To earn a Registered Nurse license in the United States, you need to meet three core registered nurse licensure requirements: graduate from a nursing program approved by your state’s Board of Nursing, pass a criminal background check, and pass the NCLEX-RN examination. The particulars shift from state to state, but that sequence holds nationwide. Each state’s Board of Nursing administers licensing under its Nursing Practice Act, which sets the education standards, defines what nurses can and cannot do, and spells out when a license can be taken away.1National Center for Biotechnology Information. Nursing Practice Act
Finish an Approved Nursing Program
You have two main educational routes. An Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) takes about two years. A Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) takes about four. Either qualifies you to sit for the NCLEX-RN, though some employers and advancement tracks prefer a BSN. Programs are usually accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) or the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN).2American Association of Colleges of Nursing. CCNE Accreditation
National accreditation is not the same as state approval. A program can hold CCNE or ACEN accreditation and still lack approval from the Board of Nursing in the state where it operates, and without that state-level approval you may be unable to get licensed no matter how well you did in school.1National Center for Biotechnology Information. Nursing Practice Act Before you enroll, confirm that the program is approved by the Board in the state where you intend to test and work.
Apply to the Board of Nursing
Once a graduation date is in sight, start building your file for the Board. The application asks for standard personal information: legal name, former names, address, and a Social Security number or proof of permanent residency. Your school sends official transcripts directly to the Board to document your coursework and clinical hours.
A fingerprint-based criminal background check is the other major component. The National Council of State Boards of Nursing recommends fingerprint checks as the most reliable way to identify prior convictions, and most states require them.3The Council of State Governments. Capitol Facts and Figures – Nurse Licensure Criminal Background Checks Prints run through the FBI’s Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System, which pulls records across states that a single-state search would miss.
The application also asks you to disclose prior convictions, pending charges, past disciplinary actions, and substance abuse history. Boards weigh criminal records case by case, looking at the severity of the offense, how long ago it happened, and evidence of rehabilitation. A conviction does not automatically disqualify you. Failing to disclose one almost certainly will. Boards treat omissions as falsification, which is itself grounds for denial even where the underlying conviction might have been forgiven.4National Council of State Boards of Nursing. Criminal Background Check Guidelines
Application fees vary by state and generally run from $50 to $200. After the Board confirms your eligibility, it notifies the testing vendor so you can register for the exam.
Pass the NCLEX-RN
The NCLEX-RN is the standardized exam every candidate must pass. You register and pay through Pearson VUE, which administers the test. The registration fee is $200.5National Council of State Boards of Nursing. NCLEX Examination Candidate Bulletin Once you register and the Board confirms your eligibility, you receive an Authorization to Test (ATT) by email. The ATT is valid for about 90 days, and you must take the exam within that window.6National Council of State Boards of Nursing. Register for the NCLEX On exam day, the testing center verifies your identity with a photo and biometric scan before seating you.
The exam is computer-adaptive. You get a minimum of 85 questions and a maximum of 150, with a five-hour time limit. The test stops once it has enough statistical confidence that you are above or below the passing standard, or when you reach the question or time limit. In 2024, the first-time pass rate for U.S.-educated candidates was 91.2%.7National Council of State Boards of Nursing. 2024 NCLEX Examination Statistics
If You Don’t Pass
You must wait at least 45 days before retaking the exam, and you can attempt it up to eight times per year.5National Council of State Boards of Nursing. NCLEX Examination Candidate Bulletin Some state Boards impose stricter limits, so check with yours. Each retake needs a new registration, a new $200 fee, and a new ATT. Your score report breaks down performance by content area, which helps you target study time.
Testing Accommodations
If a disability or condition affects your ability to take a standardized test, you can request accommodations such as extra time, additional breaks, or a separate testing room. The request goes to your state Board of Nursing, not to Pearson VUE. You need a letter from a licensed professional documenting the diagnosis, how it affects test-taking, and the specific accommodations you want with a rationale for each. Start three to four months before your intended test date, because you should not schedule the exam until your ATT reflects approved accommodations.
Receive Your License and Start Practicing
Results typically reach the Board within 48 hours of the exam. The Board does a final review of your file, confirms every requirement is met, and issues your license number. That number is what lets you legally identify yourself as a Registered Nurse and begin working. Most states make the license searchable in an online verification database so employers can confirm it instantly.
