Before your CNA credential expires, check your state registry’s rules on four points: the renewal cycle, required paid work hours, any continuing education or in-service hours, and what to do if you need to renew late or reinstate your credential.
Find your state’s renewal rules ↓
What should you check before renewal?
- Renewal date and cycle: Do you renew every year, every two years or on another schedule? When can you submit your renewal?
- Paid work requirement: How many hours must you work, in what setting and during what period? Does orientation, training or a staffing assignment count?
- Continuing education or in-service: How many hours are required, which topics are mandated and who must document them?
- Registry status: Is your listing active, inactive, expired or under review? Resolve a status problem before paying a renewal fee.
- Fees and deadlines: What is the renewal fee? Is there a late fee? What payment methods does the registry accept?
- Employer verification: Does the registry contact your employer, require a signed form or accept pay stubs?
- Name or address changes: Does the registry require a separate form before renewal?
Why renewal rules vary by state
A CNA credential is issued under state law. One state may require eight paid hours in a 24-month period; another may require a different number of hours, a longer lookback period or specific in-service topics. Some states require a criminal-history check or fingerprint clearance at renewal. Some allow late renewal for a short period; others require reinstatement, retesting or retraining.
Do not copy a work-hour total, continuing-education number or late fee from another state, a coworker or an older handbook. Use the current rule published by the registry that issued or will renew your credential.
How should you find your state’s rule?
- Open your state resource hub and follow the official registry or agency link.
- Find the renewal, reactivation or reinstatement page, not the initial certification page.
- Confirm the current cycle, work hours, continuing education and fee on the official page.
- Ask your employer which employment records it can provide before the deadline.
- Submit through the official portal or mailing address and keep a copy of the confirmation.
What if your credential already lapsed?
Contact the registry before you pay for training or testing. The correct route may be late renewal, reinstatement, a refresher course, retesting or a new application. The answer depends on how long the credential has been expired, whether you have qualifying paid work and whether the state has a separate return-to-practice rule.
Do not assume that an out-of-state transfer application will restore a lapsed credential in the same state. Use the transfer planner only for a move to a different state, and confirm the correct route with the destination agency.
What records should you keep?
- Pay stubs, timesheets or an employer letter that documents qualifying work hours.
- Certificates or attendance records for continuing education and in-service training.
- Your current and previous registry listings, including expiration dates.
- Copies of renewal confirmations, receipts and any agency correspondence.
- A copy of the state rule or official page you relied on, with the date you checked it.
CNA renewal requirements by state
The matrix below summarizes the renewal cycle, paid-work requirement, continuing-education or in-service rule, renewal window and lapse route reviewed for all 50 states and DC. Each row links to the state hub and the official agency page. Read the official page before you rely on a detail: a state may publish a grace period, fee, form or exception that is not captured in a short summary.
The “CE or in-service” column distinguishes requirements for your credential from training your employer must provide. Meeting a facility’s in-service requirement does not always keep your registry listing active. Where a state’s official sources conflict, the row says so instead of choosing one number.
| State | Renewal cycle | Paid work requirement | CE or in-service | Renewal window | If the credential lapses | Renewal sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Your active status lasts 24 months from your competency test date, then 24 months beyond your last qualifying work date. | At least 8 hours of paid direct patient care as a nurse aide, under an RN's supervision, every 24 months in a nursing home, hospital, home health agency, hospice agency or mental health facility. Volunteer work, private sitting, assisted living and doctor's office work don't count. | ADPH says CEUs don't keep your certification active. Skilled nursing facilities must give CNAs 12 hours of continuing education each year. | There's no renewal process or form. Your certification stays active as long as you meet the work requirement. | If you haven't worked as a CNA for more than 24 months, you must complete a nurse aide training program again and retake the certification test. | Alabama Nurse Aide Registry FAQ ↗ |
| Alaska | Every two years. Certificates expire March 31 of even-numbered years. | At least 160 hours of paid CNA work in the U.S. or Canada during the certification period that's ending. | 24 contact hours of continuing education during the certification period. On your first renewal, you need 12 hours if you've been certified at least a year, or none if less than a year. You attest to your CE and work; you'll need documents if you're audited. | Renew on or before the date the department sets for your biennial period; a reminder is mailed at least 60 days ahead. A certification that isn't renewed lapses. | Alaska's sources describe lapses differently. The regulation (12 AAC 44.820) uses reinstatement for lapses from one day up to five years, while the Division's reinstatement form covers certifications lapsed one year to under five years. Reinstatement requires a $100 fee plus a $75 fingerprint fee, and CE and paid work covering the lapsed period (or a recent competency evaluation). After five years or more, you must complete a state-approved training program and reapply. If your certification lapsed recently, ask the Division which form to use. | Alaska Administrative Code 12 AAC 44.815 and 12 AAC 44.825 ↗ Alaska Nursing Statutes and Regulations, September 2025 ↗ CNA by Endorsement Application 08-4070, revised 06/18/2025 ↗ Alaska Nurse Aide Registry ↗ Reinstatement of Nurse Aide Certification Application (#08-4365) ↗ |
