Wisconsin Nurse Practitioner CE Requirements

Renewal cycle

2 years (biennial); renewal by September 30 of even-numbered years (next: Sept 30, 2026)

Total CE hours

16 contact hours per biennium for prescribers — Wisconsin has no general RN CE requirement, so the pharmacology CE is effectively the entire state CE requirement. National certification must be maintained.

Pharmacology CE

16 contact hours per biennium in clinical pharmacology or therapeutics relevant to the prescriber's area of practice (Wis. Admin. Code ch. N 8). This is the state's signature pharm-heavy requirement and applies to APNP/APRN prescribers, including PMHNPs.

Controlled-substance CE

At least 2 of the 16 pharmacology/therapeutics hours must address responsible prescribing of controlled substances. Federal DEA MATE Act 8-hour one-time training additionally applies to DEA registrants.

Good to know

Confirmed on the official DSPS APNP CE page. Major recent change: 2025 Wisconsin Act 17 created a distinct APRN license — existing APNP certificates converted to APRN licenses (DSPS page cites a September 1 conversion date) with four recognized roles (NP, CRNA, CNS, CNM). Watch for implementing rule changes to CE numbering, but the 16-hour clinical pharmacology/therapeutics requirement (incl. 2 hours controlled-substance prescribing) is the current published standard for prescribers.

Official sources