Kentucky PMHNP Continuing Education Requirements
Here's what a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) must complete to renew in Kentucky.
These are the Kentucky APRN license requirements for a board-certified PMHNP who prescribes controlled substances. Your RN license, ANCC certification and DEA registration renew separately; see every credential.
Topic minimums
5pharmacology
3pharmacology hours on pain management or addiction disorders (3 of the 5)
Next deadline: October 31, 2026The renewal cycle is annual, and CE is due by October 31 each year.
Where this comes from
- State source
- Kentucky board rule
- Last verified
- October 2026
- Ruleset version
- 2026.2
Every figure on this page is read from this rule, and the page refreshes when the ruleset changes. How we verify
It's free for 30 days, and you don't need a card.
Requirements
Kentucky PMHNP requirements
Total
Kentucky sets no APRN hour total that applies to every board-certified PMHNP. The topic minimums below still apply. Your ANCC certification renewal sets its own hours, listed with your other credentials. The renewal cycle is annual, and CE is due by October 31 each year.
Topic minimums
- Pharmacology
- 5
- You need 5 hours each cycle.
- Pharmacology hours on pain management or addiction disorders (3 of the 5)
- 3
- You need 3 hours each cycle.
Cycle and record rules
- Renewal
- The renewal cycle is annual, and CE is due by October 31 each year.
- Renewal fee
- The board renewal fee is $55 per year, and a late (delinquent) renewal adds a $135 fee.
- Approved providers
- Hours must be "from a provider approved by the board pursuant to 201 KAR 20:220" (201 KAR 20:215, Section 3(1)(a)): a KBN-approved provider, a provider approved by another state board of nursing, or one of the national nursing organizations listed in 201 KAR 20:220, Section 2(5) (ANCC, AANP, AACN, AANA, ACNM, AWHONN, NPWH, NAPNAP, NAPNES, NALPN and NLN). APRNs may use pharmacology-related CME from a provider recognized by their national certifying organization for the pharmacology hours, and DEA- or SAMHSA-approved groups for the eight-hour opioid and substance use disorder training. Hours count only in the November 1 to October 31 earning period in which they were earned; education completed before the license was issued, in-service education, orientation, equipment demonstrations and BLS, ACLS or PALS certifications do not count (KBN Continuing Education Requirements page). A nonapproved activity may be submitted for individual review within thirty days after the earning period for a ten dollar fee (Section 7). "A licensee shall not repeat the same continuing education offering within a licensure period" (Section 6(6)), and "A licensee who attends continuing education activities ... shall attend the entire offering to be eligible to receive the number of contact hours" (Section 6(4)).
- Recordkeeping
- Keep CE documentation for 5 years after the end of each cycle.
- Board audit
- The board may audit licensees to verify CE compliance.
- Late renewal
- A late renewal adds a $135 late fee.
To keep your proof in order, see what to keep for a CE audit, which covers every state’s retention period and what the audit notice asks for.
Credential stack
Every credential a Kentucky PMHNP renews
Each one renews on its own date, and a lapse at any of them stops prescribing. The ANCC certification and DEA registration are the same in every state.
- APRNAdvanced Practice Registered NurseKentucky · Annual
5 hours of pharmacology and 3 hours of pharmacology hours on pain management or addiction disorders (3 of the 5) per year.
Requirements above - RNRegistered Nurse
- CSRState Controlled Substance RegistrationKentucky
Kentucky does not issue a separate CSR.
- PMHNP-BCPsychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, Board CertifiedANCC · Every 5 years
75 CE hours every 5 years, including 25 hours of pharmacology.
PMHNP-BC renewal requirements - DEADEA Registration
Your hours
Check where you stand
Enter the hours you have completed this cycle to see what is left before October 31, 2026.
Your result appears here as you enter hours.
Also hold a Kentucky Psychologist or LPC license? Each board runs its own CE cycle. See the Kentucky Psychologist and Kentucky LPC requirements.
Kentucky PMHNP required trainings and mandates
Kentucky also requires specific trainings. Some are due once around initial licensure, and others run on their own recurring schedule.
