Alabama registered nurses and licensed practical nurses must complete 24 contact hours of Board-approved or Board-recognized continuing education during each license period. Renewal timing depends on the type of license: single-state RNs renew in even-numbered years, single-state LPNs renew in odd-numbered years, and Alabama multistate licenses renew in odd-numbered years.
New Alabama nursing licensees must also complete the Alabama Board of Nursing’s four-hour mandatory class before their first renewal. This Board course counts toward the 24-hour requirement but must be completed directly through the Alabama Board of Nursing.
C-E-U.com offers qualifying online continuing education courses for Alabama RNs and LPNs. Because Alabama recognizes courses approved by another state board of nursing, eligible C-E-U.com courses may be used toward the 24-hour renewal requirement. Nurses are responsible for entering applicable course completions in their Alabama Board of Nursing My Profile account and uploading their certificates.
CNA and HHA training requirements are different from the RN and LPN renewal requirements. Nurse aides working in Alabama nursing facilities must receive at least 12 hours of in-service education each year, based partly on their performance reviews. Home health aides working for Medicare-certified home health agencies must also receive at least 12 hours of in-service training during each 12-month period.
C-E-U.com offers practical in-service courses for CNAs, HHAs, and certain Medicaid waiver caregivers. These are employment- and program-based training requirements rather than statewide professional license-renewal requirements, so course acceptance and documentation are determined by the employing facility, home health agency, or waiver provider.
| RN/LPN | CNA | HHA | Medicaid Waiver Personal Care Worker | Medicaid Waiver Homemaker / Companion | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total CE Hours | 24 contact hours per renewal period. First renewal must include the Board-provided four-hour mandatory course. | At least 12 hours of in-service education. | At least 12 hours of in-service training. | At least 12 hours of relevant in-service training. | At least 6 hours of in-service training. |
| Renewal Period | Each license-renewal period | Each year | Each 12-month period | Each calendar year | Each calendar year |
| Governing Body | Alabama Board of Nursing | Alabama Department of Public Health / employing nursing facility | CMS / Medicare-certified home health agency | Alabama Medicaid Elderly and Disabled Waiver | Documented and verified through the waiver provider |
| Reporting / Documentation | Review and report applicable courses through ABN My Profile | Documented by the employing nursing facility | Documented by the employing home health agency | Documented and verified through the waiver provider | Documented and verified through the waiver provider |
| Course Acceptance | Board-approved or Board-recognized nursing CE | Employer or facility approval required | Employer approval and RN supervision required | Waiver provider approval required | Waiver provider approval required |
Alabama RNs and LPNs must complete 24 contact hours of Board-approved or Board-recognized continuing education during each renewal period.
Nurses may generally select courses relevant to their practice. Alabama does not require specific subject areas for routine RN or LPN renewal, except that newly licensed nurses must complete the Alabama Board of Nursing’s four-hour mandatory class before their first renewal.
The mandatory class counts toward the 24-hour total but must be completed through the Alabama Board of Nursing. C-E-U.com offers a wide variety of online nursing courses that may be used toward the remaining required hours.
Complete your 24 Alabama RN/LPN general/elective CE contact hours by choosing from our extensive library of online nursing courses.
Alabama CNAs employed by nursing facilities must complete at least 12 hours of in-service education each year. The facility must base the training partly on the CNA’s annual performance review and identified areas requiring improvement.
Training may also address the specific needs of the facility’s residents. CNAs who provide services to individuals with cognitive impairments must receive training addressing the care of cognitively impaired residents.
This is a facility-based training requirement rather than a general 24-hour CNA certification-renewal requirement. To remain eligible to work without retraining, a nurse aide must not go 24 consecutive months without providing nursing-related services for monetary compensation. A nurse aide who has not performed compensated nursing-related services during that period must complete a new nurse aide training and competency evaluation program.
C-E-U.com offers online courses covering infection prevention, dementia care, communication, safety, client care, and other topics that may help satisfy applicable CNA in-service training requirements. The employing facility determines which courses meet the CNA’s assigned training needs and should document completion in the employee’s training record.
Alabama CNAs employed by nursing facilities must complete at least 12 hours of in-service education each year.
C-E-U.com offers convenient online courses covering infection prevention, dementia care, communication, safety, client care, and other practical topics. Your employer determines which courses satisfy your annual in-service training needs.
Home health aides employed by Medicare-certified home health agencies must complete at least 12 hours of in-service training during each 12-month period.
C-E-U.com offers convenient online courses covering infection prevention, dementia care, communication, safety, client care, and other practical topics. Your employer determines which courses satisfy your annual in-service training requirements.
Certain caregivers providing services through Alabama Medicaid home- and community-based waiver programs have annual in-service training requirements.
Personal care workers may be required to complete at least 12 hours of relevant in-service training each calendar year. Homemakers and adult companion workers serving through the Alabama Elderly and Disabled Waiver must complete at least six hours of in-service training each calendar year.
C-E-U.com offers online courses covering infection prevention, dementia care, communication, safety, client care, and other practical caregiving topics. The employing provider or waiver program determines which courses satisfy the worker’s training requirements.
These requirements apply to workers serving through applicable Alabama Medicaid waiver programs and should not be presented as a statewide requirement for every private-pay caregiver, companion, or homemaker.
