Wisconsin CNA Registry: Verify a Certification
Verify a Wisconsin certified nursing assistant through the Wisconsin Nurse Aide Registry, run by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services and hosted by Headmaster/TMU; the official lookup is linked on this page. The registry confirms whether a person currently holds an active nurse aide certification in Wisconsin. Federal law requires nursing facilities and home health agencies to check this registry before hiring anyone into a nurse aide role. If the online lookup doesn't answer your question, or you need help reading a result, call the registry directly at (888) 401-0465. Employers are advised to search by Social Security number rather than name alone, since names can be misspelled or shared.
Look up a Wisconsin nurse aide
The official lookup shows whether a person is listed as an active nurse aide in Wisconsin, 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 Wisconsin CNA
Open the official lookup
Use the Wisconsin 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 person's full legal name; employers get more reliable results searching by Social Security number, since Wisconsin's system treats SSN as the primary identifier. A successful search returns certification status and basic nurse aide credentialing details. The registry also lists substantiated findings of abuse, neglect, or misappropriation of property, and anyone with such a finding cannot be employed as a nurse aide. It is not a full employment or criminal background check, so it should not be used as a substitute for one.
Wisconsin note: Employers advised to search by SSN
Wisconsin registry at a glance
- Run by: Wisconsin DHS (registry hosted by Headmaster/TMU)
- Phone: (888) 401-0465
- 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 Wisconsin
Typical annual CNA pay in Wisconsin · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
BLS OES May 2025 · CNA salary in Wisconsin by city →
Renewal, lapses, and moving to Wisconsin
Wisconsin CNA certification follows the federal renewal cycle: certification is valid for 24 months and must be renewed by showing paid work as a nurse aide during that window. If a CNA goes 24 months without qualifying paid work, the certification lapses, and federal rules generally require retesting through the full CNA exam before it can be reinstated. Aides moving into Wisconsin from another state have their existing certification carried into the Wisconsin registry through reciprocity or endorsement rather than starting training over. Because exact renewal steps, documentation, and reciprocity requirements are set by the registry itself, contact the Wisconsin registry directly at (888) 401-0465 for your specific situation.
Keep your certification active
CNA work in Wisconsin, by the numbers
Wisconsin employs about 28,370 nursing assistants, according to BLS OES May 2025 figures. The median pay is $45,130 a year, or $21.70 an hour, about $2,870 above the national median of $42,260. That's up from a median of $26,940 in 2015, a roughly 67.5% increase over the decade. Wisconsin requires 75 hours of training to become a CNA, including 16 hours of supervised clinical practice, which matches the federal minimum exactly; the state used to require more, 120 hours with 32 clinical hours, until a 2019 law barred Wisconsin from setting training requirements above the federal floor, with the lower rule taking effect in 2022. Nationally, the CNA field is projected to add 196,200 job openings a year through 2035, even though the occupation's overall size is projected to grow only 2.6% over that decade.
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 Wisconsin registry
- How do I look up a CNA license in Wisconsin?
- Use the official Wisconsin Nurse Aide Registry lookup, linked on this page, and search by the person's name or Social Security number. The tool returns current certification status. If the result is unclear or you need help interpreting it, call the registry at (888) 401-0465. Wisconsin's registry is run by DHS and hosted by Headmaster/TMU on the state's behalf.
- I passed my CNA exam. How long until I appear on the registry?
- You're added to the registry once your exam results and paperwork have been processed, not the moment you finish testing. How long that takes can vary, so there's no fixed number of days to count on. If a reasonable amount of time has passed and you still don't appear, call the registry directly at (888) 401-0465 to check your status.
- What if I search and can't find someone?
- A blank result doesn't prove someone isn't certified. Try searching name variants first, such as a maiden name, hyphenated last name, or different middle initial, since a data entry difference is a common reason a real certification doesn't show up. If you still can't find the person after trying variants, confirm their status by calling the registry at (888) 401-0465 rather than assuming they're uncertified.
- How often does a Wisconsin CNA certification need to be renewed?
- Every 24 months, following the federal renewal cycle that applies to nurse aide certification nationwide. Renewal generally depends on having worked as a nurse aide for pay during that period. For the exact documentation Wisconsin requires and how to confirm your renewal date, contact the registry at (888) 401-0465.
- How many hours of training does a CNA need in Wisconsin?
- 75 hours total, including at least 16 hours of supervised clinical practice, which is exactly the federal minimum for nurse aide training. Wisconsin lowered its requirement to this level under a rule that took effect in 2022; it had previously required 120 hours with 32 clinical hours. State law now bars Wisconsin from requiring more than the federal floor.
- How do I update my name or address on the registry?
- Contact the Wisconsin Nurse Aide Registry directly at (888) 401-0465 to update your name or address. Updates like this are routine, but the registry sets the exact process and documentation needed, so check with them directly rather than assuming a general procedure applies.