Continuing Education Requirements

Most states with licensure have explicit continuing education requirements.

CEU = Continuing Education Units which usually represent 1 unit is 10 hours of instruction.

StateCEUs RequiredEthics CEUs RequiredCEUs required per year Notes
AlabamaYes Not specified 15 Thirty (30) CEU are required for the biennial renewal period. Licensees 65 and older are exempt. No continuing education activities are required during the initial licensing period and renewal is automatic for the second two (2)-year period of licensure upon application. In order to apply for a second renewal of licensure applicants must have satisfactorily completed continuing education requirements.
AlaskaNo Not applicable Not specified Not applicable
ArizonaNo Not applicable Not specified Not applicable
ArkansasNo Not applicable Not specified Not applicable
CaliforniaNo Not applicable Not specified Not applicable
ConnecticutYes Not specifed 12 Tweny-four (24) CEU are required for the biennial renewal period.
DelawareYes Not specifed 12 Tweny-four (24) CEU are required every two (2) years. If at the time of renewal, a licensee has been licensed for less than one (1) year, no continuing education is required; if he/she has been licensed for more than one (1) year, but less than two (2) years, twelve (12) of the twenty-four (24) hours will be required; if he/she has been licensed for two (2) years or more the full twenty-four (24) hours is required.
FloridaNo Not applicable Not specified Not applicable
GeorgiaNo Not applicable Not specified Not applicable
IdahoNo Not applicable Not specified Not applicable
IllinoisNo Not applicable Not specified Not applicable
IndianaNo Not applicable Not specified Indiana Administrative Code (IAC) Title 305 Section 1-5-9 comments on continuing education. It states that licensed professional geologist should strive to improve professional knowledge and skills and work toward the advancement of geological education, research, training, and practice.
IowaNot specifed Yes 6 All groundwater professionals are required to complete at least 12 hours of continuing education during each two-year certification period.
KansasYes Not specifed 15 Thirty (30) PDH are required every two years before reneweing the license.
KentuckyNo Not applicable Not specified Not applicable
LouisianaYes Yes 15 Each license holder is required to obtain fifteen (15) professional development hours (PDH) of continuing education credit per year for license renewal. A minimum of one PDH hour per renewal period must be in the area of professional ethics, roles and responsibilities of professional geoscientists.
MaineNo Not applicable Not specified Not applicable
MassachusettsYes Not specifed 16 Forty-eight (48) hours are required every 3 years. Twelve (12) of the forty-eight credits must be earned by attending LSP Board-approved MassDEP courses. An additional eight (8) credits must be regulatory credits. Continuing Education credits may be earned at any time throughout the three years. Although we suggest that you not wait until your third year to begin earning credits.
MinnesotaYes Yes 12 All licensees or certificate holders (with exceptions) must obtain twenty-four (24) professional development hours (PDH). Two of those hours must be dedicated to professional (but not necessarily profession-specific) ethics and those ethics hours must be earned during the proper period (they cannot be carried forward as ethics hours).
MississippiOther Yes 12 Mississippi has a voluntary continuing education program. The Board of Registered Professional Geologists recommends that every registrant meet the continuing professional competency requirements. Every Registered Professional Geologist participating in the Voluntary Continuing Education Program is required to obtain 12 PDH units per year or 24 PDH units per biennal license renewal period. Every registrantis requiredto obtainat least 1 PDH unitof ethics training during the renewal period year.
MissouriNo Not applicable Not specified Not applicable
NebraskaNo Not applicable Not specified Currently there are no continuing education requirements in Nebraska. However, statutes section 81-3531 states that the board may adopt a CEU program.
NevadaNo Not applicable Not specified Not applicable
New HampshireYes No 12 Twenty-four (24) hours are required per bienniel renewal period. Ethics hours are not required but are considered as acceptable CEU.
New JerseyYes Yes 12 Each LSRP must earn 36 Continuing Education Credits (CECs) during the three year term of his or her license. Of the 36 CECs that each LSRP must earn, a minimum of three must be ethics CECs, a minimum of 10 must be regulatory CECs, and a minimum of 14 must be technical CECs. The remaining 9 may be in any one or more of these three areas of education. Each LSRP may earn up to 18 CECs by participating in Board approved alternative verifiable learning format courses. Each LSRP may earn up to 18 CECs through Board approved continuing education activities (i.e. instructing a continuing education program, preparing and presenting a presentation, or authoring a paper that is published in a professional publication or peer reviewed proceeding of a conference).
New YorkNo Not applicable Not specified Not applicable
North CarolinaYes Not specifed 12 Licensees must obtain 12 Professional Development Hours (PDHs) of geologic education each license year in order to renew their license.
OregonOther Not specifed Not specified SB43 was passed in 2019 and becomes effective 1/1/2020. SB43 states the the board may establish or approve programs of continuing education. The number of hours of continuing education required shall be determined by the board, but may not exceed 8 hours per year.
PennsylvaniaYes Not specifed 12 Each licensee shall be required to obtain twenty-four PDH units during the biennial renewal period. If a licensee exceeds the requirement in any renewal period, a maximum of twelve PDH units may be carried forward into the subsequent renewal period. CEU requirements enacted by SB 655 in 2006.
Puerto RicoNo Not applicable Not specified Not applicable
South CarolinaYes Not specifed 16 Thirty-two (32) hours per biennium. The Board has defined continuing education broadly enough that a wide range of activities will be acceptable, and that costs should be minimized. An important element of CE activity should be interaction with one's peers as well as academic and practical self-improvement.
South DakotaYes Not specifed 15 Thirty (30) CEU are required every two (2) years.
TennesseeNo Not applicable Not specified There is not a continuing education requirement at this time (as of 2019). However, a CEU program is mentioned in section ยง62-36-114, which states that a program may be implemented by the Department.
TexasYes Yes 15 Fifteen (15) CEU are required each year. One (1) of the 15 CEUs must be in ethics.
UtahNo Not applicable Not specified Not applicable
VirginiaNo Not applicable Not specified Not applicable
WashingtonNo Not applicable Not specified Not applicable
WisconsinNo Not applicable Not specified Not applicable
WyomingNo Not applicable Not specified Not applicable