License Renewal Frequently Asked Questions

If you require assistance with setting up your profile, navigating the license renewal process or paying your fees, please submit a request through the CRNS License Renewal Assistance Request form .

Your request will be forwarded to the CRNS staff member who is best able to assist you. They will be in contact with you within two business days.

• If you are asked for a security answer, please be aware that they are case sensitive.
• Once you hit “Forgot Password”, the system may take up to 10 minutes to send a new password to your email.
• Ensure you check your junk or spam folders as it may be filtered there.

If the password icon continues to spin, do not log out, wait until it has stopped. The browser you use may also cause delay. Our license renewal platform can be used on Chrome or Microsoft Edge. We do not support Internet Explorer, Firefox or Safari.

 Click here for assistance.

The CRNS will send you an email with instructions on how to complete your license renewal to the address listed in your membership profile. When logging into your online profile, you must use the same email address as the license renewal notice was sent to. If you use a different email address than the one currently listed in your profile, the system will not recognize you as a CRNS registrant and you will not be able to move forward.  Please remember to update your profile with any changes.

Each registrant is required to have their own email address. Registrants who do not have access to a personal email address or computer can sign up for a free email account that will work for any shared internet-connected computer, tablet or smartphone. You can then apply for membership.

The CRNS will send an email to all active registrants with information on how to complete their license renewal. Please visit the registrant online self-service to begin the license renewal process. 

Activate your new account here.

To efficiently complete the license renewal form, each registrant should have their:

• Username, password and security questions and answers (case sensitive);
• the number of hours worked in the 2023 registration year (December 1, 2022 – November 30, 2023);
• Continuing Competence Program (CCP) completed (online or hardcopy) for 2023;
• employer’s name and facility name; and
• if not employer-paid, credit card information.

If you are unable to complete the license renewal form, the information that has been inputted will be automatically saved. When you go back in to complete the form, you can proceed from where you left off. 

Once you have submitted a completed license renewal form, you will receive an email indicating the application is under review. Once the application is reviewed and approved, you will receive a second email indicating that your registration is approved, and your license has been renewed for the coming year.

There is also a dashboard in your online self-service account  that will automatically update with your current license renewal status. Please note, completion of your license renewal may not be confirmed until mid-November if your employer is paying the fee.

Confirm that your registration has been renewed for the 2024 licensure year via the Nurse License Check prior to working on/after December 1.

You can access the public register via the Nurse License Check to confirm that your license has been renewed for the 2024 licensure year prior to working on/after December 1. It is each registrant’s responsibility to ensure that they are licensed for the 2024 licensure year prior to working on December 1, 2023.

If you don’t renew your license, you will become Inactive. All registrants who intend to continue to work during the 2024 licensure year must renew their license within the renewal period (September 26, 2023 - November 30, 2023).  You are not authorized to practice Registered Nursing until you have met all the requirements, including payment of the reinstatement and license renewal fees.

If you are going on leave (maternity, sick or other) or you do not wish to hold a practicing membership for the upcoming year, we recommend you renew as a Non-Practicing Member. This membership entitles you to vote, hold office and be appointed to committees at the membership level, attend the annual meeting and receive the News Bulletin.

If you choose to become Inactive, there are no privileges with the CRNS.  Inactive registrants that decide to revert to a Practicing Membership will be subject to a reinstatement fee in addition to licensing fees. This additional reinstatement fee is $157.50. Payment of the reinstatement fee is not the same as payment for a practicing license.

If you choose to become a Retired member, you do have some privileges with the CRNS, including the ability to use the title Registered Nurse (retired), RN (retired), Nurse Practitioner (retired), or NP (retired). You must have been in good standing at the time you were last registered. We recommend this option if you do not intend to return to practice. There is a one-time fee to apply as a Retired Member.

License renewal can be paid for online with any major credit card (VISA, MasterCard, American Express), e-transfer (receivables@crns.ca), a cheque mailed or delivered in-person to the CRNS office, or through an employer-paid option. If you are not paying with a credit card, please allow for a processing time of up to four weeks. 

To renew your license with the employer payment option, first confirm with your employer that they will pay your license renewal fee.  Then complete and submit your license renewal application by October 17, 2023.  Once the CRNS receives the payment from your employer, you will get an email confirmation from the CRNS.  If your employer will not pay on your behalf, CRNS staff will contact you.  Completion of your license renewal may not be confirmed until mid-November if your employer is paying the fee.

Ensure that you update your place of work when completing the license renewal form. Please note that the name of your employer must match the employer information provided in the employer pay drop down list. It is important to choose a facility, not the SHA as your place of work.

Typically, the primary employer (the one that you work for the most) will pay the license renewal fee. It is always best to confirm with your employer(s) which should be selected for the Employer-Paid option before you start your renewal application.

The CRNS does not issue refunds for reinstatements ($157.50) or license registrations [RN, NP, or RN(AAP)] after December 1, 2023.

If you have paid the reinstatement and/or license renewal fee personally, please check with your employer to see if they will reimburse the cost.

Sign in to the registrant online self-service. Click Invoices & Receipts from the menu on the left-hand side of the page. Follow the instructions found on the Invoices & Receipt page.

No, only the hours worked as a practicing Registered Nurse (RN) count towards the hourly bylaw requirement. Hours worked as a GN do not count and should not be added.

The Registered Nurse with Additional Authorized Practice [RN(AAP)] and Nurse Practitioner (NP) licenses are separate licenses with different requirements from the Registered Nurse (RN) license. These licenses are separated into their own renewal to ensure the CRNS captures the correct data and monitors licenses appropriately.

Yes, the registration year is from December 1 to November 30. If you license any time during the current licensure year including during the license renewal period (September 26 - November 30), even if it is for a few weeks/months, you must renew your license for the upcoming registration year. If you do not, your current license expires, and as of December 1, you are practicing without an RN license.

Click here for assistance to update your practice hours.

• RNs require 1125 in the previous five years:  December 1, 2018 – November 30, 2023 OR 450 hours in the previous two years: December 1 – 2021 – November 30, 2023
• RN(AAP)s require 900 hours in the previous three years:  December 1, 2020 – November 30, 2023
• NPs require 900 hours in the previous three years:  December 1, 2020 – November 30, 2023

Please refer to the Maintaining Eligibility for Registration: Nursing Practice Hours document on the CRNS website.

Registrants who do not have enough practice hours to meet their hourly bylaw requirement at the time of license renewal should contact the CRNS.

Click here for assistance if you have questions or if you think you will not meet the hourly bylaw requirement.

Refer to the Name Change Update Process on the CRNS website to ensure your membership profile is up to date.

Yes, on December 1, 2022, the revised CCP was launched.  All registrants can complete the CCP requirements online You can access and review the Continuing Competence Program resource page if you have further questions. CCP is mandatory; all practicing registrants must complete it annually and attest that they have done so to be eligible for license renewal.

 Yes, all registrants can complete the CPP requirements online. You can access and review the Continuing Competence Program resource page if you have further questions. CCP is mandatory; all practicing registrants must complete it annually and attest that they have done so to be eligible for license renewal.