FAQ

Each APRN must complete 24 contact hours of CE every two years—specifically broken down as:

  • 12 hours in pharmacotherapeutics (advanced pharmacology).
  • 12 hours in clinical management (assessment, diagnosis, planning, and evaluation).
  • Controlled Substances Requirement: If you prescribe, administer, or dispense controlled substances, you must complete 3 hours in drug diversion, best-practice prescribing, and opioid antagonist training within 1 year of initial licensure.

Note: The APRN license renewal period runs from July 1 of an odd year to June 30 of the next odd year.

Renewing RNs must complete 12 contact hours of continuing education (CE) from a Board-approved provider per renewal cycle.

  • Newly Licensed RNs: Require 3 contact hours of CE on safe prescribing and drug diversion, completed within 1 year of receiving your initial license. Standard 12-hour requirement begins in subsequent renewal cycles.
  • Approved Providers: National APRN organizations (e.g., NPCB, AMCB, ANCC, NCC, PNCB), national/state nursing associations (e.g., ANA, WVNA, AANA), and any State Board of Nursing in the U.S.

To qualify for a West Virginia multistate license, you must declare West Virginia as your primary state of residence, hold an active unencumbered license or meet initial licensure requirements, pass a state and federal fingerprint background check via IdentoGO, pass the NCLEX-RN, and have no felony convictions or active license encumbrances. 

Once an applicant submits an RN Initial by Exam application, completes the required background check, and has their official transcripts reviewed by the Board, they are automatically issued a Graduate Temporary License. There is no separate request process required in the portal. This temporary license is valid for 180 days from the date of graduation. 

Your application will be processed after all the required information has been received and confirmed by the Board. Information such as background checks, or verification of education or certification could be holding up your application. You can check the status of your application by logging into your Nurse Portal and clicking View Status for the application under Submitted License Applications. After all the information has been received, and the application deemed complete, licenses are then processed and issued in the order of receipt.

Here are the recent changes in RN and APRN licensing::

  • Beginning August 1, 2022, RN licenses have moved to a two year renewal cycle. 
  • The requirement for continuing education has been reinstated. This requirement had been temporarily relaxed due to the COVID State of Emergency, but has now been reinstated.
  • For licensees that were renewed on or before October 31, 2022, renewals for 2022 were free of charge for the licensee. The Governor's Nursing Workforce Expansion Program covered the cost of  2022 RN renewals.
  • The cost of RN and APRN Initial licenses, as well as RN and APRN renewals have changed. See Fee Schedule chart on Licensing page.
  • There have been no changes with regards to Dialysis Technicians.
  • After 2024, RN license renewals moved to a June 30 expiration date instead of October 31. When you renewed in 2024 your license will expire June 30, 2026. 
  • RN licenses issued after September 1, 2024 will expire on June 30, 2026.