One-time requirements
- "Nurses shall earn, the following one (1) time continuing education requirements, subject to the applicable timeframes established in subsection (8) of this section: (a) A minimum of one and one-half (1.5) contact hours in pediatric abusive head trauma as required by KRS 314.073(6)" (201 KAR 20:215, Section 5(5)(a)); the statute: "A one-time training course of at least one and one-half (1.5) hours covering the recognition and prevention of pediatric abusive head trauma, as defined in KRS 620.020 ... The continuing education required under this subsection shall be included in the current number of required continuing education hours" (KRS 314.073(6)). Due "within three (3) years of licensure" for nurses licensed after July 15, 2024 (Section 5(8)); "Nurses who have satisfied each of the continuing education requirements in subsection (5) of this section on or before July 15, 2024, shall not be required to complete them again" (Section 5(6)). The Board exempts graduates of a Kentucky program of nursing from December 2011 on, whose curriculum covered it (KBN One Time Content Specific CE Requirements page). Spelled with the slug the Kentucky social work rules use. (1.5 hours, one time).
- "A minimum of three (3) contact hours on domestic violence and elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation as required by KRS 194A.540(9)(d)" (201 KAR 20:215, Section 5(5)(b)). The statute lists "Nurses licensed under KRS Chapter 314" among the professions and provides that "any health-care or mental health professional identified in subsection (9) of this section shall successfully complete a three (3) hour training course that meets the requirements of subsection (10) of this section ... who are granted licensure or certification after July 15, 1996, shall successfully complete the training within three (3) years of the date of initial licensure or certification" (KRS 194A.540(11)). The course covers "the dynamics of domestic violence and elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation; effects ... on adult and child victims; legal remedies for protection; lethality and risk issues; model protocols ...; available community resources and victim services; and reporting requirements" (194A.540(10)). The Board exempts nurses who completed a Kentucky program of nursing from May 1988 on (KBN One Time Content Specific CE Requirements page). Spelled with the corpus-wide domestic_violence slug (the Kentucky LPC rule uses it; the social work rules spell the same course domestic_violence_and_elder_abuse). (3 hours, one time).
- "A minimum of one (1) contact hour on Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia as required by KRS 314.073(7)" (201 KAR 20:215, Section 5(5)(c)); the statute requires "a one (1) time course of one (1) hour of continuing education approved by the board" that "shall count towards the current number of required continuing education hours", covering the warning signs and symptoms of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, early detection and communication techniques, "Cognitive assessment and care planning billing codes", cognitive assessment tools and current treatments (KRS 314.073(7)(a)-(e)). "Registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and advanced practice registered nurses who hold an active nursing license on July 15, 2024, shall satisfy the continuing competency requirement in subsection (5)(c) of this section on or before October 31, 2027" (Section 5(7)); nurses licensed after July 15, 2024 have three years from licensure (Section 5(8)). "Graduating student practitioners may submit Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia course curriculum taught in their programs of study towards the required one (1) hour" (KRS 314.073(7)). The Board offers a free course for it. The engine has no due date on a one-time requirement, so the October 31, 2027 deadline is stated here and in the public summary. (1 hour, one time).
- "A minimum of two (2) contact hours on the subject of suicide prevention, which shall consist of one (1) contact hour on suicide prevention generally, and one (1) contact hour that addresses: 1. Chronic toxic stress and secondary traumatic stress potentially increasing the incidence of suicide amongst nurses; 2. A confidential and standardized pathway to care for nurses that addresses screening, assessing, safety planning, referrals, and follow-up for nurses at risk for suicide; 3. Systems of care, evidence-informed approaches, and best practices to reduce suicide rates; and 4. Ethical legal considerations of caring for patients and nurses who are suicidal" (201 KAR 20:215, Section 5(5)(d)). Due within three years of licensure for nurses licensed after July 15, 2024 (Section 5(8)); satisfied once and not repeated (Section 5(6)). The Board exempts nurses who completed a Kentucky program of nursing from August 2025 on, when the curriculum additions of 201 KAR 20:320, Section 6 took effect (KBN One Time Content Specific CE Requirements page). The engine checks two hours on the suicide_prevention slug; the split between the general hour and the nurse-specific hour is not verified. (2 hours, one time).
Full board policy details
- Alternatives to the fourteen hours (201 KAR 20:215, Section 3): (2) "Current national certification or recertification and the continuing education required by Section 5", which this rule models by lifting the fourteen hours for the APRN row and for an RN row whose holder also holds an APRN license or the PMHNP-BC certification; (3) the Section 5 education plus one of "Completion of a research project that is nursing-related" as principal investigator, coinvestigator or project director, evidenced by an abstract, "Publication of an article in a peer-reviewed health-related journal", or "Participation as a preceptor for at least one (1) nursing student or new employee" for at least 120 hours in a one-to-one relationship, evidenced by the Preceptor Continuing Education Verification Form; and (4) "Seven (7) hours of continuing education ... and ... A nursing employment evaluation that is satisfactory for continued employment" covering at least six months of the earning period on the Nursing Continuing Education Employment Evaluation Form. The Board: the options "CANNOT be combined to equal fourteen (14) contact hours". The engine cannot see a research project, publication, preceptorship or employer evaluation, so a licensee using options (3) or (4) sees the fourteen hours and records the alternative by hand.
