Nursing
License Requirements: RN & LPN
General Requirements
The practice of nursing or use of "Registered Professional Nurse" (RN) or "Licensed Practical Nurse" (LPN) titles within New York State requires licensure.
To be licensed as a registered professional nurse in New York State you must:
- be of good moral character;
- be at least eighteen years of age;
- meet education requirements;
- complete coursework or training in the identification and reporting of child abuse offered by a New York State approved provider; and
- meet examination requirements.
To be licensed as a licensed practical nurse in New York State you must:
- be of good moral character;
- be at least seventeen years of age;
- be a high school graduate or the equivalent;
- meet education requirements; and
- meet examination requirements.
You must file an application for licensure and the other forms indicated, along with the appropriate fee, to the Office of the Professions at the address specified on each form. It is your responsibility to follow up with anyone you have asked to send us material.
The specific requirements for licensure are contained in Title 8, Article 139, Sections 6905 and 6906 of New York State Education Law and Part 64 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education. Copies of the relevant sections of NYS Education Law and the Commissioner's Regulations are also available upon request by e-mailing opforms@mail.nysed.gov or by calling 518-474-3817 ext. 320.
You should also read the general licensing information applicable for all professions.
Fees
The fee for licensure and first registration is $135.
The fee for a limited permit is $35.
Fees are subject to change. The fee due is the one in law when your application is received (unless fees are increased retroactively). You will be billed for the difference if fees have been increased.
- Do not send cash.
- Make your personal check or money order payable to the New York State Education Department. Your cancelled check is your receipt.
- Mail your application and fee to:
NYS Education Department
Office of the Professions
PO Box 22063
Albany, NY 12201
Partial Refunds
Individuals who withdraw their licensure application may be entitled to a partial refund.
- For the procedure to withdraw your application, contact the Nurse Unit by e-mailing opunit4@mail.nysed.gov or by calling 518-474-3817 ext. 280 or by faxing 518-474-3398.
- The State Education Department is not responsible for any fees paid to an outside testing or credentials verification agency.
If you withdraw your application, obtain a refund, and then decide to seek New York State licensure at a later date, you will be considered a new applicant, and you will be required to pay the licensure and registration fees and meet the licensure requirements in place at the time you reapply.
Education Requirements
If you seek to meet the education requirement for an RN or LPN license with a program you completed outside the United States, your educational credentials must be verified by an independent credentials verification organization. See "Verifying Education Credentials From Non-U.S. Programs" for further instructions.
Registered Professional Nursing
To meet the professional education requirement for licensure as a registered professional nurse, you must present satisfactory evidence of having received at least a two-year degree or diploma from a program in general professional nursing that is acceptable to the Department. To be acceptable to the Department, the program must be either:
- registered as licensure qualifying by the New York State Education Department; or
- approved by the licensing authority or appropriate governmental agency in the jurisdiction where the school is located as preparation for practice as a registered professional nurse.
In addition to the professional education requirement, every applicant for licensure or limited permit as a registered professional nurse must complete coursework or training in the identification and reporting of child abuse in accordance with Section 6507(3)(a) of the Education Law. Graduates of New York State registered nursing programs after September 1, 1990 complete this coursework in their nursing program and are not required to submit additional proof. All other applicants must submit a certificate of completion from an approved provider or file a certification of exemption before a New York State license or permit can be issued. See additional information and a list of approved providers for this training. This information can also be requested by e-mailing opforms@mail.nysed.gov or by calling 518-474-3817 ext. 570. You may be eligible for exemption from the training if you can document, to the satisfaction of the Department, that your practice does not involve professional contact with persons under the age of 18 and that you do not have contact with persons 18 or older with a handicapping condition who reside in a residential care school or facility.
Every registered professional nurse must also complete approved coursework or training appropriate to the professional's practice in infection control and barrier precautions, including engineering and work practice controls, to prevent the transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and the hepatitis b virus (HBV) in the course of professional practice. Graduates from New York State nursing programs after September 1, 1993 are credited with having completed this coursework as part of their nursing program. All other applicants must submit an attestation of compliance with or exemption from the infection control coursework requirement (Form 1IC) within 90 days of your date of licensure. Form 1IC will be sent to you along with your license. See additional information and a list of approved providers for this training. This information can also be requested by e-mailing opforms@mail.nysed.gov or by calling 518-474-3817 ext. 570.
