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Delaware CME and nursing CE requirements
Continuing education and license renewal rules for physicians, advanced practice clinicians and nurses licensed in Delaware, as recorded by ClinLicense for planning.
Planning aid only. ClinLicense is not legal or compliance advice. Boards change rules between cycles, so confirm every requirement with the board before you rely on it.
- Licensing board
- Delaware Board of Medical Licensure and Discipline
- License renewal
- Every 2 years
MD CME requirements
Reviewed 2026-10-31 This entry was last reviewed on 2026-10-31. That date records our own review and is not a board approval. Always confirm with the board before you rely on it.
- Total hours
- 40 hours every 2 years, with at least 20 in Category 1 or the equivalent
- License renewal
- Every 2 years
Required topics
| Topic | Hours | How often | Applies to | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opioid & controlled-substance prescribing | 3 | Every cycle | DEA registrants | Controlled-substance prescribing, including addiction/pain management, for CS registrants |
Notes. 40 hours per 2 years, at least 20 Category 1.
DO CME requirements
Not yet verified Not yet verified, confirm with the board. This entry has not been checked against the board’s own published rules.
- Total hours
- 40 hours every 2 years, with at least 20 in Category 1 or the equivalent
- License renewal
- Every 2 years
Required topics
| Topic | Hours | How often | Applies to | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opioid & controlled-substance prescribing | 3 | Every cycle | DEA registrants | Controlled-substance prescribing, including addiction/pain management, for CS registrants |
Notes. Copied from the MD block as a planning default; the osteopathic rules were not separately confirmed. Confirm with the board.
NP CME requirements
Reviewed 2026-11-01 This entry was last reviewed on 2026-11-01. That date records our own review and is not a board approval. Some details below are marked for confirmation, so treat those as unverified until the board confirms them. Always confirm with the board before you rely on it.
- Total hours
- 30 hours every 2 years
- License renewal
- Every 2 years
Required topics
| Topic | Hours | How often | Applies to | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opioid & controlled-substance prescribing | 3 | Every cycle | Everyone | At least 3 of the 30 contact hours must be in substance abuse (24 Del. Admin. Code 1900 section 9.2.1.1.1, added 2014) |
| Pharmacology | 10 | Every cycle | Some licensees, see the note | Advanced practice nurses with independent prescriptive authority need at least 10 JPC-approved pharmacology/pharmacotherapeutics hours per biennium (section 8.20.2) |
Notes. Source: the Delaware Register final order of May 2014 (17 DE Reg 1095), which reproduces the Board of Nursing regulation: APNs must meet RN standards (30 contact hours per biennium) and renewal is on the RN cycle. The current codified text may have been renumbered since 2014. Secondary sources also report 2 hours on controlled substance prescribing for APRNs with a controlled substance registration; that is not in the 2014 text. Confirm with the board.
PA CME requirements
Reviewed 2026-11-01 This entry was last reviewed on 2026-11-01. That date records our own review and is not a board approval. Always confirm with the board before you rely on it.
- Total hours
- 100 hours every 2 years, with at least 50 in Category 1 or the equivalent
- License renewal
- Every 2 years
Required topics
No mandated topics are recorded for this profession in this state. That is not the same as the board having none, so confirm with the board.
Notes. 100 CME per renewal period (Apr 1 to Mar 31 of even-numbered years), satisfied by current NCCPA certification OR 50 hours AMA/AOA Category 1 plus 50 hours Category 2. First renewal within 1-2 years of licensure requires 50 hours. Board page lists no mandatory topic hours. Documents are uploaded only if randomly audited.
CRNA CME requirements
Reviewed 2026-11-01 This entry was last reviewed on 2026-11-01. That date records our own review and is not a board approval. Some details below are marked for confirmation, so treat those as unverified until the board confirms them. Always confirm with the board before you rely on it.
