NCLEX in North Dakota: a graduate work authorization and an ATT that cannot be extended
North Dakota’s Board of Nursing ties your ability to work as a new graduate to the process. Once you are made eligible to test, a graduate nurse work authorization is issued, and it ends if you fail. The Board also says your ATT validity dates cannot be extended for any reason.
Last checked October 2026. Based on the North Dakota Board of Nursing’s exam FAQ, application pages and retest page, with fee figures from third-party summaries. Confirm current fees in the Board’s Nurse Portal.
The path for a new graduate
All applications go through the Board's Nurse Portal. Complete the initial LPN or RN exam application and pay the non-refundable fee by credit or debit card.
Register for the NCLEX with Pearson VUE for the level of licensure you seek.
After you apply, choose the criminal history record check link. The Board cannot accept results from other state agencies, schools or employers. The Board notes you can be made eligible to test before it receives the check.
Once the Board makes you eligible, Pearson VUE emails your ATT. You can then verify in the Nurse Portal that your graduate nurse work authorization has been issued.
If you fail
- You can no longer practice as a graduate nurse once you have failed the NCLEX, the Board says.
- Retest application. You submit a retest application and register again with Pearson VUE at the same time. The Board then reviews it and Pearson VUE emails an ATT.
- One-year rule. If you retest more than a year after your initial eligibility date or your most recent retest fee, the Board charges the initial exam fee again at the end of the application.
- Older checks. If you started your criminal history check more than 180 days ago, the retest application also charges the processing fee.
Common questions
How long does my first license last?
The Board’s FAQ says applicants for an initial license by examination receive a license expiring December 31 of the following year as part of the application fee.
What about the multistate license?
The Board’s pages say a nurse must be a North Dakota resident, declare it as their primary state of residence and provide evidence, to hold a North Dakota multistate license.