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Hawaii LPN License Renewal 2027: Your 30 CE Hours, Made Simple

hawaii ceu requirements Oct 07, 2026

Hawaii LPN license renewal 2027: plan your 30 CE hours

Every nursing license in Hawaii expires on the same night: June 30 of odd-numbered years. For LPNs, the next one is June 30, 2027.

That's about nine months away, which is good news. Thirty contact hours feels like a mountain when it's May and you're scrambling. Spread across nine months, it's a little over three hours a month.

This guide covers Hawaii LPN license renewal for 2027: the continuing competency requirement, the CE Hawaii actually accepts, and how to renew without a last-minute rush. Fair warning: Hawaii is pickier about CE than most states.

Hawaii LPN license renewal at a glance

Deadline: June 30, 2027. All Hawaii nursing licenses expire on June 30 of odd-numbered years.
What you need: One "learning activity option." For most LPNs, that's 30 contact hours of continuing education.
Your window: Only activities completed between July 1, 2025 and June 30, 2027 count.
Where to renew: Online through MyPVL, the state's licensing portal.
Fee: The active LPN renewal fee was $196 in 2025.
Records: Keep your documentation for at least four years.

Hawaii continuing competency requirements, in plain English

Since 2017, Hawaii has required every nurse to complete one "learning activity option" before each renewal. The Board calls this continuing competency.

Most LPNs choose continuing education: 30 contact hours during the two-year biennium. The other options are:

A Board-approved refresher course (60 hours of instruction plus 60 hours of clinical practice)
At least 2 semester credits of post-licensure academic education
120 hours as a preceptor in an organized, one-to-one preceptorship program
An approved nursing research study or evidence-based practice project, as a principal or co-principal investigator
Writing or co-writing a published nursing or health article, book, or book chapter
Presenting at least 5 contact hours of nursing education
Completing a Board-recognized nurse residency program

There's also a catch-all for similar activities, but those need the Board's approval before you start.

One rule trips people up: you have to complete one option all the way. You can't mix 15 CE hours with 60 hours of precepting and call it even.

How many CE hours do Hawaii LPNs need?

If you go the continuing education route, you need 30 contact hours completed between July 1, 2025 and June 30, 2027.

Two things to know about that window. Courses you took before July 1, 2025 don't count toward this renewal. Eligible CE completed between July 1, 2025 and June 30, 2027, can count toward this renewal, so check your existing certificates before buying anything new.

A simple plan for your 30 hours

You have roughly nine months. Here's one way to break it up so June doesn't sneak up on you:

October to December 2026: 10 hours. Start with topics you use every shift.
January to March 2027: 10 more hours.
April and May 2027: Your last 10 hours, plus a quick check that every certificate is saved.
Spring 2027: Renew online as soon as renewals open.

That works out to less than an hour a week, and it leaves June free for everything else.

Which CE providers count in Hawaii?

This is where Hawaii is different. Plenty of states accept CE approved by any state board of nursing. Hawaii doesn't.

According to the Board's Continuing Competency Manual, these count:

Courses from nationally accredited nursing schools
Courses from national bodies the Board recognizes, such as the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC)
Courses from recognized professional associations, including the American Nurses Association, ACCME, ACPE, and Joint Accreditation for Interprofessional Continuing Education
Courses approved by the California Board of Nursing
Courses approved by the Florida Board of Nursing

CE approved by other state boards isn't automatically accepted. The manual even uses Texas as its example: Texas-approved CE doesn't count unless the Board finds the standards comparable.

Before you buy a course for your Hawaii license, look for the approval statement on the course page or the certificate.

What doesn't count toward Hawaii CE

BLS, ACLS, or PALS certification courses
Orientation to a new job or position, including computer, charting, and HR training
Training on your facility's own policies and procedures
Repeat activities, like annual competency retraining
Self-improvement, personal finance, and courses meant for the general public

In short, workplace training about how your facility does things usually won't count.

Check every certificate for these four things

Hawaii is strict about paperwork. The manual says a CE certificate gets no credit unless it shows all four of these:

The name of the course
The provider's name
The date you completed it
The number of CE hours awarded

Check each certificate the day you download it, not two years later during an audit.

