Nevada RN Licensing Guide

The Nevada Legislature established the Nevada State Board of Nursing (NSBN) in 1923 to regulate the practice of nursing in the state. The Governor appoints the seven-member Board whose mission is to protect the public from the unsafe practice by nurses through effective nursing regulation. The NSBN issues Nevada nursing licenses to qualified individuals, including the more than 60,100 active registered nursing licenses recorded in July 2024.

About

Applicants for a Nevada RN license by endorsement or exam must apply online using the Nevada Nurse Portal. They can’t send any documents to the NSBN until they’ve created their Nevada Nurse Portal account. Once they submit their application, they have one year to complete all the steps required to achieve licensure. It’s the applicant’s responsibility to follow up with the NSBN to determine the ongoing status of their application and what steps still require completion.

Renewal

New Nevada RN licenses are valid from the date of issuance to the licensee’s second birthday after issuance. Thereafter, an RN’s license expires every two years on their birthday. They must renew their license on or before this day. Nevada doesn’t have a grace period.

Nevada RN license renewal applications must be submitted online. Nurses have access to the renewal application 60 days before their current expiration date. They complete their renewal through their Nevada Nurse Portal account by clicking on the “Start your renewal application” or “Apply for Renewal” link. This link won’t be available if it’s outside the 60-day window.

RNs who renew after their expiration date pay an additional $100 late fee in addition to the $100 renewal fee. The NSBN doesn’t send notices of licensure expiration dates or licensure renewal dates. Nurses are responsible for knowing when their licenses expire.

After submitting their renewal application, licensees should return to their Nurse Portal dashboard to confirm their new expiration date. It can take up to 72 hours for the new expiration date to appear. If it’s been more than 72 hours and the new date hasn’t appeared, check for messages in the Nurse Portal indicating the NSBN requires additional information to complete the renewal. All Nevada RN license renewal applicants are subject to criminal background checks every five years or as directed by the NSBN.

Continuing Education Requirements

Nevada RNs must complete 30 hours of nursing-related continuing education (CE) during each renewal cycle. Of these, four hours must be dedicated to a cultural competency course every renewal cycle. Nurses must also complete a one-time four-hour bioterrorism course. First-time licensees are exempt from earning 30 CE hours during the first biennial period after their graduation. However, they must still complete the one-time, four-hour bioterrorism CE requirement and the four hour cultural competency CE requirement.

The NSBN accepts CE given by providers with a Nevada CE provider number or that are:

• Academic institutions
• Approved by another State BON or health-related board
• Recognized by one of these national organizations:
  • National League for Nursing
  • American Association of Critical-Care Nurses
  • American Association of Nurse Anesthetists
  • American Nurse Credentialing Center Commission on Accreditation
  • National Association of Pediatric Nurse Associates and Practitioners

  Licensees must affirm on their Nevada RN license renewal application that they’re in compliance with the CE requirements. Nurses should keep copies of their CE completion certificates in case they’re chosen for a random audit. The NSBN recommends RNs keep their CE certificates for at least four years and their bioterrorism certificate indefinitely to ensure they’re prepared for an audit. Failure to complete required CE within a renewal period or producing evidence of CE completion when audited could result in disciplinary action.

  Requirements

  Fingerprinting Requirements

  All applicants for a Nevada nursing license must submit fingerprints and must create a Nurse Portal Account before submitting their fingerprints. They have three options for submitting fingerprints.

  Option 1: Electronic Submission at an NSBN Office

  • Have fingerprints captured at the NSBN’s Reno or Las Vegas offices
  • Schedule Fingerprint Appointment online
  • Not required to submit the fingerprint submission form or receipt

  Option 2: Electronic Submission at Other Sites in Nevada

  • Visit a law enforcement fingerprint site or privately owned fingerprinting agency for Live Scan electronic fingerprint transmission to the NSBN
  • Submit payment to agency capturing fingerprints
  • Have the agency complete the electronic submission section on the fingerprint submission form or applicant can provide a copy of their fingerprint submission receipt
  • Live Scan only available in Nevada

  Option 3: Fingerprint Card Submission

  • Complete hard card fingerprinting at any law enforcement agency or private fingerprinting service in any state
  • Must be completed on standard FD-258 fingerprint card
  • Applicants may request Fd-258 fingerprint cards from the NSBN if necessary
  • Complete all information blocks on the fingerprint card legibly
  • Make sure the technician capturing fingerprints signs the Signature of Official section
  • Complete the fingerprint submission form
  • Mail the fingerprint, form, fee, and card to 5011 Meadowood Mall Way, Ste. 300, Reno, Nevada 89502

  Fingerprint card processing times vary but expect it to take 2 to 4 months. The timeframe for processing fingerprints is by the NSBN’s control. It’s common to have fingerprints rejected by the Nevada DPS and/or the FBI due to poor quality. Applicants must submit a second set of prints. There’s no charge for processing reprints. The NSBN won’t issue a Nevada nursing license before receiving fingerprint reports from the Nevada DPS and the FBI.

