Board of Nursing PA License Renewal Requirements

For you to keep practicing as a nurse in Pennsylvania, you must meet the Board of Nursing’s Pa license renewal requirements.

Failure to meet any of these requirements set up by the board of nursing, you being denied access to working and earning as a nurse in the state.

Periodically renewing your nursing license is crucial for staying compliant with state regulations and continuing to provide high-quality healthcare services.

The various license issued by the Board of Nursing in Pennsylvania expires according to their nursing profession.

Pennsylvania RN licenses expire on April 30 or October 31st every two years, LPN licenses for practical nurses expire in June of even-numbered years, and APRN licenses expire on April 30th of odd-numbered years.

A notice will be sent to you biennially before the expiration date of your current license. Failure to receive the notice will not relieve you of not performing the responsibility of not renewing your license when it expires.

This content will provide you with the necessary steps to follow to meet the Board of Nursing Pennsylvania license requirements and obtain your license. Please read this content until the end.

Board of Nursing PA license requirements

The following listed below are the Board of Nursing PA license requirements and also guidelines on how to get your nursing license renewed. 

Check your license expiration date.

One of the first things you need to do is to know your license expiration date. A notice will be sent to you every year to remind you of the time to renew your PA nursing license. Most nursing license expiration date is usually written on the license certificate.

The license renewal application is usually available within 30 to 60 days before the expiration date. One of the easiestmeans to remember when to renew your nursing license is to create a CNA365 online account. The platform will notify you when the license renewal date approaches.

Complete Continuing Education Requirements

After getting notified of your license renewal date, the next thing you need to do is to undertake and complete a continuing education program.

As part of the RN nursing licensing requirement initiated by the Board of Nursing in Pennsylvania, it is required that youcomplete 30 hours of approved continuing education every two years from your date of expiration.

You may be mandated to submit your program completion certificate when applying for your license renewal but you will be randomly selected to provide proof of completion of the program failure to do that might result in you not being issued the scholarship.

As part of your 30 hours of continuing education program, you will be mandated to complete two hours of approved training on child abuse recognition and reporting.

After completing this requirement, the organizer of the training will submit your result to the licensing board. This could take up to seven days, therefore you are to ensure you have it completed early.

LPNs who want to renew their license have no continuing education requirements apart from child abuse recognition and reporting biennial training.

If you are a Certified nursing assistant (CNA), you must have worked for pay as a nurse aid for eight consecutive hours in the previous 24 months before you are qualified for registry renewal.

File your PA Nursing License Renewal 

This is the final step you need to take to get your nursing license renewed. All you need to do is go to the Pennsylvania Licensing System site (PALS) to begin your license renewal application process.

After registering and signing in at the portal, you are to select your license, fill out the application form, and upload the required documents. After completing the application form, you will be required to make a payment for your license renewal. The renewal fees are $123 for RN and $76 for LPN.

After submitting your application form to renew your license, ensure you check your email box regularly for any follow-up requests that may be needed by the licensing board, you can also check the PALS website for real-time updates.

It usually takes a period of 10 to 14 days before you can receive your paper license in your mail.

FAQs | Board of Nursing PA License Renewal Requirements

Final Thought 

If you are a registered Nurse or a licensed practice nurse in Pennsylvania, then you are helping and providing healthcare services to about 13 million people of which 19.6% of them are 65 years and above. 

To continue your nursing practice in Pennsylvania, you need to meet all the requirements laid down by the board of nursing in the state for your license renewal.

Having your license renewed in Pennsylvania is crucial for staying compliant with state regulations and continuing to provide high-quality nursing services.

After meeting the Board of Nursing PA license requirements and applying for the renewal of your license, you can verify your license status at the Pennsylvania Licensing System (PALS) online verification system. This is to enable you to confirm if your license has been successfully renewed and is active.

If you miss the license renewal deadline, you will be required to pay an additional late fee and your license will be subjected to temporary suspension. To reinstate a lapsed license, you will be required to fulfill the following criteria 

• Submit a reinstatement application 
• Provide proof of completed CE hours
• Pay the reinstatement fee which includes the renewal fee plus an additional late fee.

Pennsylvania has passed legislation that will make the state become part of the Nursing Licensing Compact (NLC) once the implementation has been completed and announced. This will allow nurses to hold multi-state licenses.