| Arizona | Every two years. | At least 8 paid hours working as a nursing assistant, or doing nursing assistant tasks, in the last 2 years. An LNA needs at least 160 paid hours to renew. | The Board's renewal page lists paid work hours and fees; it doesn't list a continuing-education requirement. | Renew through the Board's Nurse Portal. The CNA renewal fee is $0. If you worked more than a year after your expiration date, a late fee of $10 is due for each year you worked. | If you can't meet the 8-hour work requirement, contact the Board before you apply. Its renewal page doesn't describe a separate CNA reinstatement route; the fee schedule lists a reinstatement fee for LNAs only. | Arizona Board of Nursing renew your license ↗ |
| Arkansas | Every 24 months from certification. | At least one documented day (8 hours) of paid nursing or nursing-related work in any setting during the prior two years. If you work for private-pay clients, include a check stub and a notarized letter from your employer. | Arkansas's renewal rule requires documented paid work; it doesn't list continuing education. | Renew online in TMU about 60 days before your certification expires, but not more than 60 days early. Headmaster sends email and text reminders 60 days before expiration. | If you can't document qualifying work, you must pass a new competency evaluation to be recertified. If your certification expired more than 24 months ago, you must retest and complete 16 hours of clinical training. | 20 CAR 403-603 Certification renewal ↗ Arkansas Nurse Aide Candidate Handbook ↗ |
| California | Every two years. | At least one day of paid nursing or nursing-related work in a health care facility, under a licensed health professional's supervision, during your certification period. | 48 hours of in-service training or CEUs every two years, including at least 12 hours each year. Up to 24 hours may be online. | You can submit a complete renewal package up to six months before your certificate expires. If you met the requirements by the expiration date, you can still renew within two years after it expires. Until then, your certificate is in delinquent status and can't be verified online. | If you didn't meet the renewal requirements, ask CDPH to approve reactivation by competency evaluation. You must pass the exam within two years after your certificate expired. If it expired more than two years ago, ask CDPH which route applies. | CDPH: How to Complete Your Renewal Application ↗ CDPH: CNA work requirement FAQ ↗ CDPH 283C: CNA and/or HHA Renewal Application, July 2024 ↗ CDPH Helpful Tips & Advice for a Successful CNA & HHA Renewal Application ↗ |
| Colorado | Every two years, with a 60-day grace period after expiration. | When you renew, you attest that you were paid for at least 8 hours of nursing care activities in the 24 months before you apply. | Colorado's nurse aide renewal rule (3 CCR 716-1, Rule 1.10) requires the work attestation; it doesn't list continuing education. | Renew before your certificate expires. If you renew after it expires but within the 60-day grace period, you may be charged a late fee. After the grace period, you'll need to reinstate. | Expired less than two years: submit a reinstatement application and fee. Expired more than two years: retake and pass the competency evaluation. If you can't attest to the 8 work hours, you must show you passed the competency evaluation within the past 24 months. | Colorado Board of Nursing FAQ: renewal and continued competency ↗ Colorado Nursing Applications and Forms ↗ 3 CCR 716-1 Nursing Rules and Regulations (effective March 17, 2026) ↗ |
| Connecticut | Every two years, measured from the last verified employment date. | At least one 8-hour shift of paid employment as a nurse aide or in a nursing-related position before expiration. | DPH's renewal requirements are based on paid work; its renewal page doesn't list continuing education. | Fill out the nurse aide section of the Employment Verification Form, and have your employer complete its section and send it to the registry by fax, email or mail. Your renewal runs two years from your last reported work date. There's no renewal fee. | If there has been no qualifying work for more than 24 months, retake and pass the written and practical exams. If you worked but didn't submit verification, you can submit an Employment Verification Form for work that began before your certificate expired. | Nurse Aide Registration Renewal Requirements ↗ |
| Delaware | Every two years from the date of issue. | At least 64 hours of paid nursing-related work under a nurse's or physician's supervision during your 24-month certification period. You report it on the online 64-hour work form in RELIAS. | 24 hours of Department-approved continuing education during the certification period, including 6 hours of dementia training and 2 hours on preventing resident abuse, neglect or mistreatment. RELIAS offers a package that covers these. | Apply for renewal at least 30 days before your certification expires and pay the $25 renewal fee through RELIAS. If you met the requirements but missed the deadline, you can still renew up to 30 days after expiration by paying an extra $25 late fee. | If you don't meet the requirements, or miss the 30-day late period, your certification lapses and you must pass the Delaware CNA written and clinical skills exams through Prometric ($115). CE completed after you lapse can't be used to renew. | CNA Registry ↗ 16 Delaware Administrative Code 3220 CNA certification renewal ↗ |
| District of Columbia | Every two years. DC's CNA regulation sets certificates to expire October 31 of each odd-numbered year, and allows the Director to change the expiration date, so check the date on your certificate. | At least 8 hours of paid CNA functions during the previous 24 months. | 24 hours of in-service training or continuing education in the two years before expiration, including 2 hours of LGBTQ cultural competency and 10% in public health priority topics. | Renew before your certificate expires. You must have criminal background check clearance to renew. | Inactive status may be reactivated with 24 CE hours, 8 work hours and an active credential elsewhere. An expired certificate may be reinstated within five years with CE, work evidence and a background check; after five years, the applicant must meet initial certification requirements. | Certified Nurse Aide ↗ DCMR Title 17 Chapter 96: Certified Nurse Aides (updated August 16, 2024) ↗ |