  Contact Information

  Multistate

  Nevada isn’t a member of the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC), but the NSBN does issue RN licenses by reciprocity to nurses licensed in other U.S. states who qualify. Applicants who’ve never been licensed in any state must apply for a Nevada RN license by examination.

  Licensure by Endorsement

  Nurses applying for Nevada RN licensure by endorsement must have practiced nursing within the five year immediately preceding submission of their application to qualify for licensure. Applicants who haven’t practiced within the previous five years must complete an approved refresher course or retake and pass the National Council Licensure Exam for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) before they’re eligible for licensure in Nevada. Along with submitting their online application, endorsement applicants must:

  Submit evidence of graduation from a nursing education program through an official document that indicates nursing degree and graduation date.

  • May submit a copy of their diploma or official transcript
  • Official transcripts must be issued directly from the registrar to the applicant or the NSBN
  • Official transcripts or diplomas may be:
    • Uploaded with the licensure application
    • Attached to a message in the applicant’s Nurse Portal message center
    • Mailed to the NSBN office
    • Emailed to [email protected], if sending electronic transcripts

    Submit official verification from their original state of nurse licensure by exam.

    • Submit a Nurse License Verification for Endorsement request through the National Council of
    • State Boards of Nursing Nursys Verification database if the state of licensure participates in Nursys
    • Printing a Nursys QuickConfirm License Verification doesn’t satisfy this requirement
    • Send the NSBN Endorsement Form if the original state of licensure doesn’t participate in Nursys

    Complete a fingerprint card or electronic fingerprint submission.

    • Electronic fingerprint submission is only available to applicants physically in Nevada

    The NSBN won’t issue a permanent license until it receives fingerprint reports from the Nevada Department of Public Safety (DPS) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Any issues contained in these reports also must be resolved before licensure. It can take up to four months to receive official fingerprint results from the DPS and FBI.

    It takes approximately one week for the NSBN to process endorsement applications and documents. Once applicants submit their initial application, NSBN staff determine whether they’re eligible for a one-time temporary license issued as a courtesy while awaiting fingerprinting reports. Permits are valid for six months and can’t be extended or reissued. Applicants may track the status of their applications and temporary Nevada nursing licenses on their Nurse Portal accounts.

    Licensure by Exam

    New graduates not licensed in another state seeking to take the NCLEX-RN for the first time must apply for a Nevada RN license by exam. Besides submitting an application and fees through the online Nurse Portal, exam applicants must:

    • Apply to the NCLEX testing service through Pearson VUE
    • Complete fingerprint card or electronic fingerprint submission
      • Electronic fingerprint submission is only available if you are in Nevada
      • Transcripts must indicate the degree/diploma awarded and graduation date
      • Nursing programs must be accredited by a nationally recognized association authorized to bestow accreditation to nursing schools
      • Nursing programs may send official transcripts electronically to [email protected] or mail transcripts to the NSBN office

      Applicants who graduated from a nursing education program in Nevada become eligible for an Interim Permit after their nursing school sends the NSBN an affidavit of graduation. They won’t be eligible to receive their permanent Nevada RN license until the NSBN receives their official transcripts. Out-of-state graduates go straight to ordering official transcripts after graduating from their nursing program to make themselves eligible to receive their permanent Nevada RN license.

      After an exam applicant submits their application and fee payment through the Nurse Portal, official transcript, and application and fee to Pearson VUE for the NCLEX, the NSBN makes them eligible to test. They receive an Authorization to Test (ATT) from Pearson VUE, allowing them to schedule a test date. Applicants must test within 90 days of receiving their ATT.