Alabama accepts continuing education courses approved by another state board of nursing. C-E-U.com is an approved Florida Board of Nursing continuing education provider, Provider #50-47308, and qualifying nursing courses may be used toward Alabama RN and LPN renewal requirements.
C-E-U.com does not report course completions directly to the Alabama Board of Nursing. After completing a course, log in to your Alabama Board of Nursing My Profile account, enter the continuing education activity, and upload your certificate of completion.
Newly licensed nurses must still complete the Alabama Board of Nursing’s four-hour mandatory course before their first renewal. This course must be completed directly through the Alabama Board of Nursing.
Alabama Board of Nursing — Continuing Education FAQs
Supports the 24-contact-hour requirement, Board-recognized providers, the four-hour first-renewal course, reporting through My Profile, and acceptance of courses approved by another state board of nursing.
Alabama Board of Nursing — License Renewal
Supports the renewal schedule for single-state RNs and LPNs.
Alabama Board of Nursing — Nurse Licensure Compact
Supports the two-year license period and odd-numbered-year renewal schedule for Alabama multistate RN and LPN licenses.
Alabama Administrative Code Rule 420-5-10-.03 — Nursing Facilities
Supports the requirement for nursing-facility nurse aides to receive at least 12 hours of annual in-service education, including training based on performance reviews and cognitive-impairment care when applicable.
42 CFR § 484.80 — Home Health Aide Services
Supports the requirement for home health aides working through Medicare-certified home health agencies to receive at least 12 hours of in-service training during each 12-month period.
Alabama Medicaid — Elderly and Disabled Waiver
Supports the inclusion of personal care, homemaker, and companion workers serving through the Alabama Elderly and Disabled Waiver.
Alabama RNs must complete 24 contact hours of Board-approved or Board-recognized continuing education during each renewal period.
Nurses licensed during the renewal period may have a prorated requirement for their first renewal. Newly licensed nurses must also complete the Alabama Board of Nursing’s four-hour mandatory course before their first renewal; those four hours count toward the required total.
C-E-U.com offers a wide variety of online nursing courses that may be used toward Alabama’s continuing education requirement.
Alabama LPNs must complete 24 contact hours of Board-approved or Board-recognized continuing education during each renewal period.
The requirement may be prorated for nurses licensed during the renewal period. Newly licensed LPNs must also complete the Alabama Board of Nursing’s four-hour mandatory course before their first renewal. Those four hours count toward the required total.
C-E-U.com offers a wide variety of online nursing courses that may be used toward Alabama’s continuing education requirement.
Alabama does not require specific subject areas for routine RN or LPN renewal. Nurses may generally select Board-approved or Board-recognized courses related to nursing practice, patient care, clinical procedures, administration, supervision, legal and ethical issues, nursing education, research, or quality improvement.
Newly licensed RNs and LPNs must complete the Alabama Board of Nursing’s four-hour mandatory course before their first renewal. The course covers Board functions, the Alabama Nurse Practice Act, nursing regulations, professional conduct, and accountability. These four hours count toward the nurse’s total continuing education requirement but must be completed through the Alabama Board of Nursing.
Advanced practice nurses have additional requirements, including six hours of pharmacology within the required 24 hours.
Alabama nurses can review and report completed continuing education through the Alabama Board of Nursing’s My Profile system.
Courses completed through an Alabama Board-approved provider with an ABNP provider number are submitted electronically by the provider and should not be entered manually. If an automatically reported course does not appear, contact the course provider.
Courses approved by another state board of nursing, including qualifying C-E-U.com courses, must be entered manually in your Individual CE Record. Log in to My Profile, add the completed course, and upload the corresponding certificate of completion.
Before renewing, confirm that your Individual CE Record contains documentation of all required contact hours. Nurses should also retain their CE certificates and supporting records for at least four years after completing each activity.
Yes. Alabama CNAs have different continuing education requirements than RNs.
Alabama RNs must complete 24 contact hours of Board-approved or Board-recognized continuing education during each license-renewal period.
CNAs employed by Alabama nursing facilities must instead complete at least 12 hours of in-service education each year. The training must support continued competency and address needs identified through the CNA’s annual performance review. CNAs who care for residents with cognitive impairments must also receive training related to that population.
CNA in-service education is an employment and facility-based requirement, rather than the 24-hour professional license-renewal requirement that applies to Alabama nurses. The employing facility determines and documents the CNA’s required training.
If you have not completed Alabama’s required continuing education, complete the missing hours and update your Individual CE Record before attempting to renew your nursing license.
If you fail to renew by Alabama’s December 31 deadline, your license will lapse, and you may not legally practice nursing in Alabama until it has been reinstated. Reinstatement generally requires proof of 24 contact hours completed within the 24 months before applying, along with the applicable reinstatement fee.
Alabama nurses selected for a continuing education audit must submit the requested documentation by the Board’s deadline. Failure to respond on time may result in a late CE compliance fee of $150 for a first occurrence, $300 for a second occurrence, and $600 for three or more occurrences.
Complete your continuing education early, confirm that all courses appear in your Alabama Board of Nursing My Profile account, and retain your certificates for at least four years.
Complete online continuing education and training at your own pace. Access practical courses, downloadable certificates, and eligible CE Broker reporting for one year.
We will send you a one-time access code.