ANCC Certification Renewal
ANCC certification lasts five years. Renewing takes 75 continuing education contact hours plus one of eight professional development categories — and there is no grace period if you miss the date.
What ANCC renewal requires
- Hold a current, active RN license in a US state or territory.
- Complete 75 continuing education contact hours. NPs and CNSs must include 25 hours of pharmacology in that 75.
- Complete at least one of the eight renewal categories in its entirety, on top of the continuing education.
- Pay the renewal fee before your expiration date.
Clinically reviewed by License Guide Research Team
Based on 4 official sources • Last verified: September 2026
Figures on this page come from the ANCC Certification Renewal Handbook (effective September 10, 2025; Version 2, February 10, 2026) and ANCC certification pages. Requirements can change between handbook editions — confirm against ANCC before you submit.
The 75 contact hour requirement
Continuing education is Category 1, and it is the only category that is mandatory for every certificant. Four rules govern what counts.
All 75 hours must be on-scope
Every hour has to relate directly to the full scope of your certification role and specialty. Hours outside your specialty do not count toward renewal.
At least 60 must be formally approved
Formally approved means one of the following:
- Continuing nursing education approved for contact hours by an accredited provider or approver of CNE
- Continuing medical education approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credits
- Continuing education approved through the Joint Accreditation for Interprofessional Continuing Education
The remaining 15 hours can be less formal, but still have to be on-scope. Contact hours from other healthcare disciplines — pharmacy, respiratory therapy, social work, physician assistant and others — are acceptable when they apply to your specialty.
NPs and CNSs need 25 pharmacology hours
Everyone renewing a nurse practitioner or clinical nurse specialist certification must complete 25 hours of pharmacology as a portion of the mandatory 75 — not in addition to it.
Repeat courses do not count twice
You can claim credit for a specific course only once in a five-year period, even if you took it more than once.
The eight renewal categories
Beyond the mandatory contact hours, you must complete one of these eight categories in its entirety. Most nurses use practice hours, since 1,000 hours over five years is roughly four hours a week.
| Category | Minimum requirement |
|---|---|
| 1. Continuing education contact hours | 75 CE contact hours, at least 60 of them formally approved Mandatory for everyone — this is the one category you cannot skip. |
| 2. Academic credits | 5 semester credits or 6 quarter credits Below that threshold, convert to contact hours and claim under Category 1. |
| 3. Presentations | One or more presentations totaling 5 clock hours You must be the primary presenter of a first-time presentation. |
| 4. EBP or QI project, publication, or research | One project, publication, or research study A project must be started and completed inside the renewal period. |
| 5. Preceptor hours | Minimum 120 hours of clinical supervision Must be a formal preceptor relationship in your certification specialty. |
| 6. Professional service | Two or more consecutive years of volunteer service Boards, committees, editorial boards, task forces, medical missions. |
| 7. Practice hours | Minimum 1,000 practice hours Optional, not required. Employment or volunteer hours both count. |
| 8. Assessment (examination) | Retake and pass your certification exam Unavailable if your exam is retired or the certification is "Renewal Only". |
Timing rule: effective January 14, 2026, renewal activities must be accrued during your designated five-year certification period, before you submit the renewal application. Activities banked outside that window do not count.
Renewal fees
Renewal pricing is set per certification. Below is the published rate for Adult Nurse Practitioner (ANP-BC) renewal as a worked example — check your own certification's page for its exact fee.
| Membership | Renewal cost |
|---|---|
| Non-member | $375 |
| ANA member | $275 |
| AANP member | $295 |
| GAPNA member | $320 |
The $140 administrative fee is included in each price above, and it is non-refundable. If you withdraw a renewal application, ANCC keeps that $140 and refunds the rest.
ANA membership can pay for itself. The member and non-member spread on this certification is $100 — compare that against the cost of membership before you renew.
Expedited review is available for an additional non-refundable fee, which cuts renewal processing to three business days from the date payment is received.
Financial hardship relief exists. ANCC can defer, reduce, or waive fees based on individual circumstances with supporting evidence. You can request one fee modification every ten years.
If your certification lapses
There is no grace period
ANCC does not allow a grace period or backdating. A renewal application received after your expiration date starts a new certification period and leaves a permanent gap in your dates. ANCC will not backdate that gap to satisfy a state board, an employer, or a reimbursement requirement — and it is not responsible for any penalties you incur because of it. While lapsed, you may not display the credential or represent yourself as ANCC-certified.
Lapsed less than two years
Submit a reactivation application, meet the renewal requirements in effect at the time you apply, and pay the renewal and reactivation fees. No exam required.
Lapsed more than two years, exam still available
Everything above, plus you must retake and pass the examination for the lapsed certification.
Lapsed more than two years, "Renewal Only" certification
If ANCC no longer offers an exam for your certification, it cannot be reactivated at all once it has been lapsed for more than two years. For these certifications, missing a renewal deadline by two years is permanent.
Holding multiple lapsed certifications means separate applications, separate requirements, and separate renewal and reactivation fees for each.
ANCC renewal is not license renewal
These get conflated constantly, and missing the distinction is how nurses end up with a lapsed credential they did not know about. They are separate obligations on separate clocks.
| ANCC certification | State license | |
|---|---|---|
| Issued by | ANCC, a national body | Your state board of nursing |
| Cycle | Every 5 years | Usually every 2 years, varies by state |
| CE rules | 75 contact hours plus one category | Set by the state — some require none |
| Grace period | None | Varies by state |
An active RN license is a prerequisite for ANCC renewal, so a lapsed license puts the certification at risk too. If your license is placed on probation, suspended, revoked, surrendered, or goes inactive, you are required to notify ANCC immediately.