Licensed Practical Nursing
To meet the professional education requirement for licensure as a licensed practical nurse, you must have completed high school or the equivalent, and present satisfactory evidence of either a, b or c below.
- graduation from at least a nine-month program in practical nursing registered by the New York State Education Department as licensure qualifying or recognized as preparatory for practice as a licensed practical nurse by the licensing authority or appropriate governmental agency in the jurisdiction where the school is located; or
- completion of at least a nine-month program of study that is satisfactory to the New York State Education Department in a program conducted by the armed forces of the United States; or
- graduation from an approved program in general professional nursing.
In addition to the professional education requirement, every licensed practical nurse must complete approved coursework or training appropriate to the professional's practice in infection control and barrier precautions, including engineering and work practice controls, to prevent the transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and the hepatitis b virus (HBV) in the course of professional practice. Graduates from New York State nursing programs after September 1, 1993 are credited with having completed this coursework as part of their nursing program. All other applicants must submit an attestation of compliance with or exemption from the infection control coursework requirement (Form 1IC) within 90 days of your date of licensure. Form 1IC will be sent to you along with your license. See additional information and a list of approved providers for this training. This information can also be requested by e-mailing opforms@mail.nysed.gov or by calling 518-474-3817 ext. 570.
Verifying Education Credentials From Non-U.S. Programs
Applicants who have completed LPN or RN education outside of the US must have their education credentials verified by the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS). Such applicants should contact CGFNS at www.cgfns.org for the application and instructions to complete the CGFNS Credential Verification Service for New York State. Please note that this verification process is not the same as CGFNS' Certification Program (which is required for registered nurse applicants applying for limited permits). The CGFNS Credentials Verification Service for New York State licensure applicants is a process for verifying the authenticity of education credentials. The CGFNS Credentials Verification Service for New York State does not indicate approval by the New York State Education Department of the content of education. After education credentials are verified by CGFNS, they are then forwarded to and evaluated by the New York State Education Department.
You will be advised in writing of the results of the New York State Education Department's evaluation of your education. In addition, the licensing examination administrator will be notified if you are eligible for the examination.
Contact CGFNS at:
The Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS)
PO Box 8628
Philadelphia, PA 19101-8628
Phone 215-349-8767
Fax 215-349-0026
E-mail empire@cgfns.org
Web www.cgfns.org
Examination Requirements
To meet the examination requirements for licensure as a registered professional nurse and/or licensed practical nurse, you must successfully complete the NCLEX examination developed by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) and administered by Pearson VUE. For those applicants applying for licensure based upon licensure in another jurisdiction, scores from the State Board Test Pool (SBTP) examination and NCLEX may be accepted for licensure. The licensing authority in the jurisdiction in which you took the examination (see instructions for Form 3) or Nursys (see Verification of Nurse Licensure in Another State) must verify acceptable scores on the examination(s) directly to the Office of the Professions.
To qualify to take either the NCLEX-RN examination or the NCLEX-PN examination, you must:
- Submit an Application for Licensure (Form 1) and the $135 licensure and first registration fee to the New York State Education Department.
- Ask your school to verify your education directly to the New York State Education Department on Form 2 (New York State programs completed prior to 4/1/98 or other U.S. programs), or Form 2AF (for graduates who are applying for an LPN license based on completion of equivalent education in a program conducted by the U.S. armed forces) or have your educational credentials verified by CGFNS (non-U.S. programs).
