How to renew your Missouri RN license
Missouri RN licenses expire April 30 of every odd-numbered year, and Missouri requires zero continuing education hours — the entire substantive requirement is the fee plus a nursing workforce survey. The next renewal window is February 1 to April 30, 2027. There is no grace period, and practicing on a lapsed license makes you an "illegal practitioner" under Missouri statute.
- Cycle
- 2 years, expiring April 30 of odd-numbered years — a fixed statewide date, not birth-month based
- Renewal window
- February 1 – April 30. Next: Feb 1 – Apr 30, 2027
- Submit early
- Submit at least 3 business days before expiration. April 30, 2027 is a Friday — target Tuesday, April 27, 2027
- CE required
- None. Zero hours, no topics, no audit
- Fee
- $85 (includes a $10 educational surcharge) · retired status $15
- Late / lapse
- No late fee, no grace period. Lapsed = $50 per year of lapse on top of renewal
- LPNs
- Different cycle: May 31 of even-numbered years
- Portal
- MOPRO
- Register your MOPRO account nowUse the email address the board already has on file. MOPRO launched January 14, 2025, and nurses who changed jobs and never updated their email get locked out at the worst moment.
- Sign up for Nursys e-NotifyMOPRO does not send renewal reminders, so set up an independent reminder through Nursys e-Notify.
- Renew in the Feb 1 – Apr 30 windowSubmit at least three business days before April 30 so the board has time to process it — the rule requires this, and the board has no discretion to un-lapse you.
- Pay $85 and complete the workforce surveyThe $85 fee and the nursing workforce/demographic survey are the entire substantive requirement. There is no CE to attest to.
- Save the renewed license to TrustMissouri issues no license card, so the digital record you keep in Trust is the only record you have.
Requirements
20 CSR 2200-4.010: "License renewal for a professional nurse and an APRN shall be biennial, occurring on odd-numbered years and the license shall expire on April 30 of each odd-numbered year." The odd/even split in Missouri is by license type, not by nurse — RN and APRN on odd years, LPN on May 31 of even years.
Missouri requires no continuing education to renew an RN license. There is no CE requirement anywhere in Chapter 335 RSMo or 20 CSR 2200-4.020 — no mandatory topics, no hour counts, no provider-accreditation rules, no audit or retention rules.
Where CE hours do appear in Missouri nursing rules — do not confuse these with RN renewal: uncertified APRNs approved as noncertified before January 1, 2010 must show 800 hours of clinical practice plus 60 contact hours of CE in their population focus per cycle. Certified APRNs have no board CE mandate — they maintain national certification plus a current unencumbered RN license.
Fees
| Fee | Amount | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| RN biennial renewal | Amount: $85.00 | When: Feb 1 – Apr 30 of odd years. Unchanged since July 1, 2021 |
| Retired nurse renewal | Amount: $15.00 | When: Must already be on retired status; still renews every two years |
| Late / delinquent fee | Amount: None. Missouri has no late fee and no escalating tier structure — and no grace period | When: — |
| Lapsed license fee | Amount: $50, "in addition to renewal for each year of lapse" | When: From May 1 of the expiration year. 1 yr = $50, 2 yrs = $100, 3 yrs = $150 |
| Reinstatement total | Amount: $85 renewal + ($50 × years of lapse) + fingerprint background check cost | When: |
| Inactive status | Amount: $0 to enter; no renewal fees accrue while inactive | When: |
| Reactivation from inactive | Amount: $85 + background check | When: Application valid one year |
| Verification | Amount: $30.00 | When: |
| Endorsement application — RN | Amount: $105.00 | When: Raised from $55 effective May 30, 2024 |
| Duplicate license | Amount: No fee — Missouri issues no license card at all | When: The $15 duplicate fee was removed May 30, 2024 |
A discrepancy worth correcting. The board's plain-language status page says a lapsed nurse "will incur a $50 penalty fee in addition to the renewal fee." The regulation (20 CSR 2200-4.010(1)(E)) reads: "Lapsed License (in addition to renewal for each year of lapse) $50." The regulation controls — the charge is per year of lapse, not a flat $50. A nurse lapsed since 2023 owes $85 + $150, not $85 + $50. Nurses relying on the webpage under-budget for multi-year lapses.
What Missouri requires instead
Missouri's zero-CE rule means there is no breakdown of topics, hours, exempt groups, providers, or audits to give — because none exist. What the board requires instead (20 CSR 2200-4.020(8)(B)): "The required fee and information related to the nurse's practice and demographics for the purpose of collecting nursing workforce data shall be submitted prior to the expiration date of the license." Fee plus a workforce survey. That is the whole thing.
Do not confuse an employer's mandatory training, a specialty certification's renewal requirement, or BLS/ACLS cards with Missouri state law — those are separate obligations, and Missouri's board does not require any of them to renew an RN license.
What changed this cycle
Nothing changed to the RN renewal fee or to CE requirements. The $85 fee has been unchanged since July 1, 2021 and Missouri still requires no CE. Two operative changes bracket the cycle:
- MOPRO, a new statewide licensing system, launched January 14, 2025. The Feb–Apr 2025 renewal was the first RN cycle run in MOPRO; 2027 will be the second. Licensees must register using the email address already on file with the board.
- 20 CSR 2200-4.010 and -4.020 were amended effective May 30, 2024 — RN endorsement rose $55 → $105, the initial examination fee and the duplicate-license fee were deleted, and explicit fingerprint/biometric criminal background check requirements were established for reinstatement of lapsed licenses and reactivation from inactive.