Hawaii CE exemptions for new graduates and certified nurses

New graduates: If you finished your nursing program within 12 months before your first renewal date, you're exempt. If it was 12 to 24 months before, you need one of these: 15 CE hours, 1 semester credit of post-licensure education, a Board-recognized nurse residency program, or another approved activity.
National certification: A current national certification in your practice role, from a certifying body the Board recognizes, meets the requirement.
LPN and RN: If you hold both licenses, complete one activity at the RN level.
Extensions: The Board grants extensions only for certified illness or extended active military duty, and you have to ask in writing before your license expires.

How to renew your Hawaii LPN license on MyPVL

For 2027, Hawaii nursing license renewal happens online through MyPVL, the Professional and Vocational Licensing portal run by the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA).

In 2025, renewals opened on April 21, and the Board mailed reminder postcards a few days earlier. Expect a similar spring window in 2027, but don't wait for the postcard to start your CE.

When you renew, you'll be asked whether you completed the continuing competency requirement. Keep your certificates handy in case you're picked for an audit. The Board also reminds nurses to fill out the Hawaii State Center for Nursing's workforce survey when they renew online.

One more thing: some nurses must complete a fingerprint-based background check to renew. If you haven't been fingerprinted for your Hawaii license, read the Board's criminal history record check page before renewal season.

What happens if you miss June 30, 2027?

If you don't renew by June 30, 2027, your license is forfeited, and you can't practice nursing in Hawaii until it's restored.

You'd have until June 30, 2029 to restore it. In 2025, restoring an active LPN license cost $226. After June 30, 2029, a forfeited license is terminated.

What to expect from a Hawaii CE audit

The Board can pick nurses at random for a continuing competency audit. After the 2025 renewal, it posted audit lists for LPNs, RNs, and APRNs on its website.

If you're selected, you'll have 60 days to send proof that you completed your learning activity option. That's why the Board asks you to keep your records for at least four years.

And don't answer "yes" to the continuing competency question before you're actually done. A false answer is grounds for discipline. Finish first, then renew.

Finish your 30 hours with LVN Learning Institute

Looking for online CE for your Hawaii LPN license? Our Hawaii LPN continuing education bundle covers all 30 contact hours:

30 contact hours
Self-paced online courses
No tests
Instant certificates when you finish
One payment of $29.99, no subscription

LVN Learning Institute is a California Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians (BVNPT) approved Continuing Education Provider, CEP #15135.

Get the Hawaii LPN 30-Hour CE Bundle →

Hawaii LPN license renewal FAQs

When is the Hawaii LPN license renewal deadline?

June 30, 2027. Hawaii nursing licenses expire on June 30 of every odd-numbered year.

How many CE hours do Hawaii LPNs need to renew?

30 contact hours, completed between July 1, 2025 and June 30, 2027, if you choose the continuing education option.

What are the Hawaii LPN continuing education requirements?

Complete one learning activity option during the biennium. For most LPNs, that's 30 contact hours from a provider Hawaii accepts, with a certificate that shows the course name, provider, completion date, and hours.

Does Hawaii accept CE approved by other state boards of nursing?

Only some. Hawaii accepts CE approved by the California Board of Nursing or the Florida Board of Nursing. CE approved by other state boards isn't automatically accepted.

Can I take all of my CE online?

Hawaii's Continuing Competency Manual doesn't set rules about course format. What matters is who approved the course and whether your certificate shows everything the Board needs.

How much does it cost to renew an LPN license in Hawaii?

The Hawaii nursing license renewal fee for an active LPN was $196 in 2025. Check the Board's website for the 2027 fee before you renew.

What happens if my Hawaii nursing license is forfeited?

You can't practice until it's restored. After the 2027 deadline, you'd have until June 30, 2029 to restore it before it's terminated.

Do new graduates need CE for their first Hawaii renewal?

Maybe not. Hawaii exempts new graduates who finished their nursing program within 12 months before their first renewal date. Between 12 and 24 months, you need 15 CE hours or one of the other options listed above.

Do BLS or ACLS count toward Hawaii CE?

No. The manual says BLS, ACLS, and PALS certifications don't count toward your contact hours.

Start now, renew in the spring

Hawaii gives you two full years to earn your hours, and about nine months of that window are still ahead of you. Check your old certificates, choose providers Hawaii accepts, and chip away at your hours a little each month. When renewal opens next spring, you'll be ready.

Start the Hawaii LPN 30-Hour CE Bundle →

Sources

This article is general information based on Hawaii Board of Nursing rules as of September 2026. Rules and fees change, so check with the Board if you're unsure about your situation.