| Florida | Every two years. Florida renews CNAs in two groups: Group 1 licenses expire May 31, 2027, and Group 2 licenses expire May 31, 2028. | Paid nursing-related work at some point in the last 24 consecutive months. | At least 24 hours of in-service training every two years, finished before you apply to renew. Topics include bloodborne pathogens and infection control, domestic violence, medical record documentation and legal aspects, resident rights, communicating with cognitively impaired clients, CPR skills, and medical error prevention and safety. | Renew online before your license expires. The fee is $55 before expiration, $105 after expiration, and $160 if you renew after a 120-day delinquency notice; each includes a $5 unlicensed-activity fee. After expiration, your license becomes delinquent, and it becomes null and void two years after the expiration date. | If you go 24 months in a row without paid nursing-related work, you must complete a new training and competency evaluation program or a new competency evaluation (s. 464.203). A null-and-void license can't be reactivated; you must reapply and meet current requirements. | Florida Board of Nursing: CNA renewal ↗ CNA initial license by MOBILE endorsement ↗ Florida Statutes s. 464.203: Certified nursing assistants; certification requirement ↗ |
| Georgia | Every two years, counted from your most recent recertification date. | At least 8 hours of paid nurse aide work under a licensed nurse's supervision within each 24 consecutive months. Send a paystub, W-2 or 1099, or an employer letter as proof. | Georgia's renewal form asks for proof of paid work, not continuing education. The state's training manual says nursing facilities must give nurse aides at least 12 hours of in-service training each year. | Send the Application for Renewal with your proof of work before your certification expires. There's no renewal fee. | If you can't show the required work, you must retest to stay on the registry. Georgia's sources give different limits for when you must also retrain: the October 2026 training manual says one year or more after your registry expiration date, while the renewal form says three or more years from your last recertification date. Ask the registry which applies to you. | Georgia Nurse Aide Registry renewal form and instructions ↗ DCH Nurse Aide Training Program manual October 1, 2026 ↗ |
| Hawaii | Every two years. Your recertification application must be received at least 30 days before your certification expires. | At least one full day (8 hours) of paid nursing or nursing-related work involving direct patient care in the prior 24 months. | Hawaii's rule (HAR §16-89A-4) doesn't set a number of continuing-education hours. If you work in a Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing facility, the facility must complete an annual performance review and give you regular in-service training. If you work in another state-licensed or state-certified setting, the rule requires a competency evaluation approved by the Department of Human Services. | Mail your renewal form so it's received at least 30 days before expiration; forms can't be processed in person. Prometric's bulletin lists a $27 recertification fee. Not getting a reminder doesn't excuse a late renewal. | If you can't show a full day of paid direct-care work in the past 24 months, or you miss the renewal requirements, you must complete the certification requirements again. | Hawaii Administrative Rules 89A-C, Nurse Aides ↗ Currently linked Hawaii candidate bulletin (2022 file) ↗ DCCA Nurse Aide Program ↗ |
| Idaho | Your certificate expires 24 months after your last day worked as a CNA, not two years after your old expiration date. | At least 8 hours of paid work as a CNA, or in nursing-related services, in the 24 months before your certification lapses. Your employer signs the renewal form to verify your dates. | The Idaho Nurse Aide Program's renewal instructions list paid work, not continuing education. | Renew during the month your certification expires; the program recommends sending the renewal form at the start of that month. There are no fees to process renewals. | If you can't show 8 paid hours in the two years before your certification expired, you must retake and pass both the written and skills tests. Ask the Idaho Nurse Aide Program for an Approval to Test letter. | Idaho CNA Registry ↗ |
| Illinois | Your certification stays valid as long as you meet the work requirement below (77 Ill. Adm. Code 395.265). | At least 8 hours of paid nursing or nursing-related work, in a row or not, in every 24-month period. | Illinois's recertification rule and IDPH's CNA facts page don't list a continuing-education requirement. | If you go 24 consecutive months without at least 8 hours of paid nursing or nursing-related work, your certification is revoked. | Illinois's rule says you can recertify by passing the competency evaluation (written) test, and you pay the test fee first. IDPH's CNA facts page lists different options: a manual skills test with an approved evaluator, or an approved training program plus the written test. Ask IDPH which one applies to you. | Illinois Department of Public Health: Facts about Certified Nurse Aides ↗ Illinois Administrative Code Part 395 ↗ |
| Indiana | Every two years. | At least 8 hours of paid aide or aide-related work in the 24 months before your certification expires. | IDOH's renewal instructions list work hours, not continuing education. | Renew online through MyLicenseOne. Renewal is free. | Expired 8 months or less: renew online. Expired more than 8 months: your employer completes and submits the expired renewal form. If you didn't renew within 2 years after expiring, you're moved to registry history and must retrain and retest. | Training, Certification, and Recertification ↗ Frequently Asked Questions: Certified Nurse Aides ↗ |
| Iowa | Your CNA certification itself doesn't expire. Your standing on the registry expires if you stop working as a CNA for 24 months. | At least 8 hours of qualifying employment in a two-year period, reported to the registry by your Iowa employer. | DIAL's registry instructions don't list a continuing-education requirement. If you work in a certified long-term care facility, the facility must provide, and you must complete, 12 hours of in-service training each year. | Long-term care facilities, and the staffing agencies that place CNAs there, must report your qualifying hours to the registry. You can't report your own hours. | If your status expired but you did work, your employer must send DIAL a letter on facility letterhead confirming at least 8 hours of nursing or nursing-related duties. If you haven't worked as a CNA for two years or more, you must retake both competency tests. | Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) ↗ Become Active After Status Expires ↗ Iowa Direct Care Worker Registry ↗ |
