Renew or Reactivate a License

Continuing Education Requirements and Active Nursing Practice Hours

The Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission (NCQAC) requires nursing continuing education and active nursing practice hour requirements for active and retired-active nursing credentials.

Renewals and Reactivations

Nursing Technician

Nursing technicians are eligible to renew a nursing technician registration if the following requirements are met:

• Must be a nursing student enrolled in good standing in a nursing program approved by the Nursing Commission
• Must be employed in a hospital licensed under chapter 70.41 RCW, a clinic, or a nursing home licensed under chapter 18.51 RCW.

Renewal

Nursing technician registrations are not eligible for online renewal. To renew your Nursing technician registration, mail the renewal fee to:

• Mail
  Department of Health
  P.O. Box 1099
  Olympia, WA 98507-1099

Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)

All licensed practical nurses in Washington state must renew annually by their birthday to remain in active status. All renewal and reactivation fees are non-refundable.

Renewal before birthday

Submit the renewal fee for your license online.

Late renewal (Less than One Year After Your Renewal is Due)

Submit the renewal fee for your license online.

You may mail in your renewal payment if unable to complete the online renewal process. Please allow 7-10 business days for processing time if mailing a renewal payment to our office.

• Mail
  Department of Health
  P.O. Box 1099
  Olympia, WA 98507-1099

Reactivation (More than One Year After Your Renewal is Due)

If you are reactivating a LPN license that has been expired for more than 1 year and changed your name, you must update your contact information.

If your LPN license has been expired for more than 3 years and you do not have an active license in another U.S. state, you will need to complete a commission approved refresher program. 

Complete a reactivation application (PDF) and submit the reactivation fee to:

• Mail
  Department of Health
  P.O. Box 1099
  Olympia, WA 98507-1099

 

Registered Nurse (RN)

All registered nurses in Washington state must renew annually by their birthday to remain in active status. All renewal and reactivation fees are non-refundable.

Renewal before birthday

Submit the renewal fee for your license online.

Late renewal (Less than One Year After Your Renewal is Due)

Submit the renewal fee for your license online.

You may mail in your renewal payment if unable to complete the online renewal process. Please allow 7-10 business days for processing time if mailing a renewal payment to our office.

• Mail
  Department of Health
  P.O. Box 1099
  Olympia, WA 98507-1099

Reactivation (More than One Year After Your Renewal is Due)

If you are reactivating a RN license that has been expired for more than 1 year and changed your name, you must update your contact information.

If your RN license has been expired for more than 3 years and you do not have an active license in another U.S. state, you will need to complete a commission approved refresher program. 

Complete a reactivation application (PDF) and send the reactivation fee to:

• Mail
  Department of Health
  P.O. Box 1099
  Olympia, WA 98507-1099

Retired Active RN or LPN

To renew your license send the renewal fee to:

• Mail
  Department of Health
  P.O. Box 1099
  Olympia, WA 98507-1099

Inactive RN or LPN

To renew your license send the renewal fee to:

• Mail
  Department of Health
  P.O. Box 1099
  Olympia, WA 98507-1099

Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner (ARNP)

All advanced registered nurse practitioners in Washington state must renew their license every other year, by their birthday, to remain in active status. All renewal and reactivation fees are non-refundable.

Renewal before birthday

To renew your license you must:

• Have an active registered nurse license. You can renew your ARNP and RN license at the same time.
• Have an active certification in your area of practice. You are required to submit a copy of re-certification. Please fax certification to 360-236-4738 or email to nursing@doh.wa.gov.
• Sign the renewal notice attestation stating you completed 30 contact hours of continuing education credit during the renewal period. An additional 15 hours in pharmacology is required if you have prescriptive authority within the last two years. You do not need to sign the paper attestation when renewing online.

Submit the renewal fee for your license online.

Late renewal (Less than Two Year After Your Renewal is Due)

To renew your license you must:

• Have an active registered nurse license. You can renew your ARNP and RN license at the same time.
• Have an active certification in your area of practice. You are required to submit a copy of re-certification. Please fax certification to 360-236-4738 or email to nursing@doh.wa.gov.
• Sign the renewal notice attestation stating you completed 30 contact hours of continuing education credit during the renewal period. An additional 15 hours in pharmacology is required if you have prescriptive authority within the last two years. You do not need to sign the paper attestation when renewing online.

Submit the renewal fee for your license online.

• You may mail in your renewal payment if unable to complete the online renewal process. Please allow 7-10 business days for processing time if mailing a renewal payment to our office.

  Mail
  Department of Health
  P.O. Box 1099
  Olympia, WA 98507-1099

Inactive renewal

To renew your license send the renewal fee to:

• Mail
  Department of Health
  P.O. Box 1099
  Olympia, WA 98507-1099

Reactivation application (More than Two Year After Your Renewal is Due)

If you are reactivating a ARNP license that has been expired for more than 2 years and changed your name, you must update your contact information. 

Complete a reactivation application (PDF) and send the reactivation fee to:

• Mail
  Department of Health
  P.O. Box 1099
  Olympia, WA 98507-1099