How to renew your Texas LVN license
Texas LVN licenses renew every two years, expiring the last day of your birth month in the year that matches your birth-year parity. Complete 20 contact hours in your practice area (or hold an approved national certification), clear the one-time nursing jurisprudence and ethics course and human trafficking prevention training, and renew in the Texas Nurse Portal before the expiration date.
- Cycle
- 2 years · last day of birth month · birth-year parity
- CE hours
- 20 contact hours in practice area, or national certification
- One-time
- 2-hour nursing jurisprudence and ethics course
- Also required
- HHSC-approved human trafficking prevention course
- Portal
- Texas Nurse Portal
- Board
- Texas Board of Nursing — bon.texas.gov
- Compact
- NLC state — covers LPN/VN; renew in your PSOR
- Work out your renewal month and yearTexas nursing licenses expire the last day of your birth month. The year follows your birth year: even birth years renew in even years, odd in odd years.
- Complete 20 contact hours of CETwenty contact hours in your practice area from a Texas BON-recognized provider each cycle, or qualify by holding an approved national certification instead.
- Clear the one-time and topic-specific coursesNursing jurisprudence and ethics (2 hours) is required once. A human trafficking prevention course approved by HHSC is required. ED nurses need forensic evidence collection training; nurses caring for older adults need geriatric-specific hours.
- Renew in the Texas Nurse PortalSign in at the BON's Texas Nurse Portal, open the LVN renewal, and verify your address and employment information.
- Answer the eligibility and disclosure questionsCriminal history and discipline questions are part of the application. Fingerprints are required if you have never submitted them to the BON.
- Pay and save the confirmation in TrustPay by card; the portal fee is added on top of the BON renewal fee. Store the receipt and CE certificates on-device — the BON audits a random sample every cycle.
Requirements
Same board as the RN license, same calendar rule. Texas runs LVN and RN renewals through the Board of Nursing on a birth-month cycle: your license expires the last day of your birth month, and the year follows your birth-year parity — born in an even year, you renew in even years.
CE is 20 contact hours in your practice area per cycle from a BON-recognized provider. An approved national certification in that practice area can substitute for the hours.
On top of the hours, Texas layers targeted requirements: a one-time 2-hour nursing jurisprudence and ethics course, an HHSC-approved human trafficking prevention course, forensic evidence collection training for nurses working in emergency settings, and geriatric content for nurses whose practice includes older adults.
Fees are set by the Board and a portal convenience fee is added at checkout. Confirm the current amount in the Nurse Portal — the structure (renewal fee, late fee if delinquent) is what stays stable.
How to renew, step by step
- 01Work out your renewal month and yearTexas nursing licenses expire the last day of your birth month. The year follows your birth year: even birth years renew in even years, odd in odd years.
- 02Complete 20 contact hours of CETwenty contact hours in your practice area from a Texas BON-recognized provider each cycle, or qualify by holding an approved national certification instead.
- 03Clear the one-time and topic-specific coursesNursing jurisprudence and ethics (2 hours) is required once. A human trafficking prevention course approved by HHSC is required. ED nurses need forensic evidence collection training; nurses caring for older adults need geriatric-specific hours.
- 04Renew in the Texas Nurse PortalSign in at the BON's Texas Nurse Portal, open the LVN renewal, and verify your address and employment information.
- 05Answer the eligibility and disclosure questionsCriminal history and discipline questions are part of the application. Fingerprints are required if you have never submitted them to the BON.
- 06Pay and save the confirmation in TrustPay by card; the portal fee is added on top of the BON renewal fee. Store the receipt and CE certificates on-device — the BON audits a random sample every cycle.
If you're late
Once your birth-month deadline passes, the license is delinquent and practice is not permitted. Texas allows late renewal with an additional fee for a limited window, so the cheapest recovery is immediate.
Delinquent for four years or more and renewal is off the table: you are into reinstatement, which can pull in a refresher course, fingerprints, and additional Board review.
Frequently asked questions
- Is a Texas LVN the same as an LPN?
- Yes in scope, no in title. Texas and California license vocational nurses (LVN); most states use LPN. Texas LVN and LPN licenses are the same credential under different names.
- How many CE hours does a Texas LVN need?
- Twenty contact hours per two-year cycle in your practice area, or an approved national certification in that area in place of the hours.
- When exactly does my Texas LVN license expire?
- The last day of your birth month, in the year matching the parity of your birth year — even birth year means even renewal years.
- Is the nursing jurisprudence and ethics course required every renewal?
- No. The 2-hour jurisprudence and ethics course is a one-time requirement, though it can be counted toward your 20 hours in the cycle you take it.
- Do I really need human trafficking prevention training?
- Yes. Texas requires a human trafficking prevention course approved by HHSC before renewal, and it is verified at renewal for LVNs and RNs alike.
- What happens if I renew late in Texas?
- The license becomes delinquent and you may not practice. Late renewal is allowed with an additional fee for a limited period; after four years delinquent you are looking at reinstatement, not renewal.
- Does the Nurse Licensure Compact cover LVNs?
- Yes. Texas is an NLC state and the compact covers LPN/VN licenses, so you renew in your primary state of residence — Texas, if you live here.
- Can I renew if I have not practiced?
- You may need to meet the BON's requirements for return to practice, which can include a refresher course if you have been out of nursing practice for four years or more.
Last verified against Texas Board of Nursing sources:
Changelog
Every revision to this guide, newest first. Last updated .
- New guide: Texas LVN birth-month cycle, 20-hour CE rule, and the jurisprudence and trafficking-prevention requirements.
Trust tracks this renewal for you.
Birth-month expirations are the easiest deadline in nursing to misremember. Trust works out your Texas LVN date, reminds you at 90, 60, 30, and 7 days, and keeps your CE and jurisprudence certificates on-device.
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