How to renew your Massachusetts RN license
Massachusetts RN licenses expire at 11:59 p.m. on your birthday in even-numbered years and are renewed online through the ePLACE portal. You need 15 contact hours of continuing education from a Board-recognized provider in the preceding two years, and you attest to them rather than uploading certificates.
- Cycle
- 2 years — expires 11:59 p.m. on your birthday in even-numbered years
- CE hours
- 15 contact hours in the 2 years before renewal
- Fee
- Set by the Commonwealth's fee schedule — confirm the current amount in ePLACE
- Documentation
- Attest at renewal; retain certificates for audit
- Portal
- ePLACE (eplace.mass.gov)
- Compact
- NLC enacted but not implemented — verify before practicing across state lines
- Confirm your expiration momentMassachusetts RN licenses expire at 11:59 p.m. on your birthday in even-numbered years. It is a time of day, not just a date — do not plan to renew the next morning.
- Complete 15 contact hoursYou need 15 contact hours of continuing education in the two years before renewal, from a Board-recognized provider or accrediting body.
- Include any required topic hoursMassachusetts has required content areas for certain licensees and cycles. Confirm current topic requirements on the Board's CE page before you assume 15 generic hours are enough.
- Renew online through ePLACESign in to the Massachusetts ePLACE portal, open your nursing license renewal, and update your contact information.
- Attest and payAttest to CE completion, answer the good-moral-character and discipline questions, and pay the renewal fee by card.
- Save the confirmation and certificates in TrustKeep documentation for audit — the Board can request proof of every hour.
Requirements
Massachusetts requires 15 contact hours of continuing education in the two-year period before renewal — half what several neighboring and West Coast states demand. Hours must come from a Board-recognized provider or accrediting body.
The 11:59 p.m. birthday detail matters. Massachusetts does not give you the whole birthday-plus-grace window nurses assume. The license is expired at 11:59 p.m. on your birthday in the even-numbered year, and practicing after that moment is practicing without a license.
Check the Board's current CE guidance for required topic hours before assuming 15 general hours satisfy the cycle; topic mandates are added by rule and change between cycles.
You attest in ePLACE and keep documentation. Massachusetts audits renewals, and the burden of proof is yours.
How to renew, step by step
- 01Confirm your expiration momentMassachusetts RN licenses expire at 11:59 p.m. on your birthday in even-numbered years. It is a time of day, not just a date — do not plan to renew the next morning.
- 02Complete 15 contact hoursYou need 15 contact hours of continuing education in the two years before renewal, from a Board-recognized provider or accrediting body.
- 03Include any required topic hoursMassachusetts has required content areas for certain licensees and cycles. Confirm current topic requirements on the Board's CE page before you assume 15 generic hours are enough.
- 04Renew online through ePLACESign in to the Massachusetts ePLACE portal, open your nursing license renewal, and update your contact information.
- 05Attest and payAttest to CE completion, answer the good-moral-character and discipline questions, and pay the renewal fee by card.
- 06Save the confirmation and certificates in TrustKeep documentation for audit — the Board can request proof of every hour.
If you're late
Once the birthday deadline passes, the license is expired — there is no working day after it. Employers verify status through the Commonwealth's license lookup, so a lapse is visible immediately.
Late renewal and reinstatement pathways exist through ePLACE with additional fees, and a longer lapse can require more documentation. Confirm current amounts in the portal rather than relying on a third-party figure.
Frequently asked questions
- When exactly does my Massachusetts license expire?
- At 11:59 p.m. on your birthday in even-numbered years. If your birthday falls in an odd year, your renewal is the even-year birthday.
- How many CE hours does Massachusetts require?
- 15 contact hours in the two-year period preceding renewal — considerably fewer than California's 30, which surprises nurses moving in from stricter states.
- Is Massachusetts in the Nurse Licensure Compact?
- Massachusetts enacted NLC legislation but implementation has lagged. Treat multistate privilege as unavailable until the Board announces it is issuing multistate licenses, and verify before working across state lines.
- Do I upload certificates at renewal?
- No — you attest. Retain your certificates so you can produce them if the Board audits your renewal.
- What if I renew after my birthday?
- Your license is expired the moment the birthday passes at 11:59 p.m., and you cannot practice on it. Late renewal and reinstatement pathways exist, with added fees.
Last verified against Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing sources:
Changelog
Every revision to this guide, newest first. Last updated .
- Reviewed and verified requirements, fees, and deadlines against Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing sources.
Trust tracks this renewal for you.
Massachusetts expires at 11:59 p.m. on your birthday — Trust reminds you at 90, 60, 30, and 7 days out, tracks the even-year cycle, and keeps your 15 hours of certificates on-device.
Keep exploring renewals
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