New Jersey CNA Registry: Verify a Certification
Verify a New Jersey CNA through the state's official online verification tool, run by the NJ Division of Consumer Affairs and linked on this page. This is the same registry that federal law requires nursing facilities and home health agencies to check before they hire a nurse aide, so a clean search result is the legal minimum an employer needs before bringing someone on staff. No public phone line is listed for registry lookups; use the online tool, and contact the Division of Consumer Affairs directly if you need to discuss a specific record. Employers, CNAs checking their own status, and aides moving into New Jersey can all use the same lookup.
Look up a New Jersey nurse aide
The official lookup shows whether a person is listed as an active nurse aide in New Jersey, and any finding of abuse, neglect, or misappropriation on record. It is free and public.
How to verify a New Jersey CNA
Open the official lookup
Use the New Jersey 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
You need the aide's full legal name to run a lookup, and a certification number speeds up an exact match if you have it. A result shows whether the person holds a current New Jersey CNA certification and its status. The registry also records substantiated findings of abuse, neglect, or misappropriation of property; anyone with such a finding cannot be employed as a nurse aide. This lookup is not a full employment or criminal background check, so it should not replace one.
New Jersey registry at a glance
- Run by: NJ Division of Consumer Affairs
- Training: 90 hours, 40 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 New Jersey
Typical annual CNA pay in New Jersey · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
BLS OES May 2025 · CNA salary in New Jersey by city →
Renewal, lapses, and moving to New Jersey
Under the federal baseline, a CNA certification is valid for 24 months and lapses if the aide has not performed paid nurse aide work during that period. A lapsed certification usually means retesting rather than a simple renewal. Aides moving into New Jersey from another state have their certification transferred into the New Jersey registry through reciprocity or endorsement rather than starting training over, though the exact steps and any state-specific timing are set by the registry itself. For renewal deadlines, transfer paperwork, or anything specific to your record, contact the NJ Division of Consumer Affairs or use the online verification tool linked on this page.
Keep your certification active
CNA work in New Jersey, by the numbers
New Jersey employed about 32,400 CNAs as of BLS May 2025 figures, with a median wage of $46,830 a year, or $22.52 an hour. That is roughly $4,570 above the national median CNA salary of $42,260. Pay has grown substantially over the past decade, up 69.3% from a median of $27,660 in 2015. Training requirements also run higher than the federal minimum: federal rules set a floor of 75 hours with at least 16 hours of supervised practical work, while New Jersey requires 90 hours total, including 40 hours of clinical training in a licensed long-term care facility. Nationally, the field needs about 196,200 new nursing assistants a year through 2035, so demand for trained aides remains strong.
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 New Jersey registry
- How do I look up a CNA license in New Jersey?
- Use the official online verification tool run by the NJ Division of Consumer Affairs, linked on this page, and search by the aide's name. Enter the full legal name as it would appear on state records; a certification number, if you have it, narrows the search to an exact match. The result shows current certification status.
- 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, not on the day you test. Processing time varies, so this page cannot promise an exact number of days. If a reasonable amount of time has passed and you still do not appear, contact the NJ Division of Consumer Affairs directly to check on your record.
- What if I search and can't find someone?
- A blank search result is not proof that someone is uncertified. Try variations of the name first, including maiden names, hyphenated last names, or a different middle initial, since the registry matches on exactly what was entered. If you still find nothing after trying variants, confirm the person's status directly with the NJ Division of Consumer Affairs rather than assuming the worst.
- How often does a New Jersey CNA certification need to be renewed?
- Under the federal baseline that applies to nurse aide certification, renewal runs on a 24-month cycle. A certification lapses if the aide has not done paid nurse aide work within that window. For the exact renewal process and any New Jersey-specific requirements, check with the NJ Division of Consumer Affairs or use the online verification tool.
- How many hours of training does a CNA need in New Jersey?
- New Jersey requires 90 hours of training to become a certified nurse aide, including 40 hours of supervised clinical work in a licensed long-term care facility. That is well above the federal floor of 75 hours total with at least 16 hours of supervised practical training. The rest of New Jersey's hours are classroom instruction.
- How do I update my name or address on the registry?
- Contact the NJ Division of Consumer Affairs, the agency that holds your New Jersey certification, to update your name or address on the registry. This kind of update is routine, but the paperwork and process are set by the registry, not by this page, so reach out directly rather than guessing at the steps.