Connecticut CNA Registry: Verify a Certification
Verify a Connecticut certified nursing assistant through the eLicense lookup run by the Connecticut Department of Public Health, linked on this page. This is the state's official nurse aide registry, and federal law requires nursing facilities and home health agencies to check it before hiring anyone into a nurse aide role. A search confirms whether a person holds active CT certification and whether the state has recorded a substantiated finding against them. No separate registry phone line is listed here, so if a search does not resolve the way you expect, contact the Connecticut Department of Public Health through the lookup site directly rather than guessing at someone's status.
Look up a Connecticut nurse aide
The official lookup shows whether a person is listed as an active nurse aide in Connecticut, and any finding of abuse, neglect, or misappropriation on record. It is free and public.
How to verify a Connecticut CNA
Open the official lookup
Use the Connecticut lookup above. It is free and public.
Search by full legal name
A certification number narrows the result fastest. Try former or hyphenated last names if nothing comes up.
Read the status and findings
Active means the listing is current. A substantiated finding of abuse, neglect, or misappropriation bars work as a nurse aide.
What the lookup shows
To run a lookup you need the CNA's full legal name as it appears in state records; a certification number speeds up the search if you have it. The result shows certification status and basic credential details. The registry also records substantiated findings of abuse, neglect, or misappropriation of property, and anyone with such a finding cannot be employed as a nurse aide. This lookup is not a full employment or criminal background check.
Connecticut registry at a glance
- Run by: Connecticut Department of Public Health
- Training: 100 hours
- Federal floor: 75 hours, 16 supervised practical
- Lapse rule: a listing lapses after 24 consecutive months without paid nursing work
- Not included: a registry check is not a criminal background check
What CNAs earn in Connecticut
Typical annual CNA pay in Connecticut · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
BLS OES May 2025 · CNA salary in Connecticut by city →
Renewal, lapses, and moving to Connecticut
Connecticut CNA certification follows the federal baseline of a 24-month renewal cycle. Under federal rules, certification lapses if you go the full cycle without any paid nurse aide work, and once lapsed the usual path back is retesting rather than a simple renewal. If you are moving to Connecticut from another state, your certification transfers through the registry process rather than automatically, typically by reciprocity or endorsement once Connecticut confirms your out-of-state record. Because exact renewal steps, forms, and deadlines are set by the Connecticut Department of Public Health, confirm the current process directly with the registry rather than relying on a general timeline.
Keep your certification active
CNA work in Connecticut, by the numbers
Connecticut employs about 21,380 certified nursing assistants, according to BLS May 2025 figures. The median CNA in the state earns $44,790 a year, or $21.53 an hour, about $2,530 above the national median of $42,260. That state pay has climbed from a $30,750 median a decade earlier, a roughly 45.7 percent increase over ten years. Connecticut also requires more training than the federal minimum: the state calls for 100 hours of nurse aide training, made up of 75 core hours plus 25 hours of specialized behavioral and cognitive training, compared with the federal floor of 75 hours, including at least 16 hours of supervised, hands-on practical training. Nationally, the CNA field is expected to open about 196,200 positions a year through 2035, so demand for certified aides is not slowing down.
Registries in nearby states
Each state runs its own registry. An aide who worked in another state may be listed there too, and employers must check every state where they believe the aide has worked.
| State | Training hours | Phone | Official lookup |
|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | 100 | Lookup | |
| Massachusetts | 75 | (617) 753-8144 | Lookup |
| New York | 100 | (800) 918-8818 | Lookup |
| Rhode Island | 120 | Lookup |
State nurse aide registries and training rules, curated 2026-09-01
Questions about the Connecticut registry
- How do I look up a CNA license in Connecticut?
- Use the eLicense lookup run by the Connecticut Department of Public Health, linked at the top of this page. Enter the CNA's full name as it appears in state records to search for their certification status. The tool is free and available to anyone, including employers, coworkers, family members, and the CNA checking their own record.
- I passed my CNA exam. How long until I appear on the registry?
- You are added to the registry after your exam results and paperwork are fully processed by the state, not immediately after you sit for the test. Processing time varies and is not published as a fixed number of days. If a reasonable amount of time has passed and you still do not appear, contact the Connecticut Department of Public Health to check on your record.
- What if I search and can't find someone?
- A name not turning up is not proof that someone lacks certification. Try variations first, such as a maiden name, hyphenated last name, or a middle initial, since the registry matches on the name as filed with the state. If you still cannot find a match after trying variants, confirm the person's status directly with the Connecticut Department of Public Health rather than assuming.
- How often does a Connecticut CNA certification need to be renewed?
- Connecticut follows the federal baseline: certification is on a 24-month renewal cycle. Certification can lapse if a CNA goes that long without paid nurse aide work, and a lapsed certification usually means retesting rather than a routine renewal. For Connecticut's exact renewal steps and deadlines, check with the Connecticut Department of Public Health.
- How many hours of training does a CNA need in Connecticut?
- Connecticut requires 100 hours of nurse aide training, which breaks down into 75 core hours plus 25 hours of specialized behavioral and cognitive care training. That is 25 hours above the federal minimum of 75 hours, which itself requires at least 16 hours of supervised, hands-on practical training.
- How do I update my name or address on the registry?
- Contact the Connecticut Department of Public Health, since it holds your certification record and controls how updates are made. Name and address changes are routine, but the exact forms and process are set by the registry rather than published as a general procedure, so confirm the current steps directly with the department.