Mississippi Nursing Continuing Education: Requirements, Steps & Official Links

Direct answer

RNs generally need 20 contact hours when out of practice for more than five years. LPNs and APRNs are subject to their own renewal, endorsement and specialty requirements.

Mississippi Board of Nursing ↗Mississippi license verification ↗Applications and forms ↗Licensure by endorsement ↗

Mississippi factual snapshot for this workflow

Reviewed item	Jurisdiction-specific detail
Authority	Mississippi Board of Nursing
Public verification	Mississippi Board of Nursing license verification
Renewal cycle	Biennial by credential
Renewal deadline	RN: December 31 of even-numbered years. LPN: December 31 of odd-numbered years; renewal opens July 1.
Continuing competence	RNs generally need 20 contact hours when out of practice for more than five years. LPNs and APRNs are subject to their own renewal, endorsement and specialty requirements.
Fees	The Board’s current renewal application lists an active renewal fee of $100; late fees escalate after expiration.
Compact status	NLC member jurisdiction
Credentials	RN, LPN, APRN
Phone	(601) 957-6300
Physical location	713 S. Pear Orchard Road, Suite 300, Ridgeland, MS 39157

For Mississippi, 5 primary official source records and 9 labeled official destinations support this jurisdiction guide. Source verification dates are shown separately from editorial release dates.

Core requirementRNs generally need 20 contact hours when out of practice for more than five years. LPNs and APRNs are subject to their own renewal, endorsement and specialty requirements.

Audit practiceRetain certificates and submit them when the Board requests evidence.

CredentialsRN, LPN, APRN

Renewal cycleBiennial by credential

Continuing education or continuing competence rule

RNs generally need 20 contact hours when out of practice for more than five years. LPNs and APRNs are subject to their own renewal, endorsement and specialty requirements.

Mandatory topics, pathways and conditions

Use accepted nursing-related education.
APRN controlled-substance or specialty obligations may apply.
Do not assume one credential’s CE rule applies to another.

Credential-specific checks

Credential note

Mississippi routing note: The Mississippi Board of Nursing regulates RN, LPN and APRN practice. Its Nurse Gateway handles applications and renewals, while public verification is a separate primary-source service.

Credential note

For Mississippi, rN: verify the exact credential record, renewal rule and any credential-specific education or practice requirements.

Credential note

For Mississippi, lPN: verify the exact credential record, renewal rule and any credential-specific education or practice requirements.

Credential note

For Mississippi, aPRN: verify the exact credential record, renewal rule and any credential-specific education or practice requirements.

Credential note

Mississippi RN: verify that the Mississippi Board of Nursing record or the specifically named registry shows the credential, current status and any separate approval required for the role. Renewal or competence requirements may differ from other Mississippi credentials.

Credential note

Mississippi LPN: verify that the Mississippi Board of Nursing record or the specifically named registry shows the credential, current status and any separate approval required for the role. Renewal or competence requirements may differ from other Mississippi credentials.

Credential note

Mississippi APRN: verify that the Mississippi Board of Nursing record or the specifically named registry shows the credential, current status and any separate approval required for the role. Renewal or competence requirements may differ from other Mississippi credentials.

Keep evidence for an audit

Retain certificates and submit them when the Board requests evidence.

Keep certificates and provider details for the published retention period.
Confirm course completion falls inside the correct renewal period.
Do not assume RN and APRN requirements are identical.
Check whether the provider reports electronically or whether you must upload documentation.

Common CE problems

CE or competence is not accepted

Compare the course, provider, date, credential and documentation with the exact Mississippi rule: RNs generally need 20 contact hours when out of practice for more than five years. LPNs and APRNs are subject to their own renewal, endorsement and specialty requirements. Retain evidence and use the authority’s upload or audit instructions.

Wrong credential rule

Return to the official source and match RN, LPN/LVN, APRN, first-renewal, certificate or assistant requirements before purchasing additional coursework.

Course not accepted

Confirm provider approval, topic, completion date and documentation against the authority instructions. A generic completion certificate does not prove acceptance.

Fraud and privacy safety

Begin every Mississippi transaction from a reviewed authority domain (www.msbn.ms.gov) or a source-reviewed link on this guide.
Do not give a caller payment-card details, a password or a one-time code merely because the caller claims to represent Mississippi Board of Nursing.
If threatened with immediate suspension or arrest, end the call and verify the issue through (601) 957-6300 or the secure Mississippi account.
Use Mississippi License Verification to confirm current status rather than a private lookup page or emailed screenshot.
Upload identity, background, education or legal documents only through a secure method explicitly named by Mississippi Board of Nursing.
Before paying, verify the credential, transaction and amount against the current Mississippi instructions; save the receipt and then verify the public record.
For Mississippi, report a suspected licensing impersonation or phishing attempt to the authority and the relevant consumer-protection or law-enforcement channel.

Frequently asked questions

How much continuing education is required in Mississippi?

RNs generally need 20 contact hours when out of practice for more than five years. LPNs and APRNs are subject to their own renewal, endorsement and specialty requirements.

Are there mandatory topics?

Use accepted nursing-related education. APRN controlled-substance or specialty obligations may apply. Do not assume one credential’s CE rule applies to another.

Should I keep completion records?

Retain certificates and submit them when the Board requests evidence.

Can CE rules differ by credential?

Yes. RN, LPN/LVN, APRN, first-renewal, assistant and certificate-specific rules can differ.

What if CE does not appear in my account?

Can I use any online course?

No. Confirm accepted providers, course categories, mandatory topics and completion dates before purchasing a course.

Is CE always required for every renewal?

Not necessarily. Some jurisdictions use practice hours, competency pathways, exemptions or credential-specific requirements. Use the exact official rule.

Where do I verify CE information?

Use the official continuing education or competence source listed in the official-resource directory.

Source-reviewed official resources

Renewal

Mississippi Licensee Gateway ↗

Mississippi Licensee Gateway is the reviewed Mississippi renewal destination on gateway.licensure.msbn.ms.gov. Confirm the credential, deadline, and amount before submitting payment.

Mississippi Board secure gateway for license renewal and license management · July 28, 2026

Mississippi license verification