- Total hours
- 30 hours every 2 years
- License renewal
- Every 2 years
Required topics
| Topic | Hours | How often | Applies to | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opioid & controlled-substance prescribing | 3 | Every cycle | Everyone | At least 3 of the 30 contact hours must be in substance abuse (section 9.2.1.1.1) |
Notes. CRNAs are advanced practice nurses under the same Board of Nursing regulation (read from the 2014 Delaware Register final order for 17 DE Reg 1095): RN standard of 30 contact hours per biennium with 3 in substance abuse. The 10-hour pharmacology rule applies to APNs holding independent prescriptive authority. Confirm with the board.
CAA CME requirements
Not yet verified Not yet verified, confirm with the board. This entry has not been checked against the board’s own published rules.
- Total hours
- Not recorded, and the renewal cycle is not recorded
- License renewal
- Every 2 years
Required topics
No mandated topics are recorded for this profession in this state. That is not the same as the board having none, so confirm with the board.
Notes. Secondary source; confirm with the board. The CU Anschutz AA program list (states where AAs work by license, regulation or certification, or by physician delegation) and the BYU 2023 list of authorized states do not include Delaware, so no state licensure for anesthesiologist assistants was found. This is not confirmed on a board or statute page.
Delaware nursing CE requirements
Nursing boards usually count continuing education in contact hours rather than CME credits, and the nursing license renews on its own schedule, which may differ from the medical board dates above. Nurse practitioners and nurse anesthetists have their own sections above.
Nurse Licensure Compact Delaware has implemented the Nurse Licensure Compact. A registered or practical nurse whose primary state of residence is Delaware can hold a multistate license issued by Delaware, which carries the privilege to practice in the other compact states, and a nurse with a multistate license from another compact state can practice in Delaware under that privilege. Renewal and CE for a multistate license follow the rules of the home state that issued it. The compact covers RN and LPN/LVN licenses only, and advanced practice authority is still granted state by state. This compact list was last reviewed on November 3, 2026. Read the compact guide for RNs and LPNs.
Registered nurses (RN)
Reviewed 2026-11-03 This entry was last reviewed on 2026-11-03 against the source linked below. That date records our own review and is not a board approval.
- Continuing education
- 30 contact hours every 2 years
- Other ways to meet it
- A first renewal by examination can require 0, 15 or 30 hours depending on the issue date, and RNs also attest to 1,000 practice hours in five years or 400 in two.
- Nursing license renewal
- Every 2 years, based on a fixed calendar date (09-30)
- Board
- Delaware Board of Nursing
- Source
- The board page this entry was checked against
Required topics
| Topic | Contact hours | How often | Applies to | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Substance use disorder & addiction (incl. MATE Act) | 3 | Every cycle | Everyone | At least 3 contact hours on substance abuse |
| Abuse and exploitation of vulnerable persons | 1 | Every cycle | Everyone | At least 1 hour on recognizing and responding to suspected or known abuse, exploitation, trafficking or domestic violence of vulnerable persons, which may include reporting obligations for child abuse or neglect |
Notes. 30 contact hours per full renewal period. RN licenses expire February 28, May 31 or September 30 of odd years depending on original issue, and new licenses expire September 30 of odd years. A first renewal by examination can require 0, 15 or 30 hours depending on the issue date, and RNs also attest to 1,000 practice hours in five years or 400 in two.
Licensed practical and vocational nurses (LPN/LVN)
Reviewed 2026-11-03 This entry was last reviewed on 2026-11-03 against the source linked below. That date records our own review and is not a board approval.
- Continuing education
- 24 contact hours every 2 years
- Other ways to meet it
- LPNs also attest to 1,000 practice hours in five years or 400 in two.
- Nursing license renewal
- Every 2 years, based on a fixed calendar date (02-28)
- Board
- Delaware Board of Nursing
- Source
- The board page this entry was checked against
Required topics
| Topic | Contact hours | How often | Applies to | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Substance use disorder & addiction (incl. MATE Act) | 3 | Every cycle | Everyone | At least 3 contact hours on substance abuse |
| Abuse and exploitation of vulnerable persons | 1 | Every cycle | Everyone | At least 1 hour on recognizing and responding to suspected or known abuse, exploitation, trafficking or domestic violence of vulnerable persons, which may include reporting obligations for child abuse or neglect |
Notes. 24 contact hours per license period, March 1 to February 28 of even years; the board page does not say whether the topic hours differ for LPNs. First-renewal hours vary from 0 to 24 by issue date. LPNs also attest to 1,000 practice hours in five years or 400 in two.
