Two years in most states, anchored to your birth month. A few outliers: Connecticut annually, Arizona every four years. APRN national certs run on a separate 5-year clock. The cycle is long enough to lose track of without a reminder.
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Most US states renew nursing licenses every 2 years (biennial). Connecticut is the main outlier on the short end (annual). Arizona is the outlier on the long end (every 4 years). The renewal date is almost always tied to your birth month, which means every nurse in a state has a different personal expiration.
APRN national certifications run on a separate 5-year cycle, independent of the state license. NCLEX is a one-time exam — you do not retake it on the renewal cycle.
Cycles below cover RN and LPN licenses. APRNs follow the same state cycle for the license itself, plus a separate 5-year national certification cycle.
| Alabama | 2 years |
| Alaska | 2 years |
| Arizona | 4 years (longest standard cycle) |
| Arkansas | 2 years |
| California | 2 years (first license: "two birthdays" — 12 to 24 months) |
| Colorado | 2 years |
| Connecticut | 1 year (annual cycle) |
| Delaware | 2 years |
| Florida | 2 years, tied to birth month |
| Georgia | 2 years |
| Illinois | 2 years |
| Massachusetts (RN/APRN) | 2 years, on birthday in even-numbered years |
| Massachusetts (LPN) | 2 years, on birthday in odd-numbered years |
| New York | 3 years |
| Ohio | 2 years |
| Pennsylvania | 2 years |
| Texas | 2 years (first license: 6 to 29 months depending on birthday) |
State boards adjust these from time to time. Always confirm your specific cycle on your state board\'s website — search "[your state] board of nursing license renewal".
California is explicit: "Your first California RN license is issued for two birthdays, not two years, and will expire the last day of the month following your birth date." Texas does the same — first licenses run 6 to 29 months depending on when you passed NCLEX relative to your birthday.
That partial first cycle is a common source of missed renewals. A new nurse who assumes "I just got licensed, so I do not renew for two years" can lose months on the calculation. Check your wallet card, set the reminder for 90 days before the date printed on it, and the math takes care of itself.
Advanced practice nurses (NP, CRNA, CNS, CNM) carry two renewal cycles. The state license follows the standard biennial cycle for that state. The national certification — ANCC, AANP, NBCRNA, AMCB — runs on a 5-year cycle. Both must stay current to legally practice; letting the certification lapse can suspend the state license even if the state paperwork is fine.
Set two reminders. One for 90 days before each state license expiration. One for 6 months before each national cert expiration (the cert recertification packet takes longer to assemble than a state renewal).
Once you have the date, set the reminder for 90 days before it. See the nursing license renewal reminder pillar for why 90 days is the right lead time.
Most US states use a biennial cycle — every 2 years — for RN and LPN licenses. A few states differ: Connecticut renews annually, Arizona renews every 4 years. APRN licenses follow the same state cycle, but the underlying national certification (e.g. ANCC) renews on its own 5-year cycle.
Most states tie the expiration to your birth month. The expiration is usually printed on your wallet card. If you cannot find it, every state board has a free public license verification page — search "[your state] nursing license verification" and look up your number to see the exact expiration date.
California explicitly issues your first RN license for "two birthdays, not two years" — meaning your initial license can be valid anywhere from 12 to 24 months depending on when you passed NCLEX relative to your birthday. Texas does the same thing, with first licenses valid 6 to 29 months. Once the first cycle ends, every subsequent renewal is a clean 2-year window.
No. NCLEX is a one-time exam for initial licensure. Renewal requires CE hours (typically 20 to 30 per cycle, varying by state) and the renewal fee — but never NCLEX, unless your license has been expired for many years and your state requires re-examination as part of reinstatement.
A compact license follows your home state's renewal cycle. As long as you renew with your home state board on time, your privilege to practice in other compact states stays active. Move your home state and the compact privilege follows the new home state's cycle.
APRNs (NP, CRNA, CNS, CNM) renew the state license on the standard state cycle (usually 2 years), but the national certification — ANCC, AANP, NBCRNA, AMCB — renews separately on a 5-year cycle. Letting either lapse can interrupt practice authority. Both deserve their own renewal reminder.
Free email reminder, set in 30 seconds, no account. Pick the date your license expires and let the reminder handle the rest of the calendar.
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