Michigan Nurse Aide Registry Guide

How to keep your license on the Michigan CNA Registry

Stay Active

The certification period is for 24 months. To stay active on the registry, you must renew every 2 years by meeting both a work requirement and, as of March 2026, a new continuing education requirement.

Work requirement: You must provide verification that you have worked a minimum of 40 hours of paid nursing or nursing-related services during the 24-month renewal period.

Continuing Education Requirement (Effective March 23, 2026)

Starting March 23, 2026, Michigan nurse aides must also complete continuing education (CE) to renew their certification. This is a new requirement under Administrative Rule 400.315. You need 12 hours of continuing education per year, for a total of 24 hours per two-year renewal cycle. This applies to any CNA whose certification expiration date falls on or after March 23, 2026. If your expiration date is before March 23, 2026, the old rules (work hours only) still apply to your current renewal.

Before this change, Michigan CNAs only needed to show 40 hours of paid work to renew. No continuing education was required. That work requirement still applies, but now CE is required on top of it.

What Topics Count?

Your CE must be healthcare-related and relevant to providing nursing or nursing-related services. At minimum, your hours must include training on:

• Abuse prevention and recognition
• Neglect prevention and recognition
• Care planning

Beyond these required topics, any healthcare-related course or training qualifies. There is no state-maintained list of pre-approved courses.

Where Can You Get CE Hours?

Michigan accepts CE from several sources. You do not need to use one specific provider.

If you work in a CMS-certified nursing home: The 12 hours of annual in-service training your employer is already required to provide under federal law (42 CFR §483.95) counts toward this requirement. If your facility is already providing this training, you may already be meeting the CE requirement through your regular job. Make sure your employer documents the hours with your name, the course topic, date, and hours completed.

If you work outside a nursing home (home health, hospitals, private duty, etc.), you will need to seek out CE on your own. Accepted sources include:

• Online or in-person courses accepted by the Michigan Board of Nursing
• Courses approved or offered by the Wisconsin Nurses Association (WNA)
• Healthcare-related courses from colleges, universities, or community colleges
• Training offered by healthcare facilities
• The free BCHS Care Plan Educational Video (1 contact hour, available through LARA at no cost)

One option for completing all your required hours is the Michigan Workforce Training and Education Collaborative (MWTEC), which offers an all-in-one CNA CE package for $50 at mwtec.org/ceu. It covers care planning, abuse and neglect, and other required topics in a self-paced online format.

Do You Need to Submit CE Proof When You Renew?

No. When you renew in MI-NATES, you attest (confirm) that you completed the required CE hours. You do not upload certificates at the time of renewal. However, you must keep your documentation for at least 2 renewal cycles (4 years). The Bureau of Community and Health Systems (BCHS) conducts audits and can request your records at any time. If audited, you will need to show documentation that includes:

• Course name
• Location (or “online” for virtual courses)
• Number of hours completed
• Topic covered
• Date completed

Additional Training Requirements

Michigan also requires two other trainings for all healthcare registrants, including CNAs:

• Implicit bias training: 1 hour per year of your registration cycle. This is separate from, but can count toward, your 12 hours of annual CE.
• Human trafficking training: A one-time requirement. Once completed, you do not need to repeat it at future renewals.

What Happens If You Don’t Complete Your CE?

If you cannot attest to completing 12 hours of CE per year when your renewal comes due, you will not be able to renew your certification. Once your certification expires:

• Lapsed less than 24 months: You can still renew through MI-NATES if you meet the work hours and CE requirements. Your renewed certificate will be valid for 24 months from the original expiration date (not from the date you renew).
• Lapsed more than 24 months: You must complete a new Michigan-approved 75-hour CNA training program and pass the competency exam again before you can be recertified.

Renew

To renew your application, you must meet all three of these requirements:

1. Work requirement: At least 40 hours of paid nursing or nursing-related work in the past 24 months.
2. Continuing education: At least 12 hours of CE per year (24 hours total per renewal cycle). (New as of March 23, 2026.)
3. Renewal fee: $40 (effective March 7, 2024; previously it was $20).

To submit your renewal:

1. Login to your MI-NATES account and submit a renewal application.
2. Upload proof of employment providing nursing or nursing-related services for monetary compensation (for at least 40 hours in the last 24 months).
3. Attest to completing CE requirements.
4. Pay the renewal fee of $40.

Note:

• Make sure your contact information is accurate in the MI-NATES system, so that you will receive the electronic renewal notice to your email 45 days before your certificate expires.
• Processing time varies, which is why it is encouraged to submit your renewal request and payment as soon as possible after receiving the renewal notice (but not earlier than 45 days before the certification expiration date). A certificate must be renewed before the expiration date listed on the current certificate, otherwise it expires and you won’t be able to work as a Nurse Aide anymore.