| Kansas | Every two years. | At least 8 hours of work performing activities of daily living in a two-year period, reported by your employer. Hours in a doctor's office or clinic don't count. | KDADS's renewal FAQ lists work hours, not continuing education. | You fill out the top half of the Employment Verification form, and your employer completes the bottom half. Send it to KDADS Health Occupations Credentialing by mail, email or fax. | If your certification goes inactive, you can't work until it's active again. You have two options: an RN at a long-term care facility, hospital or school lab gives you an 18-skill checklist, or you take a 10-hour CNA refresher course at a post-secondary school. | Kansas Nurse Aide and Medication Aide FAQs ↗ |
| Kentucky | Every two years from the date the competency exam was passed. | Proof of at least 8 paid hours working as a state registered nurse aide, doing nursing or nursing-related tasks, in each 24-month period. A pay stub, last year's W-2, or a signed letter on a healthcare facility's letterhead works as proof. | The Kentucky Board of Nursing's renewal page asks for proof of paid work; it doesn't list continuing education. | Renew through the KBN Nurse Portal. The renewal option appears no sooner than 60 days before your expiration date, and you'll upload your proof of work in the application. | To reinstate, show proof of 8 paid hours for every two years your registration has been lapsed. If you can't, contact KCTCS to retake the nurse aide classes and the competency test. | Kentucky Board of Nursing: SRNA renewal ↗ SRNA Reinstatement ↗ |
| Louisiana | Every two years from your certification date. You're recertified automatically at midnight on your expiration date if your required work history has been reported to the registry. | At least 8 hours of nursing or nurse-related work in every 24-month period, in an approved licensed setting such as a nursing home, hospital or home health agency. Private sitting and staffing-agency work don't count. | LDH's certification maintenance instructions list work hours, not continuing education. | Your employer reports your work history to the Nurse Aide Registry. Nursing homes must report it; other approved settings aren't required to, but LDH recommends they do. If your hours weren't reported, ask the provider to submit them. | If you don't have the required work history, you can retest once within two years after your certification expires. If you fail either part of the test, or don't test within those two years, you must retrain. | Louisiana Department of Health: Nurse Aide Training and Certification Maintenance ↗ CNA Registry FAQ ↗ |
| Maine | Every 24 months. | At least 8 hours of qualified employment every 24 months. | The registry's FAQ lists work hours and renewal, not continuing education, to stay active. Nursing facilities must give CNAs at least 12 hours of in-service education a year. | Submit a completed renewal form with the required documents every 24 months. The registry mails a reminder 45 to 60 days before your listing expires, but renewing on time is your responsibility. | If you've been inactive on the Maine registry for more than two years, submit a new Certified Nursing Assistant application with the required documentation. | CNA Registry Frequently Asked Questions ↗ CNA Registry ↗ |
| Maryland | Two-year terms. Your certificate expires on the 28th day of your birth month: in odd-numbered years if you were born in an odd-numbered year, and in even-numbered years if you were born in an even-numbered year. A new certificate won't expire within 180 days of being issued. CNA-I and CNA-II are separate certificates. | At least 16 hours of paid work as a nursing assistant in the two years before your certificate expires. | Maryland's renewal regulation doesn't set a continuing-education hour requirement. The renewal form asks you to attest to implicit bias training only on your first renewal after April 1, 2022, and to structural racism training only on your first renewal after April 1, 2026. A criminal history records check is required when it's scheduled for your birth month. | The Board sends a renewal notice at least 3 months before your certificate expires. Renew before it expires and pay the $40 renewal fee. You have a 30-day grace period after expiration to renew. COMAR 10.39.01.10 has changes pending for November 9, 2026, so check the current rule if you renew after that date. | If you don't have 16 hours of paid work in the past two years: a CNA-I must pass a nursing assistant competency evaluation, and a CNA-II must complete a nursing assistant training program. | COMAR 10.39.01.10 Expiration and renewal ↗ Maryland Nursing Assistant Renewal Application ↗ Schedule of Fees ↗ |
| Massachusetts | Every 24 months. | At least 8 hours of paid nurse aide work, doing nursing-related duties, in the past two years. | DPH's renewal page lists paid work hours, not continuing education. | Renew online through the Health Profession Licensing System when your certification is about to expire. DPH's renewal page doesn't list a renewal fee. | If your certification expired but you're still working as a nurse aide with no break in employment since before it expired, you may be able to renew on your work experience. If you're not working or had a break, you may need to retake the certification test; contact the Nurse Aide Registry. | Massachusetts DPH: Renewal information for certified nurse aides ↗ Become a certified nurse aide in Massachusetts ↗ |
| Michigan | Every two years. A renewed certificate is good for 24 months from your last certificate's expiration date. | At least 40 hours of paid nursing or nursing-related work in the 24 months before your certificate expires. | If your certificate expires on or after March 23, 2026, you must attest to at least 12 hours of continuing education each year of the renewal period, including abuse, neglect and care plan training (Rule R 400.315). | Renew online in MI-NATES no earlier than 45 days before your certificate expires; LARA emails a renewal notice 45 days ahead. The renewal fee is $40. If you don't renew on time, your certificate lapses the day after it expires, and you can't work as a CNA until it's renewed. | Lapsed less than 24 months: use the standard renewal process, as long as your paid work happened within the 24 months before expiration. Lapsed more than 24 months, or no qualifying work: you're removed from the registry and must retake a state-approved training program and competency exam. | Nurse Aide Registry ↗ |
| Minnesota | Every two years. | At least one documented day (for example, 8 consecutive hours) of paid nursing or nursing-related work in the previous 24 months, shown on your most recent pay stub. Orientation, training and in-service hours don't count. | MDH's renewal tutorial asks for proof of paid work; it doesn't list a continuing-education requirement. | Renew online through the Minnesota Nurse Aide Registry and upload your most recent pay stub. MDH encourages you to apply at least 60 days before your certificate expires and asks you to allow 30 business days for review. | Expired within the past 24 months: submit your employment history and pay stubs online; if approved, your certificate becomes current. Expired more than 24 months: you must pass both the knowledge test and the skills test again. | Submitting Your Renewal Application: Minnesota Nurse Aide Registry Tutorial ↗ Nurse Aide Registry ↗ |