Your first renewal after licensure
There is no special first-renewal rule in Missouri. No prorated CE (there is no CE to prorate), no prorated fee, no exemption, no partial-period provision. The fee rule sets a single flat $85 with no proration language anywhere.
The practical consequence catches every new grad. Because expiration is a fixed calendar date, not an anniversary, a nurse licensed in September 2026 holds a license that expires April 30, 2027 — roughly seven months — and must complete a full renewal at the full $85 in the Feb–Apr 2027 window. A license issued weeks earlier still expires on the fixed cycle date.
The one flexibility mechanism: 20 CSR 2200-4.020(8)(A) provides that "renewal periods shall be for one (1), two (2), or three (3) years as determined by the board." Whether the board actually uses this to lengthen a first period for someone licensed near the boundary is not published — a nurse licensed in early 2027 should call the board (573-751-0681) rather than assume.
How to renew, step by step
- 01Register your MOPRO account nowUse the email address the board already has on file. MOPRO launched January 14, 2025, and nurses who changed jobs and never updated their email get locked out at the worst moment.
- 02Sign up for Nursys e-NotifyMOPRO does not send renewal reminders, so set up an independent reminder through Nursys e-Notify.
- 03Renew in the Feb 1 – Apr 30 windowSubmit at least three business days before April 30 so the board has time to process it — the rule requires this, and the board has no discretion to un-lapse you.
- 04Pay $85 and complete the workforce surveyThe $85 fee and the nursing workforce/demographic survey are the entire substantive requirement. There is no CE to attest to.
- 05Save the renewed license to TrustMissouri issues no license card, so the digital record you keep in Trust is the only record you have.
If you're late
There is no grace period. The board says so outright: "There is no grace period to renew."
May 1 the license is lapsed and practice is prohibited. RSMo 335.056 is unusually blunt: "Any person who practices nursing as an advanced practice registered nurse, a registered professional nurse, or a licensed practical nurse during the time his or her license has lapsed shall be considered an illegal practitioner." You cannot work a single shift on May 1.
Reinstatement requires brand-new fingerprints. 20 CSR 2200-4.020(10)(B) requires new state and federal fingerprint criminal background checks — the step nurses don't expect, and the one that takes weeks during which you cannot work.
The 3-year cliff. A nurse lapsed three or more years may be required to demonstrate current nursing knowledge and "may be required to successfully complete the National Council of State Boards of Nursing's licensure examination" — or provide proof of regular licensed practice in another state during the lapse. Active practice elsewhere is the escape hatch. A parallel rule applies to licenses inactive three or more years, which can require a personal appearance before the board.
Reinstatement applications remain valid one year.
Frequently asked questions
- How many CE hours do I need for Missouri?
- Zero. This is the most-searched Missouri RN question, and nurses routinely buy 20–30-hour packages they don't need. Missouri requires only the renewal fee and a workforce survey. Your employer, a specialty certification, or a different state's license may require CE — Missouri does not.
- My deadline is April 30, so can I renew on April 30?
- Don't. The rule requires submission at least three business days before expiration for the board to process it in time. April 30, 2027 is a Friday — target Tuesday, April 27 or earlier. The board has no discretion to un-lapse you.
- Is there a grace period?
- No. The board's own words: "There is no grace period to renew." On May 1 you're lapsed, and practicing makes you an "illegal practitioner" by statute.
- How much is the lapsed penalty?
- $50 per year of lapse, not a flat $50 — the regulation says "for each year of lapse." The board's status page describes it as "a $50 penalty fee," which under-states multi-year lapses.
- Can I just pay late and get back to work?
- No. Reinstatement requires new state and federal fingerprint background checks, which can take weeks. You cannot work during that time.
- Where's my license card?
- There has never been one. Missouri issues no license card and no wall certificate. Verification is free at Nursys QuickConfirm.
- I'm retiring — am I done?
- Not quite. You must request retired status before the license expires ("A nurse cannot request retired status if his/her license is already expired"), and retired status still requires renewing every two years at $15. A retired nurse may volunteer but cannot practice for pay.
- Is inactive status free?
- Yes — no fee to enter, no renewal fees while inactive. But you cannot practice at all, and at three or more years inactive the board can require you to appear in person to demonstrate current knowledge, or to pass the licensure exam.
- I hold both RN and LPN licenses — do I renew them together?
- No. You renew something almost every year, in two windows: RN April 30 odd years (Feb 1–Apr 30), LPN May 31 even years (Mar 1–May 31). Nurses renew one and assume both are covered.
- I'm an APRN — does my license renew separately?
- No. Your APRN license renews simultaneously with the RN on the same April 30 odd-year date, and per RSMo 335.056 failing to maintain an active RN license causes the APRN license to expire. Letting the RN lapse takes the APRN down with it.
- Why can't I log into MOPRO?
- MOPRO registration requires the email address already on file with the board. Fix your email before February 2027, not during it.
Last verified against Missouri State Board of Nursing sources:
Changelog
Every revision to this guide, newest first. Last updated .
- Reviewed and verified requirements, fees, and deadlines against Missouri State Board of Nursing sources.
Trust tracks this renewal for you.
Missouri issues no license card, so the copy you keep in Trust is your only proof of an active license. Trust reminds you before the April 30 odd-year deadline, with time to spare before the 3-business-day cutoff.
Keep exploring renewals
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