- Presentations and academic courses (201 KAR 20:215, Section 3(5)): contact hours for the fourteen-hour and seven-hour methods may be earned by "A nursing continuing education presentation that is: Designed and developed by the presenter; Presented to nurses or other health professionals; ... Offered by a provider approved pursuant to 201 KAR 20:220", credited at "twice the number of contact hours offered to an attendee", and by "Successful completion of a postlicensure academic course" relevant to nursing practice, where "One (1) semester or trimester hour of academic credit shall equal fifteen (15) contact hours; or One (1) quarter hour of academic credit shall equal twelve (12) contact hours", with "a grade of 'C' or better, or a pass on a pass-fail grading system". Enter the converted hours on a credit tagged teaching or academic coursework; no cap applies.
- National certification: a condition of the APRN license, not merely a CE alternative. "An advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) shall maintain current certification or recertification from one (1) of the national organizations recognized in Section 3 of this administrative regulation throughout the licensure period" (201 KAR 20:056, Section 8(1)(a)), and "An APRN who does not provide evidence of current certification or recertification prior to its expiration date shall have the APRN license voided. This action shall not be considered to be a disciplinary action" (Section 8(2)(b)1.). The American Nurses Credentialing Center is a recognized certifying organization (Section 3(2)(a)). The certification's own 75 hours are us-pmhnp bc.yaml; here it lifts only the fourteen general hours, never the pharmacology hours or the one-time mandates ("Current national certification or recertification and the continuing education required by Section 5", 201 KAR 20:215, Section 3(2)).
- Prescriptive authority and the DEA: an APRN prescribes nonscheduled legend drugs under a CAPA-NS (KRS 314.042(12)) and controlled substances under a CAPA-CS with a physician "qualified in the same or a similar specialty" (KRS 314.042(15)); each may be discontinued or exempted after four years of prescribing (314.042(13), (17)). "Prior to prescribing controlled substances, the advanced practice registered nurse shall obtain a Controlled Substance Registration Certificate through the United States Drug Enforcement Administration" (314.042(15)(h)) and "Within thirty (30) days of obtaining a Controlled Substance Registration Certificate from the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, and prior to prescribing controlled substances, the advanced practice registered nurse shall register with the electronic system for monitoring controlled substances established by KRS 218A.202 and shall provide a copy of the registration certificate to the board" (314.042(15)(k); 201 KAR 20:057, Section 6(4)). Neither the CAPA-CS nor the KASPER master account is continuing education, and neither has a renewal date of its own (the CAPA-CS runs until rescinded or exempted; the KASPER account is maintained "continuously during the practitioner's ... term of licensure", KRS 218A.202(2)(a)). The three pain management or addiction hours and the eight-hour opioid training are keyed on the `dea` row because the rule binds "An APRN who is registered with the DEA" (201 KAR 20:215, Section 5(1)(b), (2)).
- No state controlled-substance registration. Kentucky's registration sections for manufacturers and distributors, KRS 218A.150 and 218A.160, were repealed in 2018, and KRS 218A.170 lets a practitioner prescribe "in good faith and in the course of professional practice" on the professional license; the Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure states the same rule for physicians ("a licensee shall hold a valid DEA permit and be registered to use the KASPER system as required by KRS 218A.202"). KASPER is the prescription drug monitoring program: "A practitioner or a pharmacist authorized to prescribe or dispense controlled substances to humans shall register with the cabinet to use the system provided for in this section and shall maintain an active account with the electronic monitoring system continuously during the practitioner's or pharmacist's term of licensure and shall not have to pay a fee or tax specifically dedicated to the operation of the system" (KRS 218A.202(2)(a)). There is no `csr` row in this state; the federal DEA row is us-dea.yaml.
- Pediatric ingestion of controlled substances (new, 2026): 2026 Ky. Acts ch. 68 (effective July 15, 2026) added to KRS 314.073(6) "(b) One (1) hour one (1) time every three (3) years covering the recognition and prevention of pediatric ingestion or inhalation of controlled substances", counted inside the required hours, and amended KRS 218A.205(3)(i) to require prescriber CE to "include one (1) hour on the recognition and prevention of pediatric ingestion or inhalation of controlled substances". The July 30, 2025 edition of 201 KAR 20:215 does not yet carry either hour and no amendment is on file with the LRC as of October 20, 2026, so the hour is not modeled; the Board implements continuing competency "as prescribed in regulations promulgated by the board" (KRS 314.073(1)). Add a one-hour category requirement with scope every N months, n 36, when the Board amends the rule.