| Mississippi | Every two years. | At least 8 consecutive hours of paid work as a nurse aide, doing nursing or nursing-related services, in the past 24 months. | The candidate handbook's renewal section lists paid work hours, not continuing education. | Renew online in TMU by listing your work hours and choosing your last employer; your employer gets an email to verify your work. Reminders go out by email and text 60 days before expiration. You can renew up to 30 days after your certification expires. | If your certification has been expired more than 30 days, or you haven't worked in 24 months, you must pass both parts of the competency exam to recertify. You get one attempt; if you fail either part, you must complete an MSDH-approved training program. | CNA Certification and Training ↗ Mississippi Nurse Aide Candidate Handbook ↗ |
| Missouri | Every 24 months. | Documentation, such as pay stubs, a W-2 or an employer letter, of at least one day (8 consecutive hours) of paid nursing or nursing-related work in each 24-month period. Facility, out-of-state and private-duty work can all be submitted. | The candidate handbook's renewal section lists work hours and a fee, not continuing education. | Renew online in TMU: enter your employment, upload proof of your 8 hours and pay the $20 renewal fee. Reminders go out by email and text 60 days before expiration, and your employer can pay the fee for you. | If you've been inactive less than five years and can't document the work, you can challenge the final exam, with one attempt at both the written and skills parts. If you fail, or you've been inactive more than five years without work documentation, you must complete the full CNA course and exam. | CNA Registry Frequently Asked Questions ↗ Missouri DHSS: CNA renewals and work updates ↗ CNA Challenge (Missouri DHSS) ↗ Missouri Nurse Aide Candidate Handbook, version 15.0 (D&SDT-Headmaster) ↗ Health Education Unit News – CNA Renewals (Missouri DHSS) ↗ 19 CSR 30-84 Training Program for Nursing Assistants ↗ |
| Montana | Every two years. Renew online through the BOUNDS portal beginning 90 days before expiration. | Montana's registry page does not publish a state-specific work-hour total. The federal registry rule applies when there are 24 consecutive months without paid nursing or nursing-related services. | Montana's Nurse Aide Registry page doesn't list a continuing-education requirement for renewal. | Renew online through the BOUNDS portal, starting 90 days before your certificate expires. Each CNA needs their own BOUNDS account and email address. Renewals by paper or email aren't accepted. | Contact the Montana Nurse Aide Registry for the current reinstatement route. After 24 consecutive months without compensated nursing or nursing-related services, the federal rule requires a new training and competency evaluation program or a new competency evaluation program. Retraining is not the only option under the federal rule. | Montana Nurse Aide Registry ↗ DPHHS: Federal and state regulations for CNAs ↗ 42 CFR 483.35(d)(6): Required retraining ↗ |
| Nebraska | Nebraska registry listings don't show an expiration date unless the listing has lapsed. You stay active if you've worked as a nurse aide in the past 2 years. | Paid nurse aide work, in an approved employer setting, within 24 months of your last nurse aide job. | DHHS's registry requirements are based on paid work; they don't list continuing education. | There's no renewal application and no fee for nurse aides. Keep your qualifying work current to stay active. | If your status lapses, you reactivate it by retaking the written or oral exam and the clinical exam through an approved post-secondary provider. Nurse aides who took a 30-hour course before 1989 can't retest and must take the 75-hour course. | Nurse Aide ↗ Nurse Aide Requirements ↗ |
| Nevada | Every two years. | At least 40 hours of practice as a CNA, under the direction of a licensed nurse, in the previous two years. | 24 hours of CNA-related continuing education or training during the renewal period. You attest to it when you renew; keep your certificates for four years in case of an audit. | Renew online in the Nevada Nurse Portal within 60 days of your expiration date. The renewal fee is $50. | If you haven't practiced as a CNA in the past two years, you must retake a state-approved CNA training program, or retake and pass the skills and written exams, before you can renew. Nevada has no CNA refresher program. You have one year from your application to finish the renewal requirements. | Nevada CNA Renewal FAQs ↗ |
| New Hampshire | Every two years. | At least 200 hours of nursing-assistant activities under a licensed nurse's supervision in the 2 years before you apply. Passing the nursing assistant competency test within the past 2 years also meets this requirement. | 24 contact hours of continuing education in the 2 years before you apply (at least 12 a year), such as workshops, lectures or in-service training. This is required in addition to the practice hours; passing the competency test within the past 2 years can also meet it. | Renew online. A license expired less than one year may use the paper renewal and reinstatement application; more than one year requires a new online application. | Expired less than one year: renewal plus reinstatement fee. Expired more than one year: reapply online. | New Hampshire Board of Nursing: LNA renewal and continuing education ↗ Checklist: LNA License by Endorsement (Reciprocity) ↗ |
| New Jersey | Every two years. | At least 7 hours of paid nursing or nursing-related work in a licensed health care facility or agency in the 24 months before your certificate expires. | New Jersey's recertification requirements are paid work, a background-check update and the fee. The state's renewal page and the PSI bulletin don't list continuing education. | PSI sends a renewal reminder about 60 days before expiration. Bring your Renewal Form (signed by your employer), the $36 fee and two forms of ID to a recertification site before your certificate expires. The state updates your criminal background check using your earlier fingerprints; if it can't find them, you'll get a notice to be fingerprinted. | If your certificate expired and you were first certified in New Jersey less than five years ago, you can pass the skills exam and the written or oral exam to recertify. If it's been more than five years, or you fail either exam, you must complete a 90-hour training program and retest. | New Jersey Nurse Aide recertification ↗ Criminal Background Check ↗ PSI New Jersey Nurse Aide Candidate Information Bulletin ↗ |
