Ohio CNA Registry: Verify a Certification
Verify an Ohio nurse aide through the Ohio Department of Health's Nurse Aide Registry, using the official lookup linked on this page. The Ohio Department of Health operates the registry, which lists everyone certified to work as a State Tested Nursing Assistant (STNA) in Ohio, along with any substantiated findings of abuse, neglect, or misappropriation of property. Federal law requires nursing facilities and home health agencies to check this registry before hiring anyone into a nurse aide position, so this step isn't optional for those employers. If the online lookup doesn't answer your question, call the registry directly at (800) 582-5908.
Look up a Ohio nurse aide
The official lookup shows whether a person is listed as an active nurse aide in Ohio, and any finding of abuse, neglect, or misappropriation on record. It is free and public.
Official link checked 2026-09-01
How to verify a Ohio CNA
Open the official lookup
Use the Ohio 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 search the registry you need the aide's full legal name, and a date of birth helps narrow results if the name is common. A successful search shows certification status, the STNA credential, and certification dates. The registry also records substantiated findings of abuse, neglect, or misappropriation of property, and a person with such a finding cannot be employed as a nurse aide. This is not a full employment or criminal background check, so it shouldn't replace one.
Ohio note: Ohio calls aides STNAs
Ohio registry at a glance
- Run by: Ohio Department of Health
- Phone: (800) 582-5908
- 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 Ohio
Typical annual CNA pay in Ohio · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
BLS OES May 2025 · CNA salary in Ohio by city →
Renewal, lapses, and moving to Ohio
Federal rules set the baseline: a nurse aide certification is tied to a 24-month cycle, and it lapses if you go that long without qualifying paid nurse aide work. Once lapsed, the usual path back is retesting, since there's typically no simple renewal for someone who hasn't worked in the field. If you're moving into Ohio from another state, your existing certification is checked against the Ohio registry through reciprocity or endorsement rather than starting training over from scratch. Because exact timelines and paperwork requirements vary, contact the Ohio Department of Health's Nurse Aide Registry directly at (800) 582-5908 for your specific situation.
Keep your certification active
CNA work in Ohio, by the numbers
Ohio employed about 63,280 nursing assistants as of BLS May 2025 figures, earning a median wage of $18.76 an hour, or $39,010 a year. That's about $3,250 below the national median CNA salary of $42,260, but it still marks a big jump from Ohio's 2015 median of $24,150, a roughly 61.5% increase over the decade. Ohio's training rule, set out in Ohio Administrative Code 3701-18-12, requires 75 hours of training including at least 16 hours of supervised clinical practice, matching the federal floor of 75 hours and 16 clinical hours rather than exceeding it. Nationally, the field is projected to add 196,200 annual openings through 2035, even though overall employment is expected to grow just 2.6% over that period, since most openings come from replacing aides who leave the field.
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 Ohio registry
- How do I look up a CNA license in Ohio?
- Use the Ohio Nurse Aide Registry's public search, linked on this page, and enter the aide's full name to check their status. The Ohio Department of Health maintains this registry and it will show whether the person is currently certified as a State Tested Nursing Assistant (STNA). If the online tool doesn't give you a clear answer, call the registry at (800) 582-5908.
- I passed my CNA exam. How long until I appear on the registry?
- You'll be added to the registry after your exam results and paperwork are fully processed, but Ohio doesn't publish a fixed number of days for this. Processing time can vary depending on when results and documentation reach the registry. If a reasonable amount of time has passed and you still don't appear, call the registry directly at (800) 582-5908 to check on your status.
- What if I search and can't find someone?
- A search that comes back empty doesn't automatically mean someone is uncertified, so try a few name variants first. Search maiden names, hyphenated last names, or a middle initial, since small differences in how a name was entered can cause a miss. If you still can't find a match, call the Ohio registry at (800) 582-5908 to confirm status directly.
- How often does a Ohio CNA certification need to be renewed?
- Nurse aide certification follows a 24-month cycle under federal rules, and it lapses if you go that long without qualifying paid nurse aide work. Ohio applies this same federal baseline, but exact renewal steps and documentation can vary, so confirm specifics with the Ohio Nurse Aide Registry at (800) 582-5908.
- How many hours of training does a CNA need in Ohio?
- Ohio requires 75 hours of nurse aide training, including at least 16 hours of supervised clinical practice, which matches the federal minimum exactly rather than exceeding it. This training leads to the STNA credential and is set out in Ohio Administrative Code 3701-18-12.
- How do I update my name or address on the registry?
- Contact the Ohio Nurse Aide Registry directly at (800) 582-5908 to update your name or address, since the registry that holds your certification handles these changes. Updates like this are routine, but the exact paperwork or proof required is set by the registry, not something you can guess at.