Certified nurse-midwives (CNM)
Not yet verified This nursing entry has not been checked against the board’s own published rules, so confirm it with the board before you rely on it.
- Continuing education
- 30 contact hours every 2 years
- Other ways to meet it
- APRNs also attest to 1,500 practice hours in five years, 600 in two, or recent specialty graduation.
- Nursing license renewal
- Every 2 years, based on a fixed calendar date (09-30)
- Board
- Delaware Board of Nursing
- Source
- The board page this entry was checked against
Required topics
| Topic | Contact hours | How often | Applies to | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Substance use disorder & addiction (incl. MATE Act) | 3 | Every cycle | Everyone | At least 3 contact hours on substance abuse |
| Abuse and exploitation of vulnerable persons | 1 | Every cycle | Everyone | At least 1 hour on recognizing and responding to suspected or known abuse, exploitation, trafficking or domestic violence of vulnerable persons, which may include reporting obligations for child abuse or neglect |
| Pharmacology | 10 | Every cycle | Some licensees, see the note | Advanced practice nurses with independent prescriptive authority need at least 10 approved pharmacology hours per biennium (24 Del. Admin. Code 1900 section 8.20.2, as read in the 2014 Delaware Register) |
Notes. APRN rule, expiring with the Delaware RN license (or September 30 of odd years without one): 30 RN-standard hours plus 10 pharmacology hours for independent prescribers, per the 2014 Delaware Register order. APRNs also attest to 1,500 practice hours in five years, 600 in two, or recent specialty graduation. The board CE page does not address CNMs, so confirm with the board.
Clinical nurse specialists (CNS)
Not yet verified This nursing entry has not been checked against the board’s own published rules, so confirm it with the board before you rely on it.
- Continuing education
- 30 contact hours every 2 years
- Other ways to meet it
- APRNs also attest to 1,500 practice hours in five years, 600 in two, or recent specialty graduation.
- Nursing license renewal
- Every 2 years, based on a fixed calendar date (09-30)
- Board
- Delaware Board of Nursing
- Source
- The board page this entry was checked against
Required topics
| Topic | Contact hours | How often | Applies to | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Substance use disorder & addiction (incl. MATE Act) | 3 | Every cycle | Everyone | At least 3 contact hours on substance abuse |
| Abuse and exploitation of vulnerable persons | 1 | Every cycle | Everyone | At least 1 hour on recognizing and responding to suspected or known abuse, exploitation, trafficking or domestic violence of vulnerable persons, which may include reporting obligations for child abuse or neglect |
| Pharmacology | 10 | Every cycle | Some licensees, see the note | Advanced practice nurses with independent prescriptive authority need at least 10 approved pharmacology hours per biennium (24 Del. Admin. Code 1900 section 8.20.2, as read in the 2014 Delaware Register) |
Notes. APRN rule, expiring with the Delaware RN license (or September 30 of odd years without one): 30 RN-standard hours plus 10 pharmacology hours for independent prescribers, per the 2014 Delaware Register order. APRNs also attest to 1,500 practice hours in five years, 600 in two, or recent specialty graduation. The board CE page does not address CNSs, so confirm with the board.
See nursing CE requirements by state to compare Delaware with other states.
Plan this renewal
Use the free opioid CME planner to see the controlled-substance rules for Delaware next to other states, or the license cost calculator to estimate fees. Read how multi-state CME works if you hold more than one license.
Nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurse anesthetists and anesthesiologist assistants usually also maintain national certification, which has its own cycle. The recertification basics guide explains how that fits alongside state rules. Nurses who hold licenses in more than one state can read the Nurse Licensure Compact for RNs and LPNs.
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