Nurse Practitioner Licensing: APRN, Certification and Authority

How to get a nurse practitioner license

1. 1

   Become and remain a licensed RN

   APRN licensure is built on an active registered nurse licence and lapses with it. Most nurse practitioners also practise as RNs first, which strengthens both graduate applications and clinical judgement.

2. 2

   Complete an accredited graduate programme

   Finish a master's or doctoral nurse practitioner programme accredited by a recognised nursing accreditor in a defined population focus, including its supervised clinical hours. The focus you choose determines your scope for the rest of your career.

3. 3

   Pass the national certification examination

   Sit the examination for your population focus with a recognised certifying body. It covers assessment, diagnosis, planning and evaluation with substantial pharmacology content, and is scored pass or fail against a scaled standard.

4. 4

   Apply for APRN licensure and prescriptive authority

   Submit your application to the state board of nursing with certification verification, and apply for prescriptive authority under the state's rules. In reduced and restricted practice states, establish the collaborative agreement the statute requires.

5. 5

   Register with the DEA and maintain both credentials

   Obtain a DEA registration for controlled substances, plus any state controlled substances registration. Then maintain national certification through continuing education, pharmacology hours and clinical practice, and renew the state licence on its own cycle.

Nurse Practitioner license requirements

Requirements combine national certification with state licensure, and both must be maintained. You need:

How much a nurse practitioner license costs

Licensure costs are modest next to the graduate degree. Budget for:

The nurse practitioner license exam

National certification examinations are written by the certifying bodies rather than by states, which is why the qualification is consistent nationally even though licensure is not. Each examination is built to a blueprint for its population focus — family, adult-gerontology primary or acute care, paediatrics, psychiatric-mental health, neonatal or women's health — covering assessment, diagnosis, planning and evaluation, with substantial pharmacology and health promotion content. They are closed book and scored pass or fail against a scaled standard. Certification is maintained through continuing education, pharmacology hours and, in most cases, documented clinical practice, rather than by re-examination alone.

How long it takes to get licensed

Six to eight years from starting nursing education, including RN licensure and the graduate programme with its supervised clinical hours.

Nurse Practitioner license types: the full ladder

The advanced practice ladder is defined by population focus and by the practice authority the state grants.

Full practice authority vs Reduced or restricted: nurse practitioner license

Nurse Practitioner license reciprocity between states

National certification travels without any transfer process, which removes the qualification question from relocating. What does not travel is the APRN licence: each state licenses separately, and because practice authority differs, moving can materially change what you may do even with identical credentials — a nurse practitioner practising independently in a full practice state may need a collaborative agreement in the next. The Nurse Licensure Compact covers RN and LPN licences but not advanced practice authority, and the separate APRN compact has not achieved broad operational adoption. Confirm both licensure and practice authority with the destination board before accepting a role.

Nurse Practitionersalary & job outlook

Nurse practitioners earn a median of about $132,300 per year ($63.61/hour), with psychiatric-mental health and acute care focuses typically above the median. Employment is projected to grow 40%, among the fastest of any occupation, with roughly 32,700 openings a year — a reflection of how far primary care delivery has shifted toward advanced practice. See the full nurse practitioner salary guide for pay by state, city and experience level.

Nurse Practitioner license requirements by state

Every state licenses nurse practitioners, so the variable that matters is practice authority: whether you may practise and prescribe independently or under a collaborative or supervisory arrangement.

All states license nurse practitioners as advanced practice registered nurses through a board of nursing. The defining difference is practice authority — full practice states allow independent evaluation, diagnosis and prescribing under board authority alone, while reduced and restricted practice states require a collaborative agreement or physician supervision for at least one element of practice. These statutes change relatively often, so confirm the current position with the board.

Browse all state guides

Nurse Practitioner license FAQs

BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook (Nurse Anesthetists, Nurse Midwives and Nurse Practitioners) · American Association of Nurse Practitioners, state practice environment · American Nurses Credentialing Center certification · NCSBN, APRN regulation. Requirements and fees are set per state and change, confirm with your state board before applying.

Licensed nurse practitioner? Find a job.

We verify your state license and match you with permanent employers. License renewal fees paid after placement.