NCLEX by state: find your board of nursing
Every US state and territory licenses nurses through its own board of nursing, and your board decides when you are eligible to take the NCLEX. This directory links to the official board for each state and DC, so you start in the right place.
Board names and websites are drawn from a third-party directory that reports cross-checking against NCSBN’s member list in July 2026. Boards change their sites, so if a link no longer works, find the board through NCSBN’s Contact a Board of Nursing page. Each entry is the RN board unless noted.
Detailed state guides
These states have their own guides, with the board’s requirements, fees and anything that is specific to that state. We are adding more over time.
Graduate first, then apply.
→$375 in total, and a free temporary permit.
→Pay Pearson VUE first and submit your own fingerprint card.
→A temporary permit and primary state of residence.
→BRN application, Live Scan and the interim permit.
→Apply to the Board, then register with Pearson VUE.
→Register with Pearson VUE before you apply.
→Five years to pass, and a Board that cannot see your ATT.
→Fieldprint and the DC Health portal.
→The $50 board fee, and why many guides quote the wrong one.
→Citizenship affidavit, GAPS and a three-year rule.
→Board approval first, then Pearson VUE.
→The eDOPL portal and a temporary permit.
→A dual process through CTS and IDFPR.
→Two applications that must both be complete.
→A $143 fee with a 90-day expiry.
→A new set of fingerprints for every multistate application.
→A jurisprudence exam and a provisional license.
→Four attempts, four years, and a separate practical nurse board.
→A $75 fee and a background check that must go through the Board.
→A $100 fee, CJIS fingerprints and an SSN.
→PCS, $230 and a one-year clock.
→The $212.90 LARA fee and a 90-day ATT window.
→$105 plus a $32 background check.
→Six attempts in two years, and test before the check clears.
→MACHS fingerprints and the Board's $45 fee.
→A $100 fee, DOJ fingerprints and a $50 retake form.
→A $123 fee and a low-income waiver.
→A $100 fee, a one-year application and four attempts.
→Pre-register with Pearson VUE, then apply to the OPLC.
→A no-fee retake application and a rule after three fails.
→Online-only applications and a separate re-exam application.
→NYSED, the $143 fee and two required courses.
→Nurse Gateway, a $38 background check and a temporary permit.
→A graduate work authorization and an ATT that cannot be extended.
→The $75 fee, WebCheck fingerprints and a new application after a fail.
→An $85 fee and OSBI and FBI fingerprints.
→Do not fingerprint early or schedule before approval.
→PALS, the $95 fee and mandatory child abuse training.
→A $135 application and a national background check.
→Register with Pearson VUE first, then apply to LLR.
→Fingerprint cards from the Board and a $25 temporary permit.
→Fingerprints first, with the right OCA code.
→The Texas law exam you must pass before your ATT.
→Take the exam first, then apply for the license.
→A Fingerprint Authorization Certificate and a provisional license.
→The $190 fee, a $50 repeat application and Fieldprint.
→Wait for the Commission's approval before you register.
→IdentoGO fingerprints and a 90-day temporary permit.
→The LicensE portal and a temporary permit.
→Two parallel applications and a $60 background check.
→What to check on your board’s site
- The application fee and how to pay it. This is separate from the $200 NCLEX exam fee paid to Pearson VUE.
- Background check or fingerprint rules, which differ between boards and can add time.
- How your school confirms graduation, and when the board will declare you eligible for an Authorization to Test.
- Rules for internationally educated applicants, including credential review.
- Name rules. The name on your application must match your ID and your Pearson VUE registration.
Many states also belong to the Nurse Licensure Compact, which affects whether a license lets you practice in other states. Check whether your state participates if you plan to work across state lines.
Alabama to Florida
- Alabama: Alabama Board of Nursing
- Alaska: Alaska Board of Nursing
- Arizona: Arizona State Board of Nursing
- Arkansas: Arkansas State Board of Nursing
- California: California Board of Registered Nursing (vocational nurses are licensed by a separate board)
- Colorado: Colorado Board of Nursing
- Connecticut: Connecticut Board of Examiners for Nursing
- Delaware: Delaware Board of Nursing
- District of Columbia: DC Board of Nursing
- Florida: Florida Board of Nursing
Georgia to Missouri
- Georgia: Georgia Board of Nursing
- Hawaii: Hawaii Board of Nursing
- Idaho: Idaho Board of Nursing
- Illinois: Illinois Board of Nursing (IDFPR)
- Indiana: Indiana State Board of Nursing
- Iowa: Iowa Board of Nursing
- Kansas: Kansas State Board of Nursing
- Kentucky: Kentucky Board of Nursing
- Louisiana: Louisiana State Board of Nursing (practical nurses are licensed by a separate board)
- Maine: Maine State Board of Nursing
- Maryland: Maryland Board of Nursing
- Massachusetts: Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing
- Michigan: Michigan Board of Nursing (LARA)
- Minnesota: Minnesota Board of Nursing
- Mississippi: Mississippi Board of Nursing
- Missouri: Missouri State Board of Nursing
Montana to Rhode Island
- Montana: Montana Board of Nursing
- Nebraska: Nebraska Board of Nursing
- Nevada: Nevada State Board of Nursing
- New Hampshire: New Hampshire Board of Nursing
- New Jersey: New Jersey Board of Nursing
- New Mexico: New Mexico Board of Nursing
- New York: New York State Board of Nursing
- North Carolina: North Carolina Board of Nursing
- North Dakota: North Dakota Board of Nursing
- Ohio: Ohio Board of Nursing
- Oklahoma: Oklahoma Board of Nursing
- Oregon: Oregon State Board of Nursing
- Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania State Board of Nursing
- Rhode Island: Rhode Island Board of Nursing
South Carolina to Wyoming
- South Carolina: South Carolina Board of Nursing
- South Dakota: South Dakota Board of Nursing
- Tennessee: Tennessee Board of Nursing
- Texas: Texas Board of Nursing
- Utah: Utah Division of Professional Licensing, Nursing
- Vermont: Vermont Board of Nursing
- Virginia: Virginia Board of Nursing
- Washington: Washington State Board of Nursing
- West Virginia: West Virginia Board of Registered Nurses (practical nurses: WV LPN board)
- Wisconsin: Wisconsin Board of Nursing (DSPS)
- Wyoming: Wyoming State Board of Nursing
US territories, including American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and the US Virgin Islands, also have boards of nursing. Find them through NCSBN’s directory.
Common questions
Which state should I apply in?
Where you want your first license. Many nurses apply in the state where they will work. Other states may license you later by endorsement under their own rules, so check the destination board.
How do I avoid scam sites?
Always use the board’s official website. Boards have reported scam sites and calls impersonating their offices, so go to the official site from a trusted directory rather than a search ad.