      The NSBN can’t issue a permanent Nevada RN license until it receives an applicant’s official test results. It can take approximately one week from the test date for the NSBN to receive these results from Pearson VUE. Applicants receive a message on their Nurse Portal message board containing their exam results. NSBN staff won’t give test results over the phone.

      Exam applicants who fail the NCLEX-RN must reapply to take the exam. Nevada applicants for licensing as an RN may take the NCLEX-RN no more than four times.

      Licensure for Foreign Educated Nurses

      To qualify for a Nevada nursing license, foreign educated applicants must have graduated from a nursing education program that meets Nevada’s legal requirements. All graduates of an international nursing program must submit a copy of their transcript indicating their nursing degree and graduation date. They must also include a copy of the related learning experience (RLE) report, if applicable. The NSBN notifies foreign educated nurses if they must have their nursing education evaluated. If required, applicants must order their evaluation from an approved credentialing service, which include:

      • Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS)
        • CES Professional Report
        • Nursing Licensure Evaluation Report
        • Evaluation of Foreign Education Credentials for Boards of Nursing Report

        Official results must be sent directly to the NSBN. Applicants who completed their nursing program in a country where the principal/primary language was a language other than English, also must pass an English proficiency exam with an approved minimum score. Applicants are required to complete an English proficiency exam regardless of their language of instruction, country of citizenship, or green card status. The only exception are endorsement applicants who have been licensed in the U.S. for more than five years. Approved exams and scores include:

        • Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) Internet-Based Test
          • Minimum passing score of 84 with a 26 in spoken English
          • TOEFL must mail official results directly to Nevada State Board of Nursing, 4220 S. Maryland Pkwy., #B300, Las Vegas, NV 89119-7533
          • Minimum passing score of 55 overall and no individual section score below 50
          • Must provide Score Report Code or Registration ID for the NSBN to obtain official results from PTE
          • Submit this information and examination date through the Nevada Nurse Portal message board

          Applicants may also provide documentation of completing an English proficiency exam accepted by another State BON used to obtain nurse licensure in that state.

          Internationally educated candidates who need to take the NCLEX-RN won’t receive their Authorization to Test (ATT) from Pearson VUE until after the NSBN receives their completed application and fee for Nevada RN licensure by exam, completed fingerprint cards, credentials evaluations, results of English language proficiency, and confirmation they’ve applied to take the NCLEX-RN.

          Timing

          The NSBN processes Nevada RN license applications and supporting documents within approximately one week. Applicants can review the status of their licensure application on their Nurse Portal account by clicking “View Status.”

          It usually takes 1 to 2 weeks for the NSBM to receive and process official NCLEX-RN results from the time applicants take the exam. Applicants can obtain unofficial NCLEX results, but the NSBN won’t issue a permanent license until results are official.

          The processing time for fingerprints vary, but applicants should expect it to take about 2 to 4 months. Although it’s possible for results to return in less than two months, the NSBN can’t quote an exact timeframe on something that’s out of its control.

          Temporary Nurse License

          The NSBN may issue an interim permit to graduate nurses who’ve applied for a Nevada RN license by exam and the Board has already received their documents of graduation. Interim permits are only issued to first-time NCLEX takers. These permits allow graduate nurses to practice in Nevada only under the supervision of an RN for up to three months. Interim permits expire immediately if the NSBN receives notice that an applicant has failed the NCLEX. Nurse licensure applicants may request an interim permit on their application or by sending a message through their Nurse Portal account.

          Applicants for a Nevada RN license by endorsement may qualify for a temporary license issued as a courtesy while awaiting their fingerprint reports. Temporary licenses for endorsement candidates are valid for six months and may not be extended or reissued. The NSBN issues temporary licenses within approximately one week after receiving an endorsement candidate’s application and determining their eligibility.

          Fees

          After completing a Nevada nursing license application via the Nevada Nurse Portal, applicants must pay all required fees using a Visa, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express credit or debit card. Once submitted, fees aren’t refundable.

          • Licensure by Endorsement: $100
          • Licensure by Exam: $100
          • Nevada RN License Renewal: $100
          • Additional Fee for Late Renewal: $100
          • Fingerprint Processing: $40

          Applicants who are active U.S. military members, the spouse of active U.S. military members, U.S. military veterans, or the spouse or widow of U.S. military veterans may qualify for a 50% reduction on their nurse licensure application fee with appropriate documentation.

          Recent Updates

          Starting January 1, 2024, RNs must complete four hours of cultural competency with every renewal cycle.