RCFE Administrator Renewal Requirements 2026: 40 Hours Every 2 Years

RCFE administrator certificate renewal in California requires 40 hours of continuing education every two years. Your certificate is valid for a two year certification period, and those 40 approved hours are what keeps it active.

There is one exception. Administrators who also hold a valid Nursing Home Administrator license need 20 hours instead of 40, under Title 22 section 87407(g) and Health and Safety Code section 1569.616(f)(1), provided they meet the conditions in section 1569.616(b)(1). The required subjects below still apply.

When can you take your renewal classes?

Any time within your two year period. There is no rule requiring you to wait until your expiration year, and many administrators finish early on purpose.

What the state does limit is how many hours count per day. Section 87407(c)(1) says no more than 10 hours of continuing education will be counted in a single day, whether the class is in person, online, or a combination of both. That means a 40 hour renewal takes a minimum of four days to complete.

Home study and correspondence courses do not count at all under section 87407(c)(2), because they are not interactive, and the same course cannot be counted twice in one renewal period under section 87407(c)(4).

What has to be in the 40 hours

Three subjects are required by regulation, under section 87407(a).

• At least 8 hours on Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, which can be one 8 hour class or smaller sessions adding up to 8 hours within the period.
• At least 4 hours on the laws, regulations, policies, and procedural standards that affect RCFE operations.
• 1 hour on cultural competency and sensitivity for the underserved aging LGBT community, if it was not already part of your Initial Certification Training Program.

Every hour must come from a course approved by the California Department of Social Services for RCFE administrators. Retaking the 80 hour initial certification course does not count toward renewal, because section 87407(c)(3) reserves that program for new administrators.

How you actually submit the renewal

You can renew the traditional way by mailing your documents. There is also a CDSS online portal, and administrators began receiving access emails with a PIN from CDSS in August 2026. If you have not received yours, contact the Administrator Certification Section directly rather than assuming your renewal has to wait.

The simplest way through it

One course that covers every required subject. The NCPI 40 hour RCFE and ARF renewal package includes the 8 dementia hours, the 4 laws and regulations hours, and the cultural competency hour, taught live on Zoom by a CDSS approved provider, vendor number 2000778. It is $239.99, or $199 if you have taken a course with us before, which is the lowest price in California. Our family has been doing this work for 30 years.

Whatever you decide, do two things: keep every certificate of completion in one folder as you earn it, and start your hours early in the two year period instead of the month before you expire. To enroll, visit ncpicare.com, call or text 619-322-9578, or email contact@ncpicare.com.