| New Mexico | Every 24 months. | At least 8 consecutive hours of paid CNA work in the previous 24 months. | New Mexico requires 12 hours of in-service or continuing education (CE) each year, or 24 hours for each two-year renewal cycle. HCA doesn't explain how to show proof of these hours, and the TMU renewal steps don't include a CE upload. Nursing facilities must also give their aides in-service training (8.312.2.21 NMAC), but HCA doesn't say whether that training counts toward your hours. Ask HCA or your employer how to document your CE. | You renew online in New Mexico TMU. You can submit your renewal starting 30 days before your certification expires and up to 30 days after it expires. If you miss that 30-day grace period, you'll have to pass the state competency exam again. The renewal fee is $25. If you pay it yourself, a non-refundable 4.875% New Mexico tax is added. The handbook says there's no renewal fee for state-funded facilities, so check which payment option applies to you. | After the 30-day grace period, the CNA must retake the state competency exam. | New Mexico Health Care Authority — Certified Nurse Aide Registry ↗ New Mexico Nurse Aide Candidate Handbook, version 6.1 ↗ 8.312.2.21 NMAC — Nurse Aide Training ↗ New Mexico Nurse Aide: How to Renew Your Certification in TMU (D&SDT-Headmaster) ↗ |
| New York | Every 24 months. Your certification expires two years from the last day of the month you were certified. | At least 7 hours of paid nurse aide work in a New York nursing home or at a NYS-approved nurse aide employer in the previous 24 months. | The recertification instructions in New York's nurse aide bulletin don't list a continuing-education requirement. Ask your employer about any in-service training it requires. | Your employer submits the recertification form and the $40 fee to Prometric. You'll get a reminder about 45 days before your certification expires. | If you haven't worked for pay as a nurse aide in an approved New York setting in the past 24 months, you won't be recertified. You'll need to retest, or retrain and retest, through one of the certification routes in the bulletin. | NY State CNA Manual ↗ NY CNA Application revised 9/10/2026 ↗ |
| North Carolina | Every 24 months. Your new listing period starts on the last date of qualified work your RN reports and ends on the last day of the 24th month. | At least 8 hours of paid Nurse Aide I work, delegated and supervised by a registered nurse, during your 24-month listing period. | North Carolina's renewal requirements are based on paid, RN-supervised work. The registry's renewal page and FAQ don't list a continuing-education requirement. | Renew online: you complete the Online Renewal Form, and an RN completes the Online Employment Verification Form. There are no registry fees. The state doesn't send renewal reminders, so keep track of your expiration date. | If you don't meet the renewal requirements, you must retrain and retest. | North Carolina Nurse Aide I Registry: Renewal ↗ N.C. Nurse Aide I Registry: Frequently Asked Questions ↗ |
| North Dakota | Your registration period is 24 consecutive months. | At least 8 hours of paid nursing or nursing-related work, under a licensed nurse's direction, in your current 24-month registration period. Your employer (or past employer) completes the employment section of the renewal. | North Dakota's CNA renewal instructions list paid work, not continuing education. | Renew online through ND HHS. There is no fee for CNA renewal. | If you haven't done at least 8 hours of paid nursing or nursing-related work in the past 24 months, you can't renew and must complete a new competency evaluation to register again. | Certified Nurse Aide Information ↗ North Dakota CNA renewal application instructions ↗ |
| Ohio | Your registry eligibility lasts 24 months from the date you were placed on the registry or your most recent verified work date. | At least 7.5 consecutive hours, or 8 hours within 48 hours, of paid nursing or nursing-related work during that 24-month period. | Ohio's registry rule (OAC 3701-17-07.3) bases continued eligibility on paid work and doesn't list a continuing-education requirement. | Your long-term care facility can confirm your work by sending ODH the Nurse Aide Registration Form (HEA 7713). You can also send your own proof, such as a statement from your employer or from a physician or nurse who knows about your paid work. | If more than 24 months pass without verified work, you can send proof of qualifying paid work for that period, or complete additional training and a new competency evaluation. | ODH Registry Requirements ↗ Rule 3701-17-07.3 ↗ |
| Oklahoma | Every two years. | Proof of at least 8 hours of paid nursing or health-related work during the 24-month certification period: an administrator's signature, a pay stub or a W-2. | The renewal application asks certified nurse aides for proof of work, not continuing education. Certified Medication Aides must attach continuing education equal to 8 hours for every 12 months of certification, after the first year. | Send the Nurse Aide Renewal Application to the OSDH Nurse Aide Registry. Long-term care aide renewal is free; home health, ICF/IID, residential care, adult day care and feeding assistant renewals are $10 each. | If you don't have the 8 hours, you must complete a new training and competency evaluation, or a new competency evaluation, to be recertified. If you go 48 months in a row without applying to renew, you're moved to the archive and must complete new training and a competency exam. | ODH Form 717 Nurse Aide Renewal Application ↗ OAC 310 Chapter 677 Nurse Aide Training and Certification ↗ |
| Oregon | Every two years. | As of January 1, 2026, Oregon no longer requires practice hours to renew a CNA certificate. | Two hours of cultural competency education in the past 48 months. | Renew online before your certificate expires. The renewal fee is $60, plus an $8 workforce data surcharge, and a $5 delinquent fee applies to late renewals (OAR 851-002-0040). OSBN's sources give different late-renewal limits: its 2026 reinstatement fact sheet says you must reinstate once your certificate has been expired 91 days or more, while its July 2025 rule filing allowed late renewal only up to 30 days after expiration. Renew on time, and ask OSBN which limit applies if you're late. | If your certificate has expired past the late-renewal period, you must reinstate it. OSBN's 2026 fact sheet says CNA reinstatement requires 2 hours of cultural competency education in the past 48 months, with no work hours as of January 1, 2026. The reinstatement fee is $60. | Oregon State Board of Nursing continuing education for renewal ↗ OSBN Division 62 permanent rule filing (BN 9-2025, effective July 1, 2025) ↗ OAR 851-002-0040 Nursing Assistant Schedule of Fees ↗ OSBN: Continuing Education Requirements for Reinstatement ↗ |
