Updated for 2026

Ohio PMHNP Continuing Education Requirements

Ohio psychiatric nurse practitioners must complete 24 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew their APRN license, including 12 hours of pharmacology.

These are the Ohio 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.

24hours every 2 years
Topic minimums, counted within the 24
12pharmacology

Next deadline: September 15, 2027The renewal cycle is biennial. You file your renewal by September 15 of odd years, and the license expires October 31.

Where this comes from
State source
Ohio 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

Start free trialExplore the demo →

It's free for 30 days, and you don't need a card.

Requirements

Ohio PMHNP requirements

Total

24 hoursYou need 24 hours every 2 years. The renewal cycle is biennial. You file your renewal by September 15 of odd years, and the license expires October 31.

Topic minimums, counted within the 24

The remaining 12 hours are not tied to a topic minimum.
Pharmacology
12
You need 12 hours each cycle.

Cycle and record rules

Renewal
The renewal cycle is biennial. You file your renewal by September 15 of odd years, and the license expires October 31.
New licensees
"For the first period of renewal immediately following the initial issuance of the advanced practice registered nurse license by the board, a licensee is not required to complete any contact hours of continuing education" (OAC 4723-8-10(B)(3)). The RN license's own first-renewal rule applies separately to the RN row.
Approved providers
Hours must meet Chapter 4723-14 of the Administrative Code (OBN-approved, ANCC-accredited or other accredited providers the chapter names); the 12 advanced pharmacology hours must come from "an accredited institution recognized by the board", including the providers in OAC 4723-9-01(E) (ANCC, ACCME, AANP and the other national accreditors). Hours count only in the renewal period in which they were earned, November 1 of the prior odd year through October 31 of the renewal year.
Recordkeeping
Keep CE documentation for 6 years after each renewal.
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 an Ohio 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
    Ohio · Biennial

    24 CE hours every 2 years, including 12 hours of pharmacology.

    Requirements above
  2. RNRegistered Nurse
    Ohio · Biennial

    24 CE hours every 2 years, including 1 hour of laws and rules.

    Ohio board rule
  3. CSRState Controlled Substance Registration
    Ohio

    Ohio does not issue a separate CSR.

  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 September 15, 2027.

Your result appears here as you enter hours.

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

Full board policy details
  • Volunteer credit: "For purposes of fulfilling the twenty-four hours of continuing education required for renewal, an advanced practice registered nurse may satisfy up to eight hours by providing health care services as a volunteer" to indigent and uninsured persons under the conditions of OAC 4723-8-10(B)(4). Not modeled as a credit conversion; the licensee logs the Board-accepted hours as general CE.
  • National certification: renewal requires "documentation satisfactory to the board that the licensee has maintained certification in the nursing specialty with a national certifying organization" (OAC 4723-8-08). A clinical nurse specialist first authorized before 2001 without national certification owes 12 further targeted hours (4723-8-10(C)); that population is not a nurse practitioner and is not modeled.
  • Stacking with the RN license: the Board states the APRN hours "are in addition to the 24 hours of CE required to renew the RN license". The two rows under one profession each count every admissible logged hour, so a licensee who logs 24 hours sees both rows satisfied; the Board's own position is that one activity meeting both content requirements may be used for both licenses, so this is faithful rather than lenient.

Ohio PMHNP CE: frequently asked questions

Which credentials does an Ohio PMHNP renew?

4 separate credentials, each on its own renewal date: the APRN (Ohio, biennial), the RN (Ohio, biennial), the PMHNP-BC (ANCC, every 5 years), and the DEA (DEA, triennial). Ohio issues no separate CSR. A lapse at any one of them stops prescribing.

How many CE hours do Ohio PMHNP licensees need?

Ohio requires 24 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew a PMHNP license. The renewal cycle is biennial. You file your renewal by September 15 of odd years, and the license expires October 31.

How often do Ohio PMHNP licensees renew?

The renewal cycle is biennial. You file your renewal by September 15 of odd years, and the license expires October 31.

Are there subject-specific CE requirements for Ohio PMHNP licensees?

Yes. Ohio requires 12 hours of pharmacology.

Is the first renewal different for new Ohio PMHNP licensees?

"For the first period of renewal immediately following the initial issuance of the advanced practice registered nurse license by the board, a licensee is not required to complete any contact hours of continuing education" (OAC 4723-8-10(B)(3)). The RN license's own first-renewal rule applies separately to the RN row.

Sources and verification

State source
Ohio board rule
Last verified
October 2026
Ruleset version
2026.2

We reviewed this page against the Ohio 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

Make your next renewal easier.

Add your Ohio PMHNP license and every requirement on this page becomes a checklist on your record.

Start free trialExplore the demo

30 days free, no credit card.

Ohio 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.Ohio mental health workforce data →63,778 active providers, or 535.9 per 100,000 residents, ranked 14 of 51. The page includes a county density map and free CSV downloads.

Other Ohio CE requirement pages

Ohio LPCOhio LMFTOhio LCSWOhio PsychologistOhio Addiction Counselor

PMHNP CE requirements in other states