Your state board of nursing licenses RNs and APRNs, including CRNAs, and enforces the state's nurse practice act. Use the table on this page to find your board's website and its license lookup.
Every state and DC has at least one board. NCSBN lists 58 U.S. member boards, because some states split RN and LPN regulation between two boards.
What a board of nursing does
Boards exist to protect the public. Their core jobs are:
- Licensing: issuing RN, LPN and APRN licenses, by exam or by endorsement from another state.
- Renewals: setting renewal cycles and continuing education rules.
- Practice rules: interpreting the nurse practice act and publishing rules on scope of practice.
- Education: approving nursing programs in the state.
- Discipline: investigating complaints and acting against licenses when needed.
Boards are state agencies. Each one follows its own state's laws, so rules and processes differ from state to state.
How boards handle CRNAs
To practice as a CRNA, you need two things from the state:
- An RN license, or a multistate RN privilege under the Nurse Licensure Compact.
- APRN authority in the CRNA role. States call this a license, certificate, registration or recognition.
Boards usually ask for proof of current NBCRNA certification, transcripts from your anesthesia program, and a background check. For example, Washington asks for national certification sent directly from the certifying body, plus official transcripts, for its ARNP license.
Some states need a separate step for prescriptive authority. Rules on supervision or collaboration also differ. Your board's APRN pages are the best place to check.
Separate RN and LPN boards
California, Louisiana and West Virginia have separate boards for RNs and for LPNs or vocational nurses. The table lists the board that handles RNs and APRNs.
In Iowa and Wisconsin, the board sits inside a larger licensing agency. The table names the agency and notes the board.
How to verify a license
You may need to check a license when you hire, credential or confirm your own record. There are two main ways.
Your board's own lookup
Most boards have a free online search. The table links to each one. Some boards send you to Nursys instead, including Arizona, New Jersey and Wyoming.
Nursys QuickConfirm
Nursys is the national database of nurse licensure and discipline, run by NCSBN. Boards contribute their license data to it.
QuickConfirm on nursys.com lets you look up a nurse's license at no cost. It also shows whether a license is single-state or multistate.
Not every board shares every detail through Nursys. If something looks missing, check the board's own site.
Verification for a new state license
When you apply for a license in a new state, that board needs verification of your existing license. Many boards accept "Nurse License Verification for Endorsement" through Nursys, for a fee.
Timing matters. California says Nursys verifications expire 90 days after you request them, so don't request one too early. See licensure by endorsement for the full process.
How to find your board
Use the table on this page. Each row shows:
- The board's name and website
- A link to its license lookup
- Its Nurse Licensure Compact status
- Whether it has enacted the APRN Compact
- Whether the state has opted out of Medicare's CRNA supervision rule
You can also use NCSBN's "Contact a Board of Nursing" directory.
Which board do you need?
- For your RN license: the board in your primary state of residence if you want a multistate license. Otherwise, the board in each state where you practice.
- For your CRNA authority: the board in every state where you give anesthesia. This applies even if you hold a multistate RN license.
- For a complaint about a nurse: the board in the state where the care happened.
Related compact and practice rules
Three rules come up often when you work across state lines:
- Nursing compact states: which states accept a multistate RN license.
- APRN Compact: a future multistate APRN license, not yet in effect.
- CRNA opt-out states: states exempt from Medicare's physician supervision condition.
If you are moving or adding a state, read temporary nursing licenses and APRN credentialing too.
FAQ
Does the board of nursing certify CRNAs?
No. NBCRNA certifies CRNAs nationally. The state board grants the license or recognition to practice in that state, and it relies on your NBCRNA certification.
Is Nursys free?
Looking up a license with QuickConfirm is free. Sending a license verification to another board for endorsement carries a fee.
Can I verify a CRNA's APRN license on Nursys?
Some boards share APRN data with Nursys and some don't. If you can't find it, use the board's own lookup.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Your board of nursing is the authority on its own rules.
Sources
- NCSBN: Membership (58 U.S. members)
- NCSBN: Contact a Board of Nursing
- NCSBN: History (independent not-for-profit; role of boards)
- Nurse Licensure Compact FAQs (Nursys QuickConfirm at no cost; Nursys definition)
- Nursys
- California Board of Registered Nursing: Licensure by Endorsement (Nursys 90-day expiry)
- Washington State Board of Nursing: ARNP license
- Washington State Board of Nursing: RN license (Nursys verification for endorsement)