| Pennsylvania | Every two years. | At least one documented day (8 consecutive hours) of paid nurse aide work in each 24-month period, in a setting such as a nursing home, hospital, personal care home, nursing agency or intermediate care facility. Private duty and self-employment don't count. | Pennsylvania doesn't require training hours to renew your registry. Nursing homes must give nurse aides at least 12 hours of in-service education each year. | Renew online through Credentia. The Department of Health mails a notice to your home address about 90 days before your registry expires. | If your registry has lapsed, you get one chance to retest. Or you can show proof of at least one documented day (8 consecutive hours) of paid work in each 24-month period. | Nurse Aide Testing ↗ Pennsylvania NNAAP Handbook: Frequently Asked Questions ↗ |
| Rhode Island | Every two years, expiring June 30 of every other year. | At least 8 hours of paid nursing assistant work in the prior 24 months at a Rhode Island-licensed nursing facility, assisted living residence, adult day program or nursing service agency. Private duty doesn't count. Completing a training program and passing the exam within the past 24 months also qualifies. | 12 hours of in-service training per year at the facility where you work. You attest to it on the online renewal form; keep proof for three years in case of an audit. | File your renewal application and fee before June 15. Your license expires June 30, and a renewed license runs from July 1 for two years. | Lapsed less than two years: submit a reinstatement application and the renewal fee. Lapsed two years or more without proof of qualifying work: complete the nursing assistant training program and all required exams again. | 216-RICR-40-05-22 Nursing Assistants ↗ |
| South Carolina | Every 24 months from the date your certificate was issued. | At least 8 hours of paid nursing or nursing-related work in the 24 months before your certification expires. | Credentia's re-certification instructions list paid work and the fee; they don't list continuing education. | Credentia emails renewal directions about 90 days before your certification expires. Renew online through Credentia and pay the $35 re-certification fee by credit card or single-use prepaid card. If you work for a Medicaid-certified employer, give them your payment receipt for reimbursement. | Lapsed 24 months or less, and you completed a 100-hour state-approved program: retest (written or oral, and skills). Lapsed more than two years, or you never completed a 100-hour program: retrain at a 100-hour program and retest. | SCDHHS Nurse Aide ↗ Current SC candidate handbook: The Registry ↗ |
| South Dakota | Every two years, by your birth date. | At least 12 hours of paid nursing or nursing-related work in the preceding two years. | At least 12 hours of in-service education each year, including dementia management and how to prevent and report abuse, neglect, exploitation and misappropriation of property. | The Board of Nursing sends a renewal notice at least 90 days before your registration expires. Not getting the notice doesn't excuse a late renewal; if you miss the deadline, your registration is listed as lapsed. | If you don't meet the work or in-service requirements, you must pass a Board-approved knowledge exam and skills evaluation to renew or reinstate. | Registration by Endorsement ↗ ARSD 20:48:16 ↗ |
| Tennessee | Every 2 years. Certification lasts 24 months. | Proof that you worked at least 8 hours in the past 24 months in a licensed or certified healthcare facility. Use a pay stub, a payroll printout, or a notarized attestation form completed by the facility. Private duty, sitter, companion and private physician office work don't count. | The Health Facilities Commission's renewal instructions list proof of work, not continuing education. | Since June 1, 2026, renewals go through Credentia: create a Credentia account and submit your renewal online. HFC's page doesn't list a renewal fee. | If your certification expires, you must reinstate it, which takes more documentation than a renewal: proof of 8 hours worked each year, starting the year before it expired and continuing through the current year. If you can't show continuous CNA work in a certified facility, you must retrain and retest. | Tennessee HFC Nurse Aide Information ↗ |
| Texas | Your registration expires 24 months after it was issued or 24 months after your last verified employment as a nurse aide, whichever comes first. | Your nursing facility submits Form 5506-NAR showing you did paid nursing or nursing-related work there during the preceding year. If it doesn't, you can submit the form yourself. | At least 24 hours of in-service education every two years, including geriatrics and the care of residents with dementia, such as Alzheimer's disease. You also need to complete an HHSC course in infection control and PPE every year. | Renew online through TULIP. You can start renewing three months before your certificate expires. HHSC doesn't charge a renewal fee. | If your certificate expired and you don't have documented work in each two-year period, HHSC offers two options: retrain and retest, or retest without retraining. Retesting without retraining requires a Texas DPS criminal history check, which has a fee. | Renew or Make Changes to a Nurse Aide Certificate in Texas ↗ 26 TAC §556.9 Certificate of Registration, Nurse Aide Registry, and Renewal ↗ |
| Utah | Every two years. | At least 200 paid hours of nursing or nursing-related work under a licensed nurse's direction in the previous 24 months. Your employer verifies the hours on your renewal form, and a licensed nurse signs it. | UNAR's renewal requirements are based on paid work hours; its handbook and renewal answers don't list continuing education. | Your renewal form is in your TMU account starting 90 days before expiration, and you'll get email and text reminders at 90, 60 and 30 days. Submit it by email or mail. If it arrives one day to six months late, there's a $40 late fee; the six months isn't extra time to finish your 200 hours. | Six to 24 months expired: pass the state written and manual skills exams through the Expired Certificate Application. More than 24 months expired: complete another approved training program and pass the state exams. | UNAR Common Questions ↗ Utah Nursing Assistant Registry State Certification Handbook ↗ |
