses are limited to 12 hours per renewal cycle.
04
Check that your CE provider is approved by the Alabama Board of Nursing or a recognized national accrediting body.
The Nurse Licensure Compact in Alabama
Alabama joined the Nurse Licensure Compact in 2002. Nurses with a multistate license can practice in Alabama without obtaining a separate state license. If Alabama is your primary state of residence, you are eligible to apply for a multistate license that allows you to practice in all other compact states.
Read the compact license guide→The requirements, by license
Every license type,side by side.
Hours, cycles, mandatory topics, exemptions. Switch between RN, LPN, APRN and the four advanced-practice specialties.
License
RN
Registered nurse.
Contact hours
24
every 2 years
Renewal cycle
2
years
Online CE
Yes
fully accepted
First renewal
Exempt
CE waived
Mandatory topics
Nursing Jurisprudence Alabama Nurse Practice Act and rules | 4h |
Exemptions
- First renewal after initial licensure
Notes
- No more than 12 hours can be self-study.
License
LPN
LPN / LVN.
Contact hours
24
every 2 years
Renewal cycle
2
years
Online CE
Yes
fully accepted
First renewal
Exempt
CE waived
Mandatory topics
Nursing Jurisprudence Alabama Nurse Practice Act and rules | 4h |
Exemptions
- First renewal after initial licensure
Notes
- No more than 12 hours can be self-study.
License
APRN
APRN, general.
Contact hours
24
every 2 years
Renewal cycle
2
years
Online CE
Yes
fully accepted
First renewal
Exempt
CE waived
Mandatory topics
Nursing Jurisprudence Alabama Nurse Practice Act and rules | 4h |
Exemptions
- First renewal after initial licensure
Notes
- Maintain national certification.
Additional requirements
License
NP
Nurse practitioner.
Contact hours
24
every 2 years
Renewal cycle
2
years
Online CE
Yes
fully accepted
First renewal
Exempt
CE waived
Mandatory topics
Nursing Jurisprudence Alabama Nurse Practice Act and rules | 4h |
Exemptions
- First renewal after initial licensure
Notes
- Maintain national certification.
Additional requirements
License
CNS
Clinical nurse specialist.
Contact hours
24
every 2 years
Renewal cycle
2
years
Online CE
Yes
fully accepted
First renewal
Exempt
CE waived
Mandatory topics
Nursing Jurisprudence Alabama Nurse Practice Act and rules | 4h |
Exemptions
- First renewal after initial licensure
Notes
- Maintain national certification.
Additional requirements
License
CNM
Certified nurse-midwife.
Contact hours
24
every 2 years
Renewal cycle
2
years
Online CE
Yes
fully accepted
First renewal
Exempt
CE waived
Mandatory topics
Nursing Jurisprudence Alabama Nurse Practice Act and rules | 4h |
Exemptions
- First renewal after initial licensure
Notes
- Maintain national certification.
Additional requirements
License
CRNA
Nurse anesthetist.
Contact hours
24
every 2 years
Renewal cycle
2
years
Online CE
Yes
fully accepted
First renewal
Exempt
CE waived
Mandatory topics
Nursing Jurisprudence Alabama Nurse Practice Act and rules | 4h |
Exemptions
- First renewal after initial licensure
Notes
- Maintain national certification.
Additional requirements
In context. Alabama requires 24 contact hours every 2 years for RN license renewal. Compared with neighbors, Florida has similar requirements (24 hours), while Georgia has no general CE requirement. As a Nurse Licensure Compact state, Alabama allows nurses to practice across state lines with a multistate license.
Continue.
Verify with the source
Alabama Board of Nursing.
(334) 293-5200
RSA Tower, 201 Monroe Street, Suite 990, Montgomery, AL 36104
Verify before relying on this