Keep the License Active
RN licenses are not permanent. Most states renew on a two-year cycle, though a few use different schedules. Renewal involves submitting a form, paying a fee, and certifying that you have completed any required continuing education (CE). CE requirements vary widely. Some states require none; others require 30 or more hours per cycle. A growing number of states also require training on specific topics such as suicide prevention, human trafficking recognition, implicit bias, or substance abuse.
If your license lapses, you cannot practice until it is reinstated. Reinstatement generally brings higher fees, a fresh background check, and sometimes additional CE hours or a refresher course. Boards also require you to report address and name changes within a set period. The window varies by state, and missing it can disrupt renewal notices and multi-state privileges.
Practicing in More Than One State
The Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) lets you hold a single multi-state license that authorizes practice in all participating jurisdictions without a separate application in each one. As of 2026, 43 jurisdictions participate.8Nurse Licensure Compact. Nurse Licensure Compact Home To qualify, you must declare a participating state as your primary residence and meet that compact’s uniform licensure standards, which include a federal background check and a clean disciplinary record.9Nurse Licensure Compact. About the Nurse Licensure Compact
If you move to another compact state, you have 60 days to apply for a new license in your new home state, and your existing multi-state license remains valid during the transition.9Nurse Licensure Compact. About the Nurse Licensure Compact Moving to a non-compact state is different: your multi-state license converts to a single-state license in your former home state, and you apply separately in the new state through endorsement.
Endorsement is the general route for nurses already licensed in one state who want to practice in another. Rather than retaking the NCLEX-RN, you apply to the new state’s Board with proof that you passed the exam and hold a current license elsewhere. If both states participate in the Nursys verification system, the credential check happens electronically. You request verification through Nursys and pay $30 per license type per jurisdiction.10Nursys. Nurse License Verification for Endorsement FAQs If either state does not participate, you request a paper verification from the Board directly. Endorsement application fees vary by state and can range from $50 to $350. Some states issue a temporary practice permit while they process your endorsement.
If You Were Educated Outside the United States
Nurses educated abroad have additional steps before they can take the NCLEX-RN. Federal immigration law requires foreign-born nurses seeking admission for work to present a certificate from an approved credentialing organization confirming that their education, training, and licensure are comparable to U.S. standards.11eCFR. 8 CFR 212.15 – Certificates for Foreign Health Care Workers The primary organization handling this evaluation is TruMerit, formerly CGFNS International.12TruMerit. TruMerit – Care Anywhere – Nursing Credentials Evaluation
TruMerit’s certification program has three parts: a credentials evaluation covering your secondary education, nursing school transcripts, and any home-country licenses; a qualifying exam of 165 multiple-choice items taken in a three-hour computer-based test; and proof of English language proficiency on an approved exam. On the TOEFL iBT, you need a total of at least 81 with minimums of 57 on Reading, Listening, and Writing and 24 on Speaking. On the IELTS Academic, you need an overall 6.5 with at least a 7 on Speaking.13CGFNS International, Inc. CGFNS Certification Program Nurses who completed their entry-level education in English in countries such as Australia, Canada (outside Quebec), Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, or the United States may be exempt from the English testing requirement.11eCFR. 8 CFR 212.15 – Certificates for Foreign Health Care Workers
Separately, most internationally educated nurses need a VisaScreen certificate before they can obtain a work visa or adjust their immigration status. The VisaScreen verifies that your credentials are authentic, your license is unencumbered, and you meet the federal English proficiency thresholds. A VisaScreen certificate is valid for five years from the date of issuance.11eCFR. 8 CFR 212.15 – Certificates for Foreign Health Care Workers
What Can Cost You the License
A nursing license can be revoked, suspended, or restricted if the Board finds that a nurse has engaged in conduct that threatens patient safety. Common triggers include practicing while impaired, diverting medications, patient abuse or neglect, fraud, and criminal convictions tied to healthcare delivery. When a Board takes adverse action, that action is reported to the National Practitioner Data Bank and becomes part of a permanent federal record.14eCFR. 45 CFR Part 60 – National Practitioner Data Bank
Many Boards offer an alternative-to-discipline track for nurses dealing with substance use disorder. These programs focus on early identification, immediate removal from the workplace, and evidence-based treatment. The advantage for the nurse is confidentiality: successful completion lets you demonstrate safe practice without a public disciplinary record on your license.15National Council of State Boards of Nursing. Alternative to Discipline Programs Participation is voluntary in most states, monitoring is strict, and dropping out usually triggers formal disciplinary proceedings.