Section Ac 403.01 - Continuing Professional Education Requirements(a) A licensee seeking renewal of a certificate or registration shall complete at least 120 hours of CPE in the 3 year period preceding renewal. This requirement shall be prorated if the licensee has been certified for less than 3 years or has received permission from the board to enter inactive status pursuant to Ac 401.06. Proration shall be computed based on the date of initial certification or from the receipt of notification of inactive status approval by the board.(b) Up to 60 hours of CPE in excess of the required 120 hours may be carried over to the next succeeding triennial period only.(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of Ac 403, a licensee shall complete a minimum of 20 hours of CPE by June 30 each year. For purposes of this paragraph, carryover hours shall not be applicable.(d) Notwithstanding any other provision of Ac 403, a licensee shall complete a minimum of 4 hours of CPE in the area of professional ethics in each 3-year certification or registration period or as a condition of renewal upon returning to active practice from inactive status, regardless of the duration of inactive status.(e) A licensee seeking renewal of a certificate or registration issued less than 3 years but more than 2 years prior to the renewal shall show completion of at least 80 hours of CPE and has complied with Ac 403.02, and meet the requirements of (c) above and (h) below.(f) A licensee seeking renewal of a certificate or registration issued less than 2 years but more than one year prior to the renewal shall show completion of at least 40 hours of continuing professional education and has complied with Ac 403.02, and meet the requirements of (c) above and (h) below.(g) A licensee seeking renewal of a certificate or registration issued less than one year prior to the renewal period shall only submit the completed license and the applicable fee. However, if such licensee has completed any continuing education programs after the licensee's New Hampshire certification date, such licensee shall file a renewal form, with applicable fee, reporting such continuing education and may carry forward all such education credit, not to exceed 60 hours, to the subsequent period. Upon the licensee's first full triennial renewal the licensee shall comply with Ac 403.01(a).(h) For purposes of determining the applicable hours of continuing education required, a licensee seeking a triennial renewal who was certified in this state by reciprocity shall determine the amount of CPE to submit by using the original date of certification in the state from which the licensee claimed reciprocity.(i) A licensee who has previously held a certificate or registration but who was on inactive status shall show compliance with Ac 403.01(a) and (d).(j) A licensee certified in New Hampshire by reciprocity and seeking renewal shall complete 20 hours of CPE for each full July 1 to June 30 period, commencing from the date of licensure in New Hampshire.(k) A licensee may petition the board to waive the specific requirements of this section based upon individual hardship due to: (1) Health issues supported by documentation from the licensee's physician or medical professional that shall be furnish to the board when ncessary for a fair and informed determination by the board;(2) Military service for serving on temporary active duty in the armed forces of the United States for a period of time exceeding 120 consecutive days in a year.; or(3) A showing of good cause that includes serious accident, illness or other circumstances beyond the control of the licensee which actually prevents the licensee from satisfying the CPE requirements.(l) If, in any one year within a triennial certification or registration period, a licensee fails to earn 20 hours of CPE as required by (c) above, the board shall, upon petition, waive the 20 hour/year CPE requirement for that one year out of 3 if the licensee has completed the required number of hours of CPE for the preceding licensure period pursuant to (c) above.(m) As soon as a licensee realizes that he or she will not meet the 20 hour/year CPE requirement in a non-renewal year, the licensee shall petition the board for permission to satisfy the deficiency within 6 months of the filing of the petition, except that all CPE shall be earned no later than June 30 in a renewal year.(n) As soon as a licensee realizes that he or she will not meet the 20 hour/year CPE, the 120-hour or prorated triennial CPE requirement, or both in a renewal year, but no later than June 30, the licensee shall petition the board for permission to satisfy the deficiency within 60 days. The petition shall be accompanied by payment of a $100.00 administrative fine for failing to meet the applicable CPE requirement.(o) In cases where a licensee fails to meet the 20 hour/year CPE requirement a subsequent time, he or she shall petition the board for permission to satisfy the deficiency in the immediately following year. Waivers for repeat offenders shall be issued on a case by case basis with exceptions given for reasons of individual hardship, including health, military service, or other good cause.(p) The board shall deny the renewal application of any licensee who has failed to satisfy the 20 hour/year CPE requirement by June 30 each year more than once in a single 3-year certification or registration period unless the applicant petitions the board and receives permission pursuant to (o) above.(q) The board shall deny the renewal application of a licensee who does not satisfy his or her hourly requirement for renewal of his or her license, unless the applicant petitions the board and demonstrates that the failure was beyond his or her control.(r) Documentation of completion of continuing education shall be retained by the licensee for a period of 4 years from the date of renewal.N.H. Admin. Code § Ac 403.01
#1972, eff 2-28-82; ss by #2475, eff 9-13-83; ss by #3061, eff 7-18-85, EXPIRED: 7-18-91
New. #5365, eff 3-27-92; amd by #5586, eff 2-22-93; ss by #6904, eff 12-4-98, EXPIRED: 12-4-06
New. #8810, INTERIM, eff 1-25-07, EXPIRED: 7-25-07
New. #9051, eff 12-27-07; ss by #9200, eff 7-4-08
Amended by Volume XXXV Number 01, Filed January 8, 2015, Proposed by #10746, Effective 1/1/2015, Expires1/1/2025.