| Vermont | Every two years. | At least 50 days (400 hours) of active practice in the last two years. Work in a job that doesn't require an LNA license can count if it reinforces LNA skills; upload a job description and an employer letter showing your dates and hours. | LNAs don't have a continuing-education requirement to renew. Medication nursing assistants (MNAs) need 4 hours of continuing education on medication administration. | Renewal opens six weeks before your license expires, and you'll get an email reminder. Renew online and pay the non-refundable renewal fee before your expiration date. Late renewals are subject to penalties. | If you don't meet the active practice requirement and your license has lapsed less than five years, pass the LNA skills and written exams. If it has lapsed five years or more, repeat a nursing assistant education program and pass the exams. Expired licensees must also complete a criminal background check. | Vermont LNA Renewal Instructions ↗ Administrative Rules of the Vermont Board of Nursing, May 11, 2023 ↗ |
| Virginia | Every year. | When you renew, you attest that you did paid nursing-related work in the two years before your certification expires. | The Board of Nursing says it doesn't have continuing-education requirements for certified nurse aides at this time. Advanced certified nurse aides need at least three contact hours of continuing education a year. | The Board mails a renewal notice at least 30 days before your certification expires. Renew each year with the $30 fee. Not getting the notice doesn't excuse a late renewal. | If you haven't done paid nursing-related work in the past two years, you must pass the state exam again before you renew. If your certification lapsed more than 90 days ago, apply for reinstatement with the fee and either proof of qualifying work or proof that you passed the exam again. | Virginia Board of Nursing: Nurse Aide continued competency ↗ 18VAC90-25-80 Renewal or reinstatement of certification ↗ 18VAC90-25-120 Renewal and reinstatement of certification as an advanced certified nurse aide ↗ 18VAC90-25-16 Fees ↗ |
| Washington | Every year, by your birthday. | WABON's NAC renewal instructions ask you to renew by your birthday and pay the fee; they don't list a work-hour requirement. | WABON says there are no continuing-education requirements for NACs. | Renew online through the HELMS portal starting 85 to 90 days before your license expires. You can renew late for up to one year after it expires. | Expired more than one year: submit a reactivation application with the fee in HELMS. Expired more than three years, with no active license in another U.S. state: complete a new nursing assistant training program and retest. | Renew or Reactivate a License ↗ Nursing Assistant License ↗ |
| West Virginia | Every two years. | At least 8 hours of paid nurse aide work, under RN supervision in a direct care setting, in the previous two years. Independent private duty work doesn't count, and staffing-agency aides need a letter from their employer. | The policy manual says there are no in-service or continuing-education requirements to stay on the registry. Facilities that employ nurse aides must still provide at least 12 hours of in-service training a year. | OHFLAC sends a notice or reregistration application at least 60 days before your registration expires. Complete it, online or on paper, and return it before your expiration date; reregistering is your responsibility, not your employer's. | No reportable work for two to four years: take a refresher course (at least 16 hours) and pass the competency exam within six months. No reportable paid work in the past five years: take the full course and pass the exam. | West Virginia Nurse Aide Program Policy Manual ↗ |
| Wisconsin | Every 24 months. | Paid work as a nurse aide under the supervision of an RN or LPN during the 24-month certification period. | DHS's renewal instructions are based on paid nurse aide work; they don't list a continuing-education requirement. | Within 90 days of your expiration date, add your employer in TMU; your employer then approves the request, and DHS extends your eligibility for 24 months. Headmaster sends renewal reminders by email or text. If your employer isn't listed in TMU, use the Wisconsin Nurse Aide Registry Renewal Form (F-03211). | If you haven't worked as a nurse aide in the past 24 months, you must pass both the skills test and the written test again. Wisconsin doesn't require retraining. | Wisconsin Nurse Aide Program: Maintaining Registry Status ↗ |
| Wyoming | Every two years. Certificates expire December 31 of each even-numbered year, and renewal applications open by October 1 of that year. | Meet one competency in the past two years: 400 hours worked as a CNA, or 40 hours of continuing education, or passing the NATCEP or a similar national exam. | Wyoming has no mandatory continuing education. Completing 40 hours of CE is one optional way to meet the renewal competency requirement; keep proof of each course to upload. | The 2026 renewal period runs October 1 to December 31, 2026, through the Nurse Portal. The Board is waiving renewal fees this year; the regular CNA renewal fee is $50. If your certificate expires, you can't work until it's renewed. | If your certificate expires because you didn't renew, you can't work as a CNA until it's reissued. To recertify, submit an application and fees, fingerprint cards for a background check, and proof that you met one competency option in the past two years: 400 hours as a CNA, 40 hours of continuing education, or passing the NATCEP. | Wyoming State Board of Nursing: Renewal ↗ Chapter 2 — Licensing and Certification Requirements, approved December 17, 2025 ↗ Chapter 5 — Fees, effective May 26, 2026 ↗ |
Limits of the renewal matrix
Not every instruction has been independently confirmed, and these summaries do not determine eligibility. Some states publish alternatives, such as a work-hour route or a continuing-education route. Some have separate rules for a first renewal, a late renewal, inactive status or reinstatement.
This page is educational. It does not decide whether your work hours count, whether a course qualifies or whether the registry will renew your credential. Confirm those decisions with the state agency.
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If you see a renewal detail that conflicts with the official page, email hello@cnaresources.com with the page URL and the source you checked. Do not send identity documents, certificate numbers or patient information.