Updated for 2026

New Jersey PMHNP Continuing Education Requirements

New Jersey psychiatric nurse practitioners must complete 30 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew their APRN license, including 2 hours of end of life care and 1 hour of prescription opioid drugs.

These are the New Jersey 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.

30hours every 2 years
Topic minimums, counted within the 30
2end of life care
1prescription opioid drugs

The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is due by May 31 of your renewal year. Every license expires May 31; the year varies by licensee.

Where this comes from
State source
New Jersey 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

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Requirements

New Jersey PMHNP requirements

Total

30 hoursYou need 30 hours every 2 years. The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is due by May 31 of your renewal year. Every license expires May 31; the year varies by licensee.

Topic minimums, counted within the 30

The remaining 27 hours are not tied to a topic minimum.
End of Life Care
2
You need 2 hours each cycle.
Prescription Opioid Drugs
1
You need 1 hour each cycle.

Limits on how the hours are earned

Carryover
max 15 hrs

Up to 15 unused hours can carry into the next cycle.

Cycle and record rules

Renewal
The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is due by May 31 of your renewal year. Every license expires May 31; the year varies by licensee.
Renewal fee
The board renewal fee is $120 every 2 years.
Approved providers
Hours must be from providers the Board recognizes under N.J.A.C. 13:37-5.3: ANCC-accredited providers and approvers, national certifying bodies "accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies", other state boards of nursing, IACET Authorized Providers, accredited colleges and universities, and the other credentialing entities the rule lists. Hours count in the biennium in which they were earned, except the 15 that may be carried forward.
Recordkeeping
Keep CE documentation for 4 years after each course's completion date.
Board audit
The board may audit licensees to verify CE compliance.
Late renewal
A late renewal adds a 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 New Jersey 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.

  1. APRNAdvanced Practice Registered Nurse
    New Jersey · Biennial

    30 CE hours every 2 years, including 2 hours of end of life care and 1 hour of prescription opioid drugs.

    Requirements above
  2. RNRegistered Nurse
    New Jersey · Biennial

    30 CE hours every 2 years, including 1 hour of prescription opioid drugs.

    Requirements above
  3. CSRState Controlled Substance Registration
    New Jersey · Annual

    No CE hours to renew.

    New Jersey board rule
  4. PMHNP-BCPsychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, Board Certified
    ANCC · Every 5 years

    75 CE hours every 5 years, including 25 hours of pharmacology.

    PMHNP-BC renewal requirements
  5. DEADEA Registration
    DEA · Triennial

    No recurring CE hours, but a one-time training applies.

    DEA renewal requirements
Your hours

Check where you stand

Enter the hours you have completed this cycle to see what is left before your renewal.

Your result appears here as you enter hours.

Also hold a New Jersey Psychologist or LPC license? Each board runs its own CE cycle. See the New Jersey Psychologist and New Jersey LPC requirements.

Full board policy details
  • Carry-forward: up to 15 hours beyond the 30 earned in one biennium may be applied to the next (N.J.A.C. 13:37-5.3); encoded as a carry forward requirement on the total. The opioid hour and the APN end-of-life credits must be earned inside the biennium.
  • APN certification renewal (N.J.A.C. 13:37-7.7): "proof that the applicant is currently certified by a national certifying agency that is accredited by the American Board of Nursing Specialties, and/or the National Commission for Certifying Agencies" (those certified before June 16, 2008 excepted), the RN license's continuing education, two end-of-life credits, and the national certifying agency's own CE (13:37-7.8). "A certificate that is not renewed within 30 days of its expiration shall be automatically suspended"; reinstatement within five years requires the fees and "the continuing education units required under N.J.A.C. 13:37-7.8 for each biennial registration period for which the advanced practice nurse was suspended"; beyond five years, reapplication and examination.
  • Six controlled-dangerous-substance pharmacology hours: one-time. The Board's rule proposal of April 20, 2020 states the six hours are completed once and are in addition to the pharmacology education of N.J.A.C. 13:37-7.2; they are not repeated each biennium. A licensee who disagrees with this reading should expect the Board to ask for the certificate once, at certification or at the first renewal after 2017.

New Jersey PMHNP CE: frequently asked questions

Which credentials does a New Jersey PMHNP renew?

5 separate credentials, each on its own renewal date: the APRN (New Jersey, biennial), the RN (New Jersey, biennial), the CSR (New Jersey, annual), the PMHNP-BC (ANCC, every 5 years), and the DEA (DEA, triennial). A lapse at any one of them stops prescribing.

How many CE hours do New Jersey PMHNP licensees need?

New Jersey requires 30 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew a PMHNP license. The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is due by May 31 of your renewal year. Every license expires May 31; the year varies by licensee.

How often do New Jersey PMHNP licensees renew?

The renewal cycle is biennial, and CE is due by May 31 of your renewal year. Every license expires May 31; the year varies by licensee.

How much does New Jersey PMHNP license renewal cost?

The board's renewal fee is $120 every 2 years, per the New Jersey board fee schedule. CE course costs are separate and set by course providers.

Are there subject-specific CE requirements for New Jersey PMHNP licensees?

Yes. New Jersey requires 2 hours of end of life care, 1 hour of prescription opioid drugs.

Sources and verification

State source
New Jersey board rule
Fee schedule
New Jersey board fee schedule
Last verified
October 2026
Ruleset version
2026.2

We reviewed this page against the New Jersey 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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New Jersey 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.New Jersey mental health workforce data →38,996 active providers, or 408.4 per 100,000 residents, ranked 28 of 51. The page includes a county density map and free CSV downloads.

Other New Jersey CE requirement pages

New Jersey LPCNew Jersey LMFTNew Jersey LCSWNew Jersey PsychologistNew Jersey Addiction Counselor

PMHNP CE requirements in other states