Nebraska CNA Registry: Verify a Certification
Nebraska DHHS runs the state's certified nurse aide registry, and the official lookup tool is linked on this page. Anyone, an employer, a CNA checking their own status, or a new graduate, can search it to confirm whether someone is listed as an active nurse aide in Nebraska. Federal law requires nursing facilities and home health agencies to check the registry before hiring a nurse aide, and periodically afterward while that person remains employed. Nebraska DHHS does not publish a separate registry phone line with the lookup tool, so the search itself, or Nebraska DHHS's general contact page, is the most reliable way to resolve a specific question.
Look up a Nebraska nurse aide
The official lookup shows whether a person is listed as an active nurse aide in Nebraska, and any finding of abuse, neglect, or misappropriation on record. It is free and public.
How to verify a Nebraska CNA
Open the official lookup
Use the Nebraska 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
A name is enough to start a search, though a full legal name and, if possible, a middle initial or date of birth narrows results when the name is common. A successful search shows whether the person is listed as an active certified nurse aide in Nebraska. The registry also records substantiated findings of abuse, neglect, or misappropriation of property; a person with such a finding on record cannot be employed as a nurse aide. It is not a full employment or criminal background check.
Nebraska registry at a glance
- Run by: Nebraska DHHS
- Training: 75 hours, 16 of them clinical
- 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 Nebraska
Typical annual CNA pay in Nebraska · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
BLS OES May 2025 · CNA salary in Nebraska by city →
Renewal, lapses, and moving to Nebraska
Nebraska follows the federal baseline for nurse aide certification: it runs on a 24-month cycle and lapses if the aide has no paid nurse aide work during that window. Once lapsed, the usual result is that the person has to retest and requalify rather than simply renew, though Nebraska DHHS sets the exact process. Aides moving to Nebraska from another state transfer their certification through the registry rather than starting training over, typically by reciprocity or endorsement. Because exact renewal timing, retesting rules, and transfer paperwork vary by state and by individual circumstance, confirm the current process through the Nebraska DHHS registry lookup and contact channels linked on this page.
Keep your certification active
CNA work in Nebraska, by the numbers
About 16,450 CNAs work in Nebraska, earning a median of $40,000 a year, or $19.23 an hour, according to BLS May 2025 figures. That is about $2,260 below the national median CNA salary of $42,260. Nebraska pay has grown fast over the past decade: the state median CNA salary is up 65.8% since 2015, when it stood at $24,130. Nebraska's CNA training requirement sits at the federal floor of 75 hours, including 16 hours of supervised clinical practice; there is no state add-on beyond what federal rules already require. Nationally, CNA and nursing assistant employment is projected to grow 2.6% from 2025 to 2035, with about 196,200 openings expected each year across the country as workers retire or change fields.
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.
Questions about the Nebraska registry
- How do I look up a CNA license in Nebraska?
- Use the Nebraska DHHS registry lookup linked on this page and search by the aide's name. Nebraska's CNA registry is maintained online through the state's LIS search system, and results show whether the person is currently listed as an active certified nurse aide. No login or account is required to run a basic search.
- I passed my CNA exam. How long until I appear on the registry?
- You're added after your exam results and paperwork are processed by Nebraska DHHS, and exactly how long that takes can vary. There is no set number of days published for this step. If a reasonable amount of time has passed and your name still isn't showing up, contact the Nebraska DHHS registry directly rather than assuming something went wrong.
- What if I search and can't find someone?
- Try variations of the name first: maiden names, hyphenated last names, or a different middle initial can cause a search to miss someone who is listed. A blank result isn't proof a person is uncertified; search tools can miss records over small spelling differences. If you still can't find someone, confirm directly with the Nebraska DHHS registry rather than relying on the search alone.
- How often does a Nebraska CNA certification need to be renewed?
- Nebraska follows the federal baseline of every 24 months. Certification lapses if the aide hasn't had qualifying paid nurse aide work during that period, and Nebraska DHHS sets the specific renewal steps and any state-level details beyond that baseline. For exact requirements tied to your certification, check with the Nebraska DHHS registry directly.
- How many hours of training does a CNA need in Nebraska?
- Nebraska requires 75 hours of CNA training, including 16 hours of supervised clinical practice. That matches the federal minimum exactly: 75 total hours with at least 16 supervised practical hours, so Nebraska does not require extra hours beyond what federal law sets as the floor.
- How do I update my name or address on the registry?
- Contact Nebraska DHHS, the agency that holds your certification record, to update your name or address. Updates like this are routine, but the exact steps, forms, or documentation required are set by the registry itself rather than a standard nationwide process, so confirm the current method directly with Nebraska DHHS.