- Register directly with Pearson VUE to take the NCLEX examination. To register for the examination, you will need the program code for your nursing education program that is listed in the NCLEX Candidate Bulletin. The NCLEX Candidate Bulletin and additional information regarding the examination are available on the Web at www.vue.com/nclex or ncsbn.org. You may register for the examination online at www.vue.com/nclex or by calling Pearson VUE at 1-866-496-2539*
Reasonable Testing Accommodations
If you have a disability and may require reasonable testing accommodations for the examination, you must complete and submit a Request for Reasonable Testing Accommodations form. You may also request a copy of the form by e-mailing opforms@mail.nysed.gov or by calling 518-474-3817 ext. 320 or by faxing 518-473-8222. You must mail the Request for Reasonable Testing Accommodations form to the address printed on that form, along with the required documentation. You will be notified in writing as to whether or not your request for accommodations has been approved. A copy of your accommodation approval must be attached to your NCLEX examination registration form. You may not test until your request for accommodations has been processed by the Department. If you schedule a test before your request for accommodations has been processed, you may lose any fee paid to the examination administrator. Please be sure to check the box in item 7 of your Application for Licensure (Form 1) if you are requesting accommodations.
Limited Permits
A limited permit authorizes an individual who has met all requirements for licensure as a registered professional nurse (RN) or a licensed practical nurse (LPN) except the licensing examination to practice as an RN or LPN provided that the individual is under the immediate and personal supervision of a licensed, currently registered, professional nurse, with the endorsement of the employer. To be eligible for a limited permit, you must:
- submit an Application for Licensure (Form 1) and the $135 licensure and first registration fee;
- ask your school to verify your education directly to the New York State Education Department on Form 2 (New York State programs completed prior to 4/1/98 or other approved U.S. programs), or Form 2AF (for graduates who are applying for an LPN license based on completion of equivalent education in a program conducted by the U.S. armed forces) or have your educational credentials verified by CGFNS (non-U.S. programs).
- for an RN permit, submit proof of completion of coursework or training in the identification and reporting of child abuse offered by a New York State approved provider; and
- be at least 18 (RN) or 17 (LPN) years of age and be of good moral character.
You may submit an Application for Limited Permit (Form 5) at the same time or any time after you submit your Application for Licensure (Form 1). The fee for a limited permit is $35. A limited permit is valid for one year from date of issue or until ten days after the applicant is notified of failure on the licensing examination, whichever occurs first. The "starting date" cannot be changed once a limited permit is issued. If you change employment or have additional employers after your permit is issued, you must obtain a new permit. You need to have your prospective employer complete and return a new Application for Limited Permit (Form 5) to the Office of the Professions at the address on the form. A new fee is not required.
You must be employed by the facility in which you are working. You may not be employed by a third party.
Non-U.S. educated applicants seeking a limited permit as a registered professional nurse must also have their credentials verified by an independent credentials verification organization (see "Verifying Education Credentials From Non-U.S. Programs") and document successful completion of the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) Certification program (the CGFNS examination and the Test of English as a Foreign Language); or a score of not less than 400 on the Canadian Nurses Association Test (CNATS) given in English. Non-U.S. educated LPN limited permit applicants also need to have their credentials verified by an independent credentials verification organization but are not required to complete the CGFNS Certification program.
CNATS scores should be sent to the Office of the Professions directly by the nurse licensing authority of the province in which the examination was taken. Information about the CGFNS examination and its certification program, including the cost, is available from:
CGFNS
3600 Market Street, Suite 400
Philadelphia, PA 19104-2651
Phone: 215-349-8767
E-mail: support@cgfns.org or info@cgfns.org
Please note that CGFNS certification is different from the verification of foreign education credentials required of all graduates of non-U.S. programs. CGFNS certification requires passing of examination(s) in addition to the verification of educational credentials. Use the address above only for CGFNS certification program information.
Practice Exemption:
New graduates of New York State nursing education programs registered by the New York State Education Department as licensure qualifying may be employed for 90 days immediately following graduation without holding a limited permit. To be eligible to practice within those 90 days, you must have graduated from your nursing program, submitted the Application for Licensure (Form 1), the Application for Limited Permit (Form 5), and paid the required fees. While practicing during those 90 days, you must be supervised by a registered professional nurse who is currently licensed and registered to practice in New York State. As soon as the permit is received, give your employer the employer's copy.
