North Carolina Nurse Practitioner CE Requirements

Renewal cycle

Annual NP registration renewal; CE is measured over a 2-year period

Total CE hours

50 contact hours every 2 years, beginning with the first renewal after initial approval to practice. At least 20 of the 50 hours must be within the NP's national certification area and approved by a national credentialing body or ACCME.

Pharmacology CE

No separately enumerated pharmacology-hour requirement in 21 NCAC 36 .0807; pharmacology content is expected within the 50 hours/20 certification-related hours rather than as a distinct quota. (The only drug-specific quota is the controlled-substance hour below.)

Controlled-substance CE

NPs who prescribe controlled substances must complete at least 1 contact hour per year (within the preceding 12 months, inclusive of the 50-hour total) on controlled-substance prescribing practices, recognizing misuse/abuse, and chronic-pain prescribing. Completion of the federal 8-hour MATE Act training is deemed compliant for the 2-year CE period in which it was completed.

Good to know

Rule text (21 NCAC 36 .0807) verified via the official NC Administrative Code and its Cornell LII mirror; the ncbon.com page returned 403 to automated fetch but search snippets matched the rule. CE documentation must be retained 5 years. The MATE-training safe harbor is a relatively recent addition to the rule.

Official sources