Alabama Nursing License: Lookup, Renewal, CE, and Fees

Alabama is a member of the Nurse Licensure Compact, effective January 1, 2020. A registered nurse who holds a multistate license from another compact state may practice in Alabama under that license without applying separately. A nurse who is making Alabama home, however, must declare Alabama as the primary state of residence when applying for an Alabama multistate license, and a nurse coming from a non-compact state must apply for licensure by endorsement.

A nurse applying by endorsement submits the application online, paying $125 for a single-state license or $225 for a multistate license, plus a $3.50 transaction fee. Fingerprints follow once the application is on file, and the board requires license verification through Nursys, or its own form if the prior state does not use Nursys. Applicants must document 24 CE contact hours from the past 24 months and show graduation from a substantially equivalent nursing program. A temporary permit is available.

To become a registered nurse in Alabama, a candidate must graduate from a nursing education program substantially equivalent to Alabama's own standards, whether a diploma, associate degree, or bachelor's degree program; the board does not pre-screen these programs in advance. Candidates must then pass the NCLEX-RN exam. A candidate who does not pass may retest after 45 days.