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West Virginia CME and nursing CE requirements
Continuing education and license renewal rules for physicians, advanced practice clinicians and nurses licensed in West Virginia, 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
- West Virginia Board of Medicine
- 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. 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.
Board-approved course required At least one topic must come from a course the board has approved, and a general CME course may not count. Check the board’s approved list before you buy.
- Total hours
- 50 hours every 2 years, with at least 30 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 Board-approved course required | Drug diversion and best-practice prescribing of controlled substances; confirm frequency |
Notes. 50 hours per 2 years, at least 30 Category 1. Additional topics (for example dementia) may apply.
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
- 32 hours every 2 years, with at least 16 in Category 1 or the equivalent
- License renewal
- Every 2 years
- Board for this profession
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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. Osteopathic board: 32 hours per 2 years; confirm Category 1-A requirement.
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. Always confirm with the board before you rely on it.
- Total hours
- 24 hours every 2 years
- License renewal
- Every 2 years
Required topics
| Topic | Hours | How often | Applies to | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmacology | 12 | Every cycle | Everyone | Pharmacotherapeutics (advanced pharmacology) |
| Opioid & controlled-substance prescribing | 3 | Every cycle | DEA registrants | Drug diversion, best-practice prescribing and opioid content for APRNs who prescribe, administer or dispense controlled substances |
Notes. 24 hours per 2 years: 12 pharmacotherapeutics and 12 clinical management. Licenses expire June 30 of odd years.
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
| Topic | Hours | How often | Applies to | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opioid & controlled-substance prescribing | 3 | Every cycle | DEA registrants | Risk assessment and responsible prescribing of controlled substances, within one year of initial licensure, for PAs who prescribe |
Notes. WV Board of Medicine PA CME page: 100 hours per two-year reporting period, at least 50 Category I and at most 50 Category II (AMA, AAPA or AAFP designated); the page lists two other pathways (including NCCPA-based options) that are not fully described here. Initial licensees who prescribe controlled substances complete 3 hours of Board-approved risk assessment and responsible prescribing CME within one year; that is no longer a renewal prerequisite.
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. Always confirm with the board before you rely on it.
- Total hours
- 24 hours every 2 years
- License renewal
- Every 2 years
Required topics
| Topic | Hours | How often | Applies to | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmacology | 12 | Every cycle | Everyone | Pharmacotherapeutics (advanced pharmacology) |
| Opioid & controlled-substance prescribing | 3 | Every cycle | DEA registrants | Drug diversion, best-practice prescribing and opioid antagonist training within 1 year of initial licensure, for those who prescribe, administer or dispense controlled substances |
Notes. WV RN Board CE page: each APRN completes 24 contact hours every two years (12 pharmacotherapeutics, 12 clinical management), renewal period July 1 of an odd year to June 30 of the next odd year. CRNAs are APRNs in West Virginia; the page does not name CRNAs separately. Drug diversion, best-practice prescribing and opioid antagonist training (3 hours) is required within one year of initial licensure for those who prescribe, administer or dispense controlled substances.
West Virginia 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 West Virginia has implemented the Nurse Licensure Compact. A registered or practical nurse whose primary state of residence is West Virginia can hold a multistate license issued by West Virginia, 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 West Virginia 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
- 12 contact hours every 2 years
- Nursing license renewal
- Every 2 years, based on a fixed calendar date (06-30)
- Board
- West Virginia Board of Examiners for Registered Professional Nurses
- Source
- The board page this entry was checked against
Required topics
| Topic | Contact hours | How often | Applies to | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opioid & controlled-substance prescribing | 3 | Once | Everyone | Safe prescribing and drug diversion within one year of initial licensure (waiver if no controlled-substance involvement) |
Notes. WV RN Board: 12 Board-approved contact hours per two-year cycle, with RN renewals expiring June 30 of even years (the 2024 cohort expires June 30, 2026). Newly licensed RNs need 3 hours on safe prescribing and drug diversion within one year of licensure, unless a waiver applies.
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
- Nursing license renewal
- Every 2 years, based on a fixed calendar date (06-30)
- Board
- West Virginia State Board of Examiners for Licensed Practical Nurses
- 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 | Substance abuse or drug diversion, within the 24 hours, every two years |
| Veterans' mental health | 2 | Every cycle | Everyone | Veterans' or mental health topics including veterans and their families, within the 24 hours, every two years |
| End-of-life / palliative care | 2 | At first renewal | Everyone | End-of-life care with pain management, one time for new nurses or nurses new to West Virginia |
Notes. WV LPN Board: 24 contact hours per cycle, reported by June 30 of each even-numbered year with the 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
- 24 contact hours every 2 years
- Nursing license renewal
- Every 2 years, based on a fixed calendar date (06-30)
- Board
- West Virginia Board of Examiners for Registered Professional Nurses
- Source
- The board page this entry was checked against
Required topics
| Topic | Contact hours | How often | Applies to | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmacology | 12 | Every cycle | Everyone | Pharmacotherapeutics (12 of the 24 hours) |
| Opioid & controlled-substance prescribing | 3 | Once | DEA registrants | Drug diversion, best-practice prescribing and opioid antagonist training within one year of initial licensure, for APRNs who prescribe, administer or dispense controlled substances |
Notes. WV RN Board: 24 contact hours every two years (12 pharmacotherapeutics, 12 clinical management), period July 1 of an odd year to June 30 of the next odd year. The Board's prescriptive authority page lists CNSs and CNMs with NPs as APRNs.
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
- 24 contact hours every 2 years
- Nursing license renewal
- Every 2 years, based on a fixed calendar date (06-30)
- Board
- West Virginia Board of Examiners for Registered Professional Nurses
- Source
- The board page this entry was checked against
Required topics
| Topic | Contact hours | How often | Applies to | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmacology | 12 | Every cycle | Everyone | Pharmacotherapeutics (12 of the 24 hours) |
| Opioid & controlled-substance prescribing | 3 | Once | DEA registrants | Drug diversion, best-practice prescribing and opioid antagonist training within one year of initial licensure, for APRNs who prescribe, administer or dispense controlled substances |
Notes. WV RN Board: 24 contact hours every two years (12 pharmacotherapeutics, 12 clinical management), period July 1 of an odd year to June 30 of the next odd year. The Board's prescriptive authority page lists CNSs and CNMs with NPs as APRNs.
See nursing CE requirements by state to compare West Virginia with other states.
Plan this renewal
Use the free opioid CME planner to see the controlled-substance rules for West Virginia 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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