North Carolina Continuing Education Requirements
Continuing education (CE) for licensed professionals in North Carolina is set by each profession's own state board — North Carolina Board of Architecture (NCBA), North Carolina State Board of Certified Public Accountant Examiners, North Carolina Board of Physical Therapy Examiners, North Carolina Board of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors, North Carolina Board of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors (NCBELS), North Carolina Real Estate Commission, and North Carolina Board of Nursing. Every board sets its own contact-hour total, renewal cycle, and mandatory subjects. Compare all 7 professions below, then open a profession for the full North Carolina breakdown.
North Carolina CE Requirements at a Glance
| Profession | Contact Hours | Renewal Cycle | Online? | Key Topics | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Architect | 12 | 1 yr | Yes | Health, Safety & Welfare (HSW) | View → |
| CPA (Certified Public Accountant) | 40 | 1 yr | Yes | Ethics | View → |
| Physical Therapist (PT) | 30 | 2 yr | Yes | Jurisprudence Exercise | View → |
| Professional Engineer (PE) | 15 | 1 yr | Yes | Ethics or Rules of Professional Conduct | View → |
| Professional Land Surveyor (PLS) | 15 | 1 yr | Yes | Ethics or Rules of Professional Conduct, Standards of Practice for Land Surveying | View → |
| Real Estate Agent / Broker | 8 | 1 yr | Yes | General Update (GENUP), Broker-In-Charge Update (BICUP) | View → |
| Registered Nurse (RN) | 30 | 2 yr | Yes | — | View → |
Notable North Carolina Requirements
Specific mandates North Carolina boards impose that often trip up license holders:
- Architect Health, Safety & Welfare (HSW) — 12 hours — All 12 contact hours must be in technical and professional architectural or interior design subjects directly related to safeguarding health, safety and welfare. Full Architect details →
- CPA Ethics — 1 hour — Minimum 50 minutes (1 hour) annually. Full CPA details →
- PT Jurisprudence Exercise — 1 hour — Every reporting period, each licensee must complete the Board's online Jurisprudence Exercise (questions on the Physical Therapy Practice Act, Board rules, and Position Statements) to earn 1 mandatory point. Full PT details →
- PE Ethics or Rules of Professional Conduct — 1 hour — Minimum 1 of the 15 PDH must address ethics/rules of professional conduct (ethical concerns and conflicts, codes of conduct, standards of practice, project/risk management). Full PE details →
- PLS Ethics or Rules of Professional Conduct — 1 hour — Effective as of the 2024 license renewal, all licensees must earn at least 1 of the 15 PDH in Ethics or Rules of Professional Conduct. Full PLS details →
- PLS Standards of Practice for Land Surveying — 1 hour — Effective as of the 2024 license renewal, Professional Land Surveyors must earn at least 1 of the 15 PDH in the Standards of Practice for Land Surveying (content related to Section .1600 of the Board Rules). Full PLS details →
Browse by Profession
North Carolina Licensing Boards
CE requirements on this page are sourced from each profession's official North Carolina board:
- Architect
- CPA
- PT
- PE
- PLS
- Real Estate
- RN
Other States
Browse CE requirements for another state: