Home / State requirements / Washington
Washington CME and nursing CE requirements
Continuing education and license renewal rules for physicians, advanced practice clinicians and nurses licensed in Washington, 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
- Washington Medical Commission
- License lookup
- Public license verification
- License renewal
- Every 1 year, based on your birthday
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
- 200 hours every 4 years, with at least 60 in Category 1 or the equivalent
- License renewal
- Every 1 year, based on your birthday
Required topics
| Topic | Hours | How often | Applies to | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suicide prevention | 6 | Once | Everyone | One-time 6-hour suicide prevention training, due by the first full renewal |
| Cultural competency | 2 | Every cycle | Everyone | Health equity, per cycle |
| Opioid & controlled-substance prescribing | 1 | Once | DEA registrants | One-time opioid prescribing |
Notes. 200 hours per 4 years, at least 60 Category 1. The license renews every year on the birthday, so renewalYears is 1 while the CME window is 4. DOs: Washington Board of Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery, separate rules.
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
- 150 hours every 3 years, with at least 60 in Category 1 or the equivalent
- License renewal
- Every 1 year, based on your birthday
- Board for this profession
- [object Object]
Required topics
| Topic | Hours | How often | Applies to | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suicide prevention | 6 | Once | Everyone | One-time (confirm) |
Notes. Osteopathic board: 150 hours per 3 years, at least 60 AOA Category 1; other mandated topics may apply. Confirm.
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, and the renewal cycle is not recorded
- License renewal
- Every 1 year, based on your birthday
Required topics
| Topic | Hours | How often | Applies to | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmacology | 15 | Every cycle | Some licensees, see the note | Additional to the 30 hours, for ARNPs with prescriptive authority |
Notes. 30 CE hours plus 15 pharmacology hours with prescriptive authority; must hold active national certification in each area of advanced practice. Renewal period length not stated on the page. The page lists no opioid requirement for ARNPs; Confirm with the board for current WAC 246-840 opioid CE (a January 2026 draft rule was posted).
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 40 in Category 1 or the equivalent
- License renewal
- Every 1 year, based on your birthday
Required topics
| Topic | Hours | How often | Applies to | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suicide prevention | 6 | Every cycle | Everyone | One-time 6 hours of suicide assessment, treatment and management training (RCW 43.70.442). |
| Opioid & controlled-substance prescribing | 1 | Every cycle | DEA registrants | One-time 1-hour opioid prescribing CME if prescribing opioids in Washington. |
Notes. WAC 246-918-180: 100 hours of CE every 2 years, minimum 40 in Category I; NCCPA certification or an AAPA/NCCPA maintenance program is accepted in lieu. Topic requirements from the WMC renewals page.
CRNA 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
- 30 hours every 2 years
- License renewal
- Every 1 year, based on your birthday
Required topics
| Topic | Hours | How often | Applies to | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmacology | 15 | Every cycle | Some licensees, see the note | 15 additional hours relating to pharmacology for ARNPs with prescriptive authority. |
| Suicide prevention | 6 | Every cycle | Everyone | One-time 6-hour suicide assessment training required of RNs (the ARNP must meet the RN continuing competency requirements). |
Notes. Nursing Commission continuing competency page and FAQ (Oct 2024): an ARNP must hold an active RN license, have 30 CE hours (2-year ARNP cycle) plus 15 pharmacology hours with prescriptive authority, hold active certification in each specialty, and also meet the RN annual requirements (8 CE hours including 2 health equity, 96 practice hours). Assumes a CRNA is licensed as an ARNP in Washington; CRNA-specific wording is not confirmed, so confirm.
CAA 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
- License renewal
- Every 1 year, based on your birthday
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. Washington Medical Commission licenses certified anesthesiologist assistants (limited to the CAA license page). Licenses renew every 2 years on the birthday; the commission page states 100 hours of continuing education every 2 years. Category split not stated. This also corrects the prior fee note saying Washington does not appear to license CAAs.
Washington 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 Washington has implemented the Nurse Licensure Compact. A registered or practical nurse whose primary state of residence is Washington can hold a multistate license issued by Washington, 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 Washington 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. Some details are marked for confirmation, so treat those as unverified until the board confirms them.
- Continuing education
- 8 contact hours every year
- Nursing license renewal
- Every 1 year
- Board
- Washington State Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission
- Source
- The board page this entry was checked against
Required topics
| Topic | Contact hours | How often | Applies to | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health equity | 2 | Every cycle | Everyone | Health equity CE, part of the 8 hours; first due by the 2026 renewal, then every renewal |
| Suicide prevention | 6 | Once | Everyone | One-time suicide assessment, treatment and management training from a model-list program, due by the end of the first full year of licensure (RNs except CRNA holders, and LPNs); counts toward CE |
Notes. WAC 246-840-220: within the 12 months before renewal, 96 hours of active nursing practice and 8 hours of CE including 2 of health equity. The 12-month look-back implies annual renewal; the renewal date basis is not confirmed.
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
- 8 contact hours every year
- Other ways to meet it
- WAC 246-840-220 applies the same rule to LPNs: 96 practice hours and 8 CE hours including 2 of health equity within the 12 months before renewal.
- Nursing license renewal
- Every 1 year
- Board
- Washington State Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission
- Source
- The board page this entry was checked against
Required topics
| Topic | Contact hours | How often | Applies to | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health equity | 2 | Every cycle | Everyone | Health equity CE, part of the 8 hours; first due by the 2026 renewal, then every renewal |
| Suicide prevention | 6 | Once | Everyone | One-time suicide assessment, treatment and management training from a model-list program, due by the end of the first full year of licensure (RNs except CRNA holders, and LPNs); counts toward CE |
Notes. WAC 246-840-220 applies the same rule to LPNs: 96 practice hours and 8 CE hours including 2 of health equity within the 12 months before renewal.
Certified nurse-midwives (CNM)
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
- Nursing license renewal
- Every 2 years
- Board
- Washington State Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission
- Source
- The board page this entry was checked against
Required topics
| Topic | Contact hours | How often | Applies to | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmacology | 15 | Every cycle | Some licensees, see the note | Additional pharmacology hours for ARNPs with prescriptive authority |
Notes. WAC 246-840-361: 30 contact hours per two-year ARNP renewal, plus 15 pharmacology hours with prescriptive authority. WAC 246-840-302 lists CNM among the ARNP designations and requires current certification in each. The ARNP also keeps the RN annual requirements.
Clinical nurse specialists (CNS)
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
- Nursing license renewal
- Every 2 years
- Board
- Washington State Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission
- Source
- The board page this entry was checked against
Required topics
| Topic | Contact hours | How often | Applies to | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmacology | 15 | Every cycle | Some licensees, see the note | Additional pharmacology hours for ARNPs with prescriptive authority |
Notes. WAC 246-840-361: 30 contact hours per two-year ARNP renewal, plus 15 pharmacology hours with prescriptive authority. WAC 246-840-302 lists CNS among the ARNP designations and requires current certification in each. The ARNP also keeps the RN annual requirements.
See nursing CE requirements by state to compare Washington with other states.
Plan this renewal
Use the free opioid CME planner to see the controlled-substance rules for Washington 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.
Keep every hour and deadline in one private place
ClinLicense tracks licenses, DEA registrations, CME credits and CE contact hours on your own devices, without an account.
Download ClinLicense