- Medicinal cannabis: an APRN "with authorization to provide written certifications for the use of medicinal cannabis must complete an additional three (3) contact hours of nursing continuing education every year between November 1 - October 31" on diagnosing and treating qualifying conditions with medicinal cannabis, its pharmacological characteristics and drug interactions, and indications of cannabis use disorder (201 KAR 20:067, Section 6; 201 KAR 20:215, Section 5(9); KBN APRN Continuing Education page). The authorization is a separate credential with no license fact in the engine, so the three hours are not modeled. Sexual assault nurse examiners owe the hours of 201 KAR 20:411, Section 8 (Section 5(4)), likewise not modeled.
- Former mandates: the 1.5-hour implicit bias requirement added by the January 13, 2022 amendment of 201 KAR 20:215 no longer appears in the rule (it is absent from the March 21, 2024 text onward) and is not listed on the Board's one-time content-specific CE page; CE vendor summaries that still list it are stale. Kentucky has no HIV/AIDS, human trafficking, cultural competency, infection control or ethics hours for nurses.
- First renewal: 201 KAR 20:215 has no first-renewal waiver, and the current KRS 314.073(1) ("As a prerequisite for license renewal, all individuals licensed under provisions of this chapter shall be required to document continuing competency during the immediate past licensure period") no longer carries the "Except for the first licensure renewal" clause of older editions. A license issued in the last six months of a licensure period (May 1 to October 31) "shall expire at the end (October 31) of the succeeding licensure period" (201 KAR 20:085, Section 1(2)), so a new licensee's first period runs up to eighteen months and the hours are earned in the earning period that ends with it; "Education completed before the license was issued" does not count (KBN Continuing Education Requirements page). The one-time mandates are due "within three (3) years of licensure" (Section 5(8)). No first-cycle override is modeled.
- Compacts: Kentucky is a Nurse Licensure Compact state ("Kentucky is a member of the NLC. There is no additional fee or application for a compact license in Kentucky", KBN NCSBN/Compact License page), so a Kentucky-resident RN holds a multistate license renewed on this October 31 calendar, and an APRN whose RN privilege is another compact state's multistate license renews the APRN license alone on the "Annual Licensure Renewal Application: APRN with RN Compact License (not Kentucky)" (201 KAR 20:056, Section 6(2)(b)) without a Kentucky RN row. "APRN licenses are not currently in a compact" (same page); Kentucky has not enacted the APRN Compact.
Kentucky PMHNP CE: frequently asked questions
Which credentials does a Kentucky PMHNP renew?
4 separate credentials, each on its own renewal date: the APRN (Kentucky, annual), the RN (Kentucky, annual), the PMHNP-BC (ANCC, every 5 years), and the DEA (DEA, triennial). Kentucky issues no separate CSR. A lapse at any one of them stops prescribing.
How often do Kentucky PMHNP licensees renew?
The renewal cycle is annual, and CE is due by October 31 each year.
How much does Kentucky PMHNP license renewal cost?
The board's renewal fee is $55 per year, per the Kentucky board fee schedule. Renewing late adds a $135 delinquency fee on top. CE course costs are separate and set by course providers.
Are there subject-specific CE requirements for Kentucky PMHNP licensees?
Yes. Kentucky requires 5 hours of pharmacology, 3 hours of pharmacology hours on pain management or addiction disorders (3 of the 5).
Sources and verification
- State source
- Kentucky board rule
- Fee schedule
- Kentucky board fee schedule
- Last verified
- October 2026
- Ruleset version
- 2026.2
We reviewed this page against the Kentucky board source, and we refresh it from the compiled ruleset above. Methodology and disclaimer. Compliance data is for guidance only, not legal or board advice. Always confirm requirements with your licensing board before renewing. See something wrong? Report it
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Kentucky guides & data
What to keep for a CE audit →Learn what boards ask for in a CE audit, how long each state says to keep certificates, and what the notice looks like, then use the printable checklist.Kentucky mental health workforce data →18,646 active providers, or 404.7 per 100,000 residents, ranked 29 of 51. The page includes a county density map and free CSV downloads.
Other Kentucky CE requirement pages
PMHNP CE requirements in other states
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
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- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
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- New Hampshire
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- South Carolina
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- Tennessee
- Texas
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- Vermont
- Virginia
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- Wisconsin
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