Alaska Nursing License: Lookup, Renewal, CE, and Fees
Alaska is not in the Nurse Licensure Compact, so its licenses are single-state. RNs renew every 2 years, complete 30 hours of continuing education per cycle, and pass the NCLEX-RN.
Look up a Alaska nursing license
The lookup runs on Alaska's state licensing portal, which covers RNs alongside other licensed professions. Nursys Quick Confirm is a free national check you can use as a second source.
Alaska Board of Nursing (Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development, Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing) · read 2026-09-02 · a dash means the board publishes no figure
Renewal and continuing education in Alaska
Alaska RN licenses renew every two years, on a fixed even-year schedule: all licenses expire November 30 of even-numbered years, and the current renewal period runs from December 1, 2024, through November 30, 2026. Renewal requires completing 30 hours of continuing education; the board does not name specific mandatory topics within that total. The board also states there is no grace period after expiration, though it does not state what a nurse must do to reinstate a lapsed license.
Renewing an Alaska RN license costs $200, the same fee charged for an initial license. That amount covers the renewal itself and does not include the cost of taking the NCLEX-RN exam or the $75 fingerprint and background check fee, both of which the board ties to initial licensure and endorsement applications rather than routine renewal.
How much does a Alaska RN license cost?
Board fees exclude exam registration and fingerprinting · Alaska board fee schedule ↗ · read 2026-09-02
Moving to Alaska: endorsement and temporary permits
Alaska is not a member of the Nurse Licensure Compact, according to the NCSBN's compact map. Because of that, a registered nurse moving to Alaska from another state cannot rely on a multistate license to practice there; instead, that nurse must apply for licensure by endorsement through the Alaska Board of Nursing before practicing in the state.
Endorsement applicants submit form 08-4016 with $375 in fees, an FD-258 fingerprint card for a background check ($75 processing fee), and verification of licensure from the original and current state, often through Nursys. They must also show at least 320 hours of nursing employment, or continuing competency or a refresher course if they have not practiced in five years, plus English proficiency proof for foreign graduates. Alaska does offer a temporary permit; the board does not mention a separate state law exam.
Education and exam for an RN license in Alaska
Alaska's Board of Nursing requires every applicant, including foreign-educated nurses, to pass the NCLEX-RN exam before licensure. The board's own verification materials list diploma, associate, baccalaureate, and master's nursing programs as accepted paths, based on the school-completed program verification form and official transcript it requires, but the board does not state additional required coursework, clinical hours, or a single mandatory degree level beyond passing the exam.
What do RNs earn in Alaska?
BLS OES May 2025 · 7,510 RNs employed in Alaska · RN salary in Alaska by city →
Sources
- Alaska Board of Nursing (Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development, Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing) ↗licensure, renewal, CE, and fee ruleshigh confidence
- commerce.alaska.gov/web/portals/5/pub/nur4112.pdf
- commerce.alaska.gov/web/portals/5/pub/nur4016.pdf
- commerce.alaska.gov/web/portals/5/pub/nur4121.pdf
- commerce.alaska.gov/web/cbpl/ProfessionalLicensing/BoardofNursing/Rene…
- commerce.alaska.gov/web/cbpl/ProfessionalLicensing/BoardofNursing/Cont…
- commerce.alaska.gov/cbp/main/search/professional
- Nursys ↗ national license verification
- BLS OES May 2025 Alaska RN wages and employment
Read 2026-09-02. Rules